Mastodon Downloader Online
Save images and videos from any Mastodon instance — mastodon.social, fosstodon.org, infosec.exchange, or your tiny 50-person server. Works across the entire fediverse because it uses the same public API every instance exposes.
Why People Use This Tool
Mastodon is decentralized by design. That's its strength — and the reason saving content is harder than on any other platform.
Your bookmarks live on one instance and don't follow you when you migrate. Boosts disappear from federated timelines within hours. Hashtag searches only surface posts your instance knows about. And servers shut down without warning — taking every post, image, and thread with them.
Unlike Instagram or Twitter, there's no single company keeping the archive alive. If your favorite art community on a niche instance closes, that content is gone unless someone downloaded it first.
This tool talks directly to each instance's public API. Paste a post URL from any Mastodon server, and we fetch the attached images and videos in the original resolution the creator uploaded. No OAuth tokens, no account needed, no data stored on our end.
What You Get
Any Instance, Any Server
mastodon.social to your self-hosted single-user instance
We call each instance's public REST API directly. If it runs Mastodon (or compatible software like Hometown, Glitch-soc, or GoToSocial), it works. No whitelist, no domain restrictions — just paste the URL.
Fediverse-Wide: Pixelfed, Misskey & More
ActivityPub-compatible platforms supported
Content federates across the fediverse. A Pixelfed photo post or Misskey note that shows up in your Mastodon timeline can be downloaded too — as long as the origin server exposes a compatible API endpoint.
All 4 Attachments in One Download
Mastodon's media limit handled automatically
Mastodon allows up to 4 media attachments per post (images, video, or a mix). We fetch all of them at once. Artists posting multi-panel artwork or photographers sharing a series don't need to be saved one image at a time.
Survive an Instance Shutdown
Servers disappear — your files don't have to
When a Mastodon instance shuts down, every post on that server vanishes from the fediverse. If you've downloaded the media, you still have it. This is especially critical for small community servers with no backup guarantees.
Content Warning Media Included
CW-hidden attachments download normally
Mastodon's Content Warning system hides media behind a click. Our downloader fetches the actual files regardless of CW status — the spoiler tag is a display-layer feature, not a restriction on the file itself.
Alt Text Preserved Where Available
Mastodon's accessibility culture, carried over
The Mastodon community takes alt text seriously. When creators add image descriptions, we include them in the download metadata. It's a small detail that respects the platform's accessibility-first culture.
Perfect For...
Fediverse Artists and Their Collectors
Mastodon has become a home for artists who left Twitter and Instagram. Commission posts, process threads, and portfolio pieces live on instances that could disappear. Download artwork from your favorite creators to build a permanent reference library.
Art archivingInstance Migration & Server Hopping
Moving from mastodon.social to a niche instance? Mastodon's migration tool transfers your follows and profile, but not your media. Download your own images and videos before making the switch so nothing gets left behind.
Server migrationFediverse Historians & Researchers
Documenting early fediverse culture, tracking how decentralized communities evolve, or archiving posts from servers facing shutdown? This tool captures the media before defederation or closure makes it permanently inaccessible.
Digital preservationHow to Download Mastodon Content in Simple Steps
The fastest way to save any Mastodon content to your device - works on all devices
Find the Post on Any Mastodon Instance
Browse your home timeline, the local/federated timeline, or visit a profile directly. The post can be from your instance or federated from another server — both work.
- Home, local, and federated timelines all work
- Direct profile links (instance.social/@user) work too
- Post must have a 🌐 globe icon (public visibility)
All Content Types
Copy the Post Permalink
Click the timestamp below the post (e.g., "2h ago" or the date) to open the single-post view. Copy the URL from your browser's address bar. It should end in a numeric ID like /@user/110800415979592361.
- Click the timestamp — not the boost or favorite button
- Or use the ··· menu → Copy link to post
- URL format: instance.social/@user/123456789
Timestamp
Processing...
Paste the URL — We Call the Instance API
Drop the post URL into the field above. We parse the instance hostname and status ID, then call that server's public /api/v1/statuses endpoint directly. All media attachments are fetched in one request.
- We talk to the instance's own API — no third-party scraper
- All 4 possible attachments fetched at once
- CW-hidden media downloads normally
Preview & Quality Options
Images as PNG/JPEG, Videos as MP4
Files download in the original format the creator uploaded. Mastodon doesn't re-encode images on upload, so you get the exact file. Videos are served as MP4. Alt text descriptions are preserved in the download where the creator added them.
- Images: original PNG, JPEG, or WebP — no re-compression
- Videos: MP4 with audio track intact
- Alt text metadata included when available
- File lands in Downloads folder or camera roll
Download & Organize
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about downloading Mastodon content
Still have questions? and see how easy it is!