The three ways to search for people on Pinterest

You can find people on Pinterest by searching their name in the search bar at the top of the app or website, by browsing through people who follow your boards, or by looking at who has pinned or liked the same content you have. The search bar is the fastest route if you already know who you're looking for. If you're discovering new people to follow, the other two methods let you find creators whose taste matches yours.

Each method shows you a person's profile before you follow them, so you can see their boards, how many followers they have, and what they've pinned recently. This helps you decide whether their content is worth following.

Key Takeaways

  • Search for people by name using the search bar, then filter results to show only people instead of pins and boards.
  • You can find people through the profiles of anyone already following you or whose content you like.
  • Following someone on Pinterest does not notify them, so you can explore without drawing attention.
  • A person's profile shows their boards, follower count, and recent pins before you decide to follow.
  • You can unfollow anyone at any time without penalty or notification.

Searching by name in the search bar

Open the search bar at the top of your Pinterest home page or app and type the person's name. Pinterest will show you pins, boards, and people that match what you typed. Look for the "People" tab or filter at the top of the results — tap or click it to see only user profiles instead of individual pins.

The person's name, profile picture, and follower count appear in the results. Click or tap their name to open their full profile, where you can see all their boards, how many people follow them, and their recent activity. If this is the person you want to follow, click the "Follow" button on their profile.

If the name is common, you may see several results. Look for details that match — a profile picture you recognize, a location, or boards that match what you know about them. If you're not sure, click through a few profiles to find the right person.

Finding people through followers and likes

When you view someone's profile, you can see who follows them by clicking the follower count. This shows you a list of people interested in the same content. You can click any follower's name to see their profile and decide whether to follow them too.

You can also find people by looking at who has liked or saved your pins. When you post a pin, click on it to see the activity. Tap "Likes" or "Saves" to see the names of people who engaged with it. This is useful for finding people who share your interests, since they've already shown they like what you pin.

Similarly, when you find a pin you like from someone else, you can click on the pin to see who else has liked or saved it. This connects you to people with similar taste without having to search by name.

What you see on someone's profile before you follow

A person's profile shows their username, profile picture, and a short bio if they've written one. Below that, you'll see their boards listed by how recently they've been active. You can scroll through to see what they pin and how often they post.

The follower and following counts appear near the top. A high follower count doesn't mean the person pins better content — it often just means they've been on Pinterest longer. Pay more attention to whether their boards match what you're interested in. If someone has 50 followers but pins exactly what you want to see, they're worth following.

You can also see if someone follows you back by looking at their following list, though this isn't shown as a badge on their profile. If you want to know, you can click their following count and search for your own name in the list.

Following and unfollowing people

Once you've found someone whose content interests you, click the "Follow" button on their profile. The button changes to "Following" once you've completed the action. You can follow as many people as you want — there's no limit.

Following someone on Pinterest does not send them a notification. They won't know you followed them unless they check their follower list manually. This means you can explore and follow people without any social pressure or awkwardness.

If you change your mind about following someone, click the "Following" button on their profile again to unfollow. They won't be notified of this either. You can unfollow people at any time without any consequence.

Using boards and collections to organize who you follow

As you follow more people, you can organize them by creating a "Following" board or using Pinterest's collections feature to group people by interest. This isn't a built-in feature, but many users create a board called "Creators I Follow" or "Inspiration" and pin links to their favorite creators' profiles.

Alternatively, you can save pins from specific people to dedicated boards. If you follow someone who pins home decor, you might save their pins to a "Home Ideas" board. This way, when you want to see content from that creator, you can go to that board instead of scrolling through your entire feed.

Finding people with similar interests

Pinterest suggests people to follow based on the boards you create and the pins you save. When you're on your home feed, look for a "Suggested People" section that shows creators whose content matches your activity. Click any suggestion to see their profile before you follow.

You can also find people by exploring category pages. If you're interested in cooking, go to the cooking category and look at who's pinning popular recipes. Click their names to see their full profiles. This method works well if you want to discover new creators rather than search for someone specific.

Following hashtags or topic pages can also lead you to people. When you click a hashtag like #vegetarianrecipes, you see pins tagged with it. The creators of those pins appear at the top, and you can follow any of them from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I search for someone on Pinterest if I only know their first name?

You can search, but you'll get many results if the name is common. If you know other details — their location, what they pin about, or their profile picture — you can click through results to find them. If you know their email or phone number, you can ask Pinterest to help you find them through the "Find Friends" feature in settings.

What happens when I follow someone on Pinterest?

Their pins start appearing in your home feed. You won't see every pin they create, but Pinterest's algorithm shows you their content based on your interests and activity. They won't be notified that you followed them unless they manually check their follower list.

Can I see who someone follows on Pinterest?

Yes. Click on a person's profile and tap their "Following" count to see the list of people they follow. This is a good way to discover new creators — if someone you like follows interesting people, you might like them too.

Is there a way to find people who pin about a specific topic?

Yes. Search for a topic like "minimalist home" or "sourdough bread" and filter results to show people instead of pins. You'll see creators who actively pin about that topic. You can also look at the top pins in a category and click the creator's name to follow them.

What's the difference between following someone and saving their pin?

Following someone adds all their future pins to your feed. Saving a pin just keeps that one pin on a board you choose. You can save pins from people you don't follow, and you can follow people without saving their pins — it depends on how much of their content you want to see.