How to Scrape Pinterest Pins with R

Extract pin data from Pinterest

📊 Using R

Overview

Learn how to scrape Pinterest pins using R. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process, from setup to implementation.

What You'll Learn

  • • Setting up your development environment
  • • Installing the required HTTP client
  • • Authenticating with the ScrapeCreators API
  • • Making requests to Pinterest
  • • Handling responses and errors
  • • Best practices for production use

What You'll Get

  • • Access to pins data
  • • JSON formatted responses
  • • Real-time data access
  • • Scalable solution
  • • Error handling patterns
  • • Performance optimization tips

Prerequisites

1. API Key

First, you'll need a ScrapeCreators API key to authenticate your requests.

Sign up at app.scrapecreators.com to get your free API key with 100 requests.

2. Development Environment

Make sure you have the following installed:

  • • R and its dependencies
  • • A code editor (VS Code, Sublime, etc.)
  • • Basic understanding of API requests
  • • Command line interface access

Step 1: Install HTTP Client

httr is a user-friendly HTTP client for R

R
install.packages("httr")

Step 2: API Implementation

Now let's make a request to the Pinterest API using R. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key.

R
library(httr)
library(jsonlite)

API_KEY <- "YOUR_API_KEY"
BASE_URL <- "https://api.scrapecreators.com"
ENDPOINT_PATH <- "/v1/pinterest/pin"

scrape <- function() {
  # Build query parameters
  params <- list(
    "url" = "https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1124351863225567517/",
    "trim" = "false"
  )
  
  tryCatch({
    response <- GET(
      url = paste0(BASE_URL, ENDPOINT_PATH),
      add_headers(
        "x-api-key" = API_KEY,
        "Content-Type" = "application/json"
      ),
      query = params
    )
    
    if (status_code(response) == 200) {
      data <- fromJSON(rawToChar(response$content))
      cat("Response:
")
      print(data)
      return(data)
    } else {
      stop(paste("HTTP", status_code(response), ":", rawToChar(response$content)))
    }
  }, error = function(e) {
    cat("Error:", e$message, "
")
    return(NULL)
  })
}

# Usage
result <- scrape()

Step 3: Testing Your Code

API Parameters

This endpoint accepts the following parameters:

urlRequired(string)

Pinterest pin URL

Example: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1124351863225567517/

trimOptional(boolean)

Set to true for a trimmed down version of the response

Example: false

Run Your Code

Execute your script to test the API connection. You should see a JSON response with Pinterest pins data.

✅ Success: You should receive a structured JSON response containing the requested data.

Expected Response

Here's an example of the JSON response you'll receive:

