How to Get Started on Mastodon

Thinking about joining Mastodon but feeling a little lost on where to start? You're not alone. Unlike hopping on other social networks, joining Mastodon feels a bit different, but that difference is exactly what makes it special. This guide will walk you through everything, step-by-step, from picking your first digital home to finding your people and making your voice heard in the Fediverse.

What is Mastodon and How Is It Different?

Before we jump into the "how," let's quickly cover the "what." Mastodon isn't a single website or app like Twitter or Instagram. It’s part of a massive, interconnected network of social platforms called the Fediverse. Think of it less like a single city and more like a collection of thousands of independent towns and cities that can all talk to each other.

The best analogy is email. If you have a Gmail account, you can still send an email to your friend who uses Outlook. You're on different services, but you can communicate because they use a shared protocol. In Mastodon, the individual servers (often called "instances") are like Gmail or Outlook. You join one server, but you can follow and talk to people on thousands of other servers.

This has a few key advantages:

• No Single Owner: No single company owns Mastodon. The servers are run by individuals, communities, and organizations around the world.
• No Central Algorithm: Your home feed is chronological, showing you posts from people you follow in the order they post them. No algorithm is guessing what you want to see.
• Community Moderation: Every server has its own rules and its own moderation team, allowing communities to create spaces that feel safe and tailored to their interests.

Step 1: Choose Your Server (Your Digital Home)

The first and most important choice you'll make is what server to join. This feels like a huge decision, but don’t stress about it too much - you can always move to a different server later and take your followers with you. A server is essentially your home base. It’s a community with its own theme, rules, and local flavor.

Where to Find Servers

The official Mastodon site has a helpful server-finding tool at joinmastodon.org. You can filter by region, topic, and language. Finding a server that matches your interests is a great way to meet like-minded people right from the start. You'll find servers dedicated to art, technology, writing, gaming, specific hobbies, and more.

What to Look For in a Server

When you're browsing for a server, here are a few things to consider:

• Topic: Do you want a large, general-purpose server (like mastodon.social or m.social) or one focused on a niche you care about? A niche server is fantastic for instantly connecting with a community that shares your passion. A general server gives you a broader mix of people and conversations.
• Rules: Every server will have an "About" or "Rules" page. Read it. Seriously. This tells you what an admin expects from the community regarding behavior, content, and tone. Make sure the server’s philosophy aligns with your own.
• Size: A server with tens of thousands of users will have a very active "Local Timeline" (more on that later), which can be great for discovery but also a bit overwhelming. A smaller server with a few hundred users might feel cozier and more tight-knit. There's no right answer, it's just a matter of preference.

Again, don't overthink it. Pick one that looks interesting and give it a try. You can always pack your virtual bags and move later.

Step 2: Create an Account and Polish Your Profile

Once you’ve picked a server, signing up is simple. You’ll choose a username, enter your email, and set a password. Your full Mastodon identity will be formatted like an email address: @username@server.name. People on other servers will use this full handle to find and follow you.

Building a Great First Impression

Your profile is your calling card. An empty profile is often mistaken for a bot, so filling it out is the best way to encourage people to follow you.

• Profile Picture & Header Image: Use clear, representative images. For a personal brand, a high-quality headshot is perfect. For a brand account, use your logo.
• Display Name: This is what people will see most often. You can include emojis here and change it whenever you want.
• The Bio is Everything: Your bio is critical for discovery on Mastodon. Be authentic and describe who you are and what you're interested in. Most importantly, use hashtags in your bio. People actively search and follow hashtags like #SocialMediaManager, #Photography, #IndieDev, or #Gardening to find new accounts.
• Pin an Introduction Post: Mastodon loves an #Introduction! Your first post should be a friendly hello using the #Introduction or #Introductions hashtag. Talk about your interests, what you plan to post about, and what you’re hoping to find. Then, pin it to the top of your profile so new visitors can see it instantly.
• Link Verification: Mastodon has a simple but effective way to verify your identity. If you have a personal website, blog, or portfolio, you can add a link to it in your profile's metadata. Then, add a link back to your Mastodon profile on that website. It shows up with a green checkmark next to your website on your profile, letting people know you are who you say you are.

