How to Connect Pinterest Ads to Looker Studio

Getting your Pinterest Ads data into Looker Studio is a fantastic way to build a complete picture of your marketing performance. It allows you to see how your visual campaigns contribute to your overall goals alongside data from Google Analytics, your CRM, and other channels. This article will show you exactly how to connect Pinterest Ads to Looker Studio so you can build the custom, automated dashboards you need.

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Why Visualize Your Pinterest Ads Data in Looker Studio?

While Pinterest’s own analytics dashboard is useful for a quick look, pulling that data into a flexible tool like Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) offers several major advantages. You can move beyond the pre-set reports and get a much deeper understanding of your ad performance.

• Unified Reporting Dashboard: The biggest win is creating a single source of truth. You can place your Pinterest Ads performance charts right next to your Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and organic traffic data. This helps you compare channel effectiveness and create a holistic view of your marketing funnel without jumping between ten different tabs.
• Fully Customizable Visualizations: Looker Studio gives you complete control. You aren't limited to the charts and tables Pinterest offers. You can build time-series graphs to track cost per click over time, pie charts to see spend distribution by campaign objective, or detailed tables that calculate custom metrics like Return On Ad Spend (ROAS).
• Automated Data Refreshes: Manually downloading CSV files every week is a tedious and error-prone process. Once you connect Pinterest Ads to Looker Studio, you can set it to refresh automatically – daily or even hourly. Your reports are always up-to-date, saving you hours of repetitive work.
• Easier Sharing and Collaboration: Sharing a Looker Studio report is as simple as sending a link. You can grant view or edit access to team members, clients, or stakeholders without giving them direct access to your Pinterest Ads account. Everyone works from the same live data, ensuring alignment and clear communication.

The Challenge: Looker Studio Has No Direct Pinterest Connector

If you've tried to connect Pinterest Ads to Looker Studio already, you probably hit a wall pretty quickly. When you click "Add a data source," you’ll find native connectors for Google products like Google Analytics, Google Sheets, and BigQuery, but you won't see one for Pinterest.

This is completely normal. Looker Studio relies on third-party services, called Partner Connectors, to pull data from most non-Google platforms. These connectors act as a secure bridge, communicating with the Pinterest Ads API on one end and feeding that data cleanly into Looker Studio on the other. So, while it's not a one-click process, it's definitely achievable with the right tool.

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Your Best Bet: Using a Third-Party Connector

The most reliable, efficient, and professional way to get your Pinterest Ads data into Looker Studio is by using a specialized third-party data connector. These are paid services, but for any business or marketing agency serious about data-driven decisions, the investment is well worth it.

There are many options available, including popular and reputable services like:

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These tools handle all the technical heavy lifting for you. They connect directly to Pinterest’s API, pull your campaign data in a structured way, and then make it available as a simple data source inside Looker Studio. You don't have to worry about API quotas, data cleaning, or authentication management – the connector takes care of it all.

Step-by-Step: Connecting Pinterest Ads to Looker Studio

While the exact interface will vary slightly depending on the connector you choose, the general process is very similar across all major platforms. Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of what to expect.

Step 1: Select and Sign Up for a Partner Connector

First, you need to choose the connector that best fits your needs and budget. Visit the websites of a few options like Supermetrics or Power My Analytics. Compare their pricing, the number of accounts included, and the data freshness rates they offer. Most offer a free trial, which is a great way to test the setup process before committing.

Once you've made a choice, sign up for an account.

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Step 2: Authorize Your Pinterest Ads Account

Inside your new connector account, you will be prompted to add your data sources. Find Pinterest Ads in their list of integrations and click to connect. This will redirect you to a Pinterest login page.

You’ll be asked to grant the connector permission to access your advertising data. This is a standard and secure process called OAuth. By approving, you are allowing the tool to pull data on your behalf without sharing your password. Simply log in and click "Give access."

Step 3: Add the Connector as a Data Source in Looker Studio

Now, head over to Looker Studio. Create a new blank report or open an existing one.

