> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ocoya.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Mastodon

> Connect a Mastodon account on any server, what you can post, and its limits.

Mastodon isn't one website — it's thousands of independent servers. Ocoya connects to whichever server hosts your account, so the first thing it asks for is the server, not your username.

## Connect Mastodon

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Channels">
    Select **Channels** in the left sidebar, then **Connect channel**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Mastodon">
    Pick **Mastodon** from the **Add a connection** panel.

    <Frame caption="Mastodon in the Add a connection panel.">
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/ocoya/AXU_TbAvrsHP8A-m/images/screenshots/channels-connect-drawer.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=AXU_TbAvrsHP8A-m&q=85&s=fb49d994bcc630972a670a1277c36d2c" alt="Add a connection panel listing every channel Ocoya connects to, each with its category and an arrow to continue" width="864" height="2648" data-path="images/screenshots/channels-connect-drawer.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your server">
    Type the domain of the server your account is on — `mastodon.social`, for example. Ocoya suggests the common ones: mastodon.social, mas.to, mastodon.world, mastodon.online and techhub.social. Any real Mastodon server works, not just those.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authorize on your own server">
    Ocoya sends you to your server's authorization page, where you approve access to read your account and publish posts and media. You sign in to your server, never to Ocoya.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What you can post

| Post type    | Supported             |
| ------------ | --------------------- |
| Text post    | Yes — no image needed |
| Single image | Yes                   |
| Carousel     | Yes — up to 4 images  |
| Video        | Yes — one per post    |
| GIF          | Yes — one per post    |

A Mastodon post needs either text or media. Completely empty posts are refused.

## Mastodon's limits

|                 | Limit                                |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Post text       | 500 characters per post, 5,000 total |
| Hashtags        | No fixed limit                       |
| Images per post | 4, maximum 16 MB each                |
| Video per post  | 1, maximum 99 MB                     |

**Your server can be stricter.** Every Mastodon server sets its own character count and attachment limit, and Ocoya reads them from your server when publishing. Most use 500 characters, but a server configured for 1,000 gets 1,000 — and one that allows fewer attachments will say so: *"This Mastodon server allows a maximum of N media attachments."*

## Long captions become threads

Above your server's per-post limit, Ocoya splits the caption into a chain of replies rather than refusing it, up to 5,000 characters total. See [Long posts and threads](/help/long-posts-and-threads).

## Common problems

**"Enter a valid Mastodon server domain, such as mastodon.social."** The domain was mistyped, or you entered your full handle instead of the server. Enter only the domain — `mastodon.social`, not `@you@mastodon.social`.

**"This Mastodon server cannot be connected."** The domain resolves but isn't a reachable Mastodon server. Check it in a browser first; if your server is behind a login wall or private network, Ocoya can't reach it.

**"My post was shorter than 500 characters and still split."** Your server's limit is lower than Mastodon's default. The warning in the editor uses 500; publishing uses your server's real number.

## Related

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Long posts and threads" icon="list" href="/help/long-posts-and-threads">
    When a caption is split into a chain of replies.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Character and media limits" icon="ruler" href="/help/channel-limits">
    Every network's limits in one table.
  </Card>
</Columns>