Mastodon, the decentralized social networking platform, is preparing to introduce a new feature called "Collections" that aims to improve account discovery and curation. The feature, inspired by Bluesky's Starter Packs, will allow users to create and browse lists of up to 25 recommended accounts. According to an announcement on Thursday, Collections will roll out to the mastodon.social server in the coming week, followed by a broader launch with Mastodon version 4.6.
The move comes as Mastodon continues to evolve its user experience to rival larger centralized platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky. Since the exodus of many users from X in 2022, Mastodon has seen surges in adoption, but its decentralized nature has also led to challenges in discoverability. New users often struggle to find interesting accounts to follow, leading to a sparse feed and higher churn rates. Collections directly address this by enabling community-driven curation without overwhelming new members with a firehose of suggestions.
What Are Collections?
Collections function as curated lists that any user on a participating server can create. Each list can include up to 25 accounts, accompanied by a short description and a topic tag. The creator can mark the collection as "sensitive," which hides the description and account list behind a content warning—a feature particularly useful for topics like politics, mental health, or adult content. Unlike Bluesky's Starter Packs, which include a "Follow All" button, Mastodon's initial version deliberately omits this option. According to Imani Joy, Mastodon’s head of design, this decision was based on feedback that "people on Bluesky often found themselves mass following accounts from stale Starter Packs, only to have a subpar feed afterwards."
Privacy and Control
Users have significant control over their participation in Collections. If someone adds your account to a Collection, you will receive a notification, giving you the ability to opt out — essentially requesting removal from that list. Additionally, users can report a Collection if it violates server rules or policies. This opt-in approach respects user autonomy, a core principle of the fediverse. Mastodon has long emphasized that users should not be automatically surfaced in ways they may not desire, and Collections build upon that philosophy.
The opt-out mechanism is crucial in the decentralized ecosystem. Because Mastodon servers are independently run, a Collection created on one instance might contain accounts from another. The notification ensures that even if your server is small, you are aware of how your account is being used for curation elsewhere. This also discourages spam or harassment via lists, as victims can immediately remove themselves and report abuse.
Comparison with Bluesky Starter Packs
Bluesky's Starter Packs, released in mid-2024, quickly became a popular way for users to find communities of interest. They allow anyone to create a pack of up to 150 accounts, and users can follow all at once. This mass-following feature, while convenient, sometimes led to feed inflation where users ended up following many inactive or irrelevant accounts. Mastodon’s Collections avoid this by focusing on smaller, more carefully curated lists. The lower cap of 25 accounts encourages quality over quantity. Additionally, by not including a "Follow All" button, Mastodon nudges users to review each account before following.
Another difference lies in the discovery experience. Bluesky's Starter Packs are prominently featured in onboarding and search, while Mastodon plans to first let the number of Collections grow organically. "The platform is also focusing on the creation, rather than the discovery of Collections, because the number of community-created Collections needs to hit a critical mass before certain discovery experiences become impactful," the announcement states. This phased approach ensures that when discovery features launch, there will be a rich array of Collections to surface.
Eventually, Mastodon aims to give server owners the ability to recommend Collections during the onboarding process, replacing the current recommended accounts feature. This shift means that new users will see a set of curated lists from their server admin, likely covering topics like local news, art, technology, and more. This server-level curation aligns with Mastodon’s community-focused model, where each instance has its own culture and norms.
Technical Implementation and Rollout
Collections are built into the core Mastodon codebase and will be available on any server that updates to version 4.6. The initial rollout on mastodon.social, Mastodon’s flagship server, will test the feature under load. Given mastodon.social's size (over 2 million users at peak), this serves as a stress test. After a successful trial, the feature will be included in the Mastodon 4.6 release, which is expected to reach all servers within a few weeks.
Developers have also considered accessibility. Collection creation will be available through the web interface and API, allowing third-party apps to integrate it. For instance, client apps like Ivory, Mona, or Fedilab could display Collections in a user-friendly way, making it easier to browse and follow from mobile devices. The notification system uses existing Mastodon infrastructure, so users already accustomed to push notifications for mentions and follows will receive immediate alerts when added to a Collection.
Impact on User Onboarding and Retention
One of the biggest hurdles for Mastodon has been the "cold start" problem. New users often arrive with no connections and struggle to find compelling content. Collections can dramatically ease this process. Instead of guessing which hashtags to follow or manually browsing server timelines, a new user can find a handful of well-curated lists in their interest areas. For example, a photography enthusiast might find a "Photography Masters" Collection featuring 25 accomplished shooters. Following all 25 provides a rich feed of high-quality images from day one.
This improvement could reduce churn, which has historically plagued Mastodon after hype cycles. Data suggests that only a fraction of new users remain active after the first month. By offering immediate value through Collections, Mastodon hopes to convert casual sign-ups into long-term contributors. Moreover, the opt-out and reporting features protect users from being added to unwanted lists — a concern that arose with similar features on other platforms, where users were sometimes included in packs without consent.
Broader Context in the Fediverse
Mastodon is not the only fediverse project working on curation. PeerTube has channels, PixelFed has collections, and Lemmy has communities. But account discovery across the fediverse remains fragmented. Mastodon’s Collections, if adopted widely, could serve as a bridge. Since Collections can include accounts from any Mastodon server, they effectively cross-instance boundaries. A user on a small server can still discover accounts from mastodon.social, mstdn.jp, or others, provided those users are in a Collection curated on the small server. This interoperability strengthens the network effect of the fediverse without centralizing control.
In addition, Mastodon’s approach contrasts with algorithm-driven recommendations on mainstream platforms. Collections are human-curated, which may reduce the spread of low-quality or toxic content. However, it also raises moderation questions: who is responsible if a Collection includes harmful accounts? Mastodon’s reporting system for individual accounts already exists, but reporting an entire Collection adds a new layer. Server admins will need guidelines for handling reports against Collections, particularly when they cross servers. The Mastodon team has not yet detailed moderation policies, but the feature’s design (including the opt-out) aims to limit abuse.
Future Developments
Beyond the initial launch, Mastodon has hinted at additional capabilities. For instance, server owners may eventually be able to create official Collections for onboarding, replacing the built-in suggested accounts. This gives admins more control over the newcomer experience. Another possibility is trending Collections, where the most-used or most-followed Collections are highlighted, similar to trending topics. However, the announcement stresses that discovery features will only roll out after a critical mass of Collections exists, likely several months after the release of Mastodon 4.6.
Longer-term, Collections could integrate with Mastodon’s keyword following and list features. That is, a user might choose to automatically follow all accounts in a Collection, or a Collection could be turned into a permanent list, allowing users to view posts from those accounts in a dedicated column. These enhancements would further bridge the gap between manual curation and algorithmic feeds, giving users more control over their timeline.
The timing of this announcement also reflects broader trends in social media. Both Bluesky and Mastodon are competing for users seeking alternatives to X. By introducing a feature that is familiar (Starter Packs) but iterated upon with feedback, Mastodon demonstrates its agility. It also signals that the platform is serious about surpassing the user experience of centralized rivals while preserving decentralized values. As the fediverse grows, features like Collections may become a key differentiator, attracting users who want community-driven discovery without the noise of automated algorithms.
In the immediate future, Mastodon users on mastodon.social can expect to see Collections appear in their interface within days. Those on other servers will need to wait for the Mastodon 4.6 update. Given that many large servers (like mastodon.social, mstdn.jp, and fosstodon.org) tend to update quickly, Collections could become widely available within a month. Smaller servers may take longer, but the open-source nature of Mastodon means that any admin can apply the upgrade as soon as it is stable.
Source:The Verge News