# Mastodon

> Post, thread and poll on any Mastodon server.

## Connect

Choose **Mastodon** under **Settings → Channels → Connect**, enter your server (such as `mastodon.social`), and sign in
there. Any server running Mastodon works.

## What you can post

- **Posts and threads.**
- **Images**, up to four, **one video**, or a GIF.
- **Polls** of two to four options.

## Inbox, analytics and engagement

- **Inbox**: replies and mentions.
- **Analytics**: favourites, replies and boosts. Mastodon doesn't report impressions.
- **Auto-engagement**: comment, favourite and boost.
- **[Auto-DM](https://orbitwrite.com/docs/guides/grow/auto-dm)**: message people who boost or reply. A Mastodon DM is a private post that
  mentions them, so it's capped at 400 characters, and some servers filter DMs from people you don't follow into a
  requests folder.

## Limits

| Limit                     | Value                                                       |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Text                      | 500 characters                                              |
| Threads                   | Yes, as many posts as you like                              |
| Attachments               | Up to 4 per post                                            |
| Images                    | Up to 15.3 MB                                               |
| Video                     | Up to 94.4 MB, one video per post, without images beside it |
| GIF search                | Yes                                                         |
| File types                | jpeg, png, gif, webp, mp4                                   |
| Polls                     | 2 to 4 options of up to 25 characters, open 5 min to 168 h  |
| Quote posts               | No                                                          |
| Reply to an existing post | No                                                          |
| Link previews             | Yes                                                         |
| Auto-engagement           | comment, like, repost                                       |
| AI-generated label        | No                                                          |

Some servers allow longer posts than Mastodon's default 500 characters. Orbitwrite uses the default.

## Good to know

- **Hashtags** are how people beyond your followers find a post, since Mastodon has no algorithmic feed.
- **Handles** are written with the server, such as `@jamie@mastodon.social`.