How to customise your Mastodon server’s icons and thumbnail

Mastodon server admins can set their own icons for use on browsers and phones, as well as custom thumbnail artwork shown when the server is linked to or listed on sites or apps:

  1. Log into your server’s website or web app with the admin account
  2. Click on Administration
  3. Click on Server Settings
  4. Click the Browse buttons on the icons and thumbnail artwork and upload the images you want to use. You don’t have to upload them all, just upload what you want to customise.
  5. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom

What does “Server Thumbnail”, “Favicon” and “App Icon” actually mean in practice?

  • Server Thumbnail: The artwork which appears in link previews and in Mastodon server listings on websites and apps. It helps get across what kind of server you run.
  • Favicon: This is the icon that appears when people bookmark your server’s website on their web browser.
  • App Icon: This is the icon that appears on phones or tablets if people install your server’s website as a web app.

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