Auto·Cue
Guide

How to Schedule Mastodon Posts

Updated 9 October 2026

Mastodon is a good home for the build-in-public crowd — but it’s federated, which means your account lives on a specific instance, and the tooling varies. Scheduling is a good example: it’s there, but it’s not where you’d expect.

Here’s how scheduling Mastodon posts actually works, and how to keep a steady presence without logging into each instance to do it.

Does Mastodon support scheduling?

Yes — at the API level. Mastodon’s API has supported scheduled statuses for years, so any app built on it can let you write a toot and set it to publish later. What’s missing is a prominent scheduler in the standard web interface, so most people reach for a third-party client or tool.

The practical limitations of doing it piecemeal:

  • It’s per-instance. Your scheduling happens inside whichever instance you’re logged into; there’s no single view across accounts.
  • It’s inconsistent. Which client exposes scheduling, and how well, varies.
  • It’s separate from everything else. If the same update should also go to Bluesky, LinkedIn or Threads, that’s another round trip each.

Your options for scheduling Mastodon posts

  • A Mastodon client that exposes scheduling. Fine if you live on one instance and only post to Mastodon.
  • A cross-network scheduler. Writes to Mastodon via your access token and sits alongside your other accounts. Cloud ones store your posts and tokens on their servers; local-first ones like Auto·Cue keep them on your machine.

How to schedule Mastodon posts with Auto·Cue

Auto·Cue is a local-first desktop app that schedules Mastodon — on any instance — from your own machine, alongside Bluesky, Threads, LinkedIn, Facebook Pages and Instagram.

  1. Connect your instance. Enter your instance URL and authorise in your browser; the token is stored in your OS keychain, never on a server. Connect as many instances as you like.
  2. Write your toot in the composer. Auto·Cue reads your instance’s character limit (usually 500) and counts correctly.
  3. Set the details — a content warning if you want one, and the visibility (public, unlisted, followers-only).
  4. Schedule it or drop it onto the calendar, across all your accounts at once.
  5. Review and approve. The queue stays yours to edit until it goes out.

Because it runs locally, there’s no monthly fee for the core app, and your posts never touch a third-party server.

A few Mastodon-specific tips

  • Respect the culture. Mastodon leans toward genuine conversation over broadcast. Content warnings for long or heavy threads are appreciated, not optional.
  • Add image descriptions. Alt text is strongly expected on Mastodon and widens your reach.
  • Pick the right visibility. Not every post needs to be fully public; unlisted is useful for thinking-out-loud.
  • Instances differ. Limits, rules and norms vary by instance — a scheduler that reads the instance’s settings saves you guessing.

Connect your instances once, batch your posts, and Mastodon becomes a place you maintain rather than one you keep forgetting.

Frequently asked questions

Can you schedule posts on Mastodon?
Yes. Mastodon supports scheduled posts at the API level, so apps built on its API can let you write a toot and publish it later. The official web app doesn't expose scheduling prominently, so most people use a third-party app or client.
Does Mastodon have a built-in scheduler?
Scheduling exists in Mastodon's API, and some clients surface it, but there's no obvious scheduler in the standard web interface. A dedicated tool makes it straightforward — and lets you schedule across instances and your other networks at once.
Does scheduling work across different Mastodon instances?
Yes. Because you connect to each instance with your own access token, a tool like Auto·Cue can schedule to accounts on different instances from one place.
Can I set a content warning on a scheduled Mastodon post?
Yes. Content warnings and post visibility (public, unlisted, followers-only) are first-class on Mastodon, and a good scheduler lets you set both ahead of time.
What is the character limit for a Mastodon post?
500 characters on most instances, but it's set per instance and some allow more. A scheduler that reads the instance's limit will count correctly for you.