Pinterest CSV Upload Format in 2026: Columns, Limits & Sample

By the PinBuddy Team · Updated June 2026 · 7 min read

Pinterest’s Pin Builder accepts a CSV with the columns Title, Media URL, Pinterest board, Thumbnail, Description, Link, Publish date and Keywords. You can include up to 100 rows per file, and every publish date must fall within the next 14 days. Get those rules right and the import just works — get one wrong and Pinterest silently rejects the row.

The CSV bulk upload is the single fastest way to publish many pins at once, but it’s also the part people get stuck on. The format is strict: the columns have to be in the right order, dates need an exact pattern, titles must be unique, and every image has to be reachable at a public URL. This guide is the complete reference — every column, the exact rules, a copy-paste sample row, the limits, the most common errors, and the fastest way to generate a valid CSV without hand-editing a spreadsheet.

If you’re looking for the broader walkthrough rather than the format spec, start with our how to bulk upload pins to Pinterest guide and come back here for the column details.

Table of contents

• What is the Pinterest CSV upload?
• The Pinterest CSV columns
• A sample CSV row
• How to create the CSV file
• Formatting rules that trip people up
• Limits you need to know
• Common CSV errors (and fixes)
• Skip the spreadsheet: auto-generate the CSV
• Frequently asked questions

What is the Pinterest CSV upload?

The Pinterest CSV upload is a feature inside Pin Builder that creates many pins from a single spreadsheet file. Each row in the file becomes one pin: Pinterest reads the row, fetches the image from the URL you provide, applies the title and description, files it on the board you named, attaches your link, and publishes or schedules it. Instead of building pins one at a time, you describe them all in a CSV and hand the file to Pinterest in one upload.

It’s free and native — no third-party tool required — but it assumes two things: that every image already lives at a public URL, and that your file follows the format exactly. The rest of this guide is about getting that format right.

The Pinterest CSV columns

The header row defines eight columns in a fixed order. Three are required; the rest are optional but follow strict rules when used.

A sample CSV row

Here is the header line followed by one valid row. Keep the column order exactly as shown.

Title,Media URL,Pinterest board,Thumbnail,Description,Link,Publish date,Keywords
Cozy Fall Reading Nook,https://cdn.example.com/images/reading-nook.jpg,Home Decor,,A warm corner with soft lighting and a stack of books — perfect autumn inspiration.,https://example.com/reading-nook,2026-06-10T14:30:00,"fall decor,reading nook,cozy home"

Wrap any value that contains a comma in double quotes — the Keywords field above is a good example.

How to create the CSV file

1. Open a spreadsheet. Use Google Sheets or Excel and add the header row exactly: Title, Media URL, Pinterest board, Thumbnail, Description, Link, Publish date, Keywords.
2. Add one pin per row. Fill in the required fields (Title, Media URL, Pinterest board) and any optional ones you want.
3. Use public image URLs. Paste the direct URL of each already-hosted image into Media URL. Test one in an incognito tab to confirm it loads.
4. Format dates correctly. Enter Publish dates as YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS within the next 14 days, or leave the field blank to publish immediately.
5. Export as .csv. In Google Sheets choose File → Download → Comma-separated values; in Excel choose Save As → CSV UTF-8.
6. Upload at Pin Builder. Go to pinterest.com/pin-builder, upload the file, review any flagged rows, and confirm.

Formatting rules that trip people up

Most failed imports come down to a handful of formatting details. Check these before every upload:

• Keep the column order fixed. Pinterest expects the eight columns in the order shown. Don’t rename or reorder the headers.
• Quote any field with a comma. A description or keyword list that contains commas must be wrapped in double quotes, or the CSV will split it into extra columns.
• Use straight quotes, not curly ones. Smart quotes pasted from a word processor can break parsing — type values directly in the spreadsheet.
• Save as UTF-8. This preserves accented characters and emoji in your titles and descriptions.
• No leading/trailing spaces in board names. “Home Decor ” (with a trailing space) won’t match “Home Decor.”

Limits you need to know

• 100 rows per file. One CSV holds a maximum of 100 pins. Split larger batches into multiple files and upload them separately.
• 14-day scheduling window. Any publish date must fall within the next 14 days — you cannot schedule further out via CSV.
• Unique titles. Two rows with the same Title will cause a rejection; vary every headline.
• Public images only. Pinterest must be able to download each Media URL without logging in.

Common CSV errors (and fixes)

• “Image could not be loaded” — the Media URL isn’t public or is broken. Re-host the image and test the link in incognito.
• “Board not found” — the board name doesn’t exactly match. Copy it straight from your Pinterest account.
• “Duplicate title” — two rows share a Title. Make each one distinct.
• Extra columns appear — an unquoted comma split a field. Wrap descriptions and keyword lists in double quotes.
• Date rejected — the Publish date is in the wrong format or outside 14 days. Use ISO format within the window.

Skip the spreadsheet: auto-generate the CSV

Hand-building a CSV is fine for a few pins, but it’s fiddly at scale — one stray comma or mistyped date and a row fails. PinBuddy removes the spreadsheet entirely. You upload your images (each is auto-hosted on a CDN, so the public-URL requirement is handled for you), add titles, descriptions, boards and keywords — or let the AI draft captions — and PinBuddy exports a perfectly formatted CSV: right columns, right order, valid dates, properly quoted fields, up to 100 pins. You just upload it to Pin Builder and schedule.

It’s free to start. See the full feature list, read the bulk upload walkthrough, or check pricing — including a one-time $99.99 lifetime plan.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