How do I search for specific keywords in my Mastodon toots using mastotool?

Use the 'mastotool search ' command from the terminal; it scans your toot history for matches based on the provided phrase, with output displayed directly in the console. This is ideal for quick content retrieval without web browsing.

mastotool vs web-based Mastodon analytics: which should I choose?

mastotool is better for fast, scriptable command-line access and custom reports, while web tools offer real-time updates and visual dashboards. Choose mastotool if you prioritize terminal workflows and offline analysis over interactive features.

Can mastotool track follower growth over time?

Yes, the 'mastotool stats' command includes metrics like 'New followers per day' based on your account data, but it doesn't provide historical trends or graphs—rely on the text output for basic insights over recent toots.

How to install mastotool on Ubuntu without compiling from source?

Download the Debian package from the GitHub releases page or use package managers if available; the README lists Debian & RPM formats for Linux, making installation straightforward via apt or similar tools.

Is it possible to automate mastotool in a cron job for daily reports?

Yes, but automation is limited by the interactive authentication prompt; you'd need to handle credentials securely in scripts, and output is terminal-only unless piped to files, which may require additional setup.

Does mastotool work with any Mastodon instance, or just mastodon.social?

It works with any Mastodon instance, as it prompts for the instance URL during setup; simply enter your instance's address (e.g., https://your.instance) when running commands for compatibility.

Open-Awesome

mastotool

MITGov0.2.4

A collection of command-line tools for analyzing and searching your Mastodon account activity.

GitHub

101 stars9 forks0 contributors

What is mastotool?

mastotool is a command-line application that provides tools for interacting with and analyzing Mastodon accounts. It allows users to generate statistics about their posting activity, engagement metrics, and search through their toots directly from the terminal.

Target Audience

Mastodon power users, developers, and data enthusiasts who prefer command-line workflows and want to analyze their social media activity programmatically.

Value Proposition

It offers a lightweight, fast, and scriptable alternative to web-based Mastodon analytics, with cross-platform support and no external dependencies beyond a Mastodon account.

Overview

A collection of command-line tools to work with your Mastodon account

Use Cases

Best For

Analyzing Mastodon engagement metrics from the command line
Searching through personal toot history for specific content
Generating custom statistics reports for social media activity
Automating Mastodon data analysis in scripts or workflows
Understanding posting habits and interaction patterns on Mastodon
Quickly checking account performance without using a web browser

Not Ideal For

Users who prefer graphical dashboards with charts and visualizations over text-based reports
Teams or researchers needing to analyze multiple Mastodon accounts simultaneously
Projects requiring real-time social media monitoring or push notifications
Workflows that demand automated data export to formats like CSV or JSON for external analysis

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cross-Platform Accessibility

Offers pre-built binaries for Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD, with package manager support like Homebrew and AUR for straightforward installation across environments.

Customizable Report Generation

Includes flags such as --recent, --top, and --columns to filter data and adjust output, allowing users to tailor statistics to specific needs without code changes.

Fast Command-Line Efficiency

Provides quick analytics and search directly from the terminal, enabling scriptable integration and reducing reliance on slower web interfaces for data retrieval.

Minimal Dependencies

Written in Go with easy compilation from source, requiring only a Mastodon account and config file, avoiding complex external dependencies or runtime environments.

Cons

Basic Authentication Method

Requires interactive username and password input in the CLI without OAuth support, which can be insecure and inconvenient for automated or secure workflows.

Single-Account Limitation

Focuses solely on the user's own Mastodon account, with no features for analyzing multiple accounts or community-wide data, restricting collaborative use cases.

Text-Only Output Constraints

Generates reports purely in terminal text format, lacking graphical visualizations or built-in options to export data to structured files like CSV or JSON for further processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

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