Connect Mastodon

What you can post: Any Mastodon server.

How to connect

1. Open Accounts in the SolMarrow sidebar.
2. Choose Mastodon.
3. Type your server's address, such as mastodon.social, and sign in on your own server's page. SolMarrow never sees your password. Mastodon access doesn't expire, so you won't be asked to reconnect every few weeks.
4. Back in SolMarrow, the account shows as connected. You can now pick it under Post to in the composer.

What you can publish

• Text posts: Up to 500 characters on most servers, or more if your server allows it. SolMarrow reads the exact number from your server when you connect.
• Image posts: Up to 4 images per post, each with its own alt text, which many people on Mastodon look for before they boost.
• Video posts: One video per post. Images and video can't share a post, and the composer tells you before you schedule rather than after.

Limits

• Text: up to 500 characters.
• Media: up to 4 images or up to 1 video.
• Some servers allow more than 500 characters.

Tips

• Write alt text for every image: Image descriptions are a strong habit on Mastodon. Many people won't boost images without them, and they make your posts usable for blind and low-vision readers.
• Use CamelCase hashtags: Write #WebDesign instead of #webdesign. Screen readers pronounce each word correctly, and the tag is easier for everyone to read.
• Let hashtags do the finding: Mastodon has no algorithm pushing posts to strangers, so hashtags and boosts are how new people discover you. Add a few relevant tags to posts you want found.
• Talk, don't just broadcast: Accounts that only drop links tend to get little attention on Mastodon. Reply to people, ask questions and join the conversations in your field.

Questions

Which Mastodon servers work with SolMarrow?

Any Mastodon server. Type its address when you connect, whether it's mastodon.social, a smaller community server or one you run yourself, and sign in on that server's page.

What is the character limit for Mastodon posts?

500 characters by default. Some servers allow more, and SolMarrow reads your server's limit when you connect, so the composer counts against the right number.

Can I reply to comments from SolMarrow?

Yes. Replies to your Mastodon posts appear in SolMarrow, and you can answer them without opening Mastodon.

What analytics do I get for Mastodon?

Favorites, boosts and replies for each post, read from your server and shown in Analytics next to your other networks.

See everything SolMarrow does for Mastodon on the Mastodon page.