Pinterest Scraper with Login

Advanced Pinterest scraper built with Crawlee and Playwright. Supports detailed pin extraction with images, owner info, like counts, and rich metadata.

Features:

• Cookie-based session injection (pre-exported sessions)
• Direct API calls and browser automation
• Apify residential proxy integration
• n8n workflow export format
• Image download support
• Search queries and direct URL scraping
• Anti-bot detection evasion

Technologies & Libraries

• Apify SDK - Apify platform integration and Actor orchestration
• Crawlee - Web scraping and browser automation framework
• Playwright - Browser automation for JavaScript-heavy sites
• Input Schema - Define and validate Actor inputs
• Dataset Storage - Persistent structured data storage
• Key-Value Store - File and statistics storage
• Apify Proxy - Rotating residential IP addresses

Project Structure

.actor/
├── actor.json                  # Actor metadata and configuration
├── input_schema.json           # Input validation & Apify Console form
├── dataset_schema.json         # Output data structure & visualization
└── output_schema.json          # Output links and documentation

src/
├── main.js                     # Actor entry point and orchestration
├── auth.js                     # Authentication logic (login/cookies)
├── scraper.js                  # Core scraping logic
├── utils.js                    # Helper utilities
└── ...                         # Additional modules

storage/ (local development)
├── datasets/                   # Scraped pin data
├── key_value_stores/           # Stats and configuration
└── request_queues/             # Pending requests

Dockerfile                      # Container image definition
package.json                    # Dependencies and scripts
README.md                       # This file

How It Works

The Pinterest scraper provides two primary scraping modes:

1. Search-Based Scraping

• Accepts search keywords (e.g., "interior design", "minimalist decor")
• Performs authenticated search on Pinterest
• Scrolls through results to load additional pins
• Extracts rich pin metadata from API responses

2. Direct URL Scraping

• Scrapes specific pins: https://pinterest.com/pin/PIN_ID
• Scrapes user profiles: https://pinterest.com/@username
• Scrapes boards and collections
• Useful for targeted data collection

Data Extraction

For each pin, the scraper extracts:

• Metadata: ID, description, domain, URL
• Images: Multiple sizes (original, 736x, 474x)
• Owner Info: Username, profile link
• Pinner Info: Who pinned it (if different from owner)
• Engagement: Like count, save count
• Rich Data: Full API response for custom analysis

Output Formats

Standard JSON (Default)

[
  {
    "type": "pin",
    "url": "https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211174978661944/",
    "data": {
      "id": "211174978661944",
      "description": "Beautiful interior design",
      "domain": "etsy.com",
      "images": {
        "orig": {"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/..."},
        "736x": {"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/736x/..."}
      },
      "owner": {"username": "design_account"},
      "pinner": {"username": "user_who_pinned"},
      "like_count": 1234
    }
  }
]

n8n Format (when n8n=true)

{
  "items": [
    { "type": "pin", "data": {...} },
    { "type": "pin", "data": {...} }
  ]
}

