Pinterest ad tools: visual search ads debut to woo brands. Published on 18 September 2026 at 2:00 pm - Written by Laura Spencer - Reading duration: 4 minutes Show summary Pinterest is rolling out a fresh set of advertising tools built around visual search and AI, aiming to turn inspiration into measurable sales for brands. The company unveiled several product updates this week that blend automated ad tech with new consumer-facing experiences. Advertisers are being given finer control over creative, inventory and performance goals as Pinterest pushes to capture more ad spend. Visual Search Ads bring shoppable results to discovery. Pinterest is testing a new ad format called Visual Search Ads. The feature places sponsored items directly inside search results and in enlarged Pin views users open. * When users search for items, like "statement handbags," they may see sponsored matches tied to merchants. * Clicks move shoppers from Pinterest to the retailer's site to complete purchases. * Pinterest says brands can use existing creative assets, avoiding the need for new ad production. This format aims to close the gap between discovery and purchase. By surfacing products at the exact moment people are exploring visual options, Pinterest hopes to drive measurable lower-funnel outcomes. More control inside Pinterest Performance+ and testing tools. Pinterest's AI-powered ad suite, Performance+, is being expanded. What launched as a beta automation product now offers manual levers. * Advertisers can run A/B tests to compare strategies and creatives. * Brands can prioritize specific products during key windows, like seasonal drops. * Integration options let marketers promote app installs or route traffic to custom endpoints. These additions give marketers both automated optimization and the ability to steer campaigns toward specific outcomes. Audience growth and the appeal of Pinterest for young shoppers. Pinterest's user base continues to grow and skews young, a factor advertisers value. The platform now reports hundreds of millions of monthly users and billions of searches. * Over half of users are Gen Z, a cohort advertisers seek to reach early in purchase journeys. * Pinners perform more than 80 billion searches per month, many related to shopping. * Most searches are unbranded, opening opportunities for discovery-driven ads. That blend of intent and openness is what Pinterest calls a "magic moment" for marketers. People come there to decide what to try, buy or do next - often before they can name the product they want. Why brands are reallocating budget to Pinterest. Advertisers report renewed interest in Pinterest as a performance channel. Agencies and brands say investment has climbed. * Paid clicks to merchants on the platform have increased markedly in recent years. * Marketers find Pinterest ads are seen as helpful, not disruptive, because they match users' intent for inspiration. * Some companies that paused activity on Pinterest are now returning their ad dollars. Marketers view Pinterest ads as part of a discovery-to-purchase funnel, rather than just an awareness tool. Consumer features that connect inspiration to shopping. Pinterest is also launching tools that let people test ideas visually and buy what they see. Restyle camera: try different aesthetics. Restyle lets users photograph a room and apply design styles - like bohemian or industrial - to preview changes. It then links to shoppable items that match the chosen look. The feature will enter U.S. and Canada beta soon. Creator integrations and shoppable content. Pinterest is encouraging partnerships between brands and creators, including interior designers and chefs. * Creators can connect Amazon storefronts and keep affiliate links active. * Working with creators has shown higher returns and stronger awareness for advertisers. Connected TV and shoppable programming. After acquiring a CTV ad platform, Pinterest now supports standalone TV campaigns. * One program, "Bring My Pinterest to Life," linked episodes to shoppable boards via QR codes. * The series is filming a second season for release in 2027. Guardrails for AI and reducing unwanted generative content. While AI powers many ad and search functions, Pinterest is also addressing user concerns about AI-generated material. * Tools are available to limit AI-generated images in sensitive categories, like beauty and food. * For users under 18, Pinterest says it will disable data sharing for generative AI training by default. * Executives emphasized responsible AI use and protections for young audiences. Pinterest intends to balance AI-driven capabilities with consumer trust measures. That includes steps to cut back on so-called "AI slop" and preserve authentic creator content. Partnerships and technology that boost ad performance. To improve visual and conversational features, Pinterest is deepening tech collaborations. * Nvidia expanded support to allow more visual context per request in the platform's assistant tool. * Executives have spoken about the value of open-weight AI models for development. These moves aim to enhance visual search accuracy and the experience of Pinterest Assistant. Practical steps brands can take now. Marketers looking to test Pinterest's new capabilities can start with a few actions. * Trial Visual Search Ads in beta to surface products in discovery results. * Use Performance+ with A/B testing to validate creative and bidding strategies. * Partner with creators to produce shoppable content and connect affiliate links. * Experiment with Restyle or CTV integrations for richer, multi-channel activations. Taking a mixed approach - automation balanced with manual testing - helps brands learn faster. It also preserves control while leveraging Pinterest's AI optimizations. Recent financial signals and forward outlook. Pinterest's latest results showed growth in revenue and users, with leadership forecasting higher sales next quarter. Executives highlighted monthly active user gains and stronger per-user revenue trends. As the company rolls out advertising enhancements, it is pitching itself as a full-funnel platform that can move people from inspiration to purchase. Give your feedback. Laura Spencer is your go-to guide for smart shopping. With years of experience in product reviews and consumer trends, she helps readers make confident, stylish choices. At Caroline Progress, Laura highlights the best deals and must-have finds. Caroline Progress is an independent media. Support Caroline Progress by adding Caroline Progress to your Google News favorites:

