Mastodon

Postlane connects to Mastodon using standard OAuth. You authorise the app once on your instance and Postlane stores the access token in your local system keychain -- nothing is sent to a third-party service.

Before you start

You need:

• A Mastodon account on any instance (for example mastodon.social, hachyderm.io, or a self-hosted instance)
• The hostname of that instance -- just the domain, not a full URL

Connect your account

1. In the desktop app, go to Settings for your organisation
2. Scroll to Direct social channels
3. On the Mastodon row, click Connect
4. Type your instance hostname in the field -- for example mastodon.social
   • Do not include https:// -- just the hostname
5. Click Test instance to confirm Postlane can reach your instance
   • You will see a green tick if it succeeds. If it fails, check the hostname for typos
6. Once the instance is verified, click Connect to Mastodon
   • A browser window opens on your instance's authorisation page
7. Sign in to your Mastodon account if prompted, then click Authorize
8. Mastodon will show you a code. Copy it
9. Back in Postlane, paste the code into the field and click Save

Your account is now connected. The Direct social channels section will show your instance hostname and a Disconnect button.

Finding your instance hostname

Your instance hostname is the domain part of your Mastodon profile URL.

Profile URL	Hostname to enter
https://mastodon.social/@yourname	mastodon.social
https://hachyderm.io/@yourname	hachyderm.io
https://infosec.exchange/@yourname	infosec.exchange

If you are not sure, open your Mastodon profile in a browser and copy the domain from the address bar.

Disconnect

To remove the connection, go to Settings → Direct social channels, find the Mastodon row, and click Disconnect. This removes the access token from your keychain. The Mastodon app registration on your instance remains but is harmless -- Postlane can no longer use it without a valid token.

Troubleshooting

"Instance not found" after clicking Test instance

The hostname could not be reached. Check:

• You entered just the hostname, not a full URL (mastodon.social not https://mastodon.social)
• The instance is online -- some smaller instances go offline periodically
• Your machine has internet access

Browser window opens but no code is shown after authorising

Some instances show the code on a separate page after you click Authorize. If the page just closes or shows a redirect error, look for a "copy" or "show code" step before the page closes. You can also go back in the browser -- the code is usually displayed on the authorisation confirmation page.

Code entry says the code is invalid

Mastodon authorisation codes expire quickly -- typically within a few minutes. If you waited too long, click Connect to Mastodon again to start a new authorisation and get a fresh code.

Want to connect a different account on the same instance

Disconnect the current account first, then go through the Connect flow again and sign in with the other account when Mastodon asks.