Pinterest Video Checker
Pick a video and see whether Pinterest will take it, by Pinterest’s own specs: its length, shape, file type, encoding and size. Then post it with Pinterest’s steps. Your video never leaves your device.
Pinterest will take this video as a Pin.MP4 · H.264 · 0:45 · 1080 × 1920 (9:16) · 48 MB · an example
| Check | Your video | As a Pin | As an ad |
|---|---|---|---|
| File type | .MP4 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Encoding | H.264 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Length | 0:45 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Shape | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| File size | 48 MB | — | ✓ Yes |
The dashed box is Pinterest’s safe zone for a 9:16 video: keep text inside it. Pinterest gives it in pixels (top 270, left 65, right 195, bottom 790) without naming a frame size; it is drawn here on 1080×1920, the size it recommends.
Quick answer: to post a video on Pinterest, click Create, then Create Pin, upload the video, choose its cover with Edit cover, add a title, description, link and board, and click Publish (in the app: the + icon, Pin, pick the video, Create). Pinterest takes a video Pin from 4 seconds to 5 minutes, encoded H.264 or H.265, as .MP4 or .M4V on the web (the app also takes .MOV); 9:16 at 1080×1920 is the shape it recommends. The checker above reads your own video and checks it.
Pinterest's video specs: a Pin and an ad don't match
Pinterest publishes two sets of video specs, and they differ. Both are quoted here, word for word, with where each comes from:
| Video Pin (Review Pin specs) | Video ad (Pinterest product specs (standard width video ads)) | |
|---|---|---|
| File type | Web: .MP4, .M4V Android and iOS: .MP4, .MOV, .M4V; | .MP4, .MOV or .M4V |
| Encoding | H.264 or H.265 | H.264 or H.265 |
| Length | Minimum 4 seconds, maximum 5 minutes | Minimum 4 seconds, maximum 15 minutes. Recommended length for video ads: 6 to 15 seconds |
| Shape | For full-bleed videos (or videos that take up the entire screen), we recommend using a 9:16 ratio or 1080x1920 pixel size. Other options include: 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, or 1:1. | Shorter than 1:2 (width:height), taller than 1.91:1. We recommend making your videos square (1:1) or vertical (2:3, 4:5, or 9:16). |
| File size | Not stated for video Pins | Up to 2GB |
| Account | Any account | Business accounts only. Can be used in paid ad campaigns or to generate organic impressions. |
So a 7-minute video is too long for a Pin but fine as an ad, and a .MOV file goes up from the app but not from the web, by Pinterest's own pages. The checker shows both columns for your video.
Why Pinterest won't take a video
- It is longer than 5 minutes (or shorter than 4 seconds). Trim it, or run it as a video ad, which can be 15 minutes.
- It is a .MOV and you are on the web. Pinterest's Pin specs list .MOV for its Android and iOS apps only. Upload it from the app, or save it as .MP4.
- Its encoding is not H.264 or H.265. Editing apps can export ProRes, VP9 or AV1; export again as H.264 (or H.265). The checker reads the codec from the file itself.
- It is a shape Pinterest doesn't list. Wide 16:9 video is within the ad spec but not among the Pin shapes (9:16, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 1:1).
Pinterest's safe zone
Put text and other elements within the dimensions below so users can easily see on any device when viewing. Pinterest's numbers: top 270 px, left 65 px, right 195 px, bottom 790 px. The frame above draws them on a 1080×1920 video, the size Pinterest recommends for full-bleed video; the bottom one is the largest because Pinterest's own buttons and text sit there.