Mastodon instance administrators often need to monitor how well their server connects with other instances across the fediverse. Federation statistics show the number of known instances, active users, and posts exchanged. The Mastodon API provides these metrics through a dedicated endpoint. This article explains how to access the /api/v1/instance endpoint and interpret the federation data … Read more
Running your own Mastodon instance gives you full control over your social media presence and data. For a single user, a cheap VPS from providers like DigitalOcean, Linode, or Vultr is sufficient to host a functional instance. The key constraint is that Mastodon requires at least 2 GB of RAM and a dedicated domain name. … Read more
Choosing the right hardware for a Mastodon instance is a balancing act. The three main resources — CPU, RAM, and disk — each handle different parts of the workload, and their importance shifts as your user base grows. Many administrators start with a small virtual server only to find that one resource becomes a bottleneck … Read more
When you join Mastodon, the first big decision is picking an instance. An instance is a server that hosts your account and connects you to the rest of the fediverse. Each instance has its own rules, community vibe, and content focus. If you pick an instance that does not match your interests, you may see … Read more
You tried to sign up for a Mastodon instance, but the registration button is grayed out or missing. This happens when the instance administrator has closed new account sign-ups. Many Mastodon instances close registrations to manage server load, prevent spam, or maintain community quality. This article explains why instances close registrations and provides step-by-step methods … Read more
Self-hosting a Mastodon instance gives you full control over your social media data, moderation policies, and federation settings. Instead of relying on a public instance run by someone else, you own the server and the content it hosts. This article explains how to deploy a Mastodon instance on a Virtual Private Server (VPS) running Ubuntu … Read more
Running a self-hosted Mastodon instance requires a clear understanding of storage costs. Many administrators underestimate how quickly media files from federated posts consume disk space. Without proper planning, a small community instance can exceed 100 GB in months, leading to unexpected hosting bills. This article breaks down real-world storage usage for instances of different sizes … Read more
You joined mastodon.social when you first tried Mastodon, but now the federated timeline feels too noisy and the moderation style does not match your preferences. Moving to a smaller instance gives you a closer community and a timeline that fits your interests. This article explains the complete process to transfer your profile, followers, and lists … Read more
When you join a Mastodon instance, you agree to that server’s specific rules about content, behavior, and federation. Many users skip reading these rules and later find their posts removed or their account suspended for violating policies they never saw. The rules vary widely between instances — some allow all legal content, while others ban … Read more
When choosing a Mastodon instance, the number of users or local posts alone does not tell you how well that server connects to the rest of the fediverse. Federation reach measures which remote servers your instance can communicate with and how many users it can actually discover. A server that blocks many popular instances or … Read more