Sample Response
{
  "success": true,
  "altText": null,
  "autoAltText": "a white bowl filled with meat and tomato sauce on top of a wooden cutting board",
  "closeupUnifiedDescription": "Italian Pot Roast (Straccato)",
  "description": "Italian Pot Roast (Straccato)",
  "descriptionHtml": "Italian Pot Roast (Straccato)",
  "dominantColor": "#714426",
  "originPinner": {
    "entityId": "91268467356860596",
    "id": "VXNlcjo5MTI2ODQ2NzM1Njg2MDU5Ng==",
    "username": "ClosetCooking",
    "imageMediumUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/75x75_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "explicitlyFollowedByMe": false,
    "followerCount": 780870,
    "fullName": "Closet Cooking",
    "imageLargeUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
    "imageSmallUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
    "isVerifiedMerchant": false,
    "verifiedIdentity": {
      "verified": null
    }
  },
  "embed": null,
  "gridTitle": "Italian Pot Roast (Straccato)",
  "imageSignature": "d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1",
  "isGoLinkless": false,
  "digitalMediaSourceType": null,
  "link": "https://www.closetcooking.com/italian-pot-roast-straccato/",
  "mobileLink": null,
  "pinner": {
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "id": "VXNlcjoyMDYxNTg0MzUxNTI=",
    "entityId": "206158435152",
    "__typename": "User",
    "fullName": "Adrienne James",
    "imageSmallUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/00/60/87/0060871118d040a1ad20ace0148923da.jpg",
    "imageLargeUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/00/60/87/0060871118d040a1ad20ace0148923da.jpg",
    "isVerifiedMerchant": false,
    "verifiedIdentity": {
      "verified": null
    },
    "username": "fluffduckie",
    "imageMediumUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/75x75_RS/00/60/87/0060871118d040a1ad20ace0148923da.jpg",
    "explicitlyFollowedByMe": false,
    "firstName": "Adrienne",
    "followerCount": 4756
  },
  "pinJoin": {
    "visualAnnotation": [
      "Over The Top Recipes",
      "Recipes Using Rump Roast",
      "Italian Family Style Dinner",
      "Homestyle Dinner Recipes",
      "Italian Beef Stew Recipes",
      "Pot Roast Meals Sides",
      "Northern Italian Recipes Authentic",
      "Entree Ideas Dinner",
      "Best Meat Recipes"
    ],
    "shoppingKlpUrls": [
      "/shopping/adjustable-wide-brim-panama-hat-for-kentucky-derby/913981925800/",
      "/shopping/elegant-striped-three-piece-suit-with-notch-lapel/902902772938/",
      "/shopping/multicolor-chiffon-maxi-dress/897845141143/",
      "/shopping/white-satin-mini-dress-with-ruffles/895422652344/",
      "/shopping/eco-friendly-hobo-bag-for-everyday/949685205137/"
    ],
    "annotationsWithLinksArray": [
      {
        "name": "Over The Top Recipes",
        "url": "/ideas/over-the-top-recipes/917228502841/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Recipes Using Rump Roast",
        "url": "/ideas/recipes-using-rump-roast/955866965314/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Italian Family Style Dinner",
        "url": "/ideas/italian-family-style-dinner/955779003567/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Homestyle Dinner Recipes",
        "url": "/ideas/homestyle-dinner-recipes/945901661526/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Italian Beef Stew Recipes",
        "url": "/ideas/italian-beef-stew-recipes/961055923557/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Pot Roast Meals Sides",
        "url": "/ideas/pot-roast-meals-sides/930943813796/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Northern Italian Recipes Authentic",
        "url": "/ideas/northern-italian-recipes-authentic/895147656575/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Entree Ideas Dinner",
        "url": "/ideas/entree-ideas-dinner/940188623529/"
      },
      {
        "name": "Best Meat Recipes",
        "url": "/ideas/best-meat-recipes/906911513114/"
      }
    ],
    "seoCanonicalDomain": "www.pinterest.com",
    "seoCanonicalUrl": "/pin/italian-pot-roast-stracotto--79657487154121436/"
  },
  "title": "Italian Pot Roast (Straccato)",
  "trackedLink": "https://www.closetcooking.com/italian-pot-roast-straccato/",
  "trackingParams": "CwABAAAAEDYxMjQ3MjU5OTAwMjI0OTQLAAcAAAAPdW5rbm93bi91bmtub3duAA",
  "isViewedByOwnerOrEmployeeOrPartnerOfBusiness": null,
  "videos": null,
  "imageSpec_236x": {
    "height": 354,
    "width": 236,
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/236x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg"
  },
  "imageSpec_136x136": {
    "height": 136,
    "width": 136,
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/136x136/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg"
  },
  "imageSpec_60x60": {
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/60x60/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg"
  },
  "imageSpec_170x": {
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/236x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg"
  },
  "imageSpec_474x": {
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/474x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "height": 711,
    "width": 474
  },
  "imageSpec_564x": {
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "height": 846,
    "width": 564
  },
  "imageSpec_736x": {
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "height": 1104,
    "width": 736
  },
  "imageSpec_600x315": {
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/600x315/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg"
  },
  "imageSpec_orig": {
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "height": 1200,
    "width": 800
  },
  "entityId": "68747564459",
  "isDownstreamPromotion": false,
  "category": "",
  "domain": "closetcooking.com",
  "isPromoted": false,
  "linkDomain": {
    "officialUser": {
      "imageMediumUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/75x75_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
      "id": "VXNlcjo5MTI2ODQ2NzM1Njg2MDU5Ng==",
      "entityId": "91268467356860596",
      "fullName": "Closet Cooking",
      "imageSmallUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
      "isPrimaryWebsiteVerified": true,
      "username": "ClosetCooking",
      "blockedByMe": false,
      "explicitlyFollowedByMe": false,
      "followerCount": 780870,
      "imageLargeUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
      "isVerifiedMerchant": false,
      "verifiedIdentity": {
        "verified": null
      }
    },
    "id": "RG9tYWluOjMxMDk1OTgyNDExODQ4MTM1Ng=="
  },
  "promoter": null,
  "isEligibleForPdp": false,
  "isOosProduct": false,
  "isStaleProduct": false,
  "shoppingFlags": [],
  "aggregatedPinData": {
    "entityId": "5359304635312036251",
    "id": "QWdncmVnYXRlZFBpbkRhdGE6NTM1OTMwNDYzNTMxMjAzNjI1MQ==",
    "aggregatedStats": {
      "saves": 49054
    },
    "commentCount": 55,
    "didItData": {
      "imagesCount": 3
    }
  },
  "isEligibleForAggregatedComments": true,
  "richMetadata": {
    "recipe": {
      "name": "Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)",
      "fromAggregatedData": false,
      "categorizedIngredients": [
        {
          "__typename": "CategorizedIngredientsMetadata",
          "category": "Meat",
          "ingredients": [
            {
              "amt": "4 oz",
              "name": "Bacon"
            },
            {
              "amt": "3 lbs",
              "name": "Beef"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "__typename": "CategorizedIngredientsMetadata",
