How to Schedule Pins on Pinterest
Scheduling lets you build pins in one sitting and drip them out over days, so your account looks active even when you're not logged in. Pinterest has a built-in scheduler that's free and fine for small volumes — but it has real limits. Here's how to use it, and when a paid tool earns its keep.
The native Pinterest scheduler: how it works
Business accounts can schedule a pin directly from the pin builder. It's free, it's built in, and it publishes automatically at the time you set. The catches are worth knowing up front: you can schedule roughly two weeks out, only one pin at a time, and there's a cap on how many scheduled pins you can queue at once. There's no bulk upload, no auto-spacing across a whole week, and no queue you can shuffle. For someone posting a handful of fresh pins a day, that's usually enough.
Step by step with the native scheduler
- Create the pin: click Create, upload your vertical 2:3 image, and add your title, description, and destination link.
- Choose "Publish at a later date": under the publish button, switch from Publish immediately to the scheduled option.
- Pick date and time: set a slot within the next two weeks. Space pins out rather than stacking five at 9 a.m.
- Confirm the board: assign the most relevant board — Pinterest reads the board topic as a ranking signal.
- Save and repeat: the pin lands in your scheduled queue, which you can edit or delete until it publishes.
When Tailwind (or another tool) is worth it
Paid schedulers like Tailwind exist to solve exactly what the native tool can't. You can bulk-upload a batch of pins, let the tool spread them across smart interval slots weeks or months ahead, and reuse a saved queue instead of setting each time by hand. If you're publishing 15+ pins a day, managing several accounts, or batching a month of content on one afternoon, that saved time is the whole point. If you're posting 3–5 pins a day for one blog or shop, the native scheduler does the job and Tailwind is an expense you don't need yet. Be honest about your volume before you pay.
Schedule smarter pins, not just more of them
Generate keywords, write the description, and score each pin before it goes in the queue — free, no login.
Open PinRank →Consistency beats a full queue
Scheduling is a means to an end: showing Pinterest a steady, on-topic rhythm. An account that publishes a few fresh pins most days looks alive; one that dumps 40 pins the day a subscription renews, then goes quiet, does not. Use scheduling to smooth your output, not to front-load it. Pick a daily number you can sustain for months — see how many pins per day makes sense — and let the scheduler protect that rhythm on the days you're busy.
Frequently asked questions
Can you schedule pins on Pinterest for free?
Yes. Business accounts can schedule pins in the native pin builder at no cost. The main limits are about two weeks ahead, one pin at a time, and a cap on how many you can queue.
Do scheduled pins get less reach than manual pins?
No. A scheduled pin publishes exactly like a manual one and is treated the same. Reach depends on the pin's quality and freshness, not on how it was posted.
Is Tailwind necessary to schedule pins?
Not for small volumes. Tailwind adds bulk uploads and automatic interval spacing, which help at high volume or across many accounts, but the native scheduler is enough for a single blog or shop.