UTMGuard
platform-guidesUpdated 2025

Common Pinterest Ads Tracking Issues (And How to Fix Them)

Pinterest's epik parameter handles attribution automatically. Troubleshoot common Pinterest Ads tracking problems in GA4.

Julianne Young
•7 min readplatform-guides

Pinterest Ads tracking issues typically stem from one of three problems: manual UTM parameters conflicting with automatic epik tracking, URL redirects stripping the epik parameter, or Pinterest Tag not installed correctly.

Here's how to identify and fix the most common Pinterest Ads tracking problems.

Table of contents

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The Most Common Pinterest Tracking Mistake

Adding manual UTM parameters to Pinterest Ads campaigns.

Pinterest automatically appends the epik parameter to track ad clicks, conversions, and attribution. GA4 recognizes epik and classifies Pinterest Ads traffic as Paid Social.

When you also add manual UTMs:

Code
yoursite.com/product?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=cpc&epik=abc123

What happens in GA4:

  • First session: pinterest / cpc (from your manual UTMs)
  • Second session: pinterest / epik (from Pinterest's epik parameter)
  • Result: Duplicate sessions, inflated traffic counts, fragmented conversion attribution

Why This Happens

Marketer's thought process: "I need to track Pinterest Ads in GA4, so I'll add UTM parameters like I do for other channels."

Reality: Pinterest Ads automatically appends epik for paid traffic attribution. Manual UTMs are redundant and create tracking conflicts.

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Top 5 Pinterest Tracking Issues

Issue 1: Duplicate Sessions from UTMs + epik

Problem: GA4 shows inflated session counts for Pinterest traffic.

Cause: Both manual UTMs and automatic epik parameter present in URLs.

How to identify:

  1. GA4 → Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition
  2. Search for "pinterest"
  3. Look for multiple Pinterest entries:
    • pinterest / cpc (from UTMs)
    • pinterest / paid-social (from UTMs)
    • pinterest / epik (from epik parameter)

Fix:

  1. Pinterest Ads Manager → Ads → Edit campaigns
  2. Remove all ?utm_source=, ?utm_medium=, ?utm_campaign= from destination URLs
  3. Use clean URLs (e.g., yoursite.com/product)
  4. Pinterest automatically appends ?epik=... when ad is clicked
  5. Save changes
  6. Wait 24-48h for GA4 data to normalize

Issue 2: Pinterest Traffic Shows as Referral

Problem: Pinterest Ads traffic appears as "pinterest.com / referral" instead of Paid Social.

Cause: epik parameter missing or being stripped from URL.

How to identify:

  1. Click your Pinterest ad
  2. Check landing page URL in browser
  3. Look for ?epik= parameter
  4. If missing, epik is being stripped

Common causes:

  • URL redirect (301/302) removing query parameters
  • JavaScript on landing page stripping parameters
  • Server-side redirect not preserving parameters

Fix:

If using redirects, preserve epik parameter:

Php
// ❌ Wrong (loses epik)
header("Location: /new-page");
 
// ✅ Correct (preserves epik)
$params = $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING'];
header("Location: /new-page?" . $params);

JavaScript redirect fix:

Javascript
// ❌ Wrong (loses epik)
window.location = '/new-page';
 
// ✅ Correct (preserves epik)
window.location = '/new-page' + window.location.search;

Issue 3: Conversions Not Tracking in Pinterest Ads Manager

Problem: Pinterest Ads shows clicks but zero conversions.

Cause: Pinterest Tag not installed or conversion events not configured.

Fix:

Step 1: Install Pinterest Tag

Html
<!-- Add to <head> of all pages -->
<script>
!function(e){if(!window.pintrk){window.pintrk = function () {
window.pintrk.queue.push(Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments))};var
  n=window.pintrk;n.queue=[],n.version="3.0";var
  t=document.createElement("script");t.async=!0,t.src=e;var
  r=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
  r.parentNode.insertBefore(t,r)}}("https://s.pinimg.com/ct/core.js");
pintrk('load', 'YOUR_TAG_ID');
pintrk('page');
</script>

Step 2: Add conversion events

Javascript
// Purchase event (on thank-you page)
pintrk('track', 'checkout', {
  value: 99.99,
  order_quantity: 1,
  currency: 'USD'
});
 
// Signup event
pintrk('track', 'signup');

Step 3: Verify with Pinterest Tag Helper

  1. Install Pinterest Tag Helper Chrome extension
  2. Visit your website
  3. Click extension icon
  4. Verify: "Pinterest Tag Found" with green checkmark
  5. Complete test conversion
  6. Verify: Conversion event appears in extension

Issue 4: GA4 vs Pinterest Conversion Discrepancies

Problem: Conversion counts differ significantly between Pinterest Ads Manager and GA4.

Cause: Different attribution windows, ad blockers, time zones.

Why discrepancies are normal:

FactorPinterest Ads ManagerGA4
Attribution window30-day click, 1-day view (default)Data-driven (varies)
Ad blocker impactBypassed via Conversions APIBlocked (client-side tracking)
Time zoneAccount time zoneProperty time zone
Conversion definitionPinterest Tag eventsGA4 events

Expected variance: 10-20% is normal.

Which to trust:

  • Pinterest Ads Manager: Campaign optimization decisions
  • GA4: Cross-channel attribution analysis

Fix (if variance >30%):

  1. Verify Pinterest Tag and GA4 tag both installed
  2. Check conversion event names match between platforms
  3. Ensure time zones aligned
  4. Implement Pinterest Conversions API for server-side tracking

Issue 5: iOS 14+ Attribution Loss

Problem: Pinterest Ads conversions dropped significantly after iOS 14.

