Creating a board takes three steps and takes less than a minute
A board on Pinterest is a collection you create to save pins on a specific topic. You create a board by clicking the plus icon next to "Boards" on your profile, naming it, choosing who can see it, and confirming. Once the board exists, you can save pins to it whenever you find something you want to keep. Boards stay on your profile and let other people follow them if you make them public.
The process is the same whether you use Pinterest on a computer or the mobile app. The board appears immediately after you create it, and you can start saving pins to it right away.
Key Takeaways
- You create a board from your profile by clicking the plus icon next to "Boards" and filling in a name and description.
- You choose whether a board is public (anyone can see and follow it) or secret (only you can see it).
- You can save pins to a board from anywhere on Pinterest by clicking the save button and selecting which board to use.
- You can change a board's name, description, or privacy setting at any time after you create it.
- Boards help you organize pins by topic so you can find them later and let other people discover your interests.
How to create a board on your computer
Open Pinterest in your browser and click your profile icon in the top right corner. Select "Boards" from the menu that appears. You will see a plus icon labeled "Create board" — click it.
A form will appear asking for a board name. Type a name that describes what the board is about, like "Kitchen Remodeling Ideas" or "Recipes I Want to Try". The name is what other people see, so make it clear enough that someone browsing your profile understands what pins you are saving to it.
Below the name field, you will see a description box. This is optional, but adding a short description helps other people understand the board's purpose. You can write something like "Before and after kitchen projects" or leave it blank.
At the bottom of the form, you will see two privacy options: "Public" and "Secret". Public means anyone on Pinterest can find and follow your board. Secret means only you can see it. Choose the setting you want and click "Create". Your board now appears on your profile and is ready to use.
How to create a board on the Pinterest mobile app
Open the Pinterest app and tap your profile icon at the bottom right of the screen. Tap "Boards" to see all your boards. At the top, you will see a plus icon — tap it to start creating a new board.
Type a name for your board in the field that appears. Add a description if you want to. Scroll down and tap either "Public" or "Secret" to choose who can see the board.
Tap "Create" at the bottom of the screen. The board is now created and appears in your boards list. You can start saving pins to it immediately.
How to save a pin to a board
When you find a pin you want to save, click or tap the "Save" button on the pin. A menu appears showing all your boards. Click or tap the name of the board where you want to save the pin. The pin is now added to that board.
If you are saving a pin and do not have a board for it yet, you can create a new board from the save menu. Click or tap "Create board" at the top of the list, name it, choose public or secret, and confirm. The pin saves to your new board automatically.
Changing a board's name, description, or privacy setting
Go to your profile and click or tap the board you want to change. At the top of the board, you will see three dots (on mobile) or a pencil icon (on computer). Click or tap it to open the board settings.
You can now edit the board's name and description. You can also change the privacy setting from public to secret or back. Make your changes and click or tap "Save". The changes take effect immediately.
If you change a board from public to secret, people who were following it will no longer see it on their feed, but the pins stay in the board. If you change it back to public later, the board appears in their feed again.
Organizing pins across multiple boards
As you save more pins, you may want to move a pin from one board to another. Click or tap the pin to open it, then click or tap "Save" again. A menu shows all your boards. The board the pin is currently on will have a checkmark. Click or tap a different board to move the pin there. You can save the same pin to multiple boards at once if you want.
You can also delete a pin from a board without deleting the pin itself. Open the pin, click or tap the board name, and select "Remove from board". The pin stays on Pinterest but no longer appears on that board.
If you want to delete an entire board, go to the board, click or tap the three dots or pencil icon, and select "Delete board". All pins on the board are removed. This action cannot be undone, so make sure you want to delete the board before confirming.
Making boards that other people want to follow
When you create a public board, other people can follow it and see your pins in their home feed. To make a board people want to follow, give it a clear name and add a description that explains what kind of pins you are saving. Use specific topics instead of broad ones — "Vegetarian Dinner Ideas" will attract more followers than "Food".
Save pins consistently to your public boards. Boards that have not been updated in months are less likely to show up in searches or recommendations. If you are no longer interested in a topic, you can make the board secret so it stays on your profile but stops appearing in other people's feeds.
You can see how many followers each of your public boards has by going to your profile and looking at the board. Boards with more followers mean more people are interested in that topic, which can help you decide what kinds of pins to save in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a board that only certain people can see?
Pinterest does not have a way to share a board with specific people. You can only choose between public (everyone can see it) and secret (only you can see it). If you want to share a board with friends, make it public and send them the link directly.
What happens if I delete a board?
Deleting a board removes all the pins from it permanently. The pins do not go back to your saved pins or appear anywhere else — they are gone. If you think you might want those pins later, move them to a different board before deleting.
Can I rename a board after I create it?
Yes. Go to the board, click or tap the three dots or pencil icon, and select "Edit board". Change the name and click or tap "Save". The new name appears immediately on your profile and in other people's feeds if the board is public.
How many boards can I create?
Pinterest does not limit the number of boards you can create. You can have as many as you want. However, having too many boards with only a few pins each can make your profile harder to navigate, so consider grouping similar topics together.
Can I see which of my boards are most popular?
Yes, if you have a business account. Business accounts show analytics that tell you how many followers each board has and how many times pins from that board have been saved. Personal accounts can see the follower count on each public board but not detailed analytics.