Mastodon API keys
Mastodon API credentials belong in configuration, not in a commit. This page covers where to create one, what it looks like, and how APIKeyConnect stores it without ever being able to read it.
The facts
- Category
- Social Media
- API host
mastodon.social- Env variable
MASTODON- Sensitivity
- Medium
- Create a key
- https://mastodon.social/settings/applications/new — Mastodon is federated — replace mastodon.social with your own instance. The path is the same on every instance.
- Documentation
- https://docs.joinmastodon.org/client/token/
A leaked key here is mostly a billing and quota problem rather than a data one — still worth rotating, rarely an emergency.
Kinds of Mastodon key
OAuth access token
Per-instance; issued by your home server
How APIKeyConnect stores it
The key is encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM, under a key derived from your master password with PBKDF2-SHA-256 at 600,000 iterations. The password never leaves your device, and the server holds ciphertext it has no way to open.
What the server can see — and what this design does not protect against — is written out in full on the security page. That section exists because a page with no limits section is marketing.
Questions
Where do I get a Mastodon API key?
Mastodon issues keys from https://mastodon.social/settings/applications/new. Mastodon is federated — replace mastodon.social with your own instance. The path is the same on every instance. Once you have it, store it in APIKeyConnect rather than in a .env file you might commit — the key is encrypted on your device with a master password we never receive.
What environment variable should I use for Mastodon?
Most projects use MASTODON. APIKeyConnect recognises these names, so importing an existing .env maps the value onto Mastodon automatically instead of leaving it as an unlabelled string, and generating a .env writes it back under the same name.
How dangerous is a leaked Mastodon key?
Medium sensitivity. A leaked key here is mostly a billing and quota problem rather than a data one — still worth rotating, rarely an emergency.
Can APIKeyConnect see my Mastodon key?
No. The key is encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM under a key derived from your master password (PBKDF2-SHA-256, 600,000 iterations). The password never leaves your device and the server stores ciphertext it cannot open. What the server can see is documented in full on the security page, including what this design does not protect against.