Mastodon allows you to pin up to five of your own posts to the top of your public profile. This feature is useful for highlighting important announcements, pinned threads, or key introductions that visitors see first. Unlike other social platforms where only one pinned post is allowed, Mastodon gives you more flexibility to showcase multiple items. This article explains how to pin and unpin posts using the Mastodon web interface and official mobile apps.
Key Takeaways: Pinning Posts on Mastodon
- Three-dot menu on any post: Opens the option to pin or unpin that post from your profile.
- Profile page after pinning: Pinned posts appear in a separate section above the main timeline.
- Maximum of five pinned posts: Attempting to pin a sixth post triggers an error message.
What Pinning a Post Does on Mastodon
Pinning a post in Mastodon moves it to a dedicated area at the top of your public profile. Visitors to your profile see these pinned posts before any other content. This is different from boosting or favoriting a post, which only affects your interactions timeline. Pinning is permanent until you manually unpin the post. You can pin any post you have authored, including replies, media posts, and polls. The pinned section displays up to five posts in the order you pinned them, with the most recent pin appearing first.
There are no special permissions or account tiers required to pin posts. Any Mastodon user on any instance can use this feature. The pinning action is visible to everyone who views your profile, including logged-out visitors. Pinned posts are also included in RSS feeds of your profile if the instance supports RSS.
Steps to Pin a Post Using the Mastodon Web Interface
- Open your own post
Navigate to the post you want to pin. This must be a post you authored. You can find it on your profile, in your home timeline, or by searching for it. - Click the three-dot menu
Locate the three-dot icon on the post. On the web interface, this icon is in the upper-right corner of the post. Click it to open the context menu. - Select Pin on profile
From the menu, choose Pin on profile. A confirmation dialog may appear asking if you want to pin this post. Click Pin to confirm. - Verify the pinned post
Go to your public profile. You should see the pinned post in a section labeled Pinned posts at the top. The post also shows a pin icon on its original location in your timeline.
Steps to Pin a Post Using the Mastodon Mobile App (iOS and Android)
- Open your own post
Tap the post you want to pin. It must be one of your own posts. - Tap the three-dot menu
Look for the three-dot or three-line icon on the post. In the official Mastodon app, this is usually in the upper-right corner of the post screen. - Choose Pin on profile
From the menu, tap Pin on profile. The app pins the post immediately without an extra confirmation step in most versions. - Check your profile
Switch to your profile tab. The pinned post appears at the top under the Pinned posts heading.
How to Unpin a Post From Your Mastodon Profile
- Locate the pinned post
Go to your profile and find the pinned post you want to remove. You can also find the post in your timeline. - Open the three-dot menu
Click or tap the three-dot icon on that post. - Select Unpin from profile
Choose Unpin from profile from the menu. The post moves back to its normal position in your timeline. No confirmation dialog appears after unpinning.
Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid When Pinning Posts
Attempting to pin more than five posts
If you try to pin a sixth post, Mastodon shows an error message stating that you have reached the maximum number of pinned posts. You must unpin one of the existing pinned posts before pinning a new one. The system does not automatically replace older pins.
Pinning a post that is not yours
You can only pin posts that you authored. The Pin on profile option does not appear on posts from other users. If you want to highlight someone else’s post, consider boosting it or adding it to your bookmarks instead.
Pinning a post and then deleting it
If you delete a pinned post, it is removed from your profile and from the pinned section automatically. There is no way to recover a deleted pinned post. You would need to repost the content and pin the new version.
Pinning a post that contains sensitive media
Posts marked as sensitive media remain marked when pinned. Visitors to your profile see the content warning before viewing the media. This behavior is consistent with how Mastodon handles sensitive content in the main timeline.
Pinning a post with a long thread
You can pin any individual post, including one that is part of a thread. Only that specific post appears in the pinned section, not the entire thread. If you want to pin a whole thread, you must pin the first post in the thread and ensure the thread is visible by setting your profile to show public replies.
Mastodon Pinned Posts vs Other Platforms
| Item | Mastodon | Twitter / X |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum number of pinned posts | 5 | 1 |
| Visibility of pinned section | Visible to all visitors including logged-out users | Visible to all visitors including logged-out users |
| Pinning posts from other users | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Pinned post order | Most recent pin first | Fixed to one post |
| Unpinning removes pin icon | Yes, pin icon disappears from post | Yes, pin icon disappears from post |
You can now pin up to five posts on your Mastodon profile using the three-dot menu on any of your own posts. Try pinning an introductory post or an important announcement to give visitors immediate context about your account. For advanced profile customization, consider adding a profile metadata field or setting a custom avatar and header image that complements your pinned content.