How to Connect Pinterest to Looker Studio

Getting your Pinterest data into Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) is the key to understanding how your Pins contribute to your overall marketing performance. Instead of checking Pinterest’s native analytics in one tab and your website traffic in another, a unified dashboard gives you the full picture. This tutorial will walk you through the clear, actionable ways to create a Pinterest integration with Looker Studio.

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Why Connect Pinterest to Looker Studio Anyway?

While Pinterest’s own analytics platform is useful for a quick look at Pin performance, it exists in a silo. Bringing that data into Looker Studio unlocks a more powerful and holistic view of your marketing. Here’s why it’s worth the effort:

• A Single Source of Truth: Combine your Pinterest metrics with data from Google Analytics, Google Ads, your CRM, and your e-commerce platform. You can finally answer questions like, "Which Pins are driving the most traffic and leading to actual sales?"
• Customize Your Visuals: You’re not limited to the default charts Pinterest gives you. In Looker Studio, you can build dashboards that are tailored to your specific goals (KPIs), brand colors, and reporting needs. Show your data, your way.
• Automated, Always-On Reporting: A proper connection means your dashboard stays fresh with the latest data automatically. Say goodbye to the weekly ritual of downloading CSVs and pasting them into a spreadsheet just to update a few charts.
• Deeper Analysis: Looker Studio allows you to create calculated fields and blend data sources. You could calculate metrics like Cost per Click (if running ads) or Engagement Rate right in your dashboard, giving you insights you can’t get directly in Pinterest.

The Core Challenge: No Native Pinterest Connector

Before we jump into the "how," it's important to know one thing: Looker Studio does not have a free, built-in connector for Pinterest. Unlike Google products like Analytics or Google Ads that connect seamlessly, you'll need a bridge to get your Pinterest data across. This leaves us with two primary methods: using a dedicated third-party connector or going through a more manual process with Google Sheets.

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Method 1: Using a Third-Party Connector (The Recommended Path)

The easiest, most reliable, and most popular way to connect Pinterest to Looker Studio is by using a specialized service called a partner connector. Think of these tools as data pipelines that do all the heavy lifting for you - they securely pull data from the Pinterest API, organize it, and feed it directly into your Looker Studio report.

Some of the most well-known connectors for this task include Supermetrics, Power My Analytics, and Funnel. We’ll use Supermetrics for this step-by-step walkthrough, but the process is very similar across all major platforms.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Partner Connector

1. Find and Select the Connector in Looker Studio

Start inside a new or existing Looker Studio report. Click on Add data. In the search bar at the top, type "Pinterest." You’ll see a list of partner connectors that can pull in this data. Select the one you’ve subscribed to (e.g., “Pinterest by Supermetrics”).

2. Authorize the Connection

You’ll now go through a two-step authorization process:

• First, Looker Studio will ask for your permission to allow the connector to work within your report. Click Authorize.
• Next, the connector service itself will ask you to connect your Pinterest account. This usually opens a pop-up window where you log in with your Pinterest business credentials and grant access.

3. Configure Your Pinterest Data Source

This is where you tell the connector exactly what data you want to pull. The options here are the real power of using a connector. You aren’t just dumping all your data, you’re creating a specific, focused query.

You will typically see the following configuration options:

• Select Accounts/Profiles: Choose the specific Pinterest profile you want to pull data from. Most connectors let you select multiple profiles if you manage more than one.
• Query Type: This lets you focus on a specific kind of report. Common options include Pin stats, Board performance, Profile data, or campaign performance for Pinterest Ads. For general analysis, "Pin stats" is a great place to start.
• Metrics: This is what you want to measure. Select all the numerical data you care about, like Impressions, Outbound clicks, Link clicks, Saves (Repins), and Video views.
• Dimensions: This is how you want to break down your data. This could be Pin ID, Pin name, Board name, Destination URL, or Date.

Once you’ve made your selections, you're ready to create the data source.

