How To Block Ads on Pinterest 2026

Many online platforms, such as Pinterest, use sponsored third-party ads to generate revenue. These ads can be annoying, mess up your feed, and diminish your user experience. They also look like regular posts, so you might accidentally click on them.

Annoyance aside, Pinterest ads can also be dangerous. Scammers can use them to advertise false products or even launch phishing campaigns. The consequences can range from financial loss to full-blown identity theft.

Using a solid ad-blocking service has become essential. Keep reading to learn how to block ads on Pinterest and avoid potential risks.

How to block ads on Pinterest

Pinterest doesn’t offer native ad blocking, so there isn’t an easy way to get rid of ads on Pinterest completely. The only reliable method to block Pinterest ads or remove sponsored posts is to use a third-party ad blocker that can intercept and hide those promoted pins.

The best ad blockers can remove Pinterest ads and block harmful pop-ups and malicious scripts, while also ensuring a safer browsing experience by protecting you from scammers, malware, and phishing attacks.

An ideal ad blocker is easy to use, compatible with all popular browsers, and effective at blocking ads and trackers. Ideally, it also won’t log and sell your data to third parties.

Here's how to use Total Adblock to remove Pinterest ads and clean up your feed of all those annoying sponsored posts.

1. Download the Total Adblock extension for your browser. 

2. Navigate to Pinterest.

3. Here's a snapshot of Total Adblock paused on Pinterest, so we can see the Pinterest ads.

4. Enable Total Adblock to immediately start blocking Pinterest ads and trackers.

Pinterest ads explained

Pinterest serves native ads designed to blend in with regular pins. You won't see any flashy banners or pop-ups here. They'll usually deliver personalized ads and experiences based on your on-site and off-site activities. Yes, Pinterest collects a lot of your data to provide personalized ads.

Some of its logs include your sensitive information, approximate location, site interactions, device information, your IP address, and more. If someone were to steal this data from Pinterest, they could use it to mount a substantial hack attack against you. That's why we recommend using a good virtual private network (VPN) when browsing the web. It can mask your real IP and location and hide your traffic from prying eyes.

If you take a second, you can also recognize sponsored pins: they usually have the "Promoted by" stamp in the bottom corner. Note that using a VPN, blocking cookies, and boosting your privacy will turn your personalized ads into random promoted posts. We believe that's a small price to pay for privacy and security.

Can Pinterest ads be dangerous?

Most ads can be annoying, but some are actively dangerous. We don’t recommend interacting with native sponsored posts on any platform. Clicking the wrong ad can have serious consequences — cybercriminals could steal your identity or infect your device with malware.

Identity theft is a tremendous ordeal for the victim. Scammers can steal your home title, use your medical benefits, file false tax returns, which can cause trouble with the IRS, and even commit crimes in your name. Identity theft is also extremely hard to roll back, and some victims never manage to recover fully.

How to recognize malicious ads on Pinterest

Learning to spot fake ads will protect you from scams, phishing attacks, and potential malware infections. Here are some of the common phishing red flags:

• Lack of polish: Look for low-quality images, grainy graphics, designs, or logos. Reputable brands usually pay a lot of money for professional ads.
• Spelling or grammatical errors: Scammers usually launch thousands of ads at a time and don’t pay too much attention to spelling and grammar.
• Misleading or sensational offers: If an ad promises unrealistically low prices, get-rich-quick schemes, and free items, it’s probably too good to be true.
• Suspicious websites and redirects: If an ad redirects you to a suspicious-looking website, just go back and avoid that ad altogether.
• Private info requests: Beware of any ad asking for personal information. The same goes for posts that redirect you to a website and prompt you to provide private info. Never share your sensitive data with anyone.
• Poor brand reputation: if a brand has a poor reputation, it’s best to take your business elsewhere. Research whether other users have interacted with the brand and learn from their experiences.

Bottom line

Pinterest ads can be more than just a nuisance; they can cause serious damage, including financial loss, identity theft, or malware infections. We recommend learning to spot Pinterest native ads and avoiding any interaction with them. Better yet, you should block them altogether.

Using a reliable third-party ad blocker like Total Adblock is the only way to remove sponsored pins. The Pinterest account settings let you hide specific ads and block certain advertisers. This takes a lot of work and isn't very effective, since you’ll still see many promoted posts.

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