Mastodon Visibility Level Control

All Features (/features)core

Mastodon Visibility Level Control

Choose Public, Unlisted, Followers-Only, or Direct visibility per post
Mastodon offers granular visibility control. Public (federates), Unlisted (no federated timeline), Followers-Only (private to followers), or Direct.

How to Use

• 1Start a Mastodon post

• 2Click visibility dropdown

• 3See options: Public, Unlisted, Followers, Direct

• 4Try "Public" (globe icon) - federates everywhere

• 5Try "Unlisted" (unlock icon) - visible but not in public timelines

• 6Try "Followers-only" (lock icon) - only your followers see it

• 7Try "Direct" (envelope icon) - only mentioned users see it

• 8Pick the visibility that fits your post

• 9Publish

Key Features

• Four Visibility Levels - Public, Unlisted, Followers, Direct

• Public - Federates to all instances, appears in public timelines

• Unlisted - Visible via profile, not in public/federated timelines

• Followers-Only - Private to your followers

• Direct - Only mentioned users can see

• Icon Indicators - Visual per visibility level

• Per-Post Control - Choose for each post individually

• Default Setting - Public is default

• Privacy Options - Granular control

• Federation Control - Manage how far posts spread

• Mastodon-Specific - Unique to Mastodon

• Strategic Posting - Different visibility per content type

• Community Respect - Privacy-conscious platform

Visibility Explained

Public (🌐):

• Appears in: Home, Public, Federated timelines

• Discoverability: Maximum

• Use for: General announcements, public content

Unlisted (🔓):

• Appears in: Home timeline, your profile

• Hidden from: Public and Federated timelines

• Use for: Replies, conversational posts

Followers-Only (🔒):

• Visible to: Only your followers

• Hidden from: Everyone else

• Use for: Private updates, follower-exclusive content

Direct (✉️):

• Visible to: Mentioned users only

• Hidden from: Everyone else

• Use for: Private conversations

Why Granular Control Matters

Not all content needs maximum visibility. Mastodon's visibility levels enable nuanced strategies - public announcements, private follower updates, or direct conversations. All in one platform.

Pro Tips

• Public default for most content

• Unlisted for replies - keeps timelines clean

• Followers-only for exclusive updates

• Direct for private conversations

• Visibility strategy: Plan what goes where

• Federation control: Public spreads widely

• Privacy conscious: Followers/Direct protect content

• Community expectations: Learn instance norms

• Mixed strategy: Different posts different visibility

• Icon reference: Quick visibility identification

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