4. Add the Data to Your Report

At the bottom right of the configuration screen, click the blue Connect button, then click Add to Report on the next screen. That's it! Your authenticated, auto-refreshing Pinterest data is now a data source available in Looker Studio, ready for you to build charts and tables.

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Pros and Cons of This Method

• Pros: Incredibly simple setup, fully automated data refreshes (daily or even hourly), reliable, and the data is pre-cleaned and properly formatted.
• Cons: These services come with a subscription fee. While they save immense amounts of time, they aren't free.

Method 2: The Manual Export with Google Sheets (The Free Path)

If you have a tight budget or only need a one-off report, you can use Google Sheets as a middleman. This method is completely free but requires manual work every time you want to update your data.

The workflow is simple: export analytics from Pinterest, clean them up in Google Sheets, and then use Looker Studio's native Google Sheets connector.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Manual Method

1. Export Your Data from Pinterest Analytics

Log in to your Pinterest Business account. Navigate to the Analytics section. Here, you can filter your view by date range, content type, device, etc. Once you have the data you need on screen, look for an Export or Download button (usually a small icon with a downward arrow). Click this to download a CSV file of your data.

Important Note: The data you can export directly from the Pinterest UI is often aggregated and may not be as granular as the data you can get from the API via a connector.

2. Upload and Clean the Data in Google Sheets

Create a new Google Sheet. Go to File > Import > Upload and select the CSV file you just downloaded. After you import it, it’s a good idea to tidy things up:

• Check column headers: Make sure they are clear and simple (e.g., "Pin Impressions," "Outbound Clicks").
• Verify data formats: Ensure dates are in a consistent date format and numbers are formatted as numbers, not text. Google Sheets is usually good at this, but it’s always wise to double-check.
• Remove unneeded rows: Your export might have summary rows or empty rows at the bottom. Delete these to prevent an error in Looker Studio.

This Google Sheet now acts as your static database.

3. Connect Google Sheets to Looker Studio

Back in your Looker Studio report, click Add data. Select the native Google Sheets connector. Find and select the spreadsheet you just created. From there, choose the specific worksheet containing your Pinterest data.

Make sure the options "Use first row as headers" and "Include hidden and filtered cells" are checked. Click the Add button to bring it into your report.

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Pros and Cons of This Method

• Pros: It costs nothing but your time.
• Cons: It’s entirely manual and time-consuming. The data is static - if you want to see yesterday's numbers, you have to repeat the entire process of exporting and uploading. It's also more susceptible to human error during the cleaning process.

Building Your First Pinterest Dashboard

Now that your data is in Looker Studio, you can start visualizing it. Here are a few essential charts to create your first Pinterest performance dashboard:

• KPI Scorecards: At the top of your report, add a few Scorecards for your main metrics like Total Impressions, Total Clicks, and Total Saves. This gives you an at-a-glance view of performance.
• Clicks Over Time: Use a Time series chart with Date as the dimension and Outbound clicks as the metric. This helps you spot trends, seasonality, or the impact of a new strategy.
• Top Performing Pins: Create a Table or Bar chart to show your best content. Use "Pin Title" or "Pin Image" as the dimension and sort by a key metric like Clicks or Engagements to quickly see what's resonating with your audience.
• Interactive Date Filter: Add a Date range control to your report. This allows anyone viewing the dashboard to easily filter the data for specific periods like "Last 30 Days" or "This Quarter."

Final Thoughts

Connecting Pinterest to Looker Studio is a game-changer for data-driven marketers. Whether you choose the seamless, automated route with a partner connector or the free manual path through Google Sheets, centralizing your data is the first step toward uncovering deeper insights.

Once you bring your marketing and sales data into one place, the next challenge is building the reports themselves. That’s where we wanted to create a better experience. We built Graphed to simplify the entire process. After securely linking your accounts, you can ask for reports in plain English. For example, just ask, "Create a dashboard showing my top Pinterest pins by clicks and sales generated from Shopify" and our AI crafts the dashboard for you, keeping it updated automatically. It’s like having a data analyst on your team, giving you back the time to focus on strategy, not setup.