When you upload an image to Mastodon, the platform automatically generates a thumbnail preview. The default crop often cuts off important parts of the picture, such as a face or a key object. Mastodon lets you set a focus point within the alt text editor to control which area of the image remains visible in … Read more
When you upload an image to Mastodon, the platform encourages you to add a description, known as alt text, for accessibility. However, the default behavior does not block sending a post if you skip writing that description. This can lead to posts with images that are invisible to users who rely on screen readers or … Read more
Mastodon lets you follow hashtags just like you follow people. When you follow a hashtag, posts that use that tag appear directly in your Home timeline. This keeps you updated on topics you care about without manually searching each time. This article explains how to follow a hashtag on Mastodon from the web interface and … Read more
You open a hashtag feed in Mastodon and see no posts or only old content. This problem affects both the web interface and mobile apps. The empty feed is usually caused by federation delays, local instance moderation, or incorrect hashtag formatting. This article explains the technical reasons behind empty hashtag feeds and provides step-by-step fixes … Read more
Your Mastodon home timeline can become cluttered with posts about topics you do not want to see. A single trending hashtag can dominate your feed with dozens of posts you have no interest in. Mastodon provides a built-in feature to mute a hashtag so that posts using it no longer appear in your timeline or … Read more
Mastodon displays trending hashtags on the Explore page, but the way topics get promoted differs from Twitter or Facebook. You might have noticed that some hashtags appear in Trending while others never show up, even if they seem popular in your local timeline. This happens because Mastodon uses a decentralized algorithm that filters trending content … Read more
Mastodon trends highlight popular hashtags, posts, and links in the Explore tab. These trends are computed algorithmically based on engagement signals like boosts, favorites, and replies. If you do not want your public posts to be considered for trending, you can enable a privacy flag that tells the server to exclude your content. This article … Read more
When you visit a Mastodon profile, you see a row of hashtags below the bio. These are featured hashtags. They let visitors instantly see your posts about specific topics. Mastodon allows you to feature up to five hashtags on your profile. This article explains how to add, reorder, and remove those hashtags. It also covers … Read more
You want a specific hashtag to trend across Mastodon instances. Coordinated posting lets multiple accounts publish on the same topic at the same time. This article explains how to plan, schedule, and execute a hashtag campaign without triggering spam filters or losing reach. The problem is that Mastodon’s federated timeline prioritizes local content and fresh … Read more
When you add a hashtag to a post on Mastodon, you expect that post to appear in the hashtag feeds of users on other instances. But sometimes the post does not show up there, or only shows up after a long delay. This happens because Mastodon uses a federated relay system for hashtags rather than … Read more