Mastodon Character Limit: How Many Characters Per Post?
The Mastodon character limit is 500 characters per post. Default is 500 characters; some instances raise this limit at the admin's discretion.
How Mastodon's limit compares to other platforms
| Platform | Character limit | Native threading |
|---|---|---|
| Mastodon | 500 | Yes |
| X | 280 | Yes |
| Bluesky | 300 | Yes |
| Threads | 500 | Yes |
| 3,000 | No |
Mastodon's 500-character limit sits in the middle of the major text platforms — more generous than X's standard limit, tighter than LinkedIn's. Most Mastodon posts cross-post cleanly to platforms with similar limits, and require thread splitting on platforms with shorter ones.
What happens when you go over 500 characters
Mastodon supports native threading. If your post exceeds 500 characters, you can split it across multiple posts in a thread — and tools like Ferryman do this automatically when cross-posting from a platform with a more generous limit (like LinkedIn's 3,000 characters). The reading experience stays clean: each post is a separate item in the feed, but they're chained together as a single thread.
Other Mastodon post limits
- Images per post: 4
- Alt text on images: Supported
- Video: Supported, up to 60 seconds
- Native threading: Yes — posts can be chained into a native thread
Cross-posting and the Mastodon character limit
When cross-posting from Mastodon (500 chars) to platforms with tighter limits (X at 280, Bluesky at 300), long posts need to be split into threads on the target platform. Cross-posting from Mastodon to platforms with more generous limits (LinkedIn at 3,000) is straightforward — your posts always fit. Ferryman handles all of this automatically: it watches your origin platform for new posts and replicates them to each target with the right behavior (native threading where supported, single-post fit where character limits allow).
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mastodon character limit in 2026?
Mastodon's character limit is 500 characters per post. Default is 500 characters; some instances raise this limit at the admin's discretion.
Can I post longer than 500 characters on Mastodon?
Not in a single post, but you can split long content into a thread. Mastodon supports native threading, so a multi-post thread reads as one connected piece of content.
How does Mastodon's character limit compare to X?
Mastodon's 500-character limit is 220 characters longer than X's 280. Posts that fit on X always fit on Mastodon.
How does Mastodon's character limit compare to Bluesky?
Mastodon's 500-character limit is 200 characters longer than Bluesky's 300. Posts that fit on Bluesky always fit on Mastodon.
How does Ferryman handle the Mastodon character limit when cross-posting?
Ferryman watches your origin platform for new posts and replicates them to Mastodon. If your source post fits in 500 characters, it cross-posts as a single Mastodon post. If it doesn't, Ferryman automatically splits the post into a native Mastodon thread.
Learn more about Mastodon
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