Guide – Create your first Mastodon account and migrate from X/Twitter
Mastodon is not a replacement for Twitter — it is better: you choose your own server, your data is yours, and you can always move.
Time: 15–30 minutes
Cost: €0
Step 1 – Choose a server (instance)
I don't know which server to choose → click here
Good starters for English speakers:
Or find a server on instances.social (filter by language, topic, or country).
Step 2 – Create an account
Step-by-step
- Go to the website of your chosen server (e.g. mastodon.social)
- Click “Sign up” or “Create account”
- Fill in username, email, and password
- Verify your email → done!
Step 3 – Set up your profile
Make it recognizable for your old followers
- Use the same profile picture and bio as on X/Twitter
- Add your old X/Twitter handle in your bio (e.g. “Previously @yourname on Twitter”)
- Pin a post: “Hello Mastodon! I’ve moved from Twitter. Follow me here.”
Step 4 – Follow people
How do I find my old followers?
- Use Fedifinder: enter your X/Twitter handle → it finds Mastodon accounts of your followers
- Or search manually by name or handle
- Follow them — they get a notification
Step 5 – Import your old posts (optional)
I don't want to lose my old tweets
- Use Twitter archive or tools like Twexport to download your tweets
- Upload them manually or use tools like Crossposter for limited automatic import
Step 6 – Start posting
Post your first message:
“Hello Mastodon! I’ve moved from Twitter. Who do I know here?”
You are now outside the enclosure.
### Disclaimer
All guides are proposed by the community and reviewed by the OIM core team before going live.
Nevertheless, executing technical steps remains your own responsibility.
The Open Internet Manifest is not liable for damage, data loss, or other issues that may arise from following a guide.
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