Connect Pinterest
Whence sends your store events to Pinterest from the server, through the Conversions API. You copy two values in Pinterest Ads Manager, paste them in Whence, and send a test. Plan on about 5 minutes.
What Whence sends to Pinterest
With your visitor’s marketing consent only, from the server, to your Pinterest ad account:
- Checked by default: Product view (view_content), Add to cart (add_to_cart), Checkout started (initiate_checkout), Payment info (add_payment_info) and Purchase, which Pinterest calls checkout. Value, currency and products go with them.
- Unchecked by default: Page view (page_visit).
- Matching details: email, phone, name, city, state, zip, country and visitor ID, hashed; IP address and browser; Pinterest’s ad click (epik).
Pinterest needs an email, or the IP address with the browser. Each event carries an event ID for deduplication with your Pinterest tag.
In Pinterest Ads Manager
Step 1: Copy your Ad account ID
In Pinterest Ads Manager, open Ad account overview. The Ad account ID is the number next to your ad account name. Copy it. It is also shown with the token you generate in step 2.
Step 2: Generate a conversion access token
From Ad account overview, open Conversions, then Conversions API, then Set up API. Under Conversion access token, click Generate new token and copy it.
If Whence will also run your Pinterest tag in the browser, note your tag ID too: Conversions > Tag manager, the number of your tag.
In Whence
Step 3: Open Pinterest in Conversions
Open Marketing > Conversions and click Set up (1) on the Pinterest row.
Step 4: Paste your IDs and send a test
- Paste your Ad account ID (1).
- Paste your Conversion access token (2).
- Click Save and send a test (3). No test code is needed.
Step 5: Adjust More options if needed
Open More options at the bottom of the panel only if one of these applies:
- Pinterest tag ID (optional) (1): needed only if Whence runs your Pinterest tag in the browser.
- Test mode (2): every event goes to Pinterest as a checked test request, never recorded, until you turn it off.
The same block holds the pixel name, the events to send, Product ID sent and Whence also runs the Pinterest pixel in the browser (browser pixel).
In Shopify admin, turn on the Pinterest switch under Conversions sent to your ad platforms (click Show if it is not listed), fill in the same fields, click Save, then Send test event.
Test the connection
Step 6: Send a test event and read the answer
Click Details on the Pinterest row. Under Send a test event, pick a Step and click Send test event (1). Open Recent activity (2) to see the last events and what Pinterest answered for each.
Pinterest accepts test requests that it checks but does not record. The test uses one: “Pinterest validated the event (test request, not recorded).”
Common errors
- “Ad account ID doesn’t look right. Check the format.” It is 5 to 20 digits.
- “Add your Pinterest tag ID so Whence can run the Pinterest tag in the browser.” You turned on the browser pixel without the tag ID. Add it under More options.
- “Pinterest: …”: Pinterest refused the request (token, account) or one event in it. An event Pinterest reads but refuses is not retried, since sending it again would not change the answer. Check the IDs, click Fix, then Update the settings.
- “Pinterest: your sales may be counted twice.” In the Pinterest app for Shopify, remove the Pinterest tag (it also sends server events), or let Whence run the Pinterest tag in the browser.
Connecting Pinterest in Setup > Connections reads your ad spend for the Ads screen. While the tile says Whence is waiting for Pinterest to grant its Ads API access, spend is not available. Conversions work without it.