Add Pinterest images without replacing the main OG image

Pinterest can use Open Graph or Schema.org data for Rich Pins, while many other link cards start from the first Open Graph image. Keep those jobs separate: use a dependable wide image first, then add richer page-type data when Pinterest needs another candidate.

Rich Pin data and image shape are different

Rich Pins attach page information to a saved Pin. Pinterest documents three supported types: product, recipe and article. The markup for each type carries facts such as a product price, recipe details or an article headline and author.

A portrait image is an optimization for the Pinterest feed, not a requirement that should replace every page's primary Open Graph image. A page can keep a wide sharing image for standard cards and expose one or more high-resolution article, product or recipe images through supported structured data.

Pinterest decides which supported data and asset to use. Markup supplies candidates; it does not guarantee a particular crop for every placement or preserve a previously saved Pin when the source changes.

Use the page type you actually have

Article

Use for original editorial content. Keep the headline, description, author, publication date and images consistent with the visible article.

Product

Use only for a real product page. Price and availability must match what a visitor can see and purchase; do not mark a generic landing page as a product.

Recipe

Use for a complete recipe with the properties Pinterest expects. A food photo alone does not turn an ordinary article into recipe markup.

Pinterest gives product data priority over recipe data, and recipe data priority over article data when a page declares several Rich Pin types. Avoid that ambiguity: publish one type that matches the visible page.

Keep the wide Open Graph image first

Start with a direct, public image around 1.91:1 for ordinary link cards. Declare its width, height, MIME type and alt text beside it. This is the stable fallback when a crawler does not use the page-specific structured data.

<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/article-wide.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg">
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="What the image shows">

Do not put a tall Pinterest asset before this block unless you have tested the crop on all other sharing surfaces that matter to the page.

Add an article image as structured data

For an article, the Schema.org image property can contain more than one high-resolution candidate. Keep the markup consistent with the visible article and use absolute URLs. This example adds a portrait option without changing the primary Open Graph image.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "The visible article headline",
  "datePublished": "2026-07-14",
  "image": [
    "https://example.com/article-wide.jpg",
    "https://example.com/article-portrait.jpg"
  ]
}
</script>

A 2:3 portrait is a practical Pinterest-oriented candidate, not a promise that Pinterest will always choose or display it uncropped. Check the current Rich Pin documentation for the page type before shipping new markup.

Validate both candidates

1. Match the visible page
Structured facts, image subject and canonical URL should describe the same page. Do not add an unrelated tall graphic only to fill a Pinterest field.
2. Fetch every image without browser state
Verify status, redirects, TLS, MIME type, dimensions and file size for both the wide and portrait URLs. Hotlink or bot rules can differ between hosts and image paths.
3. Keep versioning deliberate
When an image changes, use a stable versioned filename. Existing Pins can preserve their saved snapshot, so changing source markup is not a promise that old Pins update.

Check before publishing

The declared Rich Pin type matches the page visitors can see.
The first Open Graph image remains the safest broad link-card image.
The portrait candidate is high resolution, relevant and publicly fetchable.
Image metadata matches the downloaded files.
Product, recipe or article facts are not duplicated with conflicting values.
No login wall, consent screen or WAF challenge blocks the public assets.

Check the image candidates

Primary references

Reviewed July 14, 2026.