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How to Avoid Getting your Pinterest Account Blocked!

Pinterest is cracking down on spammy behaviour. There have been numerous reports by panic-stricken pinners who have had their Pinterest account blocked, sometimes mistakenly. In most cases, if it’s a genuine misunderstanding, Pinterest will re-activate the account. However, this can sometimes take several weeks to resolve. Wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry? Read on to find out how to avoid getting your Pinterest account blocked.

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Need help with this Pinterest stuff?

We’re here for you! Let’s talk.

Hi! I’m Mary Lumley
Pinterest Specialist for eCom & Travel
Book a call with me

What if this happened to you…?

Recently, I was contacted by Katie who started a Pinterest account 8 years ago. She had built up a following of 60K followers. Pinterest was generating 35% of her total site traffic each day. One month ago, Pinterest began banning all links to her site for potential spam. Anyone who clicked on a pin to her site got a blocked, potential spam warning. Katie has no idea what happened. She did not change her pinning habits. Initially, she was not even aware that her account had been blocked. Pinterest proceeds without warning you. When she contacted Pinterest support, they sent a standard response that she is not following Pinterest guidelines.

Here’s what you can do to avoid getting your Pinterest account blocked

Don’t do this…

  • Pin a lot of images leading to the same page at short interval (it’s a bad idea to post 30 pins a day, even if they are different images, and link them all to the same page)
  • Engage in “bot-type behaviour” (high volume commenting, following, pinning)
  • Add irrelevant hashtags to your pins (they should be used as wide search terms, i.e. they must help Pinterest understand what your pin is about, and not confuse the algorithm)
  • Add too many hashtags to your pins
  • Use affiliate links that have a shortened URL (Pinterest does not like those)

You should always…

  • Use your own images when linking to your website (ones that you created, using licensed stock photos or your own photographs)
  • Check the links of any content you share on Pinterest to see where it leads – I check the link of every single image I repin on Pinterest to avoid sharing stolen pins
  • Ensure that your pin is consistent with the content of the landing page it leads to – make sure users find what they’re looking for when they click through
  • Beware of the Pinterest guidelines, including restrictions on certain types of content such as eating disorders, porn, sales of alcohol, firearms, …
  • Pin original content whenever possible – Pinterest prefers new content. Even if you are publishing an old post again, make it “new”. Change the image, title and description, so that it is 100% unique.
  • Leave an interval of 2-3 months before you re-pin the same pin – do not repeat the circulation of “old” identical content too much. Pinterest gives preference to fresh content.

If despite following Pinterest best practices, you find your account suspended, check if:

  • If you received a suspension notification from Pinterest – it contains a link to get your account status reviewed.
  • Any of your highly popular pins have been stolen by someone – are they being re-directed by another pinner to a spammy site or a site that has nothing to do with your business?
  • You are using any 3rd party tools, such as a scheduler that is not from an official Pinterest Marketing partner.

This last point may have been the cause of suspension for Katie’s account. She was scheduling 2 pins a day with a tool that is not listed in the Pinterest Marketing partner directory. She had given access to a non-listed app to post for her on Pinterest. Not a good idea! I highly recommend Tailwind which we use to schedule pins for our clients.

What to do when Pinterest blocks your account?

Is your Pinterest account blocked right now? Is this why you’re reading this article? Don’t panic! Easier said than done, I hear you say! Take a deep breath and open a Pinterest support ticket. Nicole Stone published a detailed description on how she resolved the problem with Pinterest when she found her website blocked > What to do if Pinterest blocks your website.

Getting the issue sorted may take a while. Nicole was lucky to get her account back to normal within a relatively short time. Recent reports of resolution time for this type of support request seem to be 1-2 weeks. In most cases, Pinterest will stop blocking the account if it is genuine misunderstanding. However, if Pinterest is a major traffic source for your website, following the guidelines above may avoid a few sleepless nights!

Better be safe than sorry!

Let us handle the pinning for you!

Feeling overwhelmed or simply don’t have the time to implement these tips yourself? No worries—we’ve got you covered! Our team of Pinterest experts can take these strategies off your plate and manage your Pinterest marketing for you. We’ll handle everything from content curation to engagement, ensuring your brand stays active and visible while you focus on what you do best. Ready to elevate your Pinterest game without lifting a finger? Let’s chat!

Book a call to find out more

Let us handle the pinning for you!

Feeling overwhelmed or simply don’t have the time to implement these tips yourself? No worries—we’ve got you covered! Our team of Pinterest experts can take these strategies off your plate and handle everything from content curation to engagement, ensuring your brand is active and visible while you focus on what you do best. Let’s chat!

Book a call to find out more

You’ll see the value of working with them from day one

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“Mary and team have, by and large, been one of the best agencies I have worked with. Since working with them, we have seen tremendous growth in revenue from this channel and continue to hit milestones and reduce cost per acquisition.”
David Hernandez
Chief Marketing Officer

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A surprised woman with wide eyes and hands on her face, wearing a pink and white striped sweater. The text reads 'How to avoid getting your Pinterest account blocked!' with the website 'marylumley.com' displayed at the bottom of the image.

Mary Lumley – Pinterest Marketing for eCommerce & Travel / How to Avoid Getting your Pinterest Account Blocked!