Cause: App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework limiting tracking.

Impact:

  • 30-50% attribution loss on iOS without proper setup
  • View-through conversions heavily impacted
  • Cross-device attribution reduced

Fix:

Implement Pinterest Conversions API (server-side tracking):

Javascript
// Server-side conversion event
fetch('https://api.pinterest.com/v5/ad_accounts/{AD_ACCOUNT_ID}/events', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    data: [{
      event_name: 'checkout',
      action_source: 'web',
      event_time: Date.now(),
      event_id: 'ORDER-12345',
      user_data: {
        em: ['hashed_email'],
        ph: ['hashed_phone']
      },
      custom_data: {
        value: 99.99,
        currency: 'USD'
      }
    }]
  })
});

Enable Enhanced Match:

Javascript
pintrk('load', 'YOUR_TAG_ID', {
  em: 'customer@example.com'  // Auto-hashed by Pinterest
});

Troubleshooting Checklist

Quick Diagnostic

Test 1: epik Parameter Present?

  1. Click your Pinterest ad
  2. Check URL in browser address bar
  3. Verify ?epik= parameter exists
  4. ✅ Present = Tracking working
  5. ❌ Missing = Check for redirects or URL stripping

Test 2: Pinterest Tag Installed?

  1. Install Pinterest Tag Helper
  2. Visit your website
  3. Check for green "Pinterest Tag Found" indicator
  4. ✅ Found = Tag working
  5. ❌ Not found = Install Pinterest Tag

Test 3: Conversion Events Firing?

  1. Complete test purchase/conversion
  2. Check Pinterest Tag Helper
  3. Verify conversion event appears
  4. Check Pinterest Ads Manager → Conversions → Event History
  5. ✅ Event appears = Conversion tracking working
  6. ❌ No event = Add conversion event code

Test 4: Manual UTMs Present?

  1. Pinterest Ads Manager → Check destination URLs
  2. Look for ?utm_source= or &utm_medium=
  3. ✅ UTMs found = Remove them (causing conflicts)
  4. ❌ No UTMs = Clean setup

FAQ

Do I need to add UTM parameters to Pinterest Ads?

No. Pinterest automatically appends the epik parameter for attribution. Manual UTMs create duplicate sessions and fragment attribution.

Why does my Pinterest traffic show different campaign names in GA4?

If you previously used manual UTMs with custom campaign names, removing them will change how campaigns appear in GA4. GA4 will now use Pinterest's automatic campaign naming based on the epik parameter.

Can I use epik and UTMs together?

Technically yes, but it creates duplicate sessions in GA4. Best practice: use epik only for Pinterest Ads. Save UTMs for organic Pinterest Pins.

How long does epik track conversions?

Pinterest's default attribution window is 30 days post-click, 1 day post-view. You can adjust this in Pinterest Ads Manager settings.

What if I'm already using UTMs on all my ads?

Remove them from Pinterest Ads campaigns immediately. epik handles all attribution automatically. Keep UTMs for platforms that don't have auto-tagging (e.g., email, SMS, affiliate links).

Does Pinterest Tag work with Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress?

Yes. Pinterest Tag works with any website. Most platforms have official Pinterest plugins:

  • Shopify: Pinterest app in Shopify App Store
  • WooCommerce: Pinterest for WooCommerce plugin
  • WordPress: Official Pinterest for WordPress plugin

How do I track organic Pins vs Pinterest Ads?

Pinterest Ads (paid):

  • URL: yoursite.com/product?epik=abc123
  • GA4 classification: Paid Social

Organic Pins:

  • URL: yoursite.com/product (or with UTMs if you manually add them)
  • GA4 classification: Referral or Social (if UTMs used)

epik parameter only appears on paid Pinterest Ads clicks.

Can I see which specific Pin drove conversions?

Yes, in Pinterest Ads Manager:

  1. Ads → Reporting → Ads
  2. View performance by individual Pin creative
  3. See clicks, impressions, conversions per Pin

What's the difference between Pinterest Tag and Conversions API?

  • Pinterest Tag: Client-side JavaScript tracking (blocked by ad blockers, affected by iOS 14+)
  • Conversions API: Server-side tracking (bypasses ad blockers, iOS-compliant)

Best practice: Use both for maximum attribution coverage.

How do I fix "pinterest.com / referral" traffic?

This means epik parameter is missing. Check:

  1. Auto-tagging enabled (it is by default for Pinterest Ads)
  2. No redirects stripping epik from URL
  3. You're clicking actual Pinterest Ads (not organic Pins)

Related Resources

Internal Guides

Pinterest Official Documentation

Conclusion

Most Pinterest Ads tracking issues stem from adding manual UTMs that conflict with Pinterest's automatic epik parameter.

Fix checklist:

  • ✅ Remove manual UTM parameters from Pinterest Ads destinations
  • ✅ Verify epik parameter appears when clicking ads
  • ✅ Install Pinterest Tag on all website pages
  • ✅ Add conversion events (checkout, signup, add_to_cart)
  • ✅ Test with Pinterest Tag Helper Chrome extension
  • ✅ Implement Conversions API for iOS 14+ attribution
  • ✅ Enable Enhanced Match for better attribution

Result: Clean Pinterest Ads attribution without duplicate sessions or fragmented data.

Related Documentation:

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