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Mastodon

Interact with Mastodon API

Overview

The Mastodon node allows interaction with the Mastodon social network API. Specifically, the "Timeline" resource with the "Get Public Timeline" operation fetches public statuses (posts) from a specified Mastodon instance's timeline. This is useful for monitoring public conversations, tracking trending topics, or aggregating posts from a community without needing user authentication.

Practical examples include:

  • Displaying recent public posts from a Mastodon server on a website.
  • Collecting posts containing specific hashtags for sentiment analysis.
  • Monitoring media-rich posts or filtering local vs remote content in a federated Mastodon environment.

Properties

Name Meaning
Mastodon URL The URL of the Mastodon instance to connect to (e.g., https://mastodon.social). This defines which server's public timeline will be accessed.
Additional Fields Optional parameters to refine the timeline query:
- Local Only: Show only statuses originating from the local instance.
- Remote Only: Show only statuses from remote instances.
- Media Only: Show only statuses that contain media attachments.
- Any Hashtags: Return statuses containing any of these tags.
- All Hashtags: Return statuses containing all of these tags.
- None Hashtags: Exclude statuses containing these tags.
- Max ID: Return results older than this status ID.
- Since ID: Return results newer than this status ID.
- Min ID: Return results immediately newer than this status ID.
- Limit: Maximum number of results to return (up to 40).

Output

The node outputs an array of JSON objects, each representing a Mastodon status (post) retrieved from the public timeline. Each JSON object contains detailed information about a status, such as content, author, timestamps, media attachments, and metadata according to the Mastodon API response format.

If multiple statuses are returned, each is output as a separate item in the output array.

The node does not output binary data for this operation.

Dependencies

  • Requires an API key credential for authenticating with the Mastodon instance's API.
  • Needs the URL of the Mastodon instance to connect to.
  • The node depends on the Mastodon API being accessible and the provided credentials having appropriate permissions if required (though public timelines generally do not require authentication).

Troubleshooting

  • Common Issues:

    • Incorrect Mastodon URL: Ensure the URL is valid and points to a reachable Mastodon instance.
    • Rate limiting by the Mastodon server: The API may limit requests; consider adding delays or reducing request frequency.
    • Invalid or missing API credentials: Although public timelines often don't require authentication, some instances might restrict access.
    • Using incompatible or unsupported additional fields for the selected operation.
  • Error Messages:

    • "The operation "Get Public Timeline" for resource "timeline" is not implemented!": Indicates a mismatch between selected operation and available methods; verify correct operation name.
    • Network errors or timeouts: Check internet connectivity and Mastodon server status.
    • API errors returned from Mastodon: Review error messages for hints like invalid parameters or permission issues.

Resolving these typically involves verifying input parameters, ensuring proper credentials, and confirming the Mastodon instance's availability.

Links and References

Discussion