When you move your Mastodon account to a new instance, the standard migration process requires you to have at least one post on the new account before the old account can redirect followers. This requirement exists because Mastodon uses the first post timestamp to verify that the new account is active and under your control. … Read more
When you move your Mastodon account to a new instance, your followers, profile picture, and header image transfer automatically. But your old posts — toots, replies, boosts, and media — stay behind on the original server. This is a deliberate design choice by Mastodon. The platform does not move post history between instances because of … Read more
You want to move your Mastodon account from one instance to another without losing followers or being offline for hours. The migration process requires careful timing because your old instance must remain accessible for up to 30 days to redirect followers. This article explains how to prepare your new account, schedule the move, and handle … Read more
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 … Read more
You have been using mastodon.social for a while and now want full control over your data, moderation policies, and server rules. Moving to a self-hosted Mastodon instance lets you own your domain, set your own content policies, and avoid the limitations of a shared public server. This guide explains the complete migration process from mastodon.social … Read more
You moved your Mastodon account to a new instance and expected all your followers to transfer automatically. Instead, many of them disappeared from your new account list. This happens because follower migration depends on the old instance sending a handshake request to each follower’s server. If that server has defederated from your old instance, the … Read more
Moving your Mastodon account to a new instance requires more than just creating a new profile. Without proper setup, your followers cannot automatically transfer, and your old posts become disconnected from your new identity. Mastodon provides an account alias feature that links your old account to your new one so followers and profile metadata can … Read more
When you migrate your Mastodon account from one instance to another, the new instance must verify your old account through Webfinger. This verification step confirms you control the old account before followers are transferred. Without successful verification, the migration process fails, leaving your followers stranded on the old instance. This article explains why Webfinger verification … Read more
After migrating your Mastodon account to a new instance, you might discover that the new server does not meet your expectations. The old account gets disabled during migration, and the process cannot be reversed through the user interface. This article explains the limitations of Mastodon account migration and the practical steps to regain access to … Read more
You have a Mastodon account on one instance and want to move to a new instance while keeping your custom domain handle. Mastodon supports account migration, but using a custom domain handle adds extra DNS and configuration steps. This article explains how to set up a custom domain handle on your new Mastodon instance and … Read more