Mastodon has a section called Explore which shows trending posts, trending hashtags and trending links. Here’s how to see it:
- On your server’s website or the Mastodon web app, click on the # Explore link or the # icon on the right of the screen.
- On the official Mastodon apps click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of the screen without entering anything into the search box, this will automatically make the trends appear. There’s also a Community tab in the same section which is your server’s Local timeline.
- Third party apps display trends in various different ways using their own interfaces. However, they usually use the word “Trending” in some way. Often you can find the trends link in the main settings menu, but this will vary from app to app.
What makes a post trend on Mastodon?
Posts trend if they are new and have many recent boosts. Only one post per account can trend at a time, to prevent popular accounts dominating the trending section.
What makes a hashtag trend on Mastodon?
Tags trend if many people have used them recently.
What if I see an offensive post, hashtag or link trending?
Hopefully this won’t happen, as your server admin can optionally screen posts, tags and links before they are allowed to trend.
If you see something offensive trending, contact your server admin and ask them if they are screening trends.
I am a server admin, how do I screen trending posts/tags/links?
Log in through the website, click ⚙️ Preferences, then click Trends.
If you’re on the mobile site you will need to click the ⚙️ icon on right of screen, then ☰ in top right, then Trending Posts, Trending Hashtags or Trending Links.
Note that for links you can moderate both individual links and the sites they come from.
What is the News section in Explore?
News just shows the most shared links on posts visible to your server, whether they’re from news sources or any website. Often this will be news items (hence the name), but not always.
Can any link trend on the News section? What do I do if I see dubious news sources trending?
Your server’s admin can optionally choose to moderate which sites’ links end up in the News section. By setting a trusted set of sources, your admin can prevent the trending news section being hijacked by people spreading less trustworthy sources.
If you see a news source trending which shouldn’t be, contact your admin and they will be able to block it from appearing on the trends.
What about the People section in Explore? Are these trending people?
No. They’re just automated suggestions for accounts you might want to follow. It’s a bit unclear why these suggestions are listed next to the trends, to be honest!
Can I view trends on other servers?
Yes. Most servers have a link to their # Explore section on their websites, and you usually don’t need to be logged in to browse this. The trending posts and tags on different servers will be slightly different as they have different views of the Fediverse. You do need to be logged in if you want to interact with the posts, however.