Complete sample Full Output JSON Extracted

{
	"type": "pin",
	"url": "https://www.pinterest.com/pin/684617580870099346/",
	"data": {
		"node_id": "UGluOjQ2MDQyMjcwMTA5OTEwMjg5OTI=",
		"promoted_is_removable": false,
		"carousel_data": null,
		"grid_title": "Bok Bench",
		"link": "https://www.thatcooliving.com/products/bok-bench-3?variant=50503859863894&currency=USD",
		"manual_interest_tags": null,
		"view_tags": [],
		"images": {
			"170x": {
				"width": 236,
				"height": 353,
				"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/236x/37/40/c8/3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81.jpg"
			},
			"136x136": {
				"width": 136,
				"height": 136,
				"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/136x136/37/40/c8/3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81.jpg"
			},
			"236x": {
				"width": 236,
				"height": 353,
				"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/236x/37/40/c8/3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81.jpg"
			},
			"474x": {
				"width": 474,
				"height": 710,
				"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/474x/37/40/c8/3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81.jpg"
			},
			"736x": {
				"width": 667,
				"height": 1000,
				"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/736x/37/40/c8/3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81.jpg"
			},
			"orig": {
				"width": 667,
				"height": 1000,
				"url": "https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/40/c8/3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81.jpg"
			}
		},
		"is_quick_promotable": false,
		"tracking_params": "CwABAAAAEDczMjIzNjAxNTcwMDY4NzIGAAMAhQsABwAAAApuZ2FwaS9wcm9kAA",
		"native_creator": {
			"node_id": "VXNlcjoxMDU2MzA1NDI1MDA5MzY5MDg3",
			"username": "thatcooliving",
			"type": "user",
			"explicitly_followed_by_me": false,
			"image_large_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg",
			"verified_identity": {},
			"blocked_by_me": false,
			"is_verified_merchant": true,
			"id": "1056305425009369087",
			"full_name": "that cool living®",
			"image_small_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg"
		},
		"alt_text": null,
		"has_required_attribution_provider": false,
		"access": [],
		"debug_info_html": null,
		"is_promoted": false,
		"rich_summary": {
			"type_name": "product",
			"apple_touch_icon_images": null,
			"favicon_link": "https://s.pinimg.com/images/default_rich_pin_favicon.png",
			"url": null,
			"products": [
				{
					"offers": [
						{
							"condition": 1,
							"type": "offermetadata",
							"in_stock": true,
							"price_currency": "USD",
							"min_ad_price": null,
							"name": null,
							"availability": 1,
							"id": "267496341455760",
							"price_value": 1364
						}
					],
					"item_id": "404b3e30-6071-463f-a36c-6e3fb74c2f72",
					"name": "Bok Bench",
					"item_set_id": "86819f98-1340-48d5-8df8-43cdb725fde7",
					"label_info": {},
					"variant_set": null,
					"type": "richproductmetadata",
					"videos": [],
					"additional_images_per_spec": null,
					"shipping_info": {},
					"offer_summary": {
						"price_val": 1364,
						"currency": "USD",
						"price": "$1,364.00",
						"in_stock": true,
						"availability": 1,
						"condition": 1,
						"standard_price": "$1,364.00"
					},
					"price_history_summary": {},
					"purchase_url": null,
					"additional_images": null,
					"id": "267505658078096",
					"has_multi_images": null
				}
			],
			"type": "richpingriddata",
			"site_name": "THAT COOL LIVING",
			"actions": [],
			"apple_touch_icon_link": null,
			"display_name": "Bok Bench",
			"id": "None",
			"favicon_images": {
				"orig": "https://s.pinimg.com/images/default_rich_pin_favicon.png"
			},
			"display_description": "Reminiscent of a goat's curved horns, the Bok collection combines sculptural elegance and contemporary crafting into a graceful and airy form. The Bok bench pairs well with the Bok dining table, but also as a stand-alone against a wall, in a hallway or at the end of a bed."
		},
		"product_metadata": {
			"type": "productmetadata",
			"id": "7519985830828728280"
		},
