When someone posts a website or article link on Mastodon, there is sometimes an additional section below the link’s preview which says “More from…” and has a link to an account profile (see the screenshot above for an example). This is a link to the account of the person who runs the website or wrote the article you have linked to. Click on their name to see their profile, and follow it if you want to.
This link to an account profile is also known as “Author attribution” because it is often used by people who write articles or blog posts.
Is this generated automatically?
No. The site owner or article author has to manually add a special piece of HTML code to their site or article to state their Fediverse account address (see the instructions below).
How do we know it’s genuinely their profile?
The link will only appear if the site owner or article author has both confirmed the account address on their website, and also confirmed their connection to that website in their Mastodon settings. They need to confirm at both ends or it won’t appear.
When does this “More from…” author attribution link appear?
It will appear whenever anyone posts a link to the site or article by that author on Mastodon, but it may not be visible in all apps yet as it is a relatively new feature.
I am a website owner or article author. How do I get a “More from…” link to appear underneath links to my site or articles?
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Log into your server’s website or web app
- Click ⚙️ Preferences
- Click Public Profile (if you’re on the mobile website click ☰ at the top and then Public Profile)
- Click the Verification tab at the top
- Scroll down to the Author attribution section (DO NOT use the Website Verification section, that is for a totally different feature)
- Copy and paste the HTML code into your article or your website’s header
- Add the domain name of your website (or the website that carries your articles) into Websites allowed to credit you. If you’re posting on several sites you can add several domains but make sure there is only one per line.
- Click Save changes
If you’re an article author and are unsure how to add custom HTML, ask your website owner about it.
Can I use it with non-Mastodon Fediverse accounts?
It’s an open standard so other Fediverse platforms are free to implement it. However, it is a relatively new feature and so far it seems to just be working with Mastodon accounts.
Does this work when anyone posts the link on Mastodon? Or does it have to be the author posting it?
It works when anyone posts the link. The idea is to get more people to notice the author’s account and connect with them on Mastodon.
If there isn’t a “More from…” link, does that mean the author doesn’t have a Mastodon account?
Not necessarily. This is still a fairly new feature, and a lot of journalists and website owners that are on the Fediverse don’t yet know about this. It may take some time for every author and site owner to add the needed code to their site that allows this feature to function.