How to Migrate Mastodon Followers Without Triggering Mass Unfollow Alerts

When you move your Mastodon account to a new instance, your followers may receive notifications that you have unfollowed them. This can cause confusion and concern among your audience. Mastodon provides a built-in migration tool that transfers followers silently when used correctly. This article explains how to migrate your followers without triggering mass unfollow alerts.

Why Mastodon Sends Unfollow Alerts During Migration

Mastodon uses a two-step handshake to move followers between accounts. When you initiate a migration from the old account, the old instance sends a request to each follower’s server asking them to follow the new account. If the old account is deleted before this process completes, the follower’s server interprets the deletion as an unfollow action. This triggers an unfollow notification to the follower. The migration feature is designed to avoid this by keeping the old account active for a short time after the move.

The key is that the old account must remain active and not be deleted for at least 24 hours after the migration starts. During this period, the follower migration runs in the background. Followers see a new follow request from the new account instead of an unfollow notification from the old one.

Steps to Migrate Followers Without Triggering Alerts

1. Create the new account on the target instance
   Sign up for a new Mastodon account on the instance you want to move to. Verify the email address and log in. Do not post anything yet.
2. Go to Preferences on the new account
   Log in to the new account. Click Preferences in the bottom of the left navigation column. Select Account from the menu.
3. Click Move from a different account
   In the Account settings, find the section labeled Move from a different account. Click the link or button that says Move from a different account.
4. Enter your old account handle and password
   Type your old account’s full handle, including the instance domain, for example @username@oldinstance.social. Enter the password for the old account. Click Move Followers.
5. Confirm the migration on the old account
   Check the email inbox of the old account. Mastodon sends a confirmation email with a link. Click that link to authorize the migration.
6. Wait at least 24 hours
   Do not delete the old account or change its password for at least 24 hours. The migration process runs in the background. Followers will see a follow request from the new account instead of an unfollow notification.
7. Set the old profile to show a redirect notice
   After the migration completes, go to the old account’s profile settings. Add a note in the bio that says you moved and include a link to the new account. This prevents confusion for anyone who visits the old profile.
8. Delete the old account only after 24 hours
   If you want to remove the old account entirely, wait at least 24 hours after the migration confirmation. Then go to Preferences > Account > Delete account. Deleting earlier can trigger unfollow alerts.

What to Avoid During Migration

Deleting the old account within 24 hours

The most common cause of mass unfollow alerts is deleting the old account too soon. The migration process is asynchronous. If the old account disappears before all follower servers have processed the move, those servers mark the old account as unfollowed. This sends a notification to the follower. Always wait a full day.

Using the wrong account for the move initiation

You must initiate the migration from the new account, not the old one. The Move from a different account option is only available on the new account. Starting the process from the old account does not trigger the handshake and results in followers being lost.

Posting on the old account after migration starts

Once you start the migration, do not post from the old account. New posts on the old account can confuse followers who see activity and think the migration has not happened. It also delays the migration process on some instances.

Mastodon Migration Methods: Silent vs Manual

Item	Silent Migration (Recommended)	Manual Unfollow/Refollow
Method	Use Move from a different account in Preferences	Manually ask followers to unfollow old account and follow new one
Unfollow alerts	None if old account is kept active for 24 hours	Triggers unfollow notification for every follower
Follower loss risk	Low — most followers are transferred automatically	High — many followers may not refollow
Time required	About 5 minutes setup + 24 hours wait	Depends on follower count; can take days
Required steps	Create new account, initiate move, confirm email, wait	Post announcement, wait for manual actions, check follower lists

After the 24-hour wait period, verify that your followers have moved by checking the new account’s follower list. If any followers are missing, you can send a direct message to them with a link to your new account. The migration tool handles the vast majority of followers automatically when the steps above are followed correctly.

For administrators managing multiple account migrations, consider using the Mastodon API to automate the process with scripts. The API endpoint /api/v1/accounts/:id/move supports the same handshake. Always test the migration with a test account before moving a production account with many followers.