You want to retrieve trending hashtags from a Mastodon instance programmatically, but the standard web interface only shows the top few tags without any filtering or automation. The Mastodon API provides a dedicated endpoint that returns the current trending hashtags, along with their usage history and metadata, enabling you to build custom dashboards, content monitoring … Read more
You search for a hashtag on Mastodon and see one set of posts. A colleague on a different Mastodon instance searches the same hashtag and sees a completely different set of results. This discrepancy is not a bug. It is a direct result of how Mastodon distributes and indexes content across its federated network. Each … Read more
Mastodon antennas let you filter your home timeline by keywords, users, or hashtags. You might want to track a specific hashtag without cluttering your main feed. This article explains how antennas work and how to add a hashtag to an existing antenna list. Antennas are part of Mastodon’s advanced filtering system. They are available on … Read more
You open the Explore page on your Mastodon instance expecting to see trending hashtags, but the section is blank or missing entirely. This happens because instance administrators can choose to disable the trending hashtags feature in the server settings. Mastodon gives each instance full control over whether trending content is calculated and displayed to users. … Read more
Mastodon’s web client allows you to follow hashtags, but the timeline for a hashtag disappears when you navigate away or refresh the page. Pinning a hashtag search tab keeps that timeline permanently accessible as a column in your main interface. This article explains how to locate the pin feature, set up a persistent hashtag column, … Read more
If you have featured hashtags on your Mastodon profile, some may no longer match your current interests or posting habits. Over time, you might have stopped using certain tags while they still appear prominently on your profile. This can confuse followers who expect content on those topics. This article explains how to identify stale featured … Read more
You want to create a Mastodon bot that listens to a specific hashtag in real time and automatically responds, boosts, or bookmarks matching posts. The Mastodon Streaming API allows your bot to receive a continuous feed of public posts that match a hashtag without repeatedly polling the server. This article explains how to set up … Read more
You want to stop seeing posts from a specific Mastodon user that contain a certain hashtag. Mastodon does not offer a built-in feature to block a hashtag from only one user. The platform treats hashtag blocking as a global mute that hides all posts with that hashtag from every user in your home feed. This … Read more
Mastodon does not include a built-in feature to subscribe to a hashtag and receive push notifications for new posts. The official web interface and mobile apps allow you to follow hashtags, but they do not alert you in real time. Third-party clients such as Tusky, Fedilab, and Mona fill this gap by offering dedicated hashtag … Read more
You see the Trending section on your Mastodon home page and wonder how those hashtags got there. Some tags appear to be brand new while others have been around for days. Mastodon uses a combination of local and federated activity to decide which hashtags trend. This article explains the exact rules that govern hashtag discovery … Read more