> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one Social Fetch marketing page (markdown export). For API orientation start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for auth and crawl rules use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for every operation use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt).

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/mastodon/servers-host>
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** <https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/mastodon/servers-host.mdx>

---

# Mastodon Server API

One server's public profile: who runs it, what it allows, how big it is and which feeds it opens.

`GET /v1/mastodon/servers/mastodon.social` returns `data.server` and `data.software`. `software` names the software when it can be told (`mastodon`, `hometown`, `pleroma`, `akkoma` and others) and is null when it cannot. `data.server` carries `title`, `description`, `version`, `softwareVersion`, `sourceUrl`, `languages`, `thumbnail`, `icons`, `registrations` (`open`, `approvalRequired`, `reasonRequired`, `minAge`, `messageHtml`), `limits` (`postCharacters`, `mediaPerPost`, `pollOptions`, `imageBytes`, `videoBytes`, `featuredTags`), `stats` (`users`, `posts`, `knownDomains`, `activeUsersMonth`), `links`, `features`, `access` and the public `contactAccount` without its email.

Add `include=rules` for the server's rules and `include=about` for its long description in `aboutHtml`. These arrive as a comma-separated list and are independent. A host that answers but is not a Mastodon-compatible server returns `lookupStatus: not_compatible` with the software it reports in `data.software`, so you can tell a Misskey or Lemmy host from a typo.

## Request

- **Endpoint:** `GET /v1/mastodon/servers/{host}`
- **Credits:** 1 credit
Failed requests are free
- **Input:** by host
- **Full reference:** [docs](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/mastodon/servers/host/get)
- **Platform page:** [/platforms/mastodon](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/mastodon)

## FAQ

### What does software tell me?

It names the server software when the version string or NodeInfo makes it clear, for example mastodon, hometown, pleroma, akkoma or kmyblue. It is null when the server does not say, and non-null on a not_compatible result.

### How many credits does a server lookup cost?

Pricing is documented on the operation in the API registry (shown on this page). Confirm on every response with meta.creditsCharged: that field is the billing source of truth.

### How do I get the rules or the about page?

Send include=rules, include=about, or both as include=rules,about. Rules fill server.rules and the long description fills server.aboutHtml. Without include both are null.

### Why is the contact email missing?

The public contact account is returned as an account record; the contact email is never returned. Use the account's profile URL for a public contact route.

### What does access mean?

On Mastodon 4.5 and later it reports who may read the public live, hashtag and trending-link feeds without a login: public, authenticated or disabled, for local and remote feeds. It is null on older servers.