Some Mastodon instances enable Federation Limited Mode to restrict content from unknown servers. You may notice your timeline is missing posts from users you follow on other instances. This happens because the instance administrator has configured the server to block or limit incoming content from servers that have not been manually allowed. This article explains what Federation Limited Mode is, how it changes what you see, and what actions you can take when your instance uses this setting.
Key Takeaways: Mastodon Federation Limited Mode
- Preferences > Administration > Server Settings > Federation: Where instance admins enable or disable Limited Mode.
- Federated timeline is empty or sparse: The most visible user-facing symptom of Limited Mode being active.
- Following users on allowed instances only: The workaround for users who want to see content from specific servers.
What Federation Limited Mode Does to Your Timeline
Federation Limited Mode is a server-wide setting that stops your instance from automatically fetching posts from unknown remote servers. Normally, Mastodon instances freely exchange posts with any other instance that follows standard ActivityPub protocols. In Limited Mode, the instance only accepts incoming posts from servers that an administrator has explicitly added to an allowlist. This is different from a block or a silence, which still allows some communication. Limited Mode prevents any unknown server from pushing content into your instance’s database.
The result is that your Federated timeline shows only posts from users on your own instance and from servers that have been manually approved. Your Home timeline is also affected. If you follow someone on a non-allowed server, their posts will not appear in your Home feed. You might see their profile if you search for it, but their posts will be missing. Direct messages from non-allowed users are also blocked. This creates a noticeable gap in content compared to a fully open instance.
How Limited Mode Differs From a Block or Silence
A block completely stops all communication between two instances. A silence hides posts from the public timeline but still delivers them to followers. Limited Mode is more restrictive than a silence but less absolute than a block. It does not prevent your users from following accounts on non-allowed servers. It only prevents those servers from sending posts to your instance. This means your instance never receives the content, so it cannot display it to anyone. If your instance later adds that server to the allowlist, previously missed posts will not appear retroactively. Only new posts from that point forward will be fetched.
Steps to Check if Your Instance Uses Limited Mode
You need administrator access to see or change the Federation Limited Mode setting. If you are a regular user, you can still identify clues that Limited Mode is active.
- Check the Federated timeline
Open the Federated timeline from the sidebar. If it is nearly empty or shows only posts from your own instance, Limited Mode may be enabled. Compare this to the Local timeline, which should show all local posts normally. - Search for a known remote account
Type the full profile URL of a user on a different instance into the search box. If you can view their profile but see no posts, the instance is likely blocking or limiting federation. If the profile does not load at all, the instance may be fully blocked. - Ask your instance admin
Contact the instance administrator directly. They can confirm whether Federation Limited Mode is active and which servers are on the allowlist. Most admin teams will share this information on the instance About page or a status blog. - Review server configuration (admin only)
Log in as an admin. Go to Preferences > Administration > Server Settings > Federation. Look for the option labeled “Federation limited mode” or a similar checkbox. If it is checked, Limited Mode is enabled. You will also see the allowlist table below that setting.
Common Issues and User Experience Problems
Posts from followed remote accounts do not appear in Home timeline
This is the most frequent complaint. You follow someone on a different instance, but their posts never show up. The cause is that the remote server is not on the allowlist. Your instance does not accept incoming deliveries from that server. To fix this, you can ask your admin to add the remote server to the allowlist. Alternatively, you can ask the remote user to move to an allowed instance. If neither option is possible, you will not see their posts until the admin changes the policy.
Search cannot find remote posts or profiles
Even if you type the exact handle of a remote user, the search may return no results. In Limited Mode, your instance does not index content from non-allowed servers. The search function relies on the local database, which has no records from those servers. You can still view the remote user’s profile if you use their full URL, but the profile will appear empty of posts. There is no user-side workaround for this limitation. Only adding the remote server to the allowlist restores search visibility.
Direct messages from non-allowed users are missing
Direct messages in Mastodon use the same ActivityPub delivery mechanism as public posts. If the sender’s server is not on the allowlist, the message is never delivered to your instance. You will not see the DM in your inbox. The sender may see a delivery failure error on their end. To receive DMs from a specific user, ask your admin to allowlist their server. Alternatively, ask that user to create an account on an allowed instance.
| Item | Federation Limited Mode | Standard Federation (Open Mode) |
|---|---|---|
| Content from unknown servers | Blocked until server is allowlisted | Accepted automatically |
| Federated timeline content | Only local posts and posts from allowed servers | Posts from all federated servers |
| Home timeline for remote follows | Only posts from allowed servers appear | All followed remote accounts appear |
| Search for remote users | Only allowed servers are searchable | Any known remote user is searchable |
| Direct messages from remote users | Only from allowed servers | From any server |
| Admin configuration location | Preferences > Administration > Server Settings > Federation | Same location, but checkbox is unchecked |
Federation Limited Mode gives administrators strong control over content entering their instance. As a user, you can identify this mode by checking your Federated timeline and searching for remote accounts. If you need to see content from a specific server, ask your admin to add it to the allowlist. Consider using the Local timeline more actively to engage with your instance community. For advanced control, instance admins can also use the Allowlist API to automate adding trusted servers.