How to Migrate From a Single-User Mastodon Instance to a Public One

You run a single-user Mastodon instance and now want to move your account to a public instance with a larger community. This migration involves moving your followers, profile, and settings without losing your social graph. The process uses Mastodon’s built-in account migration tools, but there are key differences between a private single-user instance and a public one that affect the handshake. This article explains the exact steps to export your data, create a new account, and redirect followers to your new home.

Why You Need a Two-Phase Migration for Single-User Instances

A single-user Mastodon instance is a private server running only one account. Public instances like mastodon.social or fosstodon.org host thousands of users. When you move from a single-user instance to a public one, you must complete two separate phases: data export and account migration.

The export phase preserves your followers list, account metadata, and blocked users. The migration phase tells other instances to redirect followers from your old account to the new one. The handshake relies on the old instance being online and reachable. Because your single-user instance may be running on a home server or a low-cost VPS, you must keep it running until the migration completes. If you shut down the old instance too early, followers will not be redirected.

Mastodon uses a cryptographic key pair to verify account ownership during migration. Both the old and new instances must be running Mastodon version 3.0 or later. Check your old instance’s version by viewing the instance about page or running mastodon --version in your server terminal. If the version is older, update Mastodon before proceeding.

Steps to Export Data from Your Single-User Instance

Before you create an account on a public instance, export all your data from the old single-user instance. This ensures you do not lose your follower connections or your list of blocked accounts.

1. Log in to your single-user instance
   Open your instance URL in a browser and sign in with your admin or owner account.
2. Go to Preferences > Import and Export > Export
   This page lists all available export formats. You see options for followers, following lists, lists, domain blocks, and more.
3. Download the followers CSV file
   Click the download button next to Followers list. Save the CSV file to your computer. Repeat for the following list if you want to preserve who you follow.
4. Download your media archive (optional)
   Click Request your archive to receive a ZIP file containing your posts and uploaded media. This archive is not required for migration, but it preserves your content history.
5. Note your old account URL
   Write down your complete old account handle, for example @you@yourdomain.com. You need this URL during the migration handshake.

After exporting, do not shut down the old instance. It must remain online until the migration handshake finishes.

Steps to Create a New Account on a Public Instance

Choose a public Mastodon instance that matches your interests. Visit instances.social or joinmastodon.org to find a suitable server. Sign up and complete the registration process.

1. Register on the public instance
   Go to the instance’s sign-up page. Provide your email address, username, and password. Confirm your email to activate the account.
2. Set your display name and profile
   Navigate to Preferences > Profile. Add a display name, bio, and avatar. This helps your existing followers recognize you.
3. Import your followers CSV
   Go to Preferences > Import and Export > Import. In the Import type dropdown, select Following list. Upload the CSV file you exported earlier. This step is optional but restores the list of accounts you follow.
4. Block any unwanted accounts
   If you exported a domain block list, import it using the same Import page. Select Domain blocks as the import type.

Your new account is ready. Followers have not yet been redirected. The migration handshake in the next section performs that task.

Steps to Migrate Followers from the Old Instance to the New One

Mastodon’s account migration feature sends a secure request from your old instance to your new instance. All federated servers that see the request automatically update their follower lists.

1. Log in to your old single-user instance
   Sign in to the account you want to move away from.
2. Go to Preferences > Account > Move from a different account
   This option is located under the Account settings section. It asks for the handle of your new account.
3. Enter your new account handle
   Type your new handle in the format @username@public.instance. For example, @you@mastodon.social.
4. Confirm the migration
   Click the Move followers button. Mastodon sends a migration request to your new instance. The new instance verifies ownership using cryptographic keys.
5. Check the migration status
   On your new account, go to Preferences > Account. You should see a message indicating that a migration is pending or completed. It may take up to 24 hours for all federated servers to process the change.
6. Set a redirect on the old account
   On your old instance, go to Preferences > Account > Redirect. Enter your new account URL. This shows a notice on your old profile directing visitors to your new account.

After the migration completes, you can safely shut down your single-user instance. Keep the redirect page active for at least a month so straggling followers can find you.

Common Pitfalls When Migrating from a Single-User Instance

Migration Fails Because Old Instance Is Unreachable

If your single-user instance goes offline during the migration handshake, the process fails. Ensure your server stays running and reachable on the public internet until you see the migration as completed on the new instance. Use a monitoring tool like UptimeRobot to alert you if the server goes down.

Follower Count Does Not Increase After Migration

The follower count on your new account may not update immediately. Mastodon queues migration tasks and processes them asynchronously. Wait 24 to 48 hours. If the count remains unchanged, check that you entered the correct handle in the migration form. Also verify that both instances are running Mastodon version 3.0 or later.

Old Instance Admin Panel Lacks Migration Options

Some older single-user instances run outdated Mastodon versions that lack the account migration UI. If you do not see the Move from a different account option, update Mastodon to the latest stable release. Run git pull in your Mastodon directory and restart the services.

Single-User Instance vs Public Instance: Key Differences for Migration

Item	Single-User Instance	Public Instance
Number of accounts	One (your account)	Hundreds to thousands
Server uptime requirement	Must stay up during migration	Always online (managed by admins)
Migration menu location	Preferences > Account > Move from a different account	Same menu path
Follower redirect	Manual setup via Preferences > Account > Redirect	Same manual setup
Data export availability	Full export available	Full export available
Risk of losing followers	Higher if server goes offline prematurely	Lower because instance is always available

Understanding these differences helps you plan the migration timeline and avoid losing followers during the transition.

You can now export your data from a single-user Mastodon instance, create a new account on a public instance, and migrate your followers using the built-in Move feature. Keep your old instance online until the migration handshake completes to ensure all followers are redirected. After the migration, set a permanent redirect on your old profile so visitors can find your new account. For an extra layer of safety, export your followers CSV again after the migration to have a local backup of your new follower list.