How to Cross-Post from Facebook to Mastodon Automatically
Post natively on Facebook and Ferryman automatically syncs every new post to Mastodon — no copy-paste, no workflow change. Set up in under two minutes.
Why cross-post from Facebook to Mastodon
Facebook and Mastodon reach genuinely different audiences. Facebook is the broadest reach of any social platform — Pages put your content in front of a general, multi-generational audience. Mastodon, by contrast, is federated, instance-driven communities — strong technical, academic, and open-source presence.
No algorithm, no ads, no central platform risk. Smaller than the giants, but high signal and durable. If you're already putting in the effort to write good posts on Facebook, there's no reason that work shouldn't reach a Mastodon audience too — except that maintaining two presences manually is exhausting and easy to abandon. That's the problem Ferryman exists to solve.
Key differences between Facebook and Mastodon
Cross-posting isn't just a copy-paste. The two platforms have different limits and conventions, and Ferryman handles each difference so you don't have to think about it.
| Capability | Mastodon | |
|---|---|---|
| Character limit | 63,206 | 500 |
| Images per post | 30 | 4 |
| Alt text on images | No | Yes |
| Video support | Up to 10:00 | Up to 1:00 |
| Native threading | No | Yes |
Facebook allows up to 63,206 characters per post, while Mastodon caps each post at 500. When a Facebook post is too long for Mastodon, Ferryman automatically splits it into a native Mastodon thread that reads naturally.
Mastodon supports 4 images per post — 26 fewer than Facebook. If you post more images than Mastodon allows, Ferryman includes the first 4 on Mastodon and notes the overflow in your dashboard.
Videos longer than 60 seconds exceed Mastodon's cap. Ferryman handles the length difference so the rest of your cross-post still goes through.
What gets synced
- Original posts (replies and quote posts are off by default and can be enabled)
- Images up to 4 per post, with alt text added where supported
- Videos up to 60-second length on Mastodon (Creator plan)
- Links — Ferryman preserves URLs and link cards where Mastodon supports them
- Hashtags and mentions are preserved as-is; platform-specific mention syntax is rewritten
- Long posts auto-split into a native Mastodon thread
Set up Facebook → Mastodon cross-posting
- Sign in to Ferryman with your X account. This is how Ferryman authenticates you — you can still set Facebook as your origin platform afterwards.
- Go to Settings and connect your Facebook account. This is the platform you'll post on natively.
- Connect your Mastodon account in Settings. See the Mastodon integration guide for the exact steps.
- Set Facebook as your origin platform and check Mastodon as a target. Toggle cross-posting on, and Ferryman will sync new Facebook posts to Mastodon within a few minutes.
Edge cases worth knowing
- Skip a specific post: include
#noferryanywhere in your Facebook post and Ferryman won't sync it to Mastodon. - Replies and quote posts: off by default. You can enable them in Settings if you want your Facebook conversations to appear on Mastodon too.
- Threads on Facebook: Facebook threads are reconstructed as native Mastodon threads.
- Editing or deleting: Ferryman doesn't propagate edits or deletions automatically. Each platform keeps its own copy once posted.
- Scheduling: Use Ferryman's planner to schedule a post and Ferryman publishes to Facebook and Mastodon at the same time.
Manual cross-posting vs. Ferryman
| Task | Manual | Ferryman |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-post a new Facebook post | Copy text, re-upload images, rewrite mentions | Automatic, within minutes |
| Handle character-limit differences | Rewrite or split by hand | Long posts auto-split into a native Mastodon thread |
| Preserve alt text on images | Retype every time | Added where supported |
| Skip specific posts | Remember to not cross-post | Add #noferry and you're done |
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for a Facebook post to appear on Mastodon?
Ferryman checks for new Facebook posts every few minutes and syncs them to Mastodon as they arrive. Most cross-posts go live on Mastodon within five minutes of the original Facebook post.
What happens if my Facebook post is too long for Mastodon?
Facebook allows up to 63,206 characters per post, while Mastodon caps each post at 500. When a Facebook post is too long for Mastodon, Ferryman automatically splits it into a native Mastodon thread that reads naturally.
Are images and videos preserved when cross-posting from Facebook to Mastodon?
Yes. Images attached to your Facebook post are uploaded to Mastodon automatically, up to Mastodon's limit of 4 per post. Mastodon caps video length at 60 seconds, so longer videos may not be cross-posted to Mastodon.
Can I cross-post one Facebook post but skip another?
Yes. Include #noferry anywhere in a Facebook post and Ferryman will skip syncing it to Mastodon (and any other connected platforms).
Does Ferryman cross-post my Facebook replies and quote posts?
By default, only original posts are cross-posted. You can opt in to syncing replies, quote posts, or reposts from your Ferryman settings.
Is cross-posting from Facebook to Mastodon free?
Ferryman has a free tier that covers cross-posting between Facebook and Mastodon. Paid plans unlock higher post volume, video cross-posting, and additional features like scheduling.
Related cross-post guides
- Mastodon → FacebookCross-post from Mastodon to Facebook automatically
- Facebook → XCross-post from Facebook to X automatically
- Facebook → BlueskyCross-post from Facebook to Bluesky automatically
- Facebook → ThreadsCross-post from Facebook to Threads automatically
- Facebook → LinkedInCross-post from Facebook to LinkedIn automatically
- X → MastodonCross-post from X to Mastodon automatically