Discover New Content

gotosocial.social operates without algorithmic recommendations. The content displayed on your personal timeline (Home Timeline) originates exclusively from the accounts or hashtags you follow, arranged in reverse chronological order. Consequently, the key to discovering content lies in identifying accounts and topics that interest you.

Below are several methods to assist you in discovering interesting accounts and hashtags. You may review their profiles, pinned posts, and recent activity; if they align with your interests, simply send a follow request.

Things to Consider Before Sending Follow Requests

• Some users prefer not to accept follow requests from accounts lacking an avatar or original posts. It is advisable to complete your profile and publish a few original posts before applying, as this increases the likelihood of your request being accepted.
• It's recommended to check the bio and pinned posts of the account you wish to follow before sending a follow request.
• If you are uncertain whether a user will accept your request, consider leaving a comment or sending a direct message explaining your reason for wishing to follow them.
• If your request is explicitly rejected (the status reverts from "Pending" to "Not Following"), please do not repeatedly resend the request, as this may cause distress to the user. If you genuinely wish to follow them, allow a significant period (weeks or even months) to pass before trying again, or consider subscribing to their public posts via RSS. On gotosocial.social, frequently sending follow requests to the same account is considered harassment; please refer to the Rules for details.

Migrating from Legacy Social Networks

Due to platform incompatibility, a complete automatic migration from legacy social networks (such as Twitter) is not feasible. A step-by-step migration strategy is recommended: Follow select accounts -> Publish content on the Fediverse -> Reduce usage of legacy networks -> Selectively depart from old platforms.

• Twitter/X: Since Twitter discontinued its free API, the majority of automated import tools are no longer functional. You can attempt to manually discover Fediverse accounts through the following methods:
  • Review your following list on Twitter. Check if the user's nickname or bio contains a handle in the format @username@instance.domain, or a link resembling https://instance.domain/@username / https://instance.domain/users/username. If found, copy the username or link and search for it using your preferred client on gotosocial.social.
  • Some users may only announce their new platform handle in a pinned tweet or their most recent post. specific users you wish to follow, check their profiles for such announcements.
  • If you require only a one-way follow of a Twitter/X user, you may utilize mirror services such as bird.makeup. For example, to follow the Twitter user @username, search for @username@bird.makeup in your client. Please note that bird.makeup does not guarantee availability or stability.
• BlueSky: Interconnectivity between BlueSky and the Fediverse is primarily achieved via the Bridgy Fed project. Check the profiles of users you follow to see if their bio or pinned posts contain a handle in the format @<bluesky_username>@bsky.brid.gy. If so, copy the username to search and follow on gotosocial.social. You may also attempt to search directly for @<bluesky_username>@bsky.brid.gy to see if results appear.
• Fediverse: Generally, most Fediverse platforms support data export/import. Log in to the settings panel of your previous Fediverse site, locate the data import/export section, and perform the corresponding operations. We cover common scenarios and methods in Export and Import.

Browsing Local and Federated Timelines

The Local Timeline contains all public posts published by gotosocial.social users, while the Federated Timeline includes public posts from all users federated with us. If you have not yet built a following list, browsing these timelines is another way to discover content.

Following RT Bots, Discussion Bots, and Groups

Retweet bots, discussion bots, or groups function as pre-curated information streams—effectively a primitive form of push algorithm—to aid in content discovery.

• Retweet Bots: Forward posts based on predefined rules (e.g., a threshold of likes/boosts).
• Discussion Bots: Automatically forward mentions to all users following the bot, creating a "board chat" effect.
• Groups: Mechanically similar to discussion bots.

Active Posting and Engagement

Actively publishing content and waiting for others to discover you is also a valid method of content discovery. Furthermore, maintaining an active output helps establish your "reputation" within the Fediverse, increasing the likelihood that others will accept your follow requests.

If you prefer not to publish original content at this time, you can engage with topics and content posted by others. As mentioned above, you can browse the Local/Federated timelines and bots. When you encounter posts of interest, like, comment, or boost them. This triggers notifications for the account owner, potentially leading them to notice you—this is how connections are established.

Leveraging Existing Connections

Once you have accumulated a certain number of followed accounts, you can discover additional users through the replies and boosts within your network, creating a positive feedback loop. Reaching this stage signifies that you have successfully established your own circle within the Fediverse.