The Mastodon Hashtag-Search Data Collector module can retrieve recent public posts and replies that include a specified hashtag from a specified Mastodon server (aka Instance).
The EDU version of the collector can retrieve up to 5k recent posts, while Communalytic Pro’s can retrieve up to 50k. And unlike our other data collectors, such as Reddit and Telegram data collectors, you do not have to create a Mastodon account or apply for a separate Mastodon API key to use this collector.
Visit the Mastodon Data Structure page to learn more about the types of data collected by Communalytic via the Mastodon API.
Step 1 #
Go to the “My Datasets” page and click the “Hashtag Search” button.
Step 2 #
Name your dataset, enter the name of the public Mastodon server where you wish to collect from and finally, enter your chosen hashtag. For a list of public Mastodon servers, aka Instances, visit https://joinmastodon.org/server or https://mastodonservers.net/servers/top
For example, the request below will collect recent public posts from “mstdn.party” containing the “#Friday” hashtag.
Note 1: The Hashtag Search Collector can only collect one hashtag per query.
Note 2: Communalytic will collect replies to original/thread-starting posts and replies to replies. However, these replies may or may not contain the specified hashtag, but the parent post, that is, the original post that started the thread, will contain the hashtag.
Note 3: If you attempt to collect data from a private or non-existent Mastodon server, the following error message will appear:
Step 3 #
Select the maximum number of recent posts to collect from the drop-down menu.
Step 4 #
Click the “Start Data Collection” button.
Step 5 #
To confirm that data collection is underway, you should be able to see your new dataset listed on the “My Datasets” page.
The Mastodon API limits data collection per IP address to one data request per second. Currently, five users can collect data at once. As a result, there may be a longer waiting time to collect compared to collecting Reddit or Telegram data on Communalytic. If Communalytic is at maximum capacity, you will still find your dataset listed on your “My Datasets” home screen and your request to collect data will get placed in a queue.