Pinterest Launches App Promotion: New App Install Campaign Objective

On September 17, 2026, Pinterest introduced App Promotion, a new campaign objective designed to attract mobile app users. The tool launched in global beta for eligible advertisers.

Pinterest claims that, in one of the initial tests, the new format reduced cost per install (CPI) by up to 85% compared with the previous approach.

What Changed

Mobile app advertising was already available on Pinterest. Advertisers could use existing campaign objectives, deep links, and integrations with mobile attribution platforms.

However, there was no dedicated objective specifically optimized for app installs in its current form.

App Promotion changes the optimization mechanism itself: instead of driving visits or using workaround approaches, advertisers can select app installs as the primary campaign objective.

This is particularly relevant for apps in shopping, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and home decor, where Pinterest's audience is already actively looking for products and shopping ideas.

iOS, Android, and Event Tracking

Pinterest's infrastructure supports mobile attribution for iOS and Android through partners including AppsFlyer and Adjust.

Advertisers can use deep links to direct users to specific screens in installed apps and pass events such as purchases, registrations, and other actions.

However, passing in-app events is not the same as optimizing for them.

In its September announcement, Pinterest confirmed that the new App Promotion objective optimizes for installs, but did not announce full support for optimization toward purchases, subscriptions, paying users, or target ROAS.

The availability of individual settings, including those for iOS and Android, should be checked in the specific advertising account.

Early Results and Limitations

Pinterest cites an example of a CPI reduction of up to 85%, but this was the result of an individual test, not an average platform performance benchmark.

For comparison, agency Admiral Media estimated Pinterest mobile app advertising CPI before the launch of the new format at approximately $1.80–$3.90 for shopping apps and $2.10–$4.40 for fitness apps in selected English-speaking markets.

These estimates cannot be directly compared with results from the new beta.

The main change is that Pinterest is turning mobile app promotion from a secondary advertising use case into a standalone performance marketing tool.

For advertisers, the value of the new objective will depend not only on CPI but also on the quality of acquired users, retention, and the share of installs that turn into purchases.