TL;DR: When you share a Pinterest link on Instagram, it opens in Instagram's in app browser, where your audience is not logged into Pinterest and cannot easily save or follow. The fix is a deeplink that opens the Pinterest app directly. OpenUp.to turns any Pinterest URL into a smart link that opens the native app in one tap, with a web fallback if the app is not installed. It is free to start and takes seconds, no code.

If you drive traffic from Instagram to Pinterest, you are probably leaking saves and follows without knowing it. The reason is the in app browser, and the fix is simple.

Why Pinterest links underperform when shared on Instagram?

Pinterest is a save and revisit platform. A pin only works for you when someone saves it to a board, follows you, or taps through to your site. All of those actions are easy inside the Pinterest app and awkward everywhere else. When a follower taps your Pinterest link inside Instagram, Instagram does not hand them to the Pinterest app. It opens the page inside its own built in browser, where your follower is not logged into Pinterest.

In that browser they see a login wall or a stripped down view. To save your pin or follow your board they would have to sign in again inside a cramped tab. Most people will not. They tap, they hesitate, they close the tab, and the save you almost earned never happens. You did not lose interest, you lost the path to the action.

What a Pinterest deeplink actually does?

A deeplink is a link that opens content directly inside an app instead of a browser. A Pinterest deeplink sends your follower straight into the Pinterest app, where they are already logged in, where the save button works, and where following you is one tap. The same audience and the same content suddenly convert better, because the friction is gone.

This matters most for creators and brands who use Pinterest as a traffic engine for a shop, a blog, or a portfolio. Every extra step between a tap and a save is a place where people drop off, and the in app browser adds several steps at once.

How to make your Pinterest link open the app with OpenUp.to?

1. Copy the Pinterest URL you want to share, such as a pin, a board, or your profile.

2. Open the free deeplink generator on OpenUp.to and paste the link.

3. OpenUp detects Pinterest and builds a smart link that opens the native app on iOS and Android.

4. Put that smart link in your Instagram bio, your Stories, or your posts.

If a visitor does not have Pinterest installed, the link falls back gracefully to the website, so you never lose anyone. The whole setup takes under a minute and needs no code or developer.

Pinterest link in the browser versus a deeplink

A real example

Say you run a home decor account and you post a styled room on Instagram, then point followers to the matching board on Pinterest. With a plain link, a curious follower taps, lands in the in app browser, sees a prompt to log in, and bounces. With a deeplink, that same follower lands inside Pinterest, sees your board, and saves three pins in ten seconds. You did not get more traffic. You stopped losing the traffic you already earned. That is the entire value of a deeplink for a creator.

Common mistakes to avoid

The first mistake is assuming the problem is your content. If people tap but do not save, the issue is often the destination experience, not the pin. The second mistake is only fixing your main bio link and forgetting your Stories links and older posts. Replace the link everywhere it lives. The third mistake is paying for a heavy marketing platform when all you need is a link that opens an app. A free tool covers the creator use case completely.

Where this fits in your wider setup?

Once your Pinterest links open the app, apply the same idea to every platform you point people to. The same OpenUp link works on a QR code for print and packaging, and you can collect all your destinations on a single link in bio page where every entry opens its app. Creators who fix this once tend to see a quiet, steady lift across saves, follows, and clicks, without posting any more than before.

The bottom line

Pinterest rewards saves and follows, and both are easy only inside the app. When your link opens in Instagram's in app browser, you bury those actions behind a login wall and lose people who were ready to act. A deeplink removes that wall and sends followers straight into Pinterest. OpenUp.to makes one in seconds, free, with no code, so this is one of the easiest conversion fixes a creator can make.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my Pinterest link open in Instagram's browser instead of the app? Instagram opens external links in its own in app browser by default to keep you inside Instagram. A deeplink redirects out of that browser into the Pinterest app.

Is OpenUp.to free for Pinterest links? Yes. The free plan lets you create smart links at no cost. Paid plans start at $8.99 per month for more links and features.

Do I need to code anything? No. OpenUp is fully no code. You paste a link and get a smart link back.

What happens if my follower does not have Pinterest installed? The link falls back to the Pinterest website, so the visitor still reaches your content.

Can I track how many people click my Pinterest deeplink? Yes. OpenUp shows click analytics so you can see what is working and where your audience comes from.

Does this work on both iPhone and Android? Yes. OpenUp builds the correct deeplink for iOS and Android automatically.

Last updated: June 2026. Written by the OpenUp.to team.

Internal links: deeplink generator, what is a deeplink, link in bio