You want to share a post that only people on your Mastodon instance can see, not the entire fediverse. Standard Mastodon posts are public by default and federate to other servers, which can be too wide for local announcements or community discussions. This article explains what local-only posts are, how to enable them on instances that support the feature, and what limitations to expect. You will learn the exact steps to post locally and how to verify that your instance supports this feature.
Key Takeaways: Sending Local-Only Posts on Mastodon
- Compose window visibility dropdown: Select the local-only option to restrict post visibility to your instance only.
- Instance admin settings: Local-only posting must be enabled by your instance administrator in the server configuration.
- Federation behavior: Local-only posts never leave your instance and cannot be boosted or favorited by users on other servers.
What Are Local-Only Posts and How Do They Work?
A local-only post is a Mastodon status that is visible only to users logged into the same instance. It does not federate to any other server, and it does not appear in the federated timeline. The feature is not part of the core Mastodon codebase. It was developed as a third-party patch by the Glitch Edition fork and later adopted by some official Mastodon instances through custom modifications.
When you send a local-only post, the server marks the status with a special visibility flag. The Mastodon API still delivers the post to your followers on the same instance, but it blocks outgoing delivery to remote servers. The post also does not appear in public pages accessible without authentication. Only users who are signed in to your instance can see it in their home timeline or the local timeline.
Local-only posts are useful for instance-wide announcements, community polls, event planning, or any content that is irrelevant or inappropriate for the broader fediverse. However, the feature depends entirely on your instance’s software version and configuration. If your instance does not support it, you will not see the local-only option in the compose window.
How to Send a Local-Only Post on a Compatible Instance
Before you start, confirm that your Mastodon instance supports local-only posts. The easiest way is to check the visibility dropdown in the compose window. If you see an option labeled “Local only” or “Local” between “Followers only” and “Muted users,” the feature is available. If you do not see it, contact your instance admin or check the instance’s about page for custom features.
- Open the compose window
Click the pen-and-paper icon in the top bar of your Mastodon web interface. The compose box appears below the navigation bar. - Locate the visibility dropdown
Find the small globe icon or the current visibility label next to the post button. This icon shows the current post visibility: Public, Unlisted, Followers-only, or Direct message. - Click the visibility dropdown
A menu opens with all available visibility options. Look for an entry that says “Local only” or “Local.” The exact wording depends on the instance’s customizations. - Select Local only
Click the local-only option. The icon changes to a house or a similar symbol indicating local visibility. The label below the dropdown may update to show “Visible only to users of this instance.” - Write your post
Type your message, add media, or include hashtags as usual. Local-only posts still support content warnings, polls, and media attachments. - Send the post
Click the Post button. The status appears in your home timeline and the local timeline of your instance. It does not federate to any other server.
If you use a third-party Mastodon client such as Tusky, Fedilab, or Moshidon, the local-only option may appear in the same visibility dropdown. Client support varies. If you do not see the option in your preferred app, switch to the web interface to send local-only posts.
Common Issues and Limitations of Local-Only Posts
My Instance Does Not Show the Local-Only Option
The most common cause is that your instance runs standard Mastodon code without the local-only patch. Only instances that use Glitch Edition, a custom fork, or a manually applied patch have this feature. You can request your admin to enable it, but many admins choose not to because it adds complexity. If the feature is unavailable, you cannot send local-only posts on that instance.
Local-Only Posts Are Visible to Logged-Out Users
Some Mastodon instances expose local timelines to unauthenticated visitors through the web interface. If your instance does this, a local-only post may be viewable by anyone who visits your instance’s local timeline URL. To prevent this, your admin must restrict the local timeline to logged-in users only. Check your instance’s privacy settings by visiting https://[your-instance]/about/more and looking for “Local timeline visibility.”
Remote Users Can Still See Local-Only Posts in Some Cases
If a remote user follows you and you reply to a public post with a local-only reply, the remote user may see the reply in their home timeline due to Mastodon’s reply threading logic. This is a known edge case. To avoid accidental federation, do not reply to public posts with local-only visibility. Create a new local-only post instead of replying.
Local-Only Posts Cannot Be Boosted or Favorited by Remote Users
Remote users cannot interact with local-only posts at all. The post never reaches their server. If you expect engagement from followers on other instances, do not use local-only visibility. Use Unlisted visibility instead, which allows federation but hides the post from public timelines.
Local-Only Posts vs Standard Mastodon Visibility Options
| Item | Local-Only | Public (Standard) |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility on your instance | Local timeline and home timeline | Local timeline, federated timeline, and public pages |
| Federation to other servers | No | Yes, delivered to all followers and remote public timelines |
| Remote user interaction | None | Boosts, favorites, and replies from remote users |
| Available on standard Mastodon | No (requires custom patch) | Yes, default visibility |
| Use case | Instance announcements, local community content | Broad public discussion |
Local-only posts fill a gap between Followers-only and Unlisted visibility. They are ideal for content that should never leave your instance, but they require admin support and careful use to avoid accidental federation.
You can now send local-only posts on compatible Mastodon instances. Check your compose window for the Local visibility option before posting. If you need instance-wide announcements without federation, local-only posts are the right tool. For content that should be visible to a broader audience but not appear in public timelines, use Unlisted visibility instead. Test with a non-sensitive post first to confirm the behavior on your instance.