Getting started on Mastodon

This guide will walk you through joining the Fediverse using Mastodon, the most popular platform. It’s like Twitter, but decentralized. The process is simple and only takes a few minutes.

Step 1: Choose Your “Home” Server

Your first step is to pick a server (also called an “instance”). This will be your home base. Don’t worry, you can still talk to people on all other servers!

1. Open your web browser and go to joinmastodon.org.
2. Either pick mastadon.social or pick another server, if its your completely new to the fediverse then just choose mastadon.social you can always choose/add other servers later.
   • you can also host your own see here

Step 2: Create Your Account

You’ll now be on the sign-up page for the server you selected.

1. Read and agree to the server’s rules. This is important, as each server has its own code of conduct.
2. Fill in the required information.
3. Complete the sign-up process and verify your email address.

Step 3: Set Up Your Profile

Make your profile your own so people can get to know you.

1. Add a profile picture (avatar) and a header image.
2. Add a display name, this is the name other users will see.
3. Write a short bio. This is a great place to mention your interests.
4. Choose to make your profile discoverable if you so wish.
5. On the next page you can choose to follow some people if you want to, try and search for your friends if you know their name.
6. You can now also click on your own name and the choose Edit profile and dig into the settings there, all the options will not be discussed here other than its recommened to go into Edit profile/Account/Two-factor Auth and set that up.

Step 4: Make Your First Post!

It’s a tradition to post an introduction. This is the best way to find your first followers.

1. Compose a new post.
2. Introduce yourself! Talk about your hobbies and interests.
3. Add the hashtag #introduction. Also add other relevant tags like #gaming, #art, #science, etc. People follow hashtags to find new and interesting accounts.

Step 5: Find People and Content

Now it’s time to explore.

• Home: Your home timeline shows posts from people you follow. It will be empty at first.
• Trending: Shows all public posts from people on your server (ex: mastodon.social). This is a great way to find people in your immediate community.
  • From here you can also choose Hashtags, People and news
• Live feeds: Shows all public posts from all the servers your server knows about. Split up by This Server, Other servers and All It’s basicly a firehose of content from across the Fediverse!
• Search: You can search for hashtags or for specific users if you know their full address (e.g., @[email protected]).

You’re all set! Welcome to the Fediverse and Mastodon! 🥳