When you move your Mastodon account to a new instance, a 30-day cooldown prevents you from migrating again. This can be a problem if you made a mistake during the first move — perhaps you entered the wrong alias or chose an instance that doesn’t meet your needs. You want to re-migrate your account immediately, but the cooldown blocks the option in the settings. This article explains why the cooldown exists, how to bypass it safely, and what steps to follow to re-migrate within the 30-day window.
Key Takeaways: Re-Migrating Within the 30-Day Cooldown
- Preferences > Account > Move from a different account: Initiates the follower migration handshake to a new Mastodon account.
- Old account alias field: Must match the exact username@domain of the account you are moving from — a typo here blocks the migration.
- Admin override on the new instance: Resets the cooldown timer server-side, allowing an immediate second migration.
Why Mastodon Imposes a 30-Day Migration Cooldown
Mastodon uses a 30-day cooldown to prevent abuse and reduce server load. When you migrate, the old account sends a follow request to every follower, and the new account sends a redirect. Doing this repeatedly would flood the fediverse with unnecessary traffic. The cooldown also stops malicious actors from rapidly hopping instances to evade moderation or spam users. However, legitimate users can make an honest mistake — for example, setting the wrong alias or discovering that the new instance has poor performance. In those cases, you need a way to re-migrate without waiting a full month.
The cooldown is enforced at the server level. The setting moved_to_uri on the old account and the also_known_as field on the new account lock together. Once set, the Mastodon API blocks any new Move from a different account request until 30 days have passed. The only way to re-migrate sooner is to involve an instance administrator who can manually reset these fields in the database or through the admin dashboard.
How the Cooldown Affects Your Account
After a successful migration, the old account displays a redirect notice to visitors. The new account shows the old account in its Also known as section. During the cooldown period, the Move from a different account button in Preferences > Account is grayed out or missing entirely. The Mastodon API returns a 422 Unprocessable Entity error if you try to submit a second move request programmatically. This is the symptom you see when you attempt a re-migration.
Steps to Re-Migrate a Mastodon Account Within the Cooldown Window
Re-migrating requires two actions: contacting the instance admin of the new account to reset the cooldown, and then performing the move again with the correct alias. Follow these steps in order.
- Identify the instance admin of your current account
Log into the account you moved to. Go to Preferences > Administration > About this server. Look for the Contact field. This lists the admin email address. If you do not see this option, visit the instance’s website directly and find the About or Contact page. Write down the email address. - Send a clear request to the admin
Compose an email or DM on Mastodon to the admin. State that you need the cooldown reset on your account so you can re-migrate. Include your current account username and the username@domain of the account you want to move to. Example: “Please reset the migration cooldown for @alice@example.social. I need to move to @alice@newserver.com.” Most admins will respond within 24 hours. - Wait for the admin to confirm the reset
The admin will run a command liketootctl accounts reset-migrations aliceon the server. This clears the also_known_as field and resets the cooldown timer. You will receive a confirmation. Do not attempt any migration steps until you get this confirmation. - Log into the account you want to move from
This is the old account that currently shows a redirect. Go to Preferences > Account. Scroll to the Move from a different account section. If the button is grayed out, the admin reset has not taken effect yet. Refresh the page. - Enter the correct alias
In the Old account alias field, type the exact username@domain of the account you are moving from. For example, alice@oldsite.com. This must match the also_known_as field on the new account. A typo will cause the migration to fail. - Click the Move button
Click the Move from a different account button. Mastodon will send a verification request to the old account. You must approve it. Log into the old account, go to Preferences > Account, and click Approve under the pending move request. Followers will then be transferred to the new account.
If the Admin Cannot Reset the Cooldown
Some instance admins may be slow to respond or unwilling to reset the cooldown for policy reasons. In that case, you have limited options. You can wait out the 30-day period. Alternatively, you can create a brand new account on the target instance and manually notify your followers of the change. This is not a true migration — followers will not be automatically moved — but it lets you switch instances immediately. If you choose this path, update your profile on the old account with the new handle and pin a toot announcing the move.
What Happens to Followers During a Manual Move
When you manually switch without a migration, your followers do not automatically follow the new account. Each follower must search for your new handle and follow it manually. The old account remains active and can still be used to post redirect information. This approach works best if you have a small number of followers or a close community that monitors your posts.
Mastodon Account Migration: Cooldown vs Manual Move
| Item | Standard Migration | Manual Move Without Cooldown Reset |
|---|---|---|
| Follower transfer | Automatic — followers are moved | None — followers must re-follow manually |
| Cooldown requirement | 30-day wait or admin reset | No cooldown — create new account immediately |
| Old account status | Shows redirect notice | Remains active with a pinned toot |
| Time to complete | Minutes after admin reset | Hours — depends on follower notification |
| Best for | Users who need a quick, clean transition | Users with patient followers or small communities |
Re-migrating a Mastodon account within the cooldown window is possible when you contact the instance admin and request a reset of the migration fields. The admin uses the tootctl accounts reset-migrations command to clear the cooldown, allowing you to immediately perform the move again with the correct alias. If the admin cannot help, you can still switch instances by creating a new account and manually notifying your followers. Always double-check the alias field before clicking the Move button — a single typo can lock you out of the migration system for another 30 days.