The two ways to add someone on Pinterest

Pinterest does not have a "friend" or "follow request" system like Facebook or Instagram. Instead, you can follow people directly — they will see that you follow them, but they do not have to approve it. You can also collaborate with someone on a board, which gives them the ability to add pins to that board alongside you. Which one you choose depends on whether you want to see their pins in your feed, or whether you want to work together on the same board.

Following someone is public and one-way: they see you follow them, but they do not get a notification unless they check their follower list. Collaborating on a board is two-way and limited to that specific board — the other person can only add pins to boards you have invited them to, not to your private boards.

Key Takeaways

  • You can follow anyone on Pinterest without their permission, and they will see you in their follower list but will not receive a notification.
  • To collaborate on a board, you must be the board owner, and you invite the other person by their email address or Pinterest username.
  • Collaborators can add and delete pins on a shared board, but cannot access your other boards or change the board's name or description.
  • You can remove a collaborator or unfollow someone at any time, and they will no longer see your activity on that board or in your profile.

How to follow someone on Pinterest

Open Pinterest and search for the person's name or username in the search bar at the top. If you already have their profile link or they sent you their username, you can type it directly into the search box. Once you find their profile, click the "Follow" button, which appears near their name and profile picture.

That is all there is to it. You will now see their pins in your home feed, and they will see your username in their follower list. They will not receive a notification that you followed them unless they actively check who is following them. If you change your mind, you can unfollow them by clicking "Following" on their profile and selecting "Unfollow".

How to invite someone to collaborate on a board

Open the board you want to share. Click the three dots (menu icon) in the top right corner of the board, then select "Invite collaborators" from the dropdown menu. A box will appear asking you to enter the email address or Pinterest username of the person you want to add.

Type their email or username and click "Invite". Pinterest will send them a notification that you have invited them to collaborate. Once they accept the invitation, they will be able to add pins to that board, delete pins from it, and see who else is collaborating. They cannot change the board's name, description, or privacy settings — only you as the owner can do that.

What collaborators can and cannot do

A collaborator on your board can add new pins, delete pins they or others have added, and repin pins from other sources to the shared board. They can see the full list of other collaborators and comment on pins within that board. However, they cannot access any of your other boards, cannot change the board's title or description, and cannot remove other collaborators — only you can do that.

If you want to limit what someone can do, collaboration is not the right choice. You would instead want to follow them or share the board link privately without making them a collaborator. Keep in mind that any pins a collaborator adds will show up in their own profile as well, so their followers will see what they pinned to your shared board.

Managing and removing collaborators

To see who is collaborating on a board, open the board and click the three dots menu, then select "Collaborators". You will see a list of everyone you have invited. If you want to remove someone, click the X next to their name. They will lose access to the board when ready and will no longer be able to add or delete pins.

Removing a collaborator does not delete the pins they added — those stay on the board. If you want to delete specific pins they added, you can do that separately. You can also change a board from collaborative back to private by removing all collaborators, though you will need to be the only person listed before Pinterest will let you make that change.

Privacy and safety when adding collaborators

Only invite people you trust to collaborate on a board, because they will be able to see all the pins on that board and add their own. If a board contains sensitive information — like home addresses, financial details, or personal photos — do not make it collaborative. Keep those boards private instead.

When you invite someone by email, Pinterest sends them a notification. If they do not have a Pinterest account yet, they will be prompted to create one before they can accept the invitation. Make sure you are inviting the right person, because there is no way to unsend an invitation once it has been sent — you can only remove them after they accept.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone see my private boards if I make them a collaborator?

No. A collaborator can only see and edit the specific board you invited them to. All your other boards remain private and hidden from them, even if you have other collaborative boards. You control which boards are shared and which are not.

What happens if I follow someone and they follow me back?

Nothing special happens — it is just a mutual follow. You will both see each other's pins in your home feeds. There is no "friend" status or special connection created. Either of you can unfollow the other at any time without the other person being notified.

Can I invite someone to collaborate if they do not have a Pinterest account?

Yes. You can send an invitation to their email address, and Pinterest will prompt them to create an account before they can accept. Once they set up their account, they can access the shared board.

Can a collaborator invite other people to the board?

No. Only the board owner can invite collaborators. If you want to add another person, you have to do it yourself. Collaborators cannot send invitations or manage the list of other collaborators.

What is the difference between following someone and collaborating with them?

Following is one-way and public — you see their pins in your feed, but you cannot edit anything. Collaborating is limited to one board and gives them editing rights on that board only. Use following to discover content, and collaboration to work together on a shared project or collection.