You exported your Mastodon data archive, but now you need to restore your followers on a new or existing account. Mastodon does not natively allow importing followers from a data archive. The archive contains your followers list as a CSV file, but the platform provides no direct import feature for it. This article explains why the limitation exists and shows the only practical methods to rebuild your follower base using the archive data.
Key Takeaways: Restoring Followers From a Mastodon Archive
- Preferences > Import and export > Import: Mastodon does not support CSV import for followers; the import feature only handles following, blocking, muting, and domain blocks.
- CSV in the archive (followers.csv): Contains a list of follower account URLs and IDs, but cannot be used to re-add those users as followers of your new account.
- Manual outreach using the CSV list: The only reliable way to restore followers is to contact each person listed in the CSV and ask them to follow your new account.
Why Mastodon Cannot Import Followers From an Archive
Mastodon treats following relationships as actions initiated by the following account, not the followed account. When you export your data archive, the followers.csv file shows who followed you. But Mastodon has no mechanism to force another user to follow you. Importing that CSV would require the platform to create follow relationships on behalf of other users, which violates the federated consent model.
The import feature in Mastodon only accepts CSV files for actions you control: who you follow, who you block, who you mute, and which domains you block. The Preferences > Import and export > Import page explicitly lists these categories. Followers are not among them. This design prevents spam and account hijacking. If you could import followers, a bad actor could claim followers from a stolen archive.
Your archive also includes an outbox.json file with your posts and an actor.json file with your profile data. Neither file can be used to restore followers. The only way to bring followers to a new account is through Mastodon’s account migration feature, which uses a handshake between instances and does not rely on archive files.
Steps to Rebuild Followers Using the Archive CSV
Since direct import is not possible, you must use the follower list in the CSV as a directory to manually reconnect. These steps assume you have extracted your archive ZIP file and can open the followers.csv file in a spreadsheet or text editor.
- Locate the followers.csv file in your archive
Extract the archive ZIP file. Open the folder named after your old account username. Inside, find thefollowers.csvfile. Open it with a spreadsheet program like Excel, Google Sheets, or a plain text editor. Each row contains the account URL, account ID, and timestamp of when the follow started. - Copy the account URLs from the CSV
Select the column that contains the account URLs. These URLs look likehttps://instance.name/@username. Copy all URLs. Paste them into a separate document or spreadsheet for reference. - Open each follower’s profile in a browser
Visit each URL from your list. You can open multiple tabs at once. Each profile page shows the user’s public information. If the account still exists and is active, you can interact with it. - Send a direct message or mention to each follower
From your new Mastodon account, send a private mention to each follower. Use the format@username@instance.name. Write a brief message explaining that you moved accounts and asking them to follow your new account. For example: “Hi, I moved to @newusername@newinstance.social. Please follow me there.” - Post a public announcement about your account move
Create a public post from your new account explaining the move. Pin this post to your profile. Include your old account handle so people can verify the change. This helps followers who find you through search or federation. - Use the account migration feature for future moves
If you plan to move accounts again, use the built-in migration tool. Go toPreferences > Account > Move from a different account. This transfers followers automatically without needing a CSV file. Migration only works when you still have access to the old account.
Common Problems When Restoring Followers From an Archive
Follower accounts no longer exist
Some accounts in your followers.csv may be deleted or suspended. If the profile page shows a 404 error or a suspended notice, you cannot restore that follower. Remove those URLs from your list to avoid wasted effort.
Follower accounts are on a defederated instance
If your new instance blocks the follower’s instance, you cannot send them a message. Check your instance’s domain blocks under Preferences > Administration > Domain blocks if you are an admin. If you are not an admin, ask your instance admin to allow the domain temporarily.
Follower has privacy settings that block DMs
Some users disable direct messages from people they do not follow. In that case, your private mention may not reach them. Post a public announcement instead and tag the user with a public mention. They may see the mention in their notifications.
The CSV file contains duplicate entries
Mastodon may record the same follower multiple times if they unfollowed and refollowed you. Remove duplicate rows in your spreadsheet before you start reaching out. Use the Remove duplicates feature in Excel or Google Sheets based on the account URL column.
Mastodon Archive Import Capabilities vs Account Migration
| Item | Data Archive Import | Account Migration |
|---|---|---|
| Restores followers | No | Yes, automatically |
| Restores who you follow | Yes, via CSV import | No, you must re-follow manually |
| Restores posts | No, archive is read-only | No, posts stay on old account |
| Requires old account access | No, only the archive file | Yes, must log into old account |
| Works across instances | Yes, CSV is portable | Yes, migration works between instances |
| Time to complete | Days or weeks (manual) | Instant for followers |
Mastodon’s data archive is a read-only snapshot of your account activity. It is useful for backup and record-keeping but not for restoring social graph connections. Account migration is the only automated method to move followers. If you have access to your old account, use migration instead of manual restoration. If you do not have access, the CSV-based manual approach is your only option.