Podcast Summary
Simple Pin Podcast: Simple Ways to Boost Your Business Using Pinterest
Host: Kate Ahl
Episode: The Latest Shop Features On Pinterest
Date: November 5, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode, hosted by Kate Ahl, dives into the latest updates and clarifies lingering confusion around Pinterest’s shopping features for e-commerce business owners. Kate, an official Pinterest educator, breaks down essential changes from 2025, explains the difference between the Verified Merchant Program and catalog integration, and provides tactical advice for making product pins more discoverable. The episode is packed with practical insights, best practices, and real-life analogies to help shop owners fully leverage Pinterest as a sales channel.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Revisit Pinterest Shopping Features?
- Major updates announced at Pinterest Presents 2025 emphasized shopping as a central focus on the platform.
- Pinterest is image-driven; product discovery is based on visuals, not primarily text search. This is unique and advantageous for sellers of visually appealing products.
2. Types of Sellers Supported
- Pinterest requires self-hosted shops (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.) for catalog integration and the Verified Merchant Program.
- Etsy, Teachers Pay Teachers, and other third-party marketplaces are NOT supported for these features.
- [03:30] “You can't necessarily connect your shop with Etsy or with Teachers Pay Teachers. These are what we refer to as third party hosted.”
3. Verified Merchant Program (VMP): Requirements & Benefits
- Purpose: A badge system to signify trustworthy sellers, boosting visibility on Pinterest.
- Free to join, but with strict requirements:
- Domain age: Must be at least 13 months old.
- Pinterest business account: Must be active for at least 3 months.
- Business account required for any kind of business activity.
- [06:00] “Your domain age has to be over 13 months… Your Pinterest business account has to be active for at least 3 months.”
- Being a VMP grants a badge, increased visibility, and a trust signal to shoppers.
4. Catalog Integration: What It Does (And Doesn’t) Do
- Connecting your catalog imports product data (including inventory & pricing) into Pinterest, updating every 24 hours.
- This ensures accurate pricing and availability is always displayed on Pinterest product pins.
- [09:40] “This catalog is refreshed every 24 hours with the latest information.”
- Common Misconception: Adding your catalog does NOT automatically create standard, visible pins that circulate like your own regular pins.
- Catalog products become discoverable as “product pins,” waiting to be surfaced via search and recommendations.
- [11:00] “The catalog connection doesn’t automatically create pins across Pinterest... It makes your products available as product pins that can be discovered.”
5. Manual Pin Creation & Product Tagging: Why It’s Essential
- You must actively create custom image pins for best results; catalog integration alone won’t promote your products effectively.
- Use custom, vertical images (Canva recommended), showcase the product in a lifestyle scenario, and tag the product from your catalog.
- [13:20] “You have this beautiful image that you created where you showcase your candle, you link that pin image to your website… in addition tag the candle so they can go straight to the listing.”
- Never upload an image without a link to your product or landing page.
- [13:50] “Because we never ever, ever upload an image to Pinterest or without a link. Never, ever, ever, ever.”
6. Shop Tab Removal: The Impact
- The Profile Shop Tab is gone, causing confusion:
- Product pins are still discoverable via visual search, recommendations, shoppable video features, and feeds, not via a central profile tab.
- Shoppers usually find products through their own searches, not by browsing a brand’s entire shop via profile.
- [16:30] “They are discoverable through these areas: visual search, related pins and recommendations… not in one centralized tab on your profile.”
7. Optimizing Visibility: Boards, Collections & Seasonality
- Tag your products in pins and create themed boards (e.g., “Fall Trending Eyeshadow Looks”).
- Use boards to merchandise products or curate by season, trend, or collection.
- [20:03] “Create boards around trending topics that correlate with your products...think of your Pinterest profile as a storefront window.”
- Engage your audience: Use boards for campaigns (e.g., have them vote on favorites).
8. Verified Merchant Program vs. Boards: What’s the Difference?
- VMP is a trust badge, not a shop or replacement for curated boards.
- Boards = curation/merchandising for easier product discovery.
- VMP = trust, increased platform visibility, and unlocks analytics.
- [22:10] “Verified Merchant Program is a trust signal. It appears on your profile and your pins. Your boards are merchandising and curation.”
9. Community Support & Resources
- The Pinterest Business Community is a recommended place to troubleshoot, ask questions, and interact directly with the Pinterest team ([25:10]).
10. Big Takeaways & Best Practices
- Apply for Verified Merchant if eligible; it’s a worthwhile trust and visibility badge.
- Even if you don’t qualify, connect your catalog for improved product visibility in search.
- Don’t rely on automation alone: Custom pin creation with product tags and themed boards is essential for success.
- "Go in with eyes wide open"—the VMP application can be “a little bit finicky,” with some finding the appeals process frustrating, but benefits outweigh the bumps for most sellers.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On what makes Pinterest distinct ([02:00]):
- “We’re kind of the place where, if you’re looking for it, you’ll know it when you see it.”
- On requirements confusion ([06:23]):
- “Some people don’t want to be [self-hosted], which is totally fine. But... in order to connect your shop catalog...you need to have that.”
- On updating inventory and pricing ([09:40]):
- “That catalog is refreshed every 24 hours with the latest information… It’s really, really helpful.”
- On pin creation strategy ([13:51]):
- “We never ever, ever upload an image to Pinterest without a link. Never, ever, ever, ever. Did we get that? Never, ever.”
- On the Shop Tab's removal ([16:33]):
- “...The need for a Shop Tab within a profile just really wasn’t necessary. We can just remove it. So don’t think that your pins are not seen—they are seen.”
- On best board use ([20:20]):
- “Think of your Pinterest profile a little bit like a storefront window, not your entire store.”
- Candid advice on VMP process ([27:10]):
- “Some have said it’s a little bit finicky, some are annoyed by the appeals process. Some people are a little salty about it. So just know going into it you could have a little bit of a bumpy road ahead.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00 – 02:30: Introduction, context, and why Pinterest shopping features matter in 2025
- 03:00 – 07:00: Verified Merchant Program eligibility, requirements, and benefits
- 09:30 – 12:00: Catalog connection explained (inventory and price updating)
- 13:00 – 15:20: The need for custom pins, how product discovery works
- 16:30 – 18:30: Impact and context of Shop Tab removal
- 19:00 – 21:00: Best practices for boards, themed collections, engagement tactics
- 22:00 – 24:00: VMP’s role versus boards, advanced merchandising
- 25:00 – End: Final tips, community resources, and common frustrations to expect
Final Thoughts
This episode is a must-listen for any e-commerce seller considering Pinterest as a marketing channel in 2025. Kate Ahl excels at demystifying new features, highlighting common pitfalls, and presenting easy-to-action strategies for maximizing sales and exposure. Her analogies and candid advice make Pinterest’s ecosystem more approachable and immediately actionable for sellers at all stages.
Resource Links & Contact Info:
- All relevant Pinterest documentation and guides (available in episode description)
- Simple Pin Media’s E-commerce Kickstart program
- Email: hello@simplepinmedia.com
- Pinterest Business Community for further support