How to schedule Mastodon posts
Mastodon supports scheduled posts in its API, but not in the official web interface. How to schedule, the limits, and what happens to scheduled posts in edge cases.
The short version
Mastodon has supported scheduled posts in its API since version 2.7.0, but the official web interface has no scheduling button. To schedule, use an app or a scheduler that calls the API. Any account can do it: Mastodon documents no account type or follower requirement.
The limits
On mainline Mastodon:
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Earliest time | At least 5 minutes in the future |
| Latest time | No maximum date in the code |
| Scheduled per account | 300 in total |
| Scheduled for one day | 25 |
| Post length | 500 characters by default (links count as 23) |
Each server can run a modified version with different limits, and each server sets its own post length. Your scheduler should read them from your server.
Changing or cancelling scheduled posts
Through the API, scheduled posts can be listed, viewed, moved to a new date (the date is the only thing you can change) or cancelled. To change the text, cancel the post and schedule a new one.
Edge cases worth knowing
- Frozen accounts: since Mastodon 4.4.0, scheduled posts are discarded if the account is frozen.
- Spam filters: since 4.7.0, a scheduled post caught by a spam filter is quietly dropped instead of causing an error.
Several schedulers publish to Mastodon. The Mastodon hub lists them, and the character counter applies Mastodon's link rule.
Questions people ask
Can I schedule a post on mastodon.social's website?
The official Mastodon web interface has no scheduling control. Scheduling is available through the API, so use a scheduler or an app that supports it.
How many posts can I schedule on Mastodon?
On mainline Mastodon, up to 300 scheduled posts per account and 25 for the same day, each at least 5 minutes in the future. Servers running modified versions may differ.