1. In the report editor, go to Resource > Manage added data sources and click "ADD A DATA SOURCE."
2. Use the search bar at the top to find the Partner Connector you signed up for (e.g., search for "Supermetrics").
3. Select their Pinterest Ads connector from the list.
4. You'll likely be asked to authorize the connection between Google and the partner connector. Follow the prompts to sign in and grant permission.

Step 4: Configure Your Pinterest Ads Query

This is the most important step. You're now telling the connector exactly which data you want to pull from Pinterest Ads. You'll see several configuration options:

• Ad Accounts: Select the specific Pinterest advertising account(s) you want to report on.
• Date Range: Choose a default date range, like "Last 28 Days," or make it flexible so report viewers can select their own dates.
• Metrics: These are the numbers you want to measure. Select all the metrics you might need, such as Spend, Impressions, Clicks (Pin), CPC, Conversions, Checkout Conversion Value, and ROAS.
• Dimensions: These are the categories you want to break your metrics down by. Good starters include Campaign Name, Ad Group Name, Date, Device, and Pin Name (or ID).

Once you’ve configured your selections, make sure to turn on "Allow field editing in reports." This is crucial as it lets you easily add or remove metrics and dimensions later directly within your report. Click "Connect" or "Add to Report" in the top right corner.

Step 5: Build Your Pinterest Ads Dashboard

With your data source connected, it's time for the fun part! You can now start building visualizations.

Here are a few ideas for helpful charts to create for your Pinterest Ads dashboard:

• KPI Scorecards: Add scorecards at the top of your report for a high-level overview. Key metrics like Total Spend, Total Conversions, and Overall ROAS work great here.
• Time Series Chart: Use a line chart to track key metrics over time. Set the dimension to Date and your metrics to Spend and Clicks to see performance trends.
• Bar Chart for Campaign Performance: Create a bar chart with Campaign Name as the dimension and Conversions as the metric to quickly identify your top-performing campaigns.
• A Detailed Table: Sometimes, you just need to see the raw numbers. Add a table with dimensions like Campaign Name and Ad Group Name, and fill it with metrics like Spend, CTR, CPC, and ROAS.

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A Manual (But Free) Alternative: Using Google Sheets

If a paid connector is not an option, you can still get your Pinterest data into Looker Studio using Google Sheets as a middleman. Be warned: this method is manual and does not provide real-time updates.

Here’s how it works:

1. Export Manually from Pinterest Ads Manager: Log into your Pinterest Ads account. Go to the "Reporting" section, select the date range and columns you want, and export the data as a CSV file.
2. Import the CSV into Google Sheets: Open a new Google Sheet. Go to File > Import > Upload and select the CSV file you just downloaded.
3. Connect Google Sheets to Looker Studio: In Looker Studio, add a new data source and select the native "Google Sheets" connector. Find your spreadsheet, select the worksheet, and click "CONNECT."

Your Pinterest Ads data is now in your report. However, if you want to see yesterday's numbers, you have to repeat the entire process of exporting a new CSV and replacing the data in the Google Sheet. This works for a one-time analysis but is not practical for ongoing performance monitoring.

Final Thoughts

Connecting Pinterest Ads to Looker Studio is essential for building a complete marketing dashboard. Using a third-party partner connector is the most effective method, as it automates the entire process and provides reliable, up-to-date data for your reports. Once set up, you unlock deeper insights and reclaim countless hours previously spent on manual reporting.

We've found that many marketers still spend too much time wrestling with connectors and manually building reports, even with tools like Looker Studio. That’s why we built Graphed. After connecting your platforms like Pinterest Ads with a single click, you can create new dashboards and get immediate answers using plain English. Just ask for what you need – like, "Create a dashboard showing my Pinterest campaign performance vs. spend by month" – and our AI analyst builds it for you in seconds. It bridges the gap between your data and your decisions, saving you from the hands-on dashboard building process entirely.