# What a Pinterest downloader extension can read, and how to check

> Is a Pinterest downloader extension safe? How to read its permissions before you install, what each browser warning means, and the red flags worth walking away from.

Source: https://unpinned.uninspired.app/blog/pinterest-downloader-permissions
Author: Uninspired Studio
Published: 2026-10-17

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A Pinterest downloader extension runs inside your browser, in the session where you are already logged into Pinterest. That is what lets it download a whole board. It is also why it is worth thirty seconds to check what it can read before you click Add. The browser tells you. This post is how to read what it says.

## Where to look before you install

There are two places to check, and both are public.

First, the install dialog. Chrome, Firefox and Edge all list an extension's warnings before it goes in. Nothing on that list is hidden in small print elsewhere. If a line surprises you, cancel.

Second, the store listing. The Chrome Web Store listing has a privacy section where the developer declares what data the extension collects and what it is used for. Firefox and Edge listings can link a privacy policy. No policy and no way to contact the developer is a reason to keep looking.

## What the warnings mean

These are the lines Chrome shows, and what they let an extension do.

| Warning | What it allows |
| --- | --- |
| Read and change all your data on all websites | Every page you open, including your bank and your email |
| Read and change your data on a number of websites | A fixed list of sites. Click Details on the extension to see which |
| Read your browsing history | The addresses of your open tabs |
| Manage your downloads | Save files to your download folder |
| Read data you copy and paste | Your clipboard |

A Pinterest downloader needs Pinterest, Pinterest's image and video servers, and a way to save files. It does not need every website.

Some permissions show no warning at all, for example storage for the extension's own settings. They do not reach your data on other sites.

## Red flags

Access to all websites, for a tool that only works on Pinterest. It may be lazy rather than malicious, but you are trusting that it is lazy.

A request for your Pinterest password. An extension already runs in your logged-in session and never needs it.

New permissions after an update. Chrome disables an extension whose update adds a new warning until you approve it. If a downloader you have used for months suddenly wants more, find out why before you click.

A paste-a-link website that promises private boards. Those sites run on a server that is not logged into your Pinterest account, so they cannot see a private board. The [comparison page](/compare) explains that limit.

## How to check an extension you already have

In Chrome, open `chrome://extensions`, find the extension and click Details. Permissions lists the warnings. Site access shows which sites it can run on, and for many extensions you can narrow it to specific sites.

In Edge, the same lives at `edge://extensions`. In Firefox, open `about:addons`, click the extension and open the Permissions tab.

Do it once for every extension you have. Most people find one they forgot about.

## What Unpinned asks for

Unpinned's site access is Pinterest's own domains, including the servers Pinterest keeps its images and videos on, plus a few of our own: sign-in, the fonts the panel uses, and product analytics. It also asks to manage your downloads, which is how the ZIP or PDF reaches your disk. Chrome words one more permission as read your browsing history. Unpinned uses it to find the Pinterest tabs you have open.

It never asks for your Pinterest password. Signing in to Unpinned is a link sent to your email. The [security page](/security) has the rest, and the [Pinterest board downloader](/pinterest-board-downloader) page has the install links.

## FAQ

### Are Pinterest downloader extensions safe?

Some are, some ask for far more than they need. Read the install dialog. A downloader that asks for Pinterest and your downloads is asking for what the job takes.

### Can an extension see my private boards?

It can see what you can see on Pinterest while you are logged in. That is how [downloading a private board](/blog/download-private-pinterest-board) works, and why the permission list matters.

### Can I limit an extension to Pinterest only?

In Chrome and Edge, often yes: Details, then Site access. Better still, pick one that does not ask for all websites to begin with.