Creating a board takes three steps: name it, choose who sees it, and save it
A board in Pinterest is a collection where you save pins on a single topic. You create one by clicking the plus icon in the top right corner of your profile, naming the board, choosing whether it is private or public, and clicking Create. The board then appears on your profile, and you can start saving pins to it when ready. You do not need to fill in a description or category — those are optional.
The key decision when you create a board is whether to make it public or secret. A public board appears on your profile for anyone to see, and other Pinterest users can follow it and save pins from it to their own boards. A secret board is visible only to you and anyone you invite directly — it does not show on your profile and does not appear in search results. Most people use public boards for things they want to share (home decor ideas, recipes, fashion) and secret boards for personal planning (a wedding guest list, a house renovation budget, items they want to buy but are not ready to tell others about).
Key Takeaways
- Click the plus icon on your profile, type a board name, choose public or secret, and click Create — the whole process takes under a minute.
- Public boards show on your profile and appear in Pinterest search results; secret boards are invisible to everyone except you and people you invite.
- You can change a board from public to secret or back again at any time by editing the board settings.
- Pinterest stores the pins you save to a board on its servers, and the platform uses the topics of your boards to show you related pins and ads.
Where to find the button to create a new board
Open Pinterest and go to your profile by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner. Look for a plus icon (it looks like a small +) next to your profile name or in the top navigation area. Click it, and a window will open asking you to name your new board. If you do not see the plus icon, you may be on the home feed instead of your profile — click your profile picture again to make sure you are on your profile page.
On a mobile phone, the process is the same. Tap your profile picture at the bottom of the screen, then look for the plus icon near the top. Tap it to start creating a board. The steps that follow are identical on phone and computer.
Naming your board and choosing who can see it
When you click the plus icon, a form appears with two fields: Board name and Board type. Type a clear, specific name — "Kitchen Remodel Ideas" is more useful than "Home" because it tells you and other users what the board contains. The name can be up to 500 characters, but shorter names are easier to remember and search for.
Below the name, you will see two options: Public and Secret. Public is the default. If you want the board to be visible only to you, click Secret. You can change this setting later if you change your mind — click the board, then click the three dots in the top right, select Edit Board, and toggle between Public and Secret. After you choose, click Create Board, and you are done.
What happens after you create a board
Once you create a board, it appears on your profile when ready. The board is empty until you save pins to it. To save a pin, find a pin you like anywhere on Pinterest, click the Save button on the pin, and select which board you want to save it to. You can also create a new board directly from the Save menu if you think of a topic while you are browsing.
If you created a public board, other Pinterest users can find it by searching for the board name or by visiting your profile. They can follow the board, which means pins you save to it will show up in their home feed. They can also save pins from your board to their own boards. If you created a secret board, none of this happens — only you see it unless you share a direct link to the board with someone.
Editing or deleting a board
To change a board's name, description, or privacy setting, click the board to open it, then click the three dots in the top right corner and select Edit Board. You can change the name, add a description, change from public to secret or back, and choose a category (like Home Decor or Food & Drink) to help other users find it. Click Save when you are done.
To delete a board, open it, click the three dots, and select Delete Board. Pinterest will ask you to confirm. Deleting a board removes it from your profile and from the feeds of anyone who was following it, but it does not delete the original pins — those stay on Pinterest and on the profiles of anyone who saved them. If you delete a board by accident, you cannot undo it, so make sure you want to delete it before you confirm.
How Pinterest uses your boards to collect information about you
Every board you create and every pin you save tells Pinterest what topics interest you. Pinterest uses this information to decide which pins to show you on your home feed and which ads to display. If you create a board called "Running Shoes" and save 50 pins about athletic footwear, Pinterest learns that you are interested in running and fitness, and it will show you more pins and ads related to those topics. This happens whether your board is public or secret — Pinterest tracks your activity either way.
Pinterest also uses your boards to build a profile of your interests that it may share with advertisers. Advertisers can target ads to people who follow certain boards or save pins in certain categories. If your board is public, other users can see what you are interested in by looking at your profile. If your board is secret, only you and Pinterest know what is in it, but Pinterest still uses the information internally to target ads and recommendations to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I invite someone to collaborate on a board with me?
Yes. Open the board, click the three dots, and select Invite Collaborators. Type the email address or Pinterest username of the person you want to invite. They will receive an invitation and can accept or decline. Once they accept, both of you can save pins to the board, and both of you will see the pins the other person saves.
What is the difference between a secret board and a private board?
Pinterest uses the term "secret" for boards only you can see. There is no separate "private" setting. A public board is visible to everyone; a secret board is visible only to you and people you invite as collaborators.
If I delete a board, do the pins in it get deleted too?
No. Deleting a board removes it from your profile, but the pins themselves stay on Pinterest. Anyone who saved those pins to their own boards will still have them. Only the board itself disappears.
Can I move pins from one board to another?
Yes. Click a pin in one of your boards, click the three dots on the pin, and select Move. Choose the board you want to move it to. The pin will disappear from the old board and appear in the new one.
How many boards can I create?
Pinterest does not set a limit on the number of boards you can create. You can create as many as you want, though having too many boards with only a few pins each can make your profile harder to navigate.