You want to save your Mastodon posts as a permanent, searchable archive that stays online even if your instance shuts down. Mastodon provides a built-in data export tool, but the default CSV and JSON files are not human-readable in a browser. This article explains how to convert your exported Mastodon data into a static HTML … Read more
When you move your Mastodon account from one instance to another, you must decide whether to import your followers list first or your posts archive first. The order you choose affects whether your followers receive notifications about your new account and whether your old posts appear under your new identity. This article explains the technical … Read more
You have downloaded your Mastodon archive from your old instance and want to import it into a new account. An incomplete or corrupted archive can cause failed imports, missing posts, or broken media links. Mastodon creates a ZIP file containing JSON data, media files, and your avatar and header images. This article explains how to … Read more
You have spent time building a set of Mastodon filters to hide unwanted posts, keywords, and hashtags. When you move to a new Mastodon account or instance, you must rebuild those filters manually. Mastodon does not include a built-in export or import tool for filters in its standard web interface. This article explains how to … Read more
When you open your Mastodon client or web app and see the message “Network Error” on the login screen, you cannot sign in or access your home timeline. This error usually means the app cannot reach the Mastodon server or the server is not responding correctly. The problem can stem from an incorrect server URL, … Read more
The ‘Rate Limit Exceeded’ message in Mastodon appears when you send too many requests to a server in a short time. This can happen when you refresh your timeline too fast, use third-party apps that poll the server aggressively, or run automated scripts that interact with the Mastodon API. The server deliberately slows you down … Read more
When you see the error Invalid Token in a third-party Mastodon client, your app cannot authenticate with your Mastodon account. This usually happens because the access token the client uses has expired, been revoked, or was never generated correctly. The token is a secret key that proves your identity to the Mastodon API. This article … Read more
When you type a valid Mastodon handle like @user@instance.social into the search bar and see the error Could not find user, the account is real but your instance cannot reach it. This error appears even when the handle is spelled correctly and the account exists on another server. The cause is almost always a federation … Read more
The Mastodon app for Android may crash immediately after you tap the icon, before the home timeline or login screen appears. This problem typically occurs due to corrupted cached data, an outdated app version, or incompatibility with your device's Android system WebView component. This article explains the root causes of the startup crash and provides … Read more
When you try to publish a post on Mastodon and see an “Internal Server Error” message, the post usually fails to send. This error means the Mastodon server encountered a problem it could not handle, not a mistake in your content or connection. The cause is almost always on the server side, such as a … Read more