Mastodon

The connector polls one Mastodon server's public timeline for Event__QuestionHashtag. It is not a global search of the entire Fediverse.

Choose an instance

Use an instance whose policies permit your event's collection/display. Its base URL must be HTTPS, use the default port, and have no path, query, credentials, or fragment, for example https://mastodon.social.

Public timelines may allow anonymous requests. If the server requires authorization:

1. Sign in to an account on that instance.
2. Open Preferences > Development > New application (labels vary by server).
3. Create an application with the minimum read:statuses scope needed for the hashtag timeline.
4. Store the generated access token privately. Verify the server's own API/access rules; do not broaden scopes or scrape pages to bypass restrictions.

Configure Admin

Social__Mastodon__InstanceUrl=https://your-instance.example
Social__Mastodon__Enabled=true
Social__Mastodon__PolicyApproved=true

Optional:

Setting	Purpose
Social__Mastodon__AccessToken	Read token if required by the chosen server
Social__Mastodon__MediaHosts__0, __1, ...	Exact trusted media CDN hostnames, no scheme/path
Social__Mastodon__PollIntervalSeconds	Default 180; clamped 60-3600

Avatars/media must come from the configured server or the explicit media host allowlist. For example, an instance may use a separate files.* CDN; inspect its official configuration before allowlisting it. Do not allow arbitrary hosts.

What is collected

• Up to five 40-post pages per poll, with persisted min_id checkpoints.
• The first poll starts with the latest page, which may contain older posts, rather than walking backward through all history.
• Only posts federated to the chosen server are visible.
• Boosts, replies, quotes, non-public posts, bot authors, #nobot profiles, content warnings, and sensitive media are skipped.
• Search-indexing preferences alone do not opt a public hashtag post out of this moderated display. Review whether that policy is suitable for your event.

Polling does not detect source edits/deletions. Staff must manually withdraw posts when needed. Keep this connector disabled if that limitation conflicts with your obligations.

Verify

Restart Admin, publish a new original public hashtagged post visible to the chosen server, wait for a poll, then approve it. A new post is preferable to reusing an old skipped item after a checkpoint advances.

For 401, confirm whether the server requires a token and that it has read:statuses. For 429, reduce request frequency and respect the instance's policy. Missing images usually indicate an unlisted media host or a skipped sensitive/content-warning post.

Official reference: hashtag timeline API.