How to Schedule Posts on Mastodon: Complete Guide for 2025

Good news: Mastodon actually has built-in scheduling. Most people don't know this because it's tucked away in the compose interface.

Bad news: The native scheduling is basic. If you need to manage multiple accounts, schedule threads, or coordinate with other platforms, you'll need additional tools.

This guide covers both approaches.

Mastodon's Native Scheduling

Mastodon added scheduling in version 4.2. Here's how to use it:

1. Open the compose box on your instance's web interface
2. Look for the schedule icon (clock/calendar) near the post button
3. Pick a date and time
4. Post—it'll be queued instead of published immediately

That's it. Your scheduled posts appear in your drafts/scheduled section where you can edit or delete them.

Limitations of native scheduling:

• Web interface only (most mobile apps don't support it)
• Single posts only, no thread scheduling
• One instance at a time
• No calendar overview of what's queued

Why Schedule on Mastodon?

Mastodon's decentralized structure creates some specific scheduling needs:

Instance timing varies. An art-focused instance has different peak hours than a tech instance. Your followers' habits depend on who they are, not Mastodon as a whole.

Multiple accounts are common. Many people have accounts on different instances for different purposes. Posting the same update across instances manually is tedious.

Content warnings need thought. Scheduling gives you time to consider whether your post needs a CW and what it should say.

How to Schedule Posts on Mastodon with Statuz

If you need more than basic scheduling, Statuz handles Mastodon along with X and BlueSky. Here's the setup:

Connecting Your Account

1. In Statuz, go to Settings → Mastodon
2. Enter your instance URL (e.g., mastodon.social, hachyderm.io, whatever you use)
3. Statuz will open your instance's authorization page
4. Grant access, and you're connected

Scheduling a Post

1. Open the composer (click the Statuz menu bar icon)
2. Write your post
3. Add media if needed (images, video)
4. Add a content warning if appropriate
5. Set your time: type "tomorrow at 3pm" or use the calendar picker
6. Select Mastodon as a destination (along with X/BlueSky if you're cross-posting)
7. Schedule

Your post shows up in the calendar view where you can see everything that's queued.

What Statuz Handles

• Threads: Schedule multi-post threads that publish in sequence
• Media: Images and video with preview before scheduling
• Content warnings: Add CWs that get applied when the post publishes
• Multiple instances: Connect accounts from different instances, schedule to each
• Cross-posting: Schedule the same post (or variations) to X and BlueSky simultaneously

Instance-Specific Considerations

Mastodon isn't one platform—it's thousands of instances with their own cultures.

Check your instance rules. Some instances have specific posting guidelines. Scheduling doesn't exempt you from these.

Local vs. federated timelines. Your post appears on your instance's local timeline and federates out. If your instance is small, the local timeline matters more for discovery.

Instance downtime. Unlike centralized platforms, your instance might have maintenance windows. If you schedule a post during downtime, it'll fail. Most scheduling tools retry, but check your queued posts if your instance was down.

When to Post on Mastodon

Mastodon doesn't have algorithmic timing—posts appear chronologically. This makes timing simpler but also means you can't rely on the algorithm to surface your content later.

General guidance:

• Morning commute hours (7-9am in your followers' timezone)
• Lunch breaks (12-2pm)
• Evening wind-down (6-9pm)

For global audiences: Consider posting the same content at different times, or accept that you can't hit everyone's peak hours.

Instance-specific patterns: Tech instances tend to be active during work hours (people procrastinating). Art/creative instances often peak evenings and weekends.

Content Warnings and Scheduling

CWs are a Mastodon cultural norm. When scheduling, think about:

• Does this post discuss something that warrants a CW on your instance?
• Is the CW text clear about what's behind it?
• Are you using CWs as clickbait? (Don't—it's frowned upon)

Both native scheduling and Statuz support CWs on scheduled posts.

Scheduling Threads

Native Mastodon scheduling doesn't handle threads. You'd need to schedule each post individually and hope the timing works out.

With Statuz, you can create a full thread in the composer and schedule it as a unit. The posts publish in sequence with proper reply connections.

Common Mistakes

Scheduling sensitive content without checking the date. That post about your vacation might be fine, but scheduling it for a day that turns out to have major news makes you look oblivious.

Over-scheduling. Mastodon communities tend to value quality over quantity. A flood of scheduled posts looks like spam.

Ignoring replies. Scheduling saves time posting, but Mastodon is built for conversation. If you schedule and disappear, you're missing the point.

Not testing first. Before scheduling a week of content, schedule one test post to make sure your connection is working.

Cross-Posting Considerations

If you're scheduling the same content across Mastodon, X, and BlueSky:

• Character limits differ: Mastodon usually has 500, X has 280, BlueSky has 300
• Hashtag culture differs: Mastodon uses hashtags more actively, X less so
• CWs don't exist elsewhere: Content warnings are Mastodon-specific

Statuz lets you customize each platform's version of a post, or post the same content everywhere. Your call based on your audience.

Getting Started

If you're just scheduling occasional posts, try Mastodon's native feature first. It's free and built in.

If you need thread scheduling, multiple instances, or cross-platform posting, Statuz handles all of that. Connect your Mastodon account, schedule a test post, and go from there.

The goal is consistency without being chained to your device at specific times. Whatever tool gets you there works.