How to Cross-Post from Mastodon to X Automatically

Post natively on Mastodon and Ferryman automatically syncs every new post to X — no copy-paste, no workflow change. Set up in under two minutes.

Start cross-posting free

Why cross-post from Mastodon to X

Mastodon and X reach genuinely different audiences. Mastodon is federated, instance-driven communities — strong technical, academic, and open-source presence. X, by contrast, is real-time conversation, news, and tech-heavy discourse. The largest cross-platform creator audience by a wide margin.

Still the default for breaking news and developer culture, even as other platforms grow alongside it. If you're already putting in the effort to write good posts on Mastodon, there's no reason that work shouldn't reach a X 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 Mastodon and X

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	X
Character limit	500	280
Images per post	4	4
Alt text on images	Yes	Yes
Video support	Up to 1:00	Up to 2:20
Native threading	Yes	Yes

Mastodon allows up to 500 characters per post, while X caps each post at 280. When a Mastodon post is too long for X, Ferryman automatically splits it into a native X thread that reads naturally.

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 preserved
Videos up to 140-second length on X (Creator plan)
Links — Ferryman preserves URLs and link cards where X supports them
Hashtags and mentions are preserved as-is; platform-specific mention syntax is rewritten
Long posts auto-split into a native X thread

Set up Mastodon → X cross-posting

Sign in to Ferryman with your X account. This is how Ferryman authenticates you — you can still set Mastodon as your origin platform afterwards.
Go to Settings and connect your Mastodon account. This is the platform you'll post on natively.
Set Mastodon as your origin platform and check X as a target. Toggle cross-posting on, and Ferryman will sync new Mastodon posts to X within a few minutes.

Edge cases worth knowing

Skip a specific post: include #noferry anywhere in your Mastodon post and Ferryman won't sync it to X.
Replies and quote posts: off by default. You can enable them in Settings if you want your Mastodon conversations to appear on X too.
Threads on Mastodon: Mastodon threads are reconstructed as native X 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 Mastodon and X at the same time.

Manual cross-posting vs. Ferryman

Task	Manual	Ferryman
Cross-post a new Mastodon 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 X thread
Preserve alt text on images	Retype every time	Carried over automatically
Skip specific posts	Remember to not cross-post	Add #noferry and you're done

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for a Mastodon post to appear on X?

Ferryman checks for new Mastodon posts every few minutes and syncs them to X as they arrive. Most cross-posts go live on X within five minutes of the original Mastodon post.

What happens if my Mastodon post is too long for X?

Mastodon allows up to 500 characters per post, while X caps each post at 280. When a Mastodon post is too long for X, Ferryman automatically splits it into a native X thread that reads naturally.

Are images and videos preserved when cross-posting from Mastodon to X?

Yes. Images attached to your Mastodon post are uploaded to X automatically, up to X's limit of 4 per post. Alt text is carried over so your posts stay accessible on both platforms. Videos are preserved when both platforms support them (Creator plan).

Can I cross-post one Mastodon post but skip another?

Yes. Include #noferry anywhere in a Mastodon post and Ferryman will skip syncing it to X (and any other connected platforms).

Does Ferryman cross-post my Mastodon 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 Mastodon to X free?

Ferryman has a free tier that covers cross-posting between Mastodon and X. Paid plans unlock higher post volume, video cross-posting, and additional features like scheduling.

Related cross-post guides

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