# Connect Mastodon

> Create an application on your own Mastodon server, copy one token, paste it — about two minutes, with nothing to apply for.

Mastodon is the easiest platform to connect. There is **no developer app to register and no review to pass**: everything happens inside the Mastodon server you already post from, on a settings page most people never open. The same steps work on any Mastodon-compatible server — Mastodon itself, and also Pleroma and GoToSocial.

What you paste is encrypted and stays on your own Mac. And because the application belongs to you, on your own server, its posting limits are yours alone — you are never sharing a quota with other Social Quack customers.

## 1. Open the Development page on your server

Log in to your Mastodon server in a browser. Your server is the part after the second @ in your handle — if you are `@you@mastodon.social`, your server is `mastodon.social`.

Then go to **Preferences → Development → New application**.

## 2. Create the application

Give it any name you like — it is only a label you will see in your own settings. "Social Quack" is a fine choice.

Tick these three scopes (a scope is simply a permission you are granting):

| Scope | What it lets Social Quack do |
|---|---|
| `read` | Check the token and read which account it belongs to, so the right name, handle and avatar show on the channel. |
| `write:statuses` | Publish your posts, and the replies that make up a thread. |
| `write:media` | Upload the images you attach to a post. |

Save the application.

## 3. Copy the access token

Open the application you just created and copy the value labelled **Your access token**.

Treat it like a password — anyone holding it can post as you. It is the only thing you need; there is nothing to paste back into Mastodon, no address to register and no approval to wait for.

## 4. Paste it into Social Quack

In Social Quack open **Channels**, find Mastodon under **Add a channel** and click **Connect**. Two boxes appear:

| Field | What to put in it |
|---|---|
| **Instance URL** | The full web address of your server, including `https://` — for example `https://mastodon.social`. A trailing slash on the end is fine, Social Quack tidies it up. |
| **Access token** | The token you just copied. It is masked as you type, like a password. |

Click **Connect**. Social Quack checks the token with your server straight away, and the account appears in your channel list with its display name, avatar and full `@you@your-server` handle. That is the whole setup.

## 5. What to expect when you post

| | |
|---|---|
| **Length** | 500 characters per post. |
| **Threads** | Supported. Each part is published as a reply to the one before it, so it reads as a real thread. |
| **Images** | Up to 4, attached to the first post of a thread — later parts go out as text. Alt text you write in Social Quack is sent along with the image. |
| **Video and large GIFs** | Your server processes these before they can be attached, so Social Quack waits — up to about two minutes. If your server is still working on the file when that runs out, the whole post fails and lands in **Failed** in the Queue rather than going out without it — reschedule it, or attach a shorter or smaller version. |
| **Visibility** | Posts go out public. |

Social Quack marks a post as *publishing* before it sends it, so the scheduler can never put the same post out twice.

## If something goes wrong

| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The token is refused when you click **Connect** | Usually the `read` scope was not ticked, or the token was only partly copied | Create a new application under **Preferences → Development**, tick all three scopes, and copy **Your access token** again in one go |
| Connecting fails and you typed just `mastodon.social` | **Instance URL** needs the full address | Enter it as `https://mastodon.social` — with `https://` at the front |
| Posts fail, but the account connected fine | The application is missing `write:statuses` | Make a new application with all three scopes ticked and paste the new token |
| `Mastodon media upload failed: …` | The image could not be uploaded — most often `write:media` was not ticked, or your server rejected the file | Check the scopes first; if they are right, try a smaller or re-exported image |
| `Mastodon media status check failed: …` | Your server stopped processing the file part-way | Try again, or attach a smaller version of the video or GIF |
| A post with a video or large GIF fails with `422` | Your server was still processing the file when the two-minute wait ran out | Reschedule the post, or attach a shorter or smaller version |
| `Mastodon did not return a status id` | Your server accepted the post but sent nothing back | Retry the post; if it keeps happening, your server is likely having trouble — check its status page |
| Posting stops working one day | The application was revoked or deleted on your server | Create a new one, copy the new token, and connect again with the same server address — the same account on the same server is updated rather than added twice |
| You attached more than 4 images | Only the first 4 are sent | Remove the extras. Images always go on the **first** part of a thread, never a later one, so to post more pictures schedule a second post |

Still stuck? Email **support@socialquack.com**.