How to Manage Mastodon Account ‘Lists’ for Custom Feeds

Mastodon lists let you organize accounts you follow into separate, custom feeds. The default home timeline shows posts from every account you follow in chronological order. This can become noisy when you follow accounts that post about many different topics. Lists solve this by creating dedicated timelines that show only posts from accounts you have added to that specific list.

Lists are private to you. Other users cannot see which lists you have created or which accounts you have placed on them. You can create as many lists as you need, such as one for work colleagues, one for hobby accounts, and one for news sources. Each list appears as its own column in the web interface or as a separate feed in mobile apps.

This article explains how to create, edit, and delete lists on Mastodon. It also covers how to add accounts to lists and how to view list feeds on desktop and mobile. You will learn the differences between lists and other feed filtering features so you can choose the right tool for your needs.

What Mastodon Lists Are and How They Work

A Mastodon list is a user-defined group of accounts that produces its own timeline. When you add an account to a list, that account’s public and unlisted posts appear in the list feed. Direct messages and followers-only posts do not appear in list feeds unless you follow the account that posted them.

Lists are not the same as groups. Mastodon does not have group functionality like some other social platforms. Lists are purely a viewing filter on your end. They do not notify accounts that they have been added to a list. They do not create a shared space where multiple people can post. Each list is a one-way feed that only you can see.

You can add any account on any Mastodon instance to a list. You do not need to follow an account to add it to a list. However, if you do not follow the account, the list will show only that account’s public posts. If you follow the account, the list will also show unlisted posts from that account.

Prerequisites for Using Lists

You need a Mastodon account on any instance. Lists work on the official Mastodon web interface and on most third-party mobile apps. Some apps may label lists differently, but the core functionality is the same. You must be logged into your account to create or edit lists.

Steps to Create, Edit, and Use Lists on Mastodon

The following steps cover the Mastodon web interface. Mobile app steps may vary slightly but follow the same logic.

1. Open the Lists panel
   On the Mastodon web interface, look for the sidebar on the left side of the screen. Click the icon that looks like a bulleted list or three horizontal lines with dots. If you do not see the icon, click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) at the top left to expand the sidebar. The Lists panel opens showing any existing lists and a button to create a new one.
2. Create a new list
   Click the Create list button or the plus icon in the Lists panel. A dialog box appears asking for a list name. Type a descriptive name such as “Work Colleagues” or “Tech News.” Click Create to save the list. The new list appears in the Lists panel.
3. Add accounts to a list
   Navigate to a profile or a post from the account you want to add. Click the three-dot menu (More icon) on the profile header or on the post. Select Add to list from the dropdown menu. A list of your existing lists appears. Check the box next to the list you want to add the account to. You can add the same account to multiple lists. Click Done to confirm.
4. View a list feed
   In the Lists panel on the left sidebar, click the name of any list you have created. The main timeline changes to show only posts from accounts on that list. The feed updates in real time as new posts appear. You can switch between lists at any time by clicking a different list name.
5. Edit or delete a list
   In the Lists panel, hover over the list name you want to edit. Click the pencil icon to rename the list or the trash icon to delete it. Deleting a list removes the list timeline but does not unfollow or remove any accounts. The accounts remain in your home timeline and on any other lists they belong to.
6. Remove an account from a list
   Go to the profile of the account you want to remove. Click the three-dot menu and select Add to list again. Uncheck the box next to the list you want to remove the account from. Click Done. The account stops appearing in that list feed.

Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid

Lists Show Fewer Posts Than Expected

If a list appears empty or shows very few posts, check whether the accounts on the list have posted recently. Lists only show new posts from the moment you add the account. They do not backfill older posts. If an account has not posted since you added it, the list will be empty. Also verify that the account has public or unlisted posts. Accounts that post only followers-only content will not appear in the list feed unless you follow them.

Adding an Account Does Not Follow It

Adding an account to a list does not automatically follow that account. You must follow the account separately if you want to see its followers-only posts in the list or in your home timeline. If you only want to see public posts from an account in a list, you do not need to follow it. This is useful for monitoring accounts without subscribing to their full feed.

Lists Are Not Shared or Public

Do not expect other users to see your lists. Lists are completely private. There is no way to share a list with another user or to make a list visible on your profile. If you want to recommend accounts to others, you can share a list of accounts in a post or use Mastodon’s follow suggestion features.

Third-Party Apps May Handle Lists Differently

Some third-party Mastodon apps do not support lists or implement them with different names. For example, an app might call lists “collections” or “groups.” Check your app’s documentation to confirm list support. If your app does not support lists, use the Mastodon web interface to manage them. The lists you create on the web will still work on the app if the app reads the list data from the API.

Mastodon Lists vs Home Timeline vs Hashtag Feeds

Item	Lists	Home Timeline	Hashtag Feeds
Content source	Only accounts you manually add to the list	All accounts you follow	Any public post containing the hashtag, regardless of who posted it
Control over content	Full control — you choose each account	No control beyond who you follow	No control — any user can post with the hashtag
Privacy	Completely private to you	Private to you	Public — anyone can see trending hashtags
Real-time updates	Yes, as new posts appear	Yes	Yes, but can be noisy
Best use case	Curated feeds for specific topics or groups	General browsing of all followed accounts	Discovering new content on a topic

Lists give you the most control over what you see. Hashtag feeds are useful for discovery but can include spam or off-topic posts. The home timeline is a middle ground that requires careful follow management.

You can now create custom feeds in Mastodon using lists. Start by thinking about the topics or groups you want to separate. Create a list for each one and add the relevant accounts. Switch between list feeds throughout the day to focus on specific topics without noise from your full home timeline. For advanced organization, consider using multiple lists for different work projects or interest areas and pin the most important lists to the top of your sidebar for quick access.