When you administer a Mastodon instance, you may need to restrict another server that violates your instance rules or behaves abusively. Mastodon provides two distinct moderation actions: limiting a server and suspending a server. Many instance admins confuse these two tools or use the wrong one for a given situation. This article explains the exact technical differences between a limited server and a suspended server, how each action affects federation and user visibility, and when to apply each one.
Key Takeaways: Mastodon Server Moderation Actions Compared
- Limit (silence) server: Hides content from that server on your local public timeline and federated timeline, but still allows users to follow accounts from that server manually.
- Suspend server: Completely blocks all federation with the server. No posts, follows, or interactions from that server reach your instance.
- Moderation interface > Domain > Limit or Suspend: The two toggle options available in your instance admin panel under the Domain moderation section.
How Mastodon Server Moderation Works: Limit vs Suspend
Mastodon uses a moderation system that operates at the server level, not just the user level. When you moderate a server, the action applies to all accounts hosted on that domain. The two primary server-level actions are Limit (historically called “silence”) and Suspend. Both actions prevent the server from appearing in your instance discovery features, but they differ drastically in how they treat existing and future interactions.
What a Limited Server Means
A limited server is partially restricted. Posts from that server do not appear on your instance public timeline or federated timeline. However, users on your instance can still manually search for and follow accounts from the limited server. When they do, they see those accounts posts in their Home feed. Replies and mentions from limited-server accounts are also delivered to your users who follow them. The limited server is essentially hidden from discovery but still accessible to users who know what they are looking for. This makes limiting a good first step for servers that are mildly problematic, such as those that post spam or violate content rules but do not engage in harassment.
What a Suspended Server Means
A suspended server is completely blocked. Your instance refuses all federation requests from that server. No posts, no follows, no likes, no boosts, and no direct messages are accepted from or sent to the suspended server. Any existing follows from your users to accounts on that server are broken. The suspended server disappears entirely from your instance view. Suspension is the harshest moderation action and is reserved for servers that host illegal content, engage in coordinated harassment, or repeatedly violate your instance terms of service after being limited.
When to Limit a Server and When to Suspend It
The choice between limiting and suspending depends on the severity of the problem and the behavior of the server admins. Mastodon recommends using limit as a first response for most moderation issues. Suspension should be a last resort.
- Apply a limit for content policy violations
If a server posts content that breaks your instance rules, such as unmarked NSFW media or spam, apply a limit first. Your users can still choose to follow specific accounts from that server if they want. This respects user autonomy while protecting the public timeline. - Apply a suspension for active harm or illegal content
If a server hosts child sexual abuse material, coordinates harassment campaigns against your users, or attempts to hack your instance, suspend immediately. There is no reason to keep any federation with such a server. - Escalate from limit to suspension if the server does not respond
After limiting a server, contact its admin if possible. If the admin refuses to address the issue or the problematic behavior continues, you can change the server status to suspended. Your instance will then delete all cached data from that server.
Common Misunderstandings About Server Limits and Suspensions
Can a limited server see my instance posts?
Yes. Limiting your instance to a server only hides that server content from your public timelines. It does not prevent the limited server from seeing public posts on your instance. If a user on the limited server follows one of your users, they will see that users public posts in their Home feed. To prevent the limited server from seeing any of your instance content, you must suspend the server.
Does suspension delete all data from the suspended server?
Yes. When you suspend a server, Mastodon removes all cached media and statuses from that server from your database. Your instance will no longer store any content from that domain. This also means that if you later unsuspend the server, the historical data is gone and must be re-fetched.
Can I limit a server but allow specific accounts from that server?
No. Mastodon does not support per-account whitelisting within a limited server. The limit applies to the entire domain. If you want to allow specific accounts from a problematic server, you cannot use the server limit feature. Instead, you would need to block individual accounts from that server while leaving the server unmoderated. This is more work but gives finer control.
Limited Server vs Suspended Server: Moderation Actions Comparison
| Item | Limited Server | Suspended Server |
|---|---|---|
| Posts on your public timeline | Hidden | Hidden (and deleted from cache) |
| Manual follows by your users | Allowed | Blocked |
| Existing follows | Continue working | Broken |
| Data stored on your instance | Kept | Deleted |
| Server admin notification | Not automatically notified | Not automatically notified |
| Reversibility | Instant removal of limit restores visibility | Data lost; re-fetch required |
The table above summarizes the key differences. The most important distinction is that suspension is irreversible in terms of data loss, while limiting is fully reversible. Always consider whether the problem warrants permanent data deletion before choosing suspension.
You now understand the exact difference between limiting and suspending a Mastodon server. Use the limit action as your default moderation tool for content violations that do not involve direct harm. Reserve suspension for servers that pose a clear danger to your community. As an advanced tip, review your instance moderation log weekly to see if any limited servers have escalated in behavior and need to be suspended.