The two ways to give someone access to your Pinterest account
Pinterest lets you share control of your account in two different ways, depending on what you want the other person to do. You can make someone a collaborator on specific boards so they can edit and pin to those boards without accessing your whole account. Or you can add them as a profile collaborator, which gives them access to manage your entire account — useful if you're running a business account with a team.
The method you choose depends on whether you want to share everything or just certain boards. Most people use board-level collaboration because it's more secure and keeps sensitive boards private.
Key Takeaways
- Board collaborators can only edit and pin to the specific boards you add them to, not your entire account or private boards.
- Profile collaborators can access and manage your whole account, including private boards, so only add people you fully trust.
- You invite collaborators by their email address or Pinterest username, and they must accept the invitation before they gain access.
- You can remove someone's access at any time by going to the board or account settings and deleting their collaborator status.
How to add a board collaborator
Board collaborators are the most common choice because they can only touch the boards you invite them to. Open the board you want to share, tap or click the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Invite collaborators." Type in the person's email address or Pinterest username. Pinterest will send them an invitation, and once they accept, they'll be able to create pins, edit pin descriptions, and organize that board.
The person you invite will see the board appear in their "Collaborating" section on their Pinterest home page. They won't see your other boards, and you won't see pins they create on their own boards unless they share them with you separately.
You can add multiple people to the same board. Each one gets their own invitation and can work independently. If you change your mind about someone, go back to that board's settings and remove their name from the collaborators list.
How to add a profile collaborator
Profile collaborators have much broader access — they can see and edit everything on your account, including private boards and saved pins. This is useful for business accounts where a team member needs to manage content across the whole profile. Go to your account settings, select "Account collaborators," and enter the person's email address or username.
Be careful with this option. A profile collaborator can delete your boards, change your account settings, and see all your private content. Only add people you trust completely, and only for as long as they need the access. If someone leaves your team or you no longer want to work together, remove them immediately from the same settings page.
What happens after you send an invitation
When you invite someone, Pinterest sends them a notification. They have to accept the invitation before they can see the board or account. Until they accept, they won't have any access, and you'll see their status as "pending" in your collaborators list.
If the person doesn't accept within a reasonable time, you can send the invitation again or try a different email address. Some people miss notifications, so it's worth checking with them directly if they don't respond after a few days.
Removing someone's access
You can remove a collaborator at any time. For board collaborators, open the board, tap the three dots, go to "Invite collaborators," and delete their name from the list. For profile collaborators, go to account settings, select "Account collaborators," and remove them there.
Once you remove someone, they lose access immediately. They can no longer see the board or account, and any pins they created while collaborating will stay on that board — you'll need to delete them manually if you want them gone. Removing someone doesn't delete their Pinterest account or affect their personal boards.
Troubleshooting common problems
If you can't find the collaborators option, make sure you're on the board or account you want to share. The option only appears if you're the board owner or account owner. If you're trying to add someone and the invitation won't send, double-check that you have their correct email address or Pinterest username — typos are the most common reason invitations fail.
If someone says they received an invitation but can't see it, ask them to check their email spam folder or their Pinterest notifications. Sometimes invitations get caught by email filters. You can also try sending a new invitation with a different email address if they have multiple accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make someone a collaborator on a secret board?
Yes. Secret boards are private to you, but you can still invite collaborators to them. Once someone accepts the invitation, they can see and edit that secret board, but they won't see your other boards unless you invite them to those too.
What's the difference between a collaborator and a follower?
Followers can only see your public boards and pins — they can't edit anything. Collaborators can create and edit pins on boards you've specifically shared with them. Followers don't need an invitation; anyone can follow your public profile.
Can I limit what a board collaborator can do?
Not really. Once someone is a board collaborator, they can create pins, edit descriptions, delete pins, and organize the board the same way you can. If you need more control, you could create a separate account just for that person and manage what they see that way, but that's more complicated than using the built-in collaboration feature.
What if I accidentally add the wrong person?
Remove them immediately from the collaborators list. They'll lose access right away. If they already created pins on the board, those pins stay there — you'll need to delete them yourself if you don't want them.