Mastodon Migration to Misskey for Quote Posts: How to Move

Mastodon does not support quote posts natively, which can frustrate users who want to share and comment on others’ posts in a single message. Misskey and its forks like Firefish and Iceshrimp include a built-in quote post feature that lets you embed another post with your own commentary. This article explains the entire process of moving your account from Mastodon to a Misskey-based instance, including data export, account creation, follower migration, and post archive import.

Why Mastodon Lacks Quote Posts and Misskey Includes Them

Mastodon’s codebase deliberately omits quote posts to reduce harassment and pile-on behavior. When you quote a post on Mastodon, the original author receives no notification, which can lead to unwanted attention. Misskey treats quote posts as a first-class feature: you click a quote button on any post, add your own text, and the original post appears embedded below. The original author sees a notification that their post was quoted. This design encourages conversation rather than confrontation.

Misskey also supports rich formatting, reactions with emoji, and customizable timelines. If you want to share a post with your own take attached, Misskey gives you that tool out of the box. Moving your account lets you keep your existing followers and post history while gaining the quote post capability.

Steps to Move from Mastodon to a Misskey Instance

The migration process has three phases: exporting your Mastodon data, creating a Misskey account, and transferring your followers. You must complete all three to preserve your social graph and content.

Phase 1: Export Your Mastodon Archive

1. Log in to your Mastodon account
   Open your Mastodon instance in a browser. Go to Preferences > Import and export > Request your archive. Mastodon will prepare a zip file containing your posts, media, bookmarks, lists, and account settings.
2. Wait for the archive email
   Mastodon sends a download link to the email address associated with your account. This can take a few minutes to an hour depending on your post count. Do not close the browser tab until you receive the email.
3. Download and save the archive
   Click the link in the email and save the zip file to your computer. Keep this file safe. You will use it to import your posts into Misskey later.

Phase 2: Create a Misskey Account

1. Choose a Misskey-based instance
   Popular options include misskey.io, misskey.design, and firefish.social (a Misskey fork). Visit the instance’s sign-up page. Read the instance rules. Some instances require an invitation code or manual approval.
2. Register your account
   Enter your desired username, email address, and password. Complete the captcha if prompted. Verify your email by clicking the confirmation link sent to your inbox.
3. Note your full handle
   Your new handle is username@instance-domain (for example, johndoe@misskey.io). You will need this handle to redirect your Mastodon followers.

Phase 3: Redirect Followers from Mastodon to Misskey

1. On your Mastodon account, go to Preferences > Account > Move from a different account
   You will see a field labeled “Move to this account.” Enter your full Misskey handle (username@instance-domain).
2. Generate a confirmation token on Misskey
   Log in to your Misskey account. Go to Settings > Migration. Click “Generate migration token.” Copy the long string of characters that appears.
3. Paste the token into Mastodon
   Return to the Mastodon Move page. Paste the token into the confirmation field. Click “Move followers.” Mastodon will post a move notice to your followers. Within a few minutes, your Mastodon followers will automatically follow your new Misskey account.

Phase 4: Import Your Posts and Media

1. On Misskey, go to Settings > Import and export
   Click “Import from Mastodon.” Misskey will ask you to upload the archive zip file you downloaded in Phase 1.
2. Confirm the import
   Misskey processes the archive and imports your posts, media attachments, and bookmarks. This can take several hours for large archives. Your old posts will appear on your Misskey timeline with their original timestamps.

Common Mistakes and Issues During Migration

Followers Do Not Follow After the Move

If your Mastodon followers do not automatically follow your Misskey account, check that you entered the full handle correctly. The handle must include the instance domain. Also confirm that you used the correct migration token from Misskey. If the token is expired, generate a new one and repeat the move process. Some Mastodon instances delay move processing by up to 24 hours.

Post Archive Import Fails or Is Incomplete

Misskey only imports posts from the Mastodon archive that are in standard ActivityPub format. Posts with custom emoji from your old instance may not appear. Media files larger than the Misskey instance’s upload limit will be skipped. To avoid data loss, reduce large media files before importing. Use an image resizer tool to keep files under 16 MB.

Your Old Mastodon Account Remains Active

The move process does not delete your Mastodon account. You can leave it as a redirect notice. To disable posting on the old account, go to Preferences > Account and set the profile to “This account has moved.” Mastodon will show a banner on your old profile pointing to your new Misskey handle.

Mastodon vs Misskey: Quote Post Support

Item	Mastodon	Misskey
Native quote post	Not supported	Supported with embedded preview
Notification to original author	Not sent	Sent automatically
Post formatting	Plain text with limited Markdown	Rich text with Markdown and custom CSS
Reaction system	Favorites (star icon)	Emoji reactions (multiple per post)
Archive import from Mastodon	Not applicable	Supported via zip upload

Moving from Mastodon to Misskey gives you quote posts and richer interaction options. The migration process preserves your followers and post history when you follow each phase carefully.

After the move, explore Misskey’s antennas and channels to organize your timeline. Antennas let you filter posts by keyword or user, while channels work like topic-specific rooms. These features are not available on Mastodon and give you more control over your feed. For power users, Misskey also supports custom emoji reactions and widget-based dashboards on the home screen.