Originally published July 24, 2012. Updated June 17, 2026.
Pinterest measurement has run through three distinct eras. The 2012 Curalate moment — when Group M Next signed Curalate to provide image-recognition measurement data — opened the platform to brand attribution for the first time. The 2017–2022 first-party Pinterest Analytics era. And the 2022-present Pinterest API for Conversions plus Performance+ era, which is now the operational baseline for serious advertiser measurement.
Era 1: Third-party image recognition (2012–2016)
Curalate, founded in Philadelphia in 2011, was the first analytics company to apply image-recognition technology at scale to Pinterest. The Group M Next agreement in July 2012 brought brand attribution to image-pinning behavior — what was being repinned, which products were surfacing, which visual cues correlated with engagement. Curalate later expanded to Instagram and Tumblr coverage and was acquired by Bazaarvoice in 2021.
Tailwind, founded in 2012 in Oklahoma City, became the second major third-party measurement and scheduling tool, focusing on creator and SMB use cases. Hootsuite and Sprout Social added Pinterest measurement layers in the 2014–2015 window. The era was defined by third-party necessity — Pinterest's first-party measurement was thin.
Era 2: First-party Pinterest Analytics (2017–2022)
Pinterest expanded its first-party analytics product through the 2017–2019 build-out. Business accounts gained access to pin-level performance, audience demographics, conversion measurement via the Pinterest Tag, and the early version of Catalog feed measurement. The 2019 IPO accelerated investment in measurement infrastructure as public-market advertisers demanded parity with Meta and Google.
The limitation: the Pinterest Tag was browser-based, which made it subject to iOS 14.5 ATT impact in April 2021, Safari ITP restrictions, and the broader cookie deprecation timeline. Attribution quality degraded.
Era 3: API for Conversions and Performance+ (2022–present)
Pinterest API for Conversions launched broadly in October 2022, providing server-to-server event reporting that bypasses browser-tracking limitations. Modeled on the Meta Conversions API, the Pinterest version supports event matching, deduplication with the Pinterest Tag, and enhanced match for first-party customer data. The Conversions API is now the prerequisite infrastructure for serious advertiser measurement on the platform.
Performance+ launched in 2023 as Pinterest's AI-powered campaign automation layer — automated budget allocation, creative testing, audience expansion, and bid management. Performance+ requires Catalog and Conversions API data to operate at full quality. Brands without that plumbing cannot access the highest-performing optimization paths.
Measurement partners in the current era include LiveRamp for identity resolution, Snowflake for clean-room data collaboration, Skai and Kenshoo for media-mix integration, and the Pinterest Trends API for category-level demand sensing.
What the brands measuring well do differently
Three operational commitments separate the brands extracting outsized returns from Pinterest.
First, server-side event tracking via Conversions API as a baseline, not an upgrade. Second, Catalog feeds connected to commerce platforms — Shopify, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Adobe Commerce — with daily refresh. Third, multi-touch attribution modeling that credits Pinterest's mid-funnel planning role, not just last-click.
Lulus, Princess Polly, Revolve, Wayfair, Ruggable, and Etsy run all three. The Pinterest contribution to their reported customer acquisition costs is measurable and meaningful in each case.
The numbers
2012 — Curalate–Group M Next agreement, the first brand-measurement deal on Pinterest.
2017 — first major expansion of Pinterest first-party Analytics.
October 2022 — Pinterest API for Conversions general availability.
2023 — Performance+ launch.
April 2021 — iOS 14.5 ATT inflection that broke browser-tracking attribution.
2021 — Bazaarvoice acquisition of Curalate, closing the third-party-first era.
What is the Pinterest API for Conversions?
A server-to-server event reporting API launched in October 2022, modeled on the Meta Conversions API, designed to provide measurement quality independent of browser-tracking restrictions.
What is Pinterest Performance+?
Pinterest's AI-powered campaign automation layer launched in 2023, covering budget allocation, creative testing, audience expansion, and bid management.
Who was Curalate?
A Philadelphia-based image-recognition analytics company founded in 2011 that became the first brand-measurement partner on Pinterest through the 2012 Group M Next deal. Acquired by Bazaarvoice in 2021.
What broke browser-based Pinterest measurement?
The iOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency change in April 2021 and Safari Intelligent Tracking Prevention degraded browser-only attribution. Conversions API addresses the gap.
Which Pinterest measurement partners matter today?
LiveRamp for identity resolution, Snowflake for clean-room collaboration, Skai and Kenshoo for media-mix integration, and Pinterest Trends API for category demand sensing.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
