Mastodon has a “Following and followers” management section you can use to remove followers without having to block them:
- Sign in on your server’s website or web app
- Click on ⚙️ Preferences
- Click on Follows and followers (if you’re on a phone click ☰ and then Follows and followers)
- In the Relationship section click on Followers
- Select the followers you want to remove
- Click on Remove selected followers
Does this block selected accounts?
No, it does not block them, it just removes them from your followers. If you block a follower, that removes their follow anyway and you don’t need to use follower management.
Why is it called “soft blocking” if it doesn’t block them?
The original way of doing this was by blocking someone to get them off your followers, then immediately unblocking them. The follower management system was introduced later.
How do I do an actual proper full block?
You can find a guide to blocking accounts on Mastodon here.
What about the other option that mentions domains?
If you click Remove followers from the selected domains, it will also remove all followers who are on the same servers as the followers you have selected. Be careful if you use this option, it may remove more followers than you expect.
What does Account Activity: Dormant mean?
It means the accounts listed haven’t posted in a while.
What does Account Status: Primary and Moved mean?
Primary accounts are normal accounts. Moved accounts are just redirecting to a different account elsewhere, and aren’t in use themselves.