# Export Formats Explained: ZIP, PDF, HTML, CSV and JSON | PinSuite Guide

> What each PinSuite export contains: the ZIP folder layout, every CSV column, the JSON structure, the HTML gallery, the PDF catalogue, size limits, and how long download links last.

Canonical: https://pinsuite.app/guides/export-metadata

---

[← All guides](/guides)

# Export formats explained: ZIP, PDF, HTML, CSV and JSON

EXPORTING · 6 MIN READ

Once a board is in your library you can take it out in five shapes. This guide says what is inside each one, which to pick, how large boards are handled, and how long a download link lasts.

## Where to export from

- **The Export page** in your dashboard sidebar. Every board is listed with its pin count and a button per format, and the full account export sits at the top.
- **A board's download menu.** Open any board and use the download button next to Print: ZIP archive, PDF catalogue, Print sheet, HTML or CSV metadata.
- **Your AI assistant.** If you have connected Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor, ask it to export a board and poll for the download link. See [AI assistants](/integrations).

Exports need a paid plan. Saving does not, and nothing you have saved is ever removed if you later move back to the free plan.

## ZIP: the offline backup

Every image and video as a separate file, in a folder per section, with the details alongside. This is the one to keep somewhere safe.

```
Kitchen ideas.zip
  Countertops/001_Marble waterfall island.jpg
  Countertops/002_Butcher block.jpg
  Lighting/001.jpg
  003_Sage green cabinets.jpg        pins not in any section sit at the top level
  metadata.csv
  metadata.json
  READ-ME-FIRST.txt                  only present when the archive is short
```

- File names start with a three-digit number, then the pin's title trimmed to 40 characters. A pin with no title of its own gets the number alone. Pinterest's machine-written captions are treated as no title, so they do not become file names.
- Images are saved as JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP depending on what Pinterest served. Videos are MP4.
- Board and section names keep their accents and emoji.
- The `metadata.csv` inside the ZIP has two extra columns at the front, File and Section, so every row points at its file in the archive.

## CSV: everything in a spreadsheet

One row per pin, one column per field. Open it in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets and filter or sort however you like. The first column is the pin's section, followed by:

- Index
- ID
- URL
- Title
- Description
- Preview URL
- Media Type
- Domain
- Saved On
- Save Count
- Source Platform
- Pinterest Pin ID
- Dominant Color
- Repin Count
- Favorite Count
- SEO Alt Text
- Link
- Source URL
- Pinner Username
- Pinner Full Name
- Board Name
- Section Name
- Is Video
- Is Story Pin
- Rich Summary Title
- Rich Summary Description

A blank cell means Pinterest did not provide that field. Instagram posts, archived pages and your own uploads fill the general columns and leave the Pinterest ones empty.

## JSON: the same details, structured

For moving your library into another tool or working with it in code. The file holds the board title, when it was generated, the pin count, and a list of sections. Each section has its name and its pins. Each pin carries the general fields (id, url, title, description, media and thumbnail URLs, media type, domain, saved date, save count, tags and source platform) plus a `pinterest` block with the pin ID, pinner, board and section, repin and favourite counts, alt text, the rich summary, and the raw Pinterest record where PinSuite stored one. It is pretty-printed, so it is readable in a text editor too.

## HTML: a gallery you can open in a browser

A single web page with a card for every pin, grouped by section, each with its image, title and a View on Pinterest link. Handy for showing a board to someone without a PinSuite or Pinterest account.

**The HTML gallery is not an offline copy.**
Its images load from the web when you open it, so it needs an internet connection and it depends on the images still being available. For a copy that works with no connection, use the ZIP.

## PDF: the catalogue

The same gallery laid out as a PDF, one card per pin, built when you export. The images are embedded, so the PDF works offline once it is downloaded. For a printable sheet with more control over the layout, use Print on the board page instead.

## How large boards are handled

| Board size | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| Up to 500 pins | CSV, JSON and HTML download the moment you click. ZIP and PDF build in the background and download when ready. |
| 501 to 20,000 pins | Every format builds in the background. The Export page shows a progress bar and the download starts on its own when the file is ready. Tick "email me" if you would rather close the tab and get a link. |
| Over 20,000 pins | CSV and JSON only. A single ZIP, HTML or PDF would be too large to build as one file. |

A board keeps one export at a time. Exporting the same board again replaces the previous file.

## How long a download link lasts

Board and account export links work for **72 hours** after the file is built. After that, request the export again; your library is unchanged, only the packaged file has expired. If clicking a download shows a page of XML text instead of saving a file, that is what has happened. Go back to the Export page and export again.

## Exporting your whole account

The Export page has an Export all data button. It packages everything you have saved into one ZIP with a folder per board, a folder for items that are not in any board, a README, and the CSV and JSON details in every folder. Because these archives are large, PinSuite emails you a link when the file is ready, and the same link stays on the Export page for 72 hours. One account export runs at a time, and there is a short wait before you can request another.

## When an archive holds fewer files than the board

If PinSuite could not retrieve every pin, the ZIP includes a `READ-ME-FIRST.txt` that says how many files it holds against how many pins Pinterest lists, and what to do about it. The most common cause is Pinterest's pin count running ahead of what it actually serves; [this guide](/guides/missing-pins) explains it. If none of a board's images can be fetched at all, the export fails with a message rather than handing you an empty archive.

## Related

- [Download and back up your Pinterest content](/guides/download-content)
- [Organize your library](/guides/organize-stash)
- [Why your board has fewer pins than Pinterest](/guides/missing-pins)
- [Export from your AI assistant](/integrations)

## Still need help?

Email
[support@pinsuite.app](mailto:support@pinsuite.app?subject=Exports)
and tell us what you were doing and which board or link was involved. We read every
message and usually reply within a few hours.

### Ready to get started?

Try PinSuite free, no credit card required.

[Get Started](/signin)