What to do when a Pinterest account holder dies
Pinterest, Inc. has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
OverviewWhen someone dies
Pinterest Help Center
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Pinterest account closure for deceased users
Timeline
Pinterest does not publish a deceased-user-specific timeline; its account-management help article only states "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore." For comparison, the standard user-initiated deletion path permanently removes the account within 7 days (with a 7-day cancellation window via login). Data download requests (which require live login credentials, not a deceased-user request) take up to roughly 48 hours to be emailed via SendSafely.
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Verified May 2026
Pinterest offers only account deletion for deceased users -- no memorialization, no transfer, and no preserved archive. The deceased-user section of the account-management help article states: "We're sorry for your loss. We can delete a deceased family member's account if you get in touch with us and provide verification, like an obituary or death certificate." Pinterest directs requesters to its general "Contact us" channel rather than publishing a dedicated email address. The Terms of Service (effective April 30, 2025) confirm the account is non-transferable: Section 2(b) grants users only a "limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable and revocable license to access and use the Service," and Section 13(b) states "these Terms, and any rights and licenses granted hereunder, may not be transferred or assigned by you." Pinterest's help article does not publish a deceased-user-specific timeline -- the article only states that "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore." (The 7-day permanent-deletion window in the help article applies to the standard user-initiated deletion path.) Pinterest does not provide data exports on behalf of a deceased user; downloads require the account holder to be authenticated.
How to request a transfer
Follow these steps to initiate a transfer of Pinterest accounts after the account holder's death:
1
Contact Pinterest to request deletion of the deceased's account. Pinterest's account-management help article directs family members to its "Contact us" channel and asks for verification "like an obituary or death certificate." Include:
- •Your full name and relationship to the deceased.
- •The deceased's full name, email on file, and Pinterest profile URL if you have it.
- •Proof of death (death certificate or obituary, per the help article).
- •Any additional proof of relationship the support team requests during the review.
2
Decide between deactivation and deletion before contacting Pinterest:
- •Deactivation hides the profile and boards but preserves the data and the email/username on file. The account can be reactivated at any time by logging back in.
- •User-initiated deletion permanently removes the account and all personal data within 7 days, and can be cancelled by logging in during that 7-day window. For deceased-user requests routed through support, Pinterest's help article only states "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore" and does not publish a specific timeline.
3
If the estate has login credentials, download the deceased's Pinterest data before requesting deletion. Pinterest will not export data on behalf of a deceased user -- only the authenticated account holder can run the export:
- •On web: sign in, click the more-options icon (bottom left), open Settings, choose Privacy and data, and under "Request your data" click Start request.
- •On mobile: sign in, tap the profile picture, open Settings > Privacy and data > Request your data > Start request.
- •Pinterest emails a download link via SendSafely to the email on file within roughly 48 hours.
4
Without login credentials, the boards and pins are effectively inaccessible. Pinterest does not produce posthumous data exports, and the deceased-user help article only describes deletion -- not retrieval.
5
For Pinterest Business accounts: any remaining Business Manager users keep their existing access to ad accounts and shared resources after the personal account is deleted. If the deceased was the sole owner of a Business account, raise that with Pinterest support so outstanding ad balances and ownership can be addressed before deletion. Pinterest's deletion help article notes that any outstanding bills must be cleared before a Business account can be deleted.
6
Understand that deletion removes everything tied to the personal account: boards, pins, followers, following lists, and all personal data. There is no selective preservation.
7
If you want to preserve the curated content rather than just close the account, screenshot or export the most-valued boards before initiating deletion -- the 7-day window is the only chance to recover anything.
Required Documents
- Proof of death (death certificate or obituary, per Pinterest's help article)
- Identifying information for the deceased's account: full name, email on file, and Pinterest profile URL
- Requester's relationship to the deceased; Pinterest may ask for additional proof during the review
Timeline
Pinterest does not publish a deceased-user-specific timeline; its account-management help article only states "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore." For comparison, the standard user-initiated deletion path permanently removes the account within 7 days (with a 7-day cancellation window via login). Data download requests (which require live login credentials, not a deceased-user request) take up to roughly 48 hours to be emailed via SendSafely.
Frequently asked questions
Pinterest's account-management help article states: "We can delete a deceased family member's account if you get in touch with us and provide verification, like an obituary or death certificate." Deletion is the only option -- there is no memorialization, transfer, or preserved archive. The article notes only that "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore" and does not publish a deceased-user-specific timeline.
Not through Pinterest. Pinterest offers no archive, memorial, or preservation feature for deceased users. The only way to preserve board content is to download the data while logged into the account (Settings > Privacy and data > Request your data). Pinterest does not export data on behalf of a deceased user, so without live login credentials the boards and pins are effectively unrecoverable.
Deactivation hides the profile and boards but preserves the data; the email and username remain tied to the account, and logging back in reactivates it. User-initiated deletion permanently removes the profile, boards, pins, and all personal data within 7 days, and during that 7-day window deletion can be cancelled by logging back in. For deceased-user requests routed through Pinterest support, the help article only states "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore" and does not publish a specific timeline.
No. Pinterest does not offer account memorialization. The only option for a deceased user is complete account deletion. If preserving the curated boards matters to the family, the estate has to export the data while it still has access to the account credentials.
Pinterest's help article explicitly mentions an obituary or death certificate as acceptable verification. The article does not publish a wider documentation list, and asks family members to use the general "Contact us" channel rather than a dedicated email; expect support to ask for proof of relationship during the review along with the deceased's name, email on file, and Pinterest profile URL.
Pinterest only allows the authenticated account holder to download data. If the estate has the deceased's login, sign in, open Settings > Privacy and data > Request your data, and click Start request. Pinterest emails a download link via SendSafely (a third-party secure transfer service) within roughly 48 hours. Pinterest will not produce a posthumous export through a support request.
For user-initiated deletion, Pinterest deactivates the profile immediately and permanently deletes the account and personal data within 7 days; logging back in during that 7-day window cancels the deletion. The help article does not publish a parallel timeline for deceased-user deletion -- only that "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore." Pinterest's privacy policy notes that some operational data (information needed for litigation or regulatory proceedings, support correspondence retained for 2 years, law-enforcement preservation orders) can be retained for longer periods unrelated to the public account.
Existing Business Manager users keep their access to ad accounts and shared resources after the deceased's personal account is deleted. Pinterest's deletion help article notes that any outstanding bills on a Business account must be cleared before deletion can complete. If the deceased was the sole owner, raise that with Pinterest support so billing and ownership can be sorted out before the account closes.
After the transfer is complete, the recipient can use the accounts according to the program's standard terms. Document the deceased account holder's details to make this process easier for your executor or family.
Pinterest Help Center
WebsiteVisit website→
Pinterest account closure for deceased users
Timeline
Pinterest does not publish a deceased-user-specific timeline; its account-management help article only states "once we delete the account, it will not be accessible anymore." For comparison, the standard user-initiated deletion path permanently removes the account within 7 days (with a 7-day cancellation window via login). Data download requests (which require live login credentials, not a deceased-user request) take up to roughly 48 hours to be emailed via SendSafely.
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
Verified May 2026
