Pinterest Similar Event Names
Pinterest is showing event pairs with names that differ by a typo, a capitalization, or a separator: `AddToCart` and `add_to_cart`, `Checkout` and `Checkout1`, `Lead` and `Leads`. The tag treats each as a separate event with its own audience, its own counter, and its own row in reporting. If both represent the same business action, your volume is split and the optimizer is learning from half the signal on each.
Why It Matters
Pinterest matches events on the exact string. `AddToCart` and `addtocart` are two events, not one. When a similar pair exists, it is almost always because two different implementations on the site target the same user action: a Shopify template event fires `AddToCart` while a custom GTM tag fires `add_to_cart`, or a legacy snippet uses `Lead` while a new form integration uses `Leads`. Both work. Both record volume. The data is just split in a place no dashboard surfaces by default. The operational impact depends on which events overlap. Standard events versus custom events with similar names produce the worst case, because Pinterest applies different optimization treatment to standard events. A `Checkout` event will feed Smart Bidding on conversion-objective campaigns; a custom event called `Checkout1` will not. Two similarly named custom events split audience size and weaken retargeting coverage. Two near-identical standard event names are the cleanest fix, because the resolution is unambiguous: pick one, migrate dependents, archive the other.
How To Fix It
- Open Pinterest Events Manager and list the similar event pairs flagged in the audit.
- For each pair, decide which name is canonical, preferring the Pinterest standard event name (PageVisit, ViewCategory, AddToCart, Checkout, Search, Signup, Lead, WatchVideo) when one of the two matches.
- Update the site implementation so only the canonical name fires going forward, and confirm the duplicate firing path is removed.
- Migrate any campaigns or audiences off the deprecated event onto the canonical one.
- Archive the deprecated event in Events Manager and verify subsequent volume lands only on the canonical name.
Example
Problem: AddToCart (standard) and add_to_cart (custom) both active
Better: AddToCart canonical, custom firing path removed, audiences migrated.This Pinterest Tag has event names similar enough to suggest two implementations are tracking the same business action under different strings. Pinterest matches events on exact string equality, so `AddToCart` and `add_to_cart` are treated as independent events with separate audiences, counters, and reporting rows. The condition typically arises when a platform template event coexists with a custom GTM tag targeting the same action, or when a legacy snippet outlives a new integration. The result is split signal, weaker Smart Bidding performance because each event learns from half the volume, and retargeting audiences that under-cover the addressable visitor base. Fix: pick a canonical event name, prefer the Pinterest standard event when one of the variants matches, remove the duplicate firing path on the site, migrate campaigns and audiences onto the canonical event, and archive the deprecated event in Events Manager. Source: help.pinterest.com/en/business/article/install-the-pinterest-tag.
Drop this paragraph into your client deliverable. Sources back to the canonical platform documentation linked below.
References
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