Company guides
🟥 Pinterest — Frontend Interview Guide
Emphasis: Image-heavy feeds, the masonry grid, and image/scroll performance. Visual product → rendering and lazy-loading expertise matter.
Related: Company index · ROADMAP
The loop (typical)
| Round | Focus | Prep section |
|---|---|---|
| Phone screen | JS/DSA | 03-javascript |
| Coding | UI component | 16-machine-coding |
| Frontend system design | Feed/grid "Design X" | 15-system-design |
| Behavioral | Collaboration | — |
What they emphasize
- Masonry / grid layout — variable-height items, virtualization.
- Image performance — lazy loading, responsive images, CLS, formats.
- Infinite scroll feeds at scale.
- Rendering performance on image-dense pages.
Frequently asked (community-sourced)
System design
- Design Pinterest (masonry feed) → 15-system-design
- Design an Image Gallery / Carousel → flagship
- Design a News Feed (infinite) → flagship
Machine coding
- Build a masonry grid with virtualization → flagship
- Build an image lightbox → carousel flagship
- Build lazy-loaded image list → performance
Fundamentals
- Image optimization, CLS,
IntersectionObserver→ 09-performance
Prep plan (2 weeks)
- Master variable-height virtualization (the masonry core).
- Study image performance (lazy load, srcset, CLS).
- Build a masonry/gallery component.
- Practice a visual-feed system design.
🟢 Green flags · 🔴 Red flags
🟢 Do: implement masonry with variable-height virtualization · optimize images (lazy, srcset, formats) · prevent CLS · keep infinite feeds smooth.
🔴 Avoid: loading all images upfront · layout shift from unsized media · unbounded DOM on long feeds.
📝 Sample interviewer prompts
- "Build a masonry grid with virtualization."
- "How do you prevent layout shift (CLS) on an image feed?"
- "Design the Pinterest home feed."
Interviewed at Pinterest? Add the questions you got (role + year) via a PR.