Pinterest unveils new ai-powered ad tools, Visual Search Ads and Business Assistant in Canada. September 18, 2026 This week at Pinterest Presents, its annual global advertiser summit and biggest advertiser event of the year, Pinterest introduced a range of new ad tools and experiences designed to help brands turn visual discovery into measurable growth, powered by Pinterest Intelligence. The company said platform users conduct more than 80 billion searches per month, the vast majority of which are visual, and more than half of which are commercial. Here's a look at what was announced: * Visual Search Ads is its newest performance ad feature, designed to capitalize on the power of visual search and intent. The format gives advertisers new placements in Pinterest Search Results and Pin closeups, pairing keyword relevance with a distinctive ad format to reach people as they search, compare and move closer to a decision. * Pinterest Performance+ is expanding with new tools that give advertisers more flexibility, insight and control. That includes Priority Products, which lets advertisers prioritize key product groups within a campaign, and A/B testing tools to help measure impact and optimize performance. * App Promotion gives advertisers a more direct way to drive app performance on Pinterest, using Pinterest Performance+ automation and privacy-safe measurement. In early testing, one brand achieved a 85% reduction in acquisition costs relative to prior temporary solutions. * Business Assistant is now available in Canada. Business Assistant brings AI-powered guidance to advertiser workflows. It combines a deep understanding of an advertiser's business with Pinterest's platform insights to help advertisers drive the best performance, building on the approach pioneered by Pinterest Assistant. * Restyle is a new camera experience that helps people reimagine their space using Pinterest's intelligence layer. It will launch in the coming weeks in the U.S. and Canada. * Bring My Pinterest to Life, The brand's CTV series on Roku, launches for a second season with creator-led transformations of spaces, experiences and personal style. "Traditional search advertising has long relied on keywords, but in an AI-driven world, people are expressing themselves in much richer ways. Visual Search Ads allow marketers to tap into this new and rapidly growing form of AI-powered search with a prominent placement at the critical decision points where people see, save and decide," said Bill Ready, CEO. "Powered by Pinterest Intelligence - our AI-enabled visual understanding of images, products, taste and intent - we make those signals actionable for advertisers through visual search." Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary, has more than 40 years experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, faith, city and breaking news, and business. He is the Co-Editor-in-Chief with Retail Insider in addition to working as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Mario was named as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024. September 18, 2026 September 17, 2026 Subscribe. * indicates required

Pinterest launches Visual Search Ads for performance marketing. Visual Search Ads support lower-funnel objectives and are compatible with Pinterest Performance+, Pinterest's AI-powered performance advertising suite. Pinterest has announced Visual Search Ads, a new performance advertising solution designed to help brands reach consumers through visual search and high-intent discovery moments on the platform. Announced at Pinterest Presents, the company's annual global advertiser summit, Visual Search Ads place advertisers prominently within Pinterest Search Results and Pin closeups, connecting brands with users as they visually search, compare options and move closer to a decision. Pinterest users conduct more than 80 billion searches each month, the majority of them visual, and more than half of those searches are commercial. With Visual Search Ads, advertisers can bid for a top response and drive users directly to their websites, creating a new performance opportunity at a critical point in the decision journey. "Traditional search advertising has long relied on keywords, but in an AI-driven world, people are expressing themselves in much richer ways. Visual Search Ads allow marketers to tap into this new and rapidly growing form of AI-powered search with a prominent placement at the critical decision points where people see, save and decide," said Bill Ready, CEO of Pinterest. "Powered by Pinterest Intelligence - our AI-enabled visual understanding of images, products, taste and intent - we make those signals actionable for advertisers through visual search." Visual Search Ads support lower-funnel objectives and are compatible with Pinterest Performance+, Pinterest's AI-powered performance advertising suite. The offering will be available in beta for eligible advertisers in all Pinterest ad markets in the coming weeks. Expanding performance tools for advertisers Pinterest also announced new capabilities across its advertising platform, including Pinterest Performance+ Priority Products, giving advertisers more control over which products to emphasise during key moments. The company is also introducing self-serve A/B testing, making it easier for advertisers to test strategies and optimise performance across creative, targeting and Performance+ campaigns. For brands focused on mobile growth, Pinterest highlighted App Promotion, a purpose-built objective for app installs that is now in global beta with qualified advertisers. In one early test, an advertiser saw up to an 85% improvement in cost per install compared with previous workaround solutions. Bringing Pinterest Intelligence to the consumer experience Pinterest also shared new ways it is bringing Pinterest Intelligence more directly into the consumer experience. Restyle, launching in beta in the US and Canada, allows users to use a photo to reimagine a space, test ideas and compare options in their own homes. In addition, Pinterest announced the return of Bring My Pinterest to Life for a second season, its premium CTV series that pairs Pinterest users with creators and brands to transform boards into real-life spaces, experiences and looks. Digital creator Tay BeepBoop Nakamoto and fashion editor and author Caroline Vazzana will return alongside other Pinterest creators. Together, these announcements reflect Pinterest's continued focus on helping people discover what they want next and giving brands more opportunities to be part of the decisions that matter. Sophia Bennett is a news curator at Martechvibe, covering global developments across marketing technology, digital transformation, AI, data, and customer experience trends. View More