How to Re-Import Mastodon Following List From CSV

If you exported your Mastodon following list as a CSV file but then lost access to your old account or need to rebuild your network on a new instance, re-importing that list saves hours of manual searching. Mastodon allows you to export your following list, your followers, and your account data as CSV files, but the import feature is deliberately limited to prevent spam and abuse. This article explains how to prepare a CSV file for re-import, the correct method to upload it, and what to do when the import button appears missing or grayed out. You will learn the exact steps to restore your following list on any Mastodon instance.

Why Mastodon Requires a Specific CSV Format for Following Imports

Mastodon does not accept every CSV file you create. The import feature expects a very specific structure to match accounts across the federated network. When you export your following list from any Mastodon account, the system generates a CSV file with a single column named AccountAddress. Each row contains a full account handle in the format @username@instance.social. This format allows the import process to look up each account on the fediverse by its unique address.

The reason Mastodon restricts the format is to prevent bulk following of invalid or malicious accounts. If the CSV contains any other column names, extra data, or incorrect handle syntax, the import will fail silently or skip those rows. The import process also respects rate limits set by the instance administrator, so you cannot follow more than a certain number of accounts per hour or day through the import alone. Understanding these constraints helps you prepare a clean file that works on the first attempt.

Steps to Re-Import Your Mastodon Following List from a CSV File

1. Locate your CSV file
   Find the CSV file you exported earlier. If you do not have it, you must export it from your old Mastodon account first by going to Preferences > Import and export > Export and clicking the CSV button next to Following list. The file name is usually following_accounts.csv.
2. Open the CSV file in a text editor
   Use Notepad or any plain text editor. Do not use Excel or Google Sheets unless you save the file as CSV UTF-8 format. Verify the first line reads exactly AccountAddress with no spaces or extra characters.
3. Check each handle in the file
   Every line after the header must contain a valid Mastodon handle like @user@mastodon.social. Remove any handles that contain invalid characters, missing @ symbols, or full URLs. If you see https://mastodon.social/@user, change it to @user@mastodon.social.
4. Log in to your target Mastodon account
   Open your Mastodon instance in a browser and sign in to the account where you want the following list restored.
5. Navigate to the import page
   Click the profile icon in the top-right corner and select Preferences. In the left sidebar, click Import and export, then click the Import tab.
6. Select the import type
   From the dropdown menu labeled What do you want to import?, choose Following list. Do not select any other option such as Bookmarks or Mutes.
7. Choose the merge mode
   Below the dropdown, you see two radio buttons: Merge and Overwrite. Select Merge to add the imported accounts to your existing following list. Select Overwrite to replace your current following list entirely with the imported accounts.
8. Upload the CSV file
   Click the Choose File button and select your prepared CSV file from your computer. Then click the Upload button.
9. Wait for the import to complete
   Mastodon processes the file in the background. You see a green success banner if the upload is accepted. Depending on the number of handles, the actual following may take several minutes or up to an hour. Check your following list on your profile page to confirm the accounts appear.

Common Mistakes and Limitations When Re-Importing Following Lists

The import button is grayed out or missing

Some Mastodon instances disable the CSV import feature entirely to prevent spam. If the import tab shows no upload button or the button is grayed out, your instance administrator has disabled imports. You cannot bypass this restriction from your account. Contact your instance admin or consider moving to an instance that allows imports.

Accounts do not appear after import completes

If the import succeeds but you see fewer accounts than expected, the most common cause is invalid handle formatting in the CSV file. Open the file and check that every handle uses the @username@instance.social format. Also verify that the instance name is correct and the account still exists. Deleted or suspended accounts are silently skipped during import.

CSV file is too large to upload

Mastodon instances typically limit CSV uploads to 5,000 rows or 10 MB. If your file exceeds these limits, split the CSV into multiple smaller files using a text editor. For example, if you have 12,000 handles, create three files of 4,000 handles each. Import each file separately, waiting at least one hour between imports to respect rate limits.

Importing duplicates your existing follows

If you select the Merge mode and some accounts are already in your following list, Mastodon does not create duplicates. The system checks each handle against your current list before following. If you select Overwrite, Mastodon unfollows any account not in the imported file, then follows only the accounts in the CSV.

Item	CSV Export	CSV Import
File format	One column: AccountAddress	Must match export format exactly
Handle syntax	@username@instance.social	Same format required
Maximum rows	Unlimited	Typically 5,000 per file
Merge behavior	N/A	Adds to existing list without duplicates
Overwrite behavior	N/A	Replaces entire following list
Instant effect	Download completes immediately	Follow requests process in background

Now you can restore your Mastodon following list from any correctly formatted CSV file. After the import finishes, verify your following count on your profile page to confirm the process worked. If you need to import a list from a non-Mastodon platform such as Twitter, you must convert the handles to the @username@instance.social format first. For large imports, always split the file into chunks of 5,000 rows or fewer to avoid upload rejection.