		"description": "Reminiscent of a goat's curved horns, the Bok collection combines sculptural elegance and contemporary crafting into a graceful and airy form. The Bok bench pairs well with the Bok dining table, but also as a stand-alone against a wall, in a hallway or at the end of a bed.",
		"is_repin": false,
		"image_crop": {
			"min_y": 0,
			"max_y": 1
		},
		"board": {
			"node_id": "Qm9hcmQ6MTA1NjMwNTM1NjI4OTkxNjI1NQ==",
			"followed_by_me": false,
			"type": "board",
			"collaborated_by_me": false,
			"layout": "default",
			"name": "Products",
			"privacy": "protected",
			"url": "/thatcooliving/_products/",
			"is_collaborative": false,
			"owner": {
				"node_id": "VXNlcjoxMDU2MzA1NDI1MDA5MzY5MDg3",
				"username": "thatcooliving",
				"type": "user",
				"explicitly_followed_by_me": false,
				"image_large_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg",
				"verified_identity": {},
				"blocked_by_me": false,
				"is_verified_merchant": true,
				"id": "1056305425009369087",
				"full_name": "that cool living®",
				"image_small_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg"
			},
			"id": "1056305356289916255",
			"image_thumbnail_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/upload/1056305356289916255_board_thumbnail_2025-12-04-15-22-36_59010_60.jpg"
		},
		"price_currency": "USD",
		"reaction_counts": {},
		"repin_count": 0,
		"grid_description": "Reminiscent of a goat's curved horns, the Bok collection combines sculptural elegance and contemporary crafting into a graceful and airy form. The Bok bench pairs well with the Bok dining table, but also as a stand-alone against a wall, in a hallway or at the end of a bed.",
		"is_eligible_for_pdp": true,
		"story_pin_data": null,
		"privacy": "public",
		"promoter": null,
		"is_downstream_promotion": false,
		"id": "4604227010991028992",
		"creator_analytics": null,
		"aggregated_pin_data": null,
		"is_video": false,
		"attribution": null,
		"embed": null,
		"image_square_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/45x45/37/40/c8/3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81.jpg",
		"is_native": false,
		"pinner": {
			"node_id": "VXNlcjoxMDU2MzA1NDI1MDA5MzY5MDg3",
			"username": "thatcooliving",
			"type": "user",
			"explicitly_followed_by_me": false,
			"image_large_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg",
			"verified_identity": {},
			"blocked_by_me": false,
			"is_verified_merchant": true,
			"id": "1056305425009369087",
			"full_name": "that cool living®",
			"image_small_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg"
		},
		"shopping_flags": [
			1,
			5,
			8,
			11
		],
		"comment_count": 0,
		"is_eligible_for_web_closeup": false,
		"dominant_color": "#e1e0de",
		"method": "catalog_bulk_create",
		"story_pin_data_id": null,
		"title": "Bok Bench",
		"type": "pin",
		"additional_hide_reasons": [],
		"videos": null,
		"ad_match_reason": 0,
		"link_domain": {
			"node_id": "RG9tYWluOjk1ODc3NDQ4MzAxODA1NjEwMw==",
			"official_user": {
				"node_id": "VXNlcjoxMDU2MzA1NDI1MDA5MzY5MDg3",
				"username": "thatcooliving",
				"type": "user",
				"explicitly_followed_by_me": false,
				"image_large_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg",
				"verified_identity": {},
				"blocked_by_me": false,
				"is_verified_merchant": true,
				"id": "1056305425009369087",
				"full_name": "that cool living®",
				"image_small_url": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/89/45/98/894598c56ae388c50c3482e57ca5391b.jpg"
			}
		},
		"domain": "thatcooliving.com",
		"comments": {
			"uri": "/v3/pins/4604227010991028992/comments/",
			"data": [],
			"bookmark": null
		},
		"description_html": "Reminiscent of a goat's curved horns, the Bok collection combines sculptural elegance and contemporary crafting into a graceful and airy form. The Bok bench pairs well with the Bok dining table, but also as a stand-alone against a wall, in a hallway or at the end of a bed.",
		"collection_pin": null,
		"is_playable": false,
		"created_at": "Sat, 29 Nov 2025 13:23:53 +0000",
		"image_signature": "3740c8114cec999a9391dfb92ff62f81",
		"is_whitelisted_for_tried_it": true,
		"is_uploaded": false,
		"link_user_website": null,
		"sponsorship": null,
		"promoted_lead_form": null,
		"price_value": 0
	}
}

