Pinterest once introduced a straightforward way to keep track of ideas you’ve actually tried — a small but useful addition if you use discovery sites for recipes, DIYs, workouts or travel tips. The idea is simple: mark a Pin as “tried,” add feedback or photos, and keep those results organised so you (and others, if you choose) can see what worked.
How the “tried” option works
When you mark a Pin as tried you can add short notes, a rating or photos showing the result. That feedback appears on the Pin so other people can scroll through examples and learn from real attempts — useful for recipes that need tweaks, craft projects that require hacks, or workouts where form matters.
Pinterest’s implementation also gathered all the Pins you’d marked into a single place on your profile, making it easier to find favourites you want to repeat (signature cocktails, quick hotel workouts, or go-to home repairs). The key benefit is turning passive inspiration into a searchable record of what you actually tested and would happily do again.
Ways to get the most from a tried-it record
- Be specific in your notes: jot down exact substitutions, timings, temperatures, sizes, or measurements you changed. Those tiny details are the most useful when you or someone else repeats the idea.
- Use photos: a quick before/after or step photo shows what the final result looked like and where adjustments were needed. Visual evidence saves a lot of guesswork.
- Add tags or short labels: if the service lets you tag, use standard labels (e.g. “weeknight dinner”, “low-carb”, “hotel workout”) so you can filter similar tries later.
- Keep an outcomes list: note whether it’s a keeper, needs more experimenting, or was a fail. That helps when you’re choosing what to repeat or recommend.
- Use private notes or boards for experiments: if you’re trying things that you don’t want to share publicly — personal recipes, gifts, surprises — store them in a private place so they’re accessible only to you.
If you’re trying multi-step projects, consider pairing the tried-Pin with a dedicated project board or folder. That way you keep the inspiration and the progress notes together: the original Pin, your materials list, progress photos and the final result.
Privacy and alternatives
Before adding photos or detailed notes, remember anything you make public can be seen by others on the platform. If you’re unsure, keep sensitive experiments private or use a notes app or a private board to record them.
If the platform you use doesn’t offer a built-in “tried” marker, you can replicate the workflow yourself: create a private board titled “Tried” or “Tested”, save Pins there, and add details in the Pin description or in a separate note. A simple spreadsheet or note app works too — columns for item, date tried, outcome, adjustments, and a link back to the original source can be surprisingly effective.
Marking what you’ve actually done turns inspiration into usable knowledge. Whether you use a dedicated feature on a discovery site or a DIY system of boards and notes, the point is the same: capture what worked, what didn’t, and why. That makes your future decisions quicker and your favourite ideas easier to repeat.
