HenryBoards are the backbone of how Pinterest gets organized. Before you start pinning content, it helps to understand how to set up boards that actually make sense, both for you and for anyone browsing your profile. This guide covers everything from creating your first board to naming it well and figuring out how many boards you actually need.
What Is a Pinterest Board?
A Pinterest board is basically a folder where you save Pins around a specific topic. If Pins are individual pieces of content, boards are how you group them together in a way that makes sense. A board called “Small Kitchen Ideas” would hold Pins about, well, small kitchen ideas, not a random mix of recipes, workout tips, and travel photos.
Boards can be public, so anyone browsing Pinterest can find them, or secret, which keeps them visible only to you. Most boards you create for growing an audience or business should be public.
Why Pinterest Boards Matter
Boards do more than just tidy up your profile. They help Pinterest understand what your account is about, and they help real people quickly find the type of content they’re looking for. A well-organized set of boards makes your profile easier to browse, which tends to keep people around longer and gives them a reason to follow you.
Boards also give your individual Pins more context. A Pin about a pasta recipe saved into a board called “Easy Weeknight Dinners” tells Pinterest a lot more about that Pin’s topic than if it were dropped into a board with no clear focus.
How to Make a Pinterest Board
- Go to your profile and click “Boards.”
- Click the “+” button or “Create board.”
- Type in a name for your board.
- Choose whether the board should be public or kept secret.
- Click “Create.”
Once the board exists, you can start adding Pins to it right away, either by creating new Pins directly into that board or by saving existing Pins you find while browsing.
How to Name Your Pinterest Board
Your board name should clearly describe what’s inside it. Vague names like “Ideas” or “Stuff I Like” don’t help anyone, including Pinterest, understand what the board is about.
Good board names are specific, easy to understand, and include the kind of words someone might actually search for. Here are a few examples:
- “Small Kitchen Ideas” instead of “Kitchen Stuff”
- “Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes” instead of “Food”
- “Pinterest Marketing Tips” instead of “Marketing”
- “Home Office Ideas” instead of “Office”
These are just examples. Your own board names should reflect your specific niche and the kind of content you actually plan to pin.
How to Write a Pinterest Board Description
When you create or edit a board, there’s a description field. This is a short space, usually a sentence or two, that explains what the board is about in a bit more detail than the title alone.
A good board description sounds natural and mentions a few relevant terms someone might search for. For example, a board called “Small Kitchen Ideas” might have a description like: “Smart storage solutions, layout tips, and design ideas for making the most of a small kitchen space.”
Avoid stuffing the description with repeated keywords. One clear, well-written sentence is more useful than a list of disconnected phrases.
How to Use Keywords in Pinterest Boards
Just like with Pins, Pinterest boards benefit from natural keyword use in both the title and description. Think about what someone would actually type into the Pinterest search bar if they were looking for content like yours, and try to reflect that language in your board name and description.
If you’re in the home decor space, someone searching might type “small living room ideas” rather than just “living room,” so a board titled that way is more likely to show up for the right searches.
How to Organize Your Boards
As your account grows, it helps to keep your boards focused rather than letting everything blend together. A few tips:
- Group closely related topics into their own boards rather than one giant catch-all board
- Reorder your boards so your strongest or most relevant ones appear first on your profile
- Use board covers that make your profile look tidy and easy to scan
- Periodically review your boards and remove or archive ones that no longer fit your niche
How Many Pinterest Boards Should You Create?
There’s no exact number that works for everyone, but most beginners do well starting with somewhere between 5 and 15 boards, depending on how broad their niche is. The goal isn’t to hit a specific number, it’s to cover the main topics within your niche without creating boards so narrow that you’ll only ever have two or three Pins in them.
A food blogger, for example, might start with boards like “Easy Weeknight Dinners,” “Healthy Breakfast Ideas,” “Slow Cooker Recipes,” and “Baking for Beginners” rather than one single board called “Recipes.”
Pinterest Board Mistakes to Avoid
- Creating boards with vague names. “Ideas” or “Inspo” tell nobody what’s actually inside.
- Mixing unrelated topics into one board. A board that jumps between recipes and travel photos confuses both visitors and Pinterest’s understanding of your content.
- Leaving descriptions blank. This is an easy, free spot to add useful context and keywords.
- Making boards too narrow. A board with only two Pins in it looks abandoned rather than focused.
- Never updating old boards. If your niche shifts over time, go back and update board names, descriptions, or covers so they still make sense.
Examples of Good Pinterest Boards
To pull the ideas in this guide together, here are a few sample boards with names and descriptions that follow the principles above:
- “Small Kitchen Ideas”: Smart storage solutions, layout tips, and design ideas for making the most of a small kitchen space.
- “Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes”: Quick, simple vegan dinner recipes for busy weeknights, using everyday ingredients.
- “Pinterest Marketing Tips”: Practical tips and strategies for growing a business or blog using Pinterest.
- “Home Office Ideas”: Inspiration for setting up a functional, comfortable home office in any size space.
Again, these are only examples. Build your own boards around your specific niche and the actual content you plan to create.
Final Thoughts
A Pinterest board works best when it has a clear focus, a descriptive name, and a short, natural description that helps both people and Pinterest understand what it’s about. Take a few minutes to plan out your main topics before creating boards at random, and you’ll end up with a profile that’s easier to browse and easier to grow.
FAQ
Should Pinterest boards be public or private?
If you’re building an audience or promoting a business, your boards should generally be public. Private or secret boards are better suited for personal planning, like a board for your own wedding ideas.
Can I rename a Pinterest board later?
Yes. You can edit the name, description, and privacy setting of a board at any time by clicking “Edit” on that board.
Do I need a board description?
It’s not required, but it’s a useful, free space to explain what the board is about and include a few natural keywords, so it’s worth filling in.
Can I delete a Pinterest board?
Yes. Go to the board, click the edit or settings icon, and choose the option to delete it. Keep in mind this also removes the Pins saved only to that board.
How many Pins should be in a board before it looks established?
There’s no strict number, but boards with at least 10 to 15 Pins tend to look more complete and give visitors more to browse.
Henry