          "category": "Produce",
          "ingredients": [
            {
              "amt": "2",
              "name": "Bay leaves"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1 cup",
              "name": "Carrot"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1 cup",
              "name": "Celery"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1 tbsp",
              "name": "Garlic"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1 cup",
              "name": "Onion"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1 tsp",
              "name": "Rosemary"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1 tsp",
              "name": "Thyme"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1 (14.5 ounce) can",
              "name": "Tomatoes"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "__typename": "CategorizedIngredientsMetadata",
          "category": "Canned Goods",
          "ingredients": [
            {
              "amt": "2 cups",
              "name": "Beef broth"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "__typename": "CategorizedIngredientsMetadata",
          "category": "Baking & Spices",
          "ingredients": [
            {
              "amt": "1 tsp",
              "name": "Italian seasoning"
            },
            {
              "amt": "1/2 tsp",
              "name": "Red pepper flakes"
            },
            {
              "amt": "2",
              "name": "Salt and pepper"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "displayCookTime": 13500,
      "servingsSummary": {
        "__typename": "ServingsSummary",
        "serves": "6",
        "summary": "Serves 6"
      },
      "aggregateRating": null,
      "diets": [
        "Gluten free",
        "Paleo"
      ],
      "cookTimes": {
        "total": {
          "h": 3,
          "m": 45
        },
        "cook": {
          "h": 3,
          "m": 30
        },
        "prep": {
          "h": null,
          "m": 15
        }
      }
    },
    "article": {
      "__typename": "ArticleMetadata",
      "datePublished": "Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000"
    },
    "description": "A slow braised Italian style pot roast in a tasty tomato sauce.",
    "title": "Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)",
    "products": null,
    "aggregateRating": null,
    "tutorial": null,
    "siteName": "Closet Cooking",
    "url": "https://www.closetcooking.com/italian-pot-roast-straccato/"
  },
  "totalReactionCount": 694,
  "board": {
    "privacy": "public",
    "url": "/fluffduckie/food-fun/",
    "name": "Food & Fun",
    "id": "Qm9hcmQ6MTM3NDM4OTk5MjE1",
    "entityId": "137438999215",
    "pinCount": 1880,
    "sectionCount": 18,
    "boardOrderModifiedAt": "Sun, 20 Apr 2025 06:32:24 +0000",
    "coverImageSpec_222x": {
      "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/222x/a2/23/15/a2231567335d0aa839f478c0d8934afd.jpg"
    },
    "coverImageSpec_400x300": {
      "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/400x300/a2/23/15/a2231567335d0aa839f478c0d8934afd.jpg"
    },
    "coverImageSpec_216x146": {
      "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/216x146/a2/23/15/a2231567335d0aa839f478c0d8934afd.jpg"
    },
    "imageCoverHdUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/474x/a2/23/15/a2231567335d0aa839f478c0d8934afd.jpg",
    "imageCoverUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/200x150/a2/23/15/a2231567335d0aa839f478c0d8934afd.jpg",
    "imageThumbnailUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/upload/137438999215_board_thumbnail_2025-04-19-23-07-19_18756_60.jpg",
    "collaboratedByMe": false,
    "isCollaborative": false,
    "owner": {
      "entityId": "206158435152",
      "id": "VXNlcjoyMDYxNTg0MzUxNTI="
    }
  },
  "richSummary": {
    "displayName": "Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)",
    "products": []
  },
  "storyPinDataId": null,
  "storyPinData": null,
  "nativeCreator": {
    "isVerifiedMerchant": false,
    "verifiedIdentity": {
      "verified": null
    },
    "id": "VXNlcjo5MTI2ODQ2NzM1Njg2MDU5Ng==",
    "entityId": "91268467356860596",
    "fullName": "Closet Cooking",
    "imageMediumUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/75x75_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
    "imageSmallUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/30x30_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
    "username": "ClosetCooking",
    "blockedByMe": false,
    "explicitlyFollowedByMe": false,
    "followerCount": 780870,
    "imageLargeUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/140x140_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
    "profileUrl": "https://www.pinterest.com/ClosetCooking/"
  },
  "shareCount": 162,
  "reactionCountsData": [
    {
      "reactionCount": 690,
      "reactionType": 1
    },
    {
      "reactionCount": 2,
      "reactionType": 13
    }
  ],
  "sponsorship": null,
  "closeupDescription": "A slow braised Italian style pot roast in a tasty tomato sauce.",
  "genAiTopics": null,
  "recommendationReason": null,
  "seeMoreUserFeedback": null,
  "adData": null,
  "adMatchReason": 0,
  "sourceInterest": null,
  "adTargetingAttribution": null,
  "promotedPartnershipAdvertiserName": null,
  "promotedPartnershipAttributionName": null,
  "isEligibleForPromotedPartnership": false,
  "isThirdPartyAd": false,
  "commentsDisabled": false,
  "doneByMe": false,
  "closeupAttribution": {
    "entityId": "91268467356860596",
    "username": "ClosetCooking",
    "id": "VXNlcjo5MTI2ODQ2NzM1Njg2MDU5Ng==",
    "__typename": "User",
    "imageMediumUrl": "https://i.pinimg.com/75x75_RS/71/1a/ce/711ace70f2f6f846692993a7ec3da426.jpg",
    "followerCount": 780870,
    "followedByMe": false,
    "isAdsOnlyProfile": false,
    "adsOnlyProfileSite": null,
    "verifiedIdentity": {
      "verified": null
    },
    "isVerifiedMerchant": false,
    "fullName": "Closet Cooking"
  },
  "isHidden": false,
  "isUnsafe": false,
  "carouselData": null,
  "image236x": {
    "height": 354,
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/236x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "width": 236
  },
  "image474x": {
    "height": 711,
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/474x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "width": 474
  },
  "image564x": {
    "height": 846,
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "width": 564
  },
  "image736x": {
    "height": 1104,
    "url": "https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d9/cb/ac/d9cbac6b643a03c096f7fd0566cecaf1.jpg",
    "width": 736
  },
  "visualObjects": [
    {
      "isStela": true,
      "h": 0.8126794695854187,
      "w": 1,
      "x": 0,
      "y": 0.09865649044513702,
      "label": "Decorative bowls"
    }
  ],
  "affiliateLink": null,
  "shipsToUserCountry": false,
  "relatedArticle": {
    "_id": null,
    "mainImageUrl": null,
    "title": null,
    "urlPath": null
  },
  "isRepin": true,
  "favoriteUserCount": 0,
  "favoritedByMe": false,
  "createdAt": "Thu, 06 Jun 2024 02:33:19 +0000",
  "attribution": null,
  "mediaAttribution": null,
  "seoDescription": "Jun 12, 2024 - A slow braised Italian style pot roast in a tasty tomato sauce.",
  "seoNoindexReason": null,
  "seoTitle": "Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto) | Recipe | Roast beef recipes, Italian pot roast, Beef recipes easy",
  "repinCount": 2208,
  "seoUrl": "/pin/68747564459/",
  "priceCurrency": "USD",
  "id": "UGluOjY4NzQ3NTY0NDU5"
}

