1. Choose a Mastodon Instance
2. How Mastodon Shortcodes & Character Counting Work Guide & Sandbox
What is a shortcode?
Mastodon servers can upload custom emojis. Instead of a standard Unicode character, you insert them into a post by typing their shortcode wrapped in colons—for example, :blobcat:.
How are characters counted?
Unlike standard Unicode emojis (which usually count as 1 character), Mastodon counts every character of the shortcode text toward your post limit—including both colons ::
:blobcat: → : (1) + blobcat (7) + : (1) = 9 characters
Standard Mastodon instances have a 500-character post limit. Long shortcodes use up space quickly—so if you're running tight on characters and a standard Unicode emoji (like 🎉 or 🐱, which counts as just 1 character) gets the point across, using that instead is an easy way to save space.
Total: 0 / 500
Shortcodes found: 0 (0 chars)