You may need a copy of your Mastodon data for backup, migration, or personal record keeping. Mastodon provides a built-in feature to export your account archive directly from the settings page. This archive includes your posts, media files, follower lists, and other account data in a downloadable package. This article explains the exact steps to request and download your Mastodon account archive.
Key Takeaways: Exporting Your Mastodon Account Archive
- Preferences > Import and export > Export: Start the archive request from this menu path on Mastodon web.
- CSV and JSON file formats: The archive contains your posts, media, lists, bookmarks, and follower data.
- Email notification: Mastodon sends a download link to your account email once the archive is ready.
What the Mastodon Account Archive Contains and Prerequisites
The account archive is a compressed file that contains a snapshot of your Mastodon account data at the time of the request. It includes your public and unlisted posts, media attachments you have uploaded, lists, bookmarks, and CSV files for your followers, following, and domain blocks. Private posts, direct messages, and some server-specific data may be excluded. You must have access to the email address associated with your Mastodon account to receive the download link. The export feature is available on the Mastodon web interface and on most third-party Mastodon apps that support the web settings panel.
Steps to Request and Download Your Mastodon Account Archive
- Log in to your Mastodon account on the web
Open your preferred web browser and navigate to your Mastodon instance URL. Enter your email and password to sign in. - Open the Preferences menu
Click the gear icon or your profile avatar in the top right corner of the page. Select Preferences from the dropdown menu. - Navigate to Import and export
In the left sidebar, click Import and export to expand the section. Then click Export. - Request the archive
On the Export page, click the Request your archive button. Mastodon will begin processing your data. This process may take several minutes depending on the size of your account. - Wait for the email notification
Check the email inbox associated with your Mastodon account. Mastodon will send an email with the subject line “Your archive is ready” once the export is complete. The email contains a download link. The link expires after a set period, usually 24 hours. - Download the archive
Click the download link in the email. The archive downloads as a ZIP file namedmastodon-archive-{username}-{date}.zip. Save the file to a secure location on your computer. - Extract and review the archive
Use a ZIP extraction tool such as 7-Zip, WinRAR, or the built-in Windows extraction utility to open the archive. Inside, you will find folders formedia_attachments,outbox.json, and CSV files forfollowers.csv,following.csv,lists.csv,bookmarks.csv, anddomain_blocks.csv.
Common Issues and Things to Avoid When Exporting an Archive
Export button is grayed out or unresponsive
If the Request your archive button appears disabled, wait a few minutes and refresh the page. Mastodon may have a cooldown period between export requests to prevent server overload. Some instances also require email verification before allowing exports.
Email notification never arrives
Check your spam or junk folder. If the email is not there, go back to Preferences > Import and export > Export. The page may show a status message indicating whether the archive is still processing or if a previous export is available. You can click the Request new archive button if the previous request failed.
Archive file is very large or fails to download
Accounts with many media attachments can produce archives exceeding 1 GB. Use a stable internet connection and a download manager if needed. If the download link has expired, repeat the export request from the Preferences page.
Private or direct messages are missing from the archive
The account archive does not include direct messages or private posts by design. Mastodon does not export direct messages to protect user privacy. If you need a record of direct messages, save them manually before exporting.
| Item | Included in Archive | Excluded from Archive |
|---|---|---|
| Public posts | Yes | No |
| Unlisted posts | Yes | No |
| Private posts | No | Yes |
| Direct messages | No | Yes |
| Media attachments | Yes | No |
| Followers list | Yes | No |
| Following list | Yes | No |
| Bookmarks | Yes | No |
| Lists | Yes | No |
| Domain blocks | Yes | No |
You can now export your Mastodon account archive by following the steps above. Use the archive to back up your data before migrating to a new instance or to keep a personal record of your activity. For a more granular backup, consider also exporting your follower and following lists separately from the same Export page using the CSV download options.