Mastodon instance moderators often want to control which hashtags appear on the trending page. Without an approval workflow, any hashtag that reaches the trending threshold appears automatically. This can lead to spam, irrelevant tags, or content that does not match the instance culture. Mastodon includes a built-in approval system for trending hashtags that lets moderators … Read more
When you include an emoji inside a hashtag on Mastodon, the way that hashtag is displayed and federated depends heavily on the server software and configuration of both your instance and the remote instance. Some servers treat the emoji as part of the tag text, while others strip it out or convert it to a … Read more
During a conference, you want to share key quotes, speaker reactions, and behind-the-scenes moments with your followers and other attendees. A dedicated hashtag organizes all these posts into a single federated stream that anyone can follow. This article explains how to choose a conference hashtag, set up your Mastodon client to track it, and post … Read more
When you cross-post from Mastodon to Bluesky, hashtags do not work the same way on both platforms. Mastodon treats hashtags as clickable topic markers that federate across instances. Bluesky uses a different protocol where tags are not natively supported in the same fashion. This mismatch causes tags to break, become invisible, or appear as plain … Read more
You want to monitor a specific Mastodon hashtag without logging into an account or refreshing a timeline manually. Mastodon’s public API lets you fetch posts by hashtag in JSON format, and you can convert that data into an RSS feed for your preferred reader. This article walks through the process using the public API endpoint, … Read more
In Mastodon, your handle is the unique identifier that people use to find and mention you. It typically looks like @username@instance.social. Your display name is the name shown on your profile and posts. By default, Mastodon sets your display name to match your handle username, but you can change it to any text you like. … Read more
When you upload a header image to your Mastodon profile, the platform automatically crops it to fit a specific aspect ratio. Many users find their carefully composed image looks wrong after upload — the top or bottom gets cut off, or the image appears too zoomed in. This happens because Mastodon uses a fixed 3:1 … Read more
Adding a verified link to your Mastodon profile proves to visitors that you control the website or social media account you link to. Without verification, any user can add any URL to their profile, making it easy for impersonators to appear legitimate. Mastodon uses the HTML rel=me attribute standard to perform this check automatically. This … Read more
Mastodon limits your profile to four custom fields. This restriction can feel tight when you want to share your website, a link to your shop, your pronouns, and a short bio. The cause of this limit is Mastodon’s design choice to keep profiles clean and to prevent spam. This article explains how to make the … Read more
Mastodon profiles display a square avatar image by default. Some instances and client apps offer the ability to overlay a decorative frame around that avatar, similar to profile picture frames on other social networks. A custom avatar frame can help your profile stand out or show support for a cause. This article explains how to … Read more