Pinterest sets no ideal audience size, but a customer list needs at least 100 matches before you can target it. Ads Manager shows a Potential audience size bar as you add targeting, so you can check reach before launch.
Audience types and their limits
- Site visitors: people who visited your site, tracked by the Pinterest tag.
- Customer list: emails or Android ad IDs in a single-column CSV. Fewer than 100 matches and the list cannot be used. Size updates within 24 to 48 hours.
- Engagement: people who interacted with your Pins or ads.
- Actalike: new people who behave like a source audience. You choose a country and a percentage range, and the source audience is left out.
Pinterest asks advertisers not to upload customer lists based on iOS app or web activity, including IDFA data.
Broad or narrow
Every targeting option you add shrinks the potential audience. Pinterest recommends targeting all placements, and Performance+ targeting can widen reach to people searching related ideas.
In practice
Pinterest removed mobile app install ads, so app and game marketers use it for web traffic and conversions, for example web sign-ups or deep links into the app. Start broad, let the campaign learn, then narrow with actalikes built from your strongest customer list.
See how we approach Pinterest for apps on our Pinterest ads page.
Sources checked 4 October 2026
Related Pinterest questions
- How much does it cost to bid on Pinterest ads?
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