Step 3: Finding Your Community and People to Follow

Your home feed will be empty when you first start. It's up to you to fill it with interesting people and conversations. Since there's no algorithm pushing an endless stream of content at you, discovery is a more intentional and rewarding process.

Follow Hashtags Relentlessly

Hashtags are the lifeblood of Mastodon discovery. If you’re a video editor, search for #VideoEditing, #PostProduction, and #PremierePro. From the search results, you can click the "follow" icon next to the hashtag. Now, any post from across the Fediverse that uses that hashtag will appear in your home feed. This is the single best way to find cool new content and accounts.

Explore Your Timelines

Mastodon gives you a few different feeds to explore:

• Home: This is your main timeline, showing posts from accounts and hashtags you follow.
• Local: This timeline shows all public posts from everyone on your server. It’s an amazing way to connect with your immediate community and feel out the local culture.
• Federated: This firehose shows all public posts that your server knows about from other connected servers. It moves fast, but it’s a powerful tool for discovering completely new threads of conversation.

Check Follow Lists and Boosts

When you find someone interesting, check to see who they follow and who they "boost" (the equivalent of a retweet). Boosting well-curated content is a core part of the Mastodon culture, making other people's feeds a great source for finding quality accounts.

Step 4: Your First Post and Navigating the Culture

You’re set up and ready to post! Posting on Mastodon, or "tooting," will feel familiar, but there are a few cultural norms and features you’ll want to know to be a good community member.

Mastodon Lingo & Best Practices

Here’s a quick-start guide to the tools and expectations:

• Toot: This is a post, simple as that. The default character limit is 500 characters, much more generous than you might be used to.
• Boost: Just like a retweet. It shares someone else's post with your followers verbatim. There are no "quote tweets." To comment, you reply instead.
• Favorite: The star icon is a 'like.' It's a quiet way of telling the author you appreciated their post. It does not amplify the post like it does on other platforms.
• Use Content Warnings (CWs): This feature is used enthusiastically on Mastodon. If you’re posting about politics, a sensitive topic, spoilers for a movie, or just a very long thought, using a CW hides the main body of your post behind a clickable subject line. It’s considered good etiquette, letting people choose what they engage with.
• Write Alt Text for Images: Mastodon’s culture deeply values accessibility. The app and website make it extremely easy to add descriptive text to your images before posting. Take a moment to describe what’s in your picture. It makes the platform better for users with visual impairments and is highly encouraged by the community.

Growing Brand Presence Organically

Mastodon users are generally wary of traditional marketing. Aggressive advertising and soulless corporate-speak don't play well here. But that doesn’t mean brands and creators can’t succeed - you just have to adjust your approach.

Be Human, Not a Billboard

The key to building a following on Mastodon is to participate authentically. Instead of broadcasting marketing messages, start conversations. Ask questions. Share behind-the-scenes content. Be genuinely helpful and engage in discussions related to your industry or niche. People follow interesting people and valuable accounts, not just logos.

Show up Consistently

Even without an algorithm judging your every move, consistency matters. Being a regular, positive presence in your community’s timelines helps build familiarity and trust. Find a posting rhythm that works for you and stick with it. Even carving out 15-20 minutes a day to reply to others, boost cool stuff, and share a thought or two goes a long way.

Listen and Learn

Spend time just reading. Browse your Local and Federated timelines to get a feel for the dominant conversations on and around your server. What do people find interesting? What kind of humor do they have? Understanding the existing culture before you try to become a big part of it is a sign of respect and helps you create content that actually connects.

Final Thoughts

Getting started on Mastodon is less a technical challenge and more about embracing a community-first mindset. It's about finding your home base, using hashtags to connect with your interests, and contributing to conversations in a way that feels genuine and valuable.

Building a consistent presence on any new social network can be a lot to manage on top of everything else on your plate. I know this firsthand, which is why we built Postbase. All our team's cross-platform content - whether it's for Instagram, LinkedIn, or Threads - goes onto a single visual calendar. It saves me from the mental chaos of bouncing between apps and spreadsheets, letting me plan everything in one place and trust that it will get posted on time.