The three ways to add people on Pinterest
Pinterest does not use a "friend" system like Facebook. Instead, you can follow people whose pins you want to see, and other people can follow you. You add people to Pinterest in three ways: by following them directly, by inviting them via email, or by connecting your contacts from your phone or email account.
The most common way is to search for someone and follow their profile. When you follow someone, their pins appear in your home feed. They do not get a notification that you followed them, and they do not have to follow you back. Following is one-directional — you see their content, but they only see yours if they choose to follow your profile too.
If you want to add someone who is not yet on Pinterest, you can send them an invitation by email. Pinterest will send them a link to join, and when they sign up, you will automatically follow each other. You can also sync your phone contacts or email contacts to find people you know who already have Pinterest accounts.
Key Takeaways
- Follow someone by searching their name or username, visiting their profile, and clicking the Follow button — they will not be notified.
- Invite someone who is not on Pinterest by entering their email address in the invite section, and Pinterest will send them a signup link.
- Sync your phone contacts or email contacts to discover people you know who already use Pinterest.
- You can unfollow anyone at any time by visiting their profile and clicking the Unfollow button.
- Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your pins and from following you, but they will not receive a notification that you blocked them.
How to follow someone on Pinterest
To follow someone, start by searching for their name or username. Tap the search icon at the top of the app or website, type their name, and look for their profile in the results. Profiles show a small circular image, the person's name, and how many followers they have.
Click or tap on their profile to open it. You will see their pins, the boards they have created, and a Follow button near the top of the page. Click Follow, and you will now see their pins in your home feed. If you change your mind, you can return to their profile and click Unfollow at any time.
How to invite someone to Pinterest by email
To invite someone who does not yet have a Pinterest account, open the app or website and look for the menu icon (three horizontal lines on mobile, or your profile icon on desktop). Select "Invite friends" or a similar option — the exact wording varies by device and app version.
Enter the email address of the person you want to invite. Pinterest will send them an email with a link to join. When they sign up using that link, you will automatically follow each other. You can send multiple invitations at once by entering several email addresses.
The person you invite will receive an email from Pinterest, not from you directly. They can ignore it, delete it, or click through to create an account. If they create an account without using your invite link, you will not automatically follow each other — you will need to search for them and follow manually.
How to sync your contacts to find people you know
Pinterest can search your phone contacts or email contacts to show you people you know who already have accounts. On the mobile app, open the menu, select "Invite friends," and look for an option to sync contacts or import contacts. On the website, this option is usually in the same invite section.
When you choose to sync, Pinterest will ask permission to access your contacts. Grant permission, and Pinterest will compare your contacts against its user database. It will show you a list of people you know who have Pinterest accounts, along with a Follow button next to each name.
You do not have to follow everyone who appears in the list. Syncing your contacts does not automatically follow anyone — you choose who to follow after you see the results. You can sync your contacts once or multiple times; syncing again will show you any new people from your contacts who have joined Pinterest since the last sync.
How to manage who can follow you
By default, anyone on Pinterest can follow your profile and see your pins. If you want to restrict this, open your profile settings and look for privacy options. You can set your account to private, which means only people you approve can follow you and see your pins.
When your account is private, people who try to follow you will send a follow request instead. You will receive a notification, and you can approve or deny the request. You can also remove followers at any time by visiting your followers list and clicking the remove or block option next to their name.
If someone is bothering you or posting content you do not want to see, you can block them. Blocking prevents them from following you, viewing your profile, or messaging you. They will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but if they search for your name, they will see that your profile is not available to them.
How to find and follow group boards
In addition to following individual people, you can follow boards that other people have created. A group board is a board that multiple people can pin to and manage together. To find group boards, search for a topic you are interested in, and look at the boards that appear in the results.
When you find a group board you like, click on it to open it. Look for a "Follow" button or a "Join" button, depending on the board's settings. Some group boards let anyone follow them, while others require you to request to join. If you request to join, the board owner will review your request and approve or deny it.
Once you are part of a group board, you can pin to it just like you pin to your own boards. Other members of the board will see your pins, and you will see theirs. You can leave a group board at any time by visiting the board and selecting the option to leave or unfollow.
What happens when you follow someone
When you follow someone, their pins start appearing in your home feed. The order of pins in your feed is determined by Pinterest's algorithm, which prioritizes pins from accounts you interact with most and topics you have shown interest in. Just because you follow someone does not mean you will see every single pin they post.
Following someone does not give them any special access to you or your pins. They cannot see your private messages unless you message them first, and they cannot see your saved pins unless you have shared a board with them. They can only see the pins you have posted to your public boards.
You can mute someone without unfollowing them. Muting hides their pins from your feed temporarily, but you remain following them. If you change your mind, you can unmute them. This is useful if someone you follow is posting a lot of content you are not interested in right now, but you might want to see their pins again later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see if someone has followed me?
Yes. Open your profile and look for a "Followers" section or tab. This shows everyone who is following you. You can click on any follower's name to visit their profile and choose to follow them back if you want.
What is the difference between following and saving a pin?
Following a person means you will see all their future pins in your feed. Saving a pin means you are bookmarking that one specific pin to a board of yours. You can save pins from people you do not follow, and you can follow people without saving any of their pins.
If I block someone, can they still see my pins?
No. When you block someone, they cannot see your profile, your pins, or your boards. They cannot follow you or send you messages. However, if they search for a topic you have pinned about, they might see your pins in search results depending on your privacy settings.
Can I follow someone without them knowing?
Yes. When you follow someone, they do not receive a notification. They can see that you are following them if they visit their followers list, but Pinterest does not alert them that you followed them.
How do I find someone's Pinterest username if I only know their real name?
Use the search bar and type their name. Pinterest will show profiles that match. If you know other details about them — like their location, interests, or a board they have created — include those in your search to narrow the results. You can also ask them directly for their Pinterest username or profile link.