Understand Mastodon servers and post visibility
Choose a server by its rules and community, then inspect visibility before publishing.
Follow the method ↓
The answer in 30 seconds
Mastodon accounts live on individual servers that can communicate with other servers. Server rules, moderation and account settings influence the experience; a narrower post audience should not be treated as a secrecy guarantee.
Read a candidate server's rules, language and moderation information, inspect profile discoverability and default post visibility, then preview each post's selected audience before sharing identifying details.
Examples to adapt
Choose a server whose moderation and topic fit your needs.
Check the visibility selector on that post, not only the default.
Review profile fields and discovery preferences before adding personal details.
Follow the method
- 1Compare servers
Read rules, language, moderation approach and contact information.
- 2Set the profile
Choose a suitable name and review discoverability and follower options.
- 3Set post defaults
Inspect default visibility and test the audience selector on a draft.
- 4Review interactions
Understand that federation and recipient copies affect later control of shared content.
A checklist to keep
Use these checks to record what you found. The grid supports a decision; it does not make one for you.
| Check | What to examine | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Server | Do rules and moderation fit? | Read |
| Profile | Which details are discoverable? | Review |
| Followers | Is approval appropriate? | Set |
| Default | What audience is preselected? | Check |
| Post | Who will see this particular item? | Preview |
Free, no sign-up. UTF-8 text with semicolon-separated columns.
What to check
Server choice affects moderation and available community support.
A post's audience can differ from the account default.
Deleting a widely distributed post may not remove every copy seen elsewhere.
Common questions
Can I follow people on other servers?
Often yes; federation allows compatible servers to exchange public social activity.
Is a followers-only post confidential?
Do not treat it as confidential: recipients can retain or repeat its contents.
Sources and documentation
Documentation consulted on . Examples are illustrative; interfaces and results may change.