Verify Response Structure

Check that your response includes the expected fields:

  • ✓success(boolean)
  • ✓altText(object)
  • ✓autoAltText(string)
  • ✓closeupUnifiedDescription(string)
  • ✓description(string)
  • ... and 88 more fields

Best Practices

1

Error Handling

Implement comprehensive error handling and retry logic for failed requests. Log errors properly for debugging.

2

Caching

Cache responses when possible to reduce API calls and improve performance. Consider data freshness requirements.

3

Security

Never expose your API key in client-side code. Use environment variables and secure key management practices.

Performance Tips

Batch Requests

When scraping multiple pins, consider batching requests to maximize throughput while staying within rate limits.

Async Processing

Use asynchronous processing in R to handle multiple requests concurrently and improve overall performance.

Common Use Cases

Market Research

Analyze Pinterest pins to understand market trends, competitor analysis, and audience insights.

Content Analytics

Track performance metrics, engagement rates, and content trends across Pinterest pins.

Lead Generation

Identify potential customers and business opportunities throughPinterest data analysis.

Troubleshooting

Common Errors

401 Unauthorized

Check your API key is correct and properly formatted in the x-api-key header.

402 Payment Required

You ran out of credits and need to buy more.

404 Not Found

The resource might not exist or be private.

500 Server Error

Temporary server issue. Implement retry logic with exponential backoff.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to scrape Pinterest pins?

ScrapeCreators offers 100 free API calls to get started. After that, pricing starts at $10 for 5k requests with volume discounts available.

Is it legal to scrape Pinterest data?

Scraping publicly available data is fair game, and we only collect public data. So anything that you can see in an incognito browser is what we collect.

How fast can I scrape Pinterest pins?

There is no rate limit! So you can scrape as fast as you want!

What data format does the API return?

All API responses are returned in JSON format, making it easy to integrate with any programming language or application.

Can I use this with other R frameworks?

Yes! This tutorial focuses on core R HTTP concepts that work with any framework. The API calls remain the same regardless of your specific R setup.

How do I handle large datasets?

For large datasets, implement pagination, use streaming responses where available, and consider storing data in a database for efficient querying.

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