Mastodon Migration vs Account Deletion: Which to Choose

You want to leave your current Mastodon instance but keep your followers and posts. Or you want to delete your account entirely. Mastodon offers two distinct paths: account migration and account deletion. Each serves a different purpose and has different consequences for your data and connections. This article explains the exact differences between migration and deletion, the steps for each, and the situations where one option is better than the other.

Mastodon Migration vs Account Deletion: Core Differences

Mastodon account migration and account deletion are two completely separate operations. Migration is a non-destructive transfer of your social graph — followers and followees — to a new account. Deletion is an irreversible removal of your account and all its data from the instance and the wider Fediverse. Understanding these differences helps you choose the right action for your situation.

When you migrate, your old account remains as a redirect. Anyone who visits your old profile sees a notice that you moved to a new address. Your old posts stay public on the old instance unless you delete them separately. Your followers on the old account receive a notification and can choose to follow your new account automatically.

When you delete, the account is deactivated immediately. A 30-day grace period allows you to cancel the deletion by logging in. After 30 days, the account and all its posts are permanently removed from the instance database and from any other instance that had cached them. The deletion process does not notify your followers.

What Migration Preserves and What It Does Not

Migration preserves your follower and following lists. It does not preserve your posts, media, lists, bookmarks, or direct messages. Those remain on the old account. If you want to keep those items, you need to export them before migrating. Mastodon provides an export tool under Preferences > Import and Export.

What Deletion Removes and What It Does Not

Deletion removes your account, profile, posts, media, followers, and following lists from the instance. However, content that other instances have cached may remain visible for some time. The Fediverse does not have a central delete command that propagates instantly. Other users may still see your old posts in their timelines until their instance refreshes its cache.

When to Migrate and When to Delete

Choose Migration When You Want to Keep Your Community

You should migrate if you are unhappy with your current instance but still want to participate in the Fediverse. For example, your instance has unreliable uptime, poor moderation, or a restrictive code of conduct. Migration lets you move to a better instance without rebuilding your follower network from scratch. It also preserves your identity — people who follow you can find you at the new address automatically.

Choose Deletion When You Want to Leave the Fediverse Completely

You should delete if you no longer want a Mastodon presence at all. For example, you are leaving social media, switching to a different platform, or starting fresh with a completely new identity. Deletion removes your digital footprint from the instance. It also frees up your username on that instance for someone else to use after the grace period ends.

Choose Deletion When Your Instance Is Hostile or Unsafe

If your instance is run by a malicious administrator who might refuse to honor a migration request, deletion is safer. Migration requires the old instance to send a redirect notice to your followers. If the admin blocks the migration, your followers never see the redirect. In that case, delete the account first, then create a new account on a trusted instance and manually invite your followers.

Step-by-Step: How to Migrate Your Mastodon Account

1. Create a new account on the destination instance
   Sign up on the Mastodon instance you want to move to. Complete the registration process and log in to that account.
2. Export your data from the old account
   On your old account, go to Preferences > Import and Export > Export. Download the CSV file that contains your following list. You can also export your lists, bookmarks, and media separately.
3. Initiate the move from the old account
   On your old account, go to Preferences > Account > Move to a different account. Enter the username of your new account in the format @username@newinstance.social. Click Move Followers.
4. Confirm the move on the new account
   Log in to your new account. You should see a notification that a move request is pending. Click Confirm to accept the follower transfer. The transfer usually completes within a few minutes.
5. Import your following list to the new account
   On your new account, go to Preferences > Import and Export > Import. Upload the CSV file you exported earlier. This adds the people you followed on the old account to your new following list.
6. Update your profile and notify your followers
   Add a bio, profile picture, and header to your new account. Optionally, post a toot announcing your move. Your old profile now shows a redirect notice to your new address.

Step-by-Step: How to Delete Your Mastodon Account

1. Export any data you want to keep
   Before deleting, go to Preferences > Import and Export > Export. Download your archive, which includes your posts, media, and CSV files of followers and following lists. This archive is not available after deletion.
2. Navigate to the deletion page
   Go to Preferences > Account > Delete account. Read the warning text carefully. It tells you that deletion is irreversible after 30 days.
3. Enter your password and confirm
   Type your current password into the confirmation field. Click Delete Account. Your account is immediately deactivated. You receive an email with a cancellation link that works for 30 days.
4. Wait for the grace period to expire
   During the 30-day grace period, your account appears as deactivated to other users. They cannot see your profile or posts. If you change your mind, log in or click the cancellation link in the email to restore the account.

Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings

Thinking Migration Deletes Your Old Posts

Many users assume migration removes their old account and posts. Migration does not delete anything. Your old posts remain on the old instance indefinitely. If you want them gone, you must delete them manually before migrating or delete the old account after the migration completes.

Believing Deletion Propagates Instantly Across the Fediverse

Deletion removes your data from your home instance immediately. But other instances may have cached your posts. Those cached copies can persist for days or weeks. There is no way to force deletion on remote servers. The only reliable approach is to delete posts before deleting the account, which sends delete signals to remote instances.

Assuming Migration Transfers Your Username

Migration does not reserve your old username on the new instance. You must register a new account with whatever username is available. If your desired username is taken on the destination instance, you must choose a different one. Migration only transfers followers and following lists, not the username.

Deleting Before Exporting Important Data

Once you delete your account, you lose access to the export feature. You cannot recover your archive after the deletion is confirmed. Always download your archive before initiating the deletion process.

Mastodon Migration vs Account Deletion: Side-by-Side Comparison

Item	Migration	Deletion
Followers transferred	Yes, automatically	No, followers are lost
Old posts remain public	Yes, on old instance	No, removed after grace period
Username freed on old instance	No, account stays as redirect	Yes, after 30 days
Notification to followers	Yes, redirect notice sent	No, no notification sent
Grace period to undo	Yes, can cancel migration	Yes, 30 days to cancel
Data export possible after action	Yes, old account remains	No, account is removed
Best for	Moving to a better instance	Leaving Mastodon entirely

Migration is the right choice when you want to keep your social graph and move to a new instance. Deletion is the right choice when you want to remove your presence from the Fediverse completely. Always export your data before either action. If you migrate, remember to delete unwanted old posts separately. If you delete, be prepared for cached content to linger on remote servers.