What advertising format did Pinterest begin displaying in October 2013?

Pinterest began displaying Promoted Pins in October 2013.

Promoted Pins were Pinterest’s first major native advertising format: paid placements designed to resemble ordinary Pins rather than conventional banner ads. Businesses could pay to increase the visibility of selected images in users’ feeds, search results, or category pages. The format matched Pinterest’s visual, discovery-oriented interface and let advertisers connect product imagery with users already browsing for ideas.

The early rollout was deliberately limited. Pinterest tested Promoted Pins with selected advertisers and emphasized that the ads would be relevant, clearly identified, and visually consistent with the rest of the service. That approach helped the company begin monetizing without abandoning its pinboard design.

A common mix-up is with Rich Pins, which launched around the same period but served a different purpose. Rich Pins added extra information—such as prices, ingredients, or article details—to content; they were not themselves an advertising format. Buyable Pins, introduced later, focused on purchasing products directly through Pinterest.