Mastodon, the open-source, decentralized alternative to X (formerly Twitter), is introducing a new feature to enhance the app’s appeal for users who rely on it to stay updated with news and information from writers and journalists. Beginning Tuesday, the company will introduce clickable author bylines on link posts. This new feature will enable Mastodon users to easily navigate to the author’s account on the fediverse, if it is active. As a result, journalists will have the opportunity to expand their reach and grow their following.
The new bylines surpass the usual @username mentions that frequently accompany link posts from news publications and those directing to other written content, such as a WordPress blog or Substack. On the other hand, the update will feature the news outlet’s headline and cover image, followed by a subsequent mention that includes the author’s name and profile picture.
The feature is now being introduced to a few chosen news publishers, such as The Verge, MacStories, and MacRumors. 
In order to access these fresh bylines, it is necessary to utilize the primary Mastodon server at mastodon.social, either through the web or an official mobile application, at least for now. If you happen to be using a different Mastodon server, it is important to ensure that it is compatible with the latest Mastodon nightly release. Please take note that only websites that the moderators have approved will be able to use this particular feature.
The company has announced that its API will support the new bylines, enabling third-party apps to use this feature in the future.
Mastodon claims that the driving force behind the feature is a novel type of OpenGraph tag on the back end. These tags play a crucial role in determining the thumbnail image that appears when your website is shared on various platforms such as Mastodon, iMessage, Discord, and more.
Here’s an example of what the tag looks like: ”. Incorporating it into a website is a breeze, requiring just a single line of code for seamless integration.
The handle in the tag can also apply to any fediverse account, not limited to Mastodon. This indicates that it has the capability to link to various accounts on platforms such as Flipboard, Threads, WordPress (with the ActivityPub plug-in), PeerTube, Pixelfed, and more. In addition, Mastodon states that the handle will function without the use of the leading at symbol (@).
However, it is important to note that it currently does not have the capability to support multiple authors for co-byline situations. Only the first author will be displayed. However, it is possible that this issue will be resolved in a future update.
Mastodon plans to submit a specification draft for other ActivityPub platforms in the coming weeks.
By implementing the tag, journalists may be more inclined to utilize the federated social network, thus boosting their visibility and reach. The fediverse boasts an impressive user base of over 10 million, excluding Threads, which, although not fully federated, still manages to attract a staggering 170 million monthly users. Mastodon, in particular, boasts approximately 804,000 monthly active users.
