Pinterest is opening its API to retailers who wish to embed pins directly on their websites, the company announced Thursday.
A handful of Pinterest partners now have the option to surface their most popular pins directly on the homepage of their websites. Initial Pinterest partners include major brands like Walmart, Disney, Random House, Zappos and Mashable.
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In addition to brands surfacing top Pinterest content on their sites, users will be able to re-pin images and posts that they like directly from the company's website. The content will update in real time, meaning the list of "favorites" will update as more users interact with Pinterest, according to a Pinterest spokesperson.
Thursday's Top Pins API is the first of four that Pinterest plans to roll out to brands over the coming weeks. Pinterest partners will soon be able to surface pins related to search keywords like "Thanksgiving recipes." Brands will also be able to highlight their most recent pins or related pins suggesting other items similar to what the user is viewing.
Target is already utilizing top pins creatively: When a user searches for an item that is no longer available online, they will be greeted with a Top Pins page instead of an error page on Target's website.

Brands won't need to pay a fee to utilize these Pinterest embeds. The benefit to Pinterest is exposure to major websites, the chance to bring on new users, adding more pins to the system and increasing engagement, said a Pinterest spokesperson. Right now, Pinterest's only form of ad revenue comes via Promoted Pins.
The timing for these APIs is ideal for Pinterest, as many of the sites' popular use cases seem to revolve around the holidays. Many partners focus on food and holiday decorations, including Better Homes and Garden, AllRecipes and Nestle.
Pinterest said it is starting slow and working with partners who have already found success on the site. Any developers who wish to work with Pinterest's API can request access here.
API partners can also integrate pins with their mobile sites.
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Image: Zappos.com