What feature allows users to purchase products directly from pins?

Buyable Pins allowed users to purchase products directly from pins on Pinterest.

Pinterest introduced Buyable Pins in 2015 as part of its move from an inspiration-and-bookmarking service toward visual commerce. On supported products, users could view details such as price, color, size, and quantity, then complete checkout within the Pinterest app. The initial rollout included retailers such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Michaels, and sellers using Shopify or Demandware.

A common mix-up is Product Pins. Product Pins display structured information such as price, availability, and a purchase link, but traditionally send shoppers to the merchant’s website. Pinterest’s developer documentation explicitly distinguishes them from Buyable Pins, which were designed for direct in-platform purchasing. Pinterest later shifted its terminology and shopping tools, and modern product Pins generally emphasize links to merchants rather than the older Buyable Pins checkout format.

The feature reflected Pinterest’s origins in shopping discovery: the company’s earlier product, Tote, was a mobile catalog app, and Pinterest grew from users saving products they wanted to remember.