# Mastodon Scraper — Posts, Hashtags & Timelines (`puskin/mastodon-scraper`) Actor Scrape public posts from any Mastodon/Fediverse instance. Browse public timelines, search by hashtag, view account statuses, or search posts across the instance — no authentication required. - **URL**: https://apify.com/puskin/mastodon-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Giovanni Bucci](https://apify.com/puskin) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Mastodon Scraper Scrape public posts from any Mastodon or Fediverse instance — **no authentication required**. ### Features - **Public Timeline** — Browse local or federated public posts from any instance - **Hashtag Timeline** — Find all public posts with a specific hashtag - **Account Statuses** — View all public posts by a specific account - **Search** — Full-text search across public posts on an instance ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|---------|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------| | instance | string | `https://mastodon.social` | Base URL of the Mastodon instance | | mode | select | `publicTimeline` | `publicTimeline`, `hashtagTimeline`, `accountStatuses`, `search` | | hashtag | string | — | Hashtag (without #) for hashtagTimeline mode | | accountId | string | — | Numeric account ID for accountStatuses mode | | query | string | — | Search keyword for search mode | | local | boolean | true | Local-only posts (publicTimeline mode) | | limit | int | 20 | Max results (1–40) | ### Output Each result is pushed as a JSON record to the Apify dataset with standardized fields: **All modes** — id, uri, created_at, content, url, visibility, language, favourites_count, reblogs_count, replies_count, sensitive, spoiler_text, account_id, account_username, account_display_name, account_acct, tags[], media_attachments[] **Mode-specific** — type field indicates the source, plus hashtag/query/account_id metadata ### Supported Instances Works with any Mastodon, Pleroma, or compatible Fediverse instance that has public API access enabled. Tested with: - mastodon.social, fosstodon.org, tech.lgbt, hachyderm.io, and many more ### Use Cases - Monitor brand mentions across the Fediverse - Track hashtag trends and community discussions - Research public discourse on topics - Build datasets for NLP and sentiment analysis - Follow specific accounts' public activity ### Automation & Integration - **Schedule daily scans** via Apify's built-in scheduler — track hashtags over time - **Connect to Make.com, Zapier, or n8n** via Apify integrations - **Export to Google Sheets, Slack, or any webhook** from the Apify dataset - **Combine with Bluesky Scraper** for cross-platform social monitoring ### Technical - Built with Python + httpx - Uses the Mastodon REST API at `/api/v1/` - Public endpoints only — no OAuth needed on most instances - Some instances may require OAuth if public preview is disabled (rare) # Actor input Schema ## `instance` (type: `string`): Base URL of the Mastodon instance (e.g. https://hachyderm.io). Note: some instances like mastodon.social require authentication. ## `mode` (type: `string`): What to scrape from the Mastodon instance ## `hashtag` (type: `string`): Hashtag to search (without #) — used in hashtagTimeline mode ## `accountId` (type: `string`): Numeric account ID (used in accountStatuses mode — get it from the account's profile URL) ## `query` (type: `string`): Keyword to search across posts (used in search mode) ## `local` (type: `boolean`): If true, only show posts from the local instance (publicTimeline mode) ## `limit` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of results to return (1–40) ## Actor input object example ```json { "instance": "https://hachyderm.io", "mode": "publicTimeline", "hashtag": "python", "accountId": "1", "query": "federation", "local": true, "limit": 20 } ```` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "instance": "https://hachyderm.io", "mode": "publicTimeline", "hashtag": "", "accountId": "", "query": "", "limit": 20 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("puskin/mastodon-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "instance": "https://hachyderm.io", "mode": "publicTimeline", "hashtag": "", "accountId": "", "query": "", "limit": 20, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("puskin/mastodon-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "instance": "https://hachyderm.io", "mode": "publicTimeline", "hashtag": "", "accountId": "", "query": "", "limit": 20 }' | apify call puskin/mastodon-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=puskin/mastodon-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Mastodon Scraper — Posts, Hashtags & Timelines", "description": "Scrape public posts from any Mastodon/Fediverse instance. Browse public timelines, search by hashtag, view account statuses, or search posts across the instance — no authentication required.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "z2gTgin6DAYhQnZla" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/puskin~mastodon-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-puskin-mastodon-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/puskin~mastodon-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-puskin-mastodon-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/puskin~mastodon-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-puskin-mastodon-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "instance": { "title": "Mastodon Instance URL", "type": "string", "description": "Base URL of the Mastodon instance (e.g. https://hachyderm.io). Note: some instances like mastodon.social require authentication.", "default": "https://hachyderm.io" }, "mode": { "title": "Search Mode", "enum": [ "publicTimeline", "hashtagTimeline", "accountStatuses", "search" ], "type": "string", "description": "What to scrape from the Mastodon instance", "default": "publicTimeline" }, "hashtag": { "title": "Hashtag", "type": "string", "description": "Hashtag to search (without #) — used in hashtagTimeline mode" }, "accountId": { "title": "Account ID", "type": "string", "description": "Numeric account ID (used in accountStatuses mode — get it from the account's profile URL)" }, "query": { "title": "Search Query", "type": "string", "description": "Keyword to search across posts (used in search mode)" }, "local": { "title": "Local Only", "type": "boolean", "description": "If true, only show posts from the local instance (publicTimeline mode)", "default": true }, "limit": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 40, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of results to return (1–40)", "default": 20 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```