Pinterest has grown significantly as an ecommerce advertising platform, particularly for home goods, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands. But Pinterest tracking is less mature than Meta or Google, which means many Shopify stores running Pinterest ads are working with incomplete data.
This guide covers the complete setup: Pinterest Tag (browser-side) and Pinterest Conversions API (server-side), and how to get both working together on Shopify.
Pinterest Tag vs Pinterest Conversions API
Pinterest uses the same dual-layer architecture as Meta and TikTok:
- Pinterest Tag: JavaScript pixel that fires in the browser when users take actions on your Shopify store
- Pinterest Conversions API: Server-to-server connection that sends event data directly to Pinterest from your server or the Shopify backend
Both should run simultaneously. When both fire for the same event, Pinterest deduplicates using the event_id parameter so conversions are not double-counted.
Step 1: Install the Pinterest Shopify App
The easiest way to set up Pinterest tracking on Shopify is through the official Pinterest app in the Shopify App Store. The app handles both the Pinterest Tag installation and the Conversions API connection.
Go to your Shopify App Store, search for Pinterest, and install the official Pinterest app. Connect your Pinterest Business account and select or create your Pinterest Tag (you can find your Tag ID in Pinterest Ads Manager under Conversions → Pinterest Tag).
The app will automatically install the base tag on all storefront pages and set up the Conversions API connection using Shopify’s Customer Events system for checkout tracking.
Step 2: Verify Standard Events Are Firing
After installation, verify that the key standard events are firing correctly. Use the Pinterest Tag Helper Chrome extension to inspect events on your Shopify store.
The standard events that should be firing for a Shopify ecommerce store:
- PageVisit — every page view across the storefront
- ViewCategory — collection pages
- ProductPageVisit — product detail pages (critical for dynamic product ads)
- AddToCart — when a user adds an item to their cart
- Checkout — when a user initiates checkout
- Purchase — when an order is completed (fires via Customer Events on thank you page)
The Purchase event is the most critical. Confirm it is firing by completing a test purchase and checking Pinterest Ads Manager → Conversions → Event History within 24 hours.
Step 3: Verify the Conversions API Is Active
In Pinterest Ads Manager, go to Conversions → Conversions API. If the API is connected, you will see events listed with their source (Web, API, or both). Purchase events should show with API source in addition to Web source, confirming the server-side layer is working.
Step 4: Set Up Enhanced Match
Pinterest Enhanced Match passes hashed customer information (email, phone) with events to improve Pinterest’s ability to match your events to Pinterest users. This improves attribution accuracy and audience building.
In the Pinterest Shopify app settings, enable Enhanced Match. This will pass the customer’s hashed email with purchase events when available (for logged-in customers or returning customers whose email is known).
Step 5: Configure Your Conversion Events in Ads Manager
In Pinterest Ads Manager, go to Conversions → Pinterest Tag → Configure. Set which events should be used as conversion goals in your campaigns:
- For purchase campaigns: use Checkout or Purchase as the conversion event
- For traffic and awareness campaigns: use PageVisit
- For remarketing campaigns: use AddToCart as a retargeting trigger
Common Pinterest Tag Issues on Shopify
Purchase events not appearing in Event History
Almost always caused by the Pinterest app not being updated to use Shopify’s Customer Events system. Update the Pinterest app to the latest version. If the problem persists, reinstall the app — this provisions a fresh Customer Events pixel.
Low event match rate for Conversions API
Pinterest requires Enhanced Match enabled and passing valid email or phone data to achieve good match rates. If Enhanced Match is enabled but match rates are still low, check that the email field is being populated correctly in the Customer Events data Shopify passes to the Pinterest pixel.
Get Your Pinterest Tracking Confirmed
Pinterest tracking is less frequently audited than Meta or Google, which means errors go undetected longer. If your Pinterest campaigns have been running without recent tracking verification, there is a reasonable chance you have been optimising on incomplete data.
Book your free Shopify tracking audit here and we will check your full Pinterest Tag and Conversions API setup alongside your other ad platform tracking.