wtf is server_directory?

mastodon/server_directory — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-08-04 · repo last pushed 2026-07-29

Audience · developerComplexity · 1/5ActiveSetup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Powers server directory
      Lists Mastodon instances
      Helps users find communities
    Data contents
      Server names
      Descriptions
      Metadata
    Use cases
      Build discovery tools
      Enhance server directory
      Research Mastodon landscape
    Audience
      Tool builders
      Mastodon maintainers
      General users
    Setup
      Clone and explore
      No docs available
      Read raw data files

mindmap root((repo)) What it does Powers server directory Lists Mastodon instances Helps users find communities Data contents Server names Descriptions Metadata Use cases Build discovery tools Enhance server directory Research Mastodon landscape Audience Tool builders Mastodon maintainers General users Setup Clone and explore No docs available Read raw data files

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Build a website that helps people find the right Mastodon community based on their interests.

REASON 2

Maintain or update the official Mastodon server directory using this data.

REASON 3

Create a tool that compares Mastodon instances by description or metadata.

How it stacks up

	mastodon/server_directory	00kaku/gallery-slider-block	04amanrajj/netwatch
Stars	—	—	0
Language	—	JavaScript	Rust
Last pushed	2026-07-29	2021-05-19	—
Maintenance	Active	Dormant	—
Setup difficulty	easy	easy	moderate
Complexity	1/5	2/5	3/5
Audience	developer	general	ops devops

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

No documentation available, you need to clone and explore the raw data files directly to understand the format.

Wtf does this do

This repository holds the underlying data that powers the server directory on Mastodon, the decentralized social network. When someone browses Mastodon looking for a community to join, the server directory is what helps them discover and compare available instances. The repo is essentially the data backbone for that discovery experience. The README doesn't go into detail about the project's structure or how it works internally. Based on the repository name and description alone, it appears to contain information about Mastodon servers, likely things like server names, descriptions, and metadata that the directory needs to display to users. The people who would benefit most from this are those building tools or interfaces on top of Mastodon who need access to server directory data, or anyone maintaining the official Mastodon server directory itself. For example, if you were building a website that helps people find the right Mastodon community based on their interests, this data would be a key input for your project. Because the README is empty, there isn't much to say about the project's technical approach or design decisions. Anyone looking to use or contribute to the repo would need to explore the contents directly to understand the data format and how it's organized.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1

I want to build a Mastodon server discovery tool using the data from mastodon/server_directory. Help me parse the repository files and extract server names, descriptions, and metadata into a structured format I can display on a website.

Prompt 2

I cloned mastodon/server_directory but the README is empty. Help me explore the file structure and figure out the data format so I can use it in my project.

Prompt 3

I have the Mastodon server directory data from this repo and want to build a filter interface where users search for communities by keyword. Help me load the data and set up a simple search function.

Frequently asked questions