Input Configuration

All input parameters are optional with sensible defaults. Configure via Apify Console or pass JSON input.

Scraping Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
search	String	-	Search keyword (e.g., "interior design")
startUrls	Array	[]	Direct Pinterest URLs to scrape
maxItems	Integer	50	Max pins to extract (1-10000)
maxScrollsPerPage	Integer	6	Page scrolls per search (1-30)

Output Options

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
downloadImages	Boolean	false	Download pin images to storage
imagesDirectory	String	images	Directory path for downloaded images
n8n	Boolean	false	Export in n8n workflow format

Proxy Settings

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
useApifyProxy	Boolean	true	Use Apify residential proxy
apifyProxyCountry	String	US	Proxy country (20+ options)
headless	Boolean	true	Run browser in headless mode

Example Input

{
  "search": "minimalist interior design",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "maxScrollsPerPage": 8,
  "useApifyProxy": true,
  "apifyProxyCountry": "US",
  "downloadImages": false,
  "n8n": false
}

Common Use Cases

1. Search-Based Scraping

Collect pins for a specific topic:

{
  "search": "sustainable fashion",
  "maxItems": 200,
  "maxScrollsPerPage": 10,
}

2. Direct Pin Scraping

Scrape specific pins by URL:

{
  "startUrls": [
    {"url": "https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211174978661944/"},
    {"url": "https://www.pinterest.com/pin/123456789/"}
  ],
  "maxItems": 50
}

3. n8n Workflow Integration

Export results in n8n-compatible format:

{
  "search": "design inspiration",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "n8n": true,
  "useApifyProxy": true,
  "apifyProxyCountry": "US"
}

4. Image Download & Storage

Download all pin images for offline access:

{
  "search": "photography",
  "downloadImages": true,
  "imagesDirectory": "pinterest_images",
  "maxItems": 100
}

Environment Variables

For secure credential storage, use environment variables instead of passing credentials in input:

# Apify API (for deployment)
export APIFY_TOKEN="your_apify_token"

Output Data

Dataset Output

Scraped pins are stored in the dataset with the following structure:

{
  "type": "pin",
  "url": "https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211174978661944/",
  "data": {
    "id": "211174978661944",
    "description": "Beautiful interior design idea",
    "domain": "etsy.com",
    "images": {
      "orig": {
        "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/originals/..."
      },
      "736x": {
        "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/736x/..."
      },
      "474x": {
        "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/474x/..."
      }
    },
    "owner": {
      "username": "design_account"
    },
    "pinner": {
      "username": "user_who_pinned"
    },
    "like_count": 1234
  }
}

Statistics Output

Execution statistics are stored in OUTPUT.json key-value store:

{
  "totalPins": 100,
  "totalRequests": 50,
  "executionTime": "2m 30s",
  "errors": 0,
  "successRate": 100
}

n8n Export (if enabled)

When n8n=true, results are wrapped in an items array:

{
  "items": [
    {
      "type": "pin",
      "url": "...",
      "data": {...}
    },
    ...
  ]
}

Apify Console Views

The Actor provides multiple visualization views in the Apify Console:

Overview View

Summary table showing:

• Pin image thumbnail
• Pin URL (clickable)
• Pin ID
• Description
• Source domain
• Owner username
• Pinner username
• Like count

Detailed View

Complete data view showing:

• All pin metadata
• Full images object (multiple sizes)
• Complete API response
• Raw JSON for advanced analysis

Best Practices

Authentication

• Use environment variables for passwords instead of hardcoding
• Cookie injection is safer than storing passwords
• Test authentication locally before deploying

Performance

• Start with maxScrollsPerPage: 3-5 to test
• Increase gradually based on needs (max 30)
• Use headless: true for production
• Monitor execution time and adjust concurrency

Data Quality

• Use maxItems limit to test scraper first
• Validate scraped data structure matches expectations
• Monitor error logs in Apify Console
• Check that all pins have expected fields

Cost Optimization

• Disable downloadImages unless needed (saves bandwidth)
• Use useApifyProxy: false for US-only content (saves credits)
• Batch multiple searches in single run when possible
• Monitor proxy country selection based on content location

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failed

• Verify username and password are correct
• Check if Pinterest requires 2FA (2-factor authentication)
• Try cookie-based authentication as alternative
• Check PINTEREST_USERNAME and PINTEREST_PASSWORD env vars

No Pins Found

• Verify search keyword is valid
• Try with fewer maxScrollsPerPage first
• Check if Pinterest blocked the IP (use proxy)
• Verify browser isn't in sandbox mode

Proxy Issues

• Ensure Apify account has proxy credits
• Try different apifyProxyCountry setting
• Check network connectivity
• Verify proxy configuration in .actor/actor.json

Dataset Errors

• Ensure sufficient storage quota
• Check dataset key-value store for logs
• Monitor Actor logs in Apify Console
• Check file permissions in local storage

Support & Resources

• Apify Documentation - Complete platform guide
• Crawlee Documentation - Scraping library reference
• Apify SDK JS - JavaScript SDK docs
• Apify Discord Community - Get help from community
• Pinterest Terms of Service - Important: Follow ToS compliance

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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Last Updated: December 2024
Version: 1.0.0
Maintained by: Vivid AI