skills.rest
reiver
reiverCOMMUNITY
Explore all skills by this author →
WebsiteGitHub

kb-fediverse-following

Explain ActivityPub follow handshakes and Fediverse following mechanics.

9|Updated Mar 12, 2026
Search Tags:#social media#api#federation#fediverse#activitypub#following
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/reiver/vibefed --skill kb-fediverse-following
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: kb-fediverse-following
Source: https://github.com/reiver/vibefed/tree/main/skills/kb-fediverse-following
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/reiver/vibefed --skill kb-fediverse-following

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps you understand and implement the complex, multi-step process of following and unfollowing users on the Fediverse, ensuring correct federation behavior.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Follow Handshake: Details the four-message exchange for follows, including Follow, Accept, and Reject activities.
  • Account Types: Explains the difference between open (manuallyApprovesFollowers: false) and locked (manuallyApprovesFollowers: true) accounts.
  • Content Delivery: Describes how posts are delivered to followers via to and cc fields and the sharedInbox optimization.
  • Account Migration: Covers the Move activity for migrating accounts between servers.
  • Use Case: Debugging why a user cannot follow another user on a different Fediverse instance, or implementing the logic for handling follow requests in your own social application.

Quick Start

Explain the ActivityPub follow handshake process.

Frequently Asked Questions about kb-fediverse-following

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How does the ActivityPub follow handshake work on the Fediverse?▼

The ActivityPub follow handshake is a four-message exchange involving Follow, Accept, and Reject activities to establish a connection between actors. This process ensures correct federation behavior across instances before delivering content.

How do I unfollow a user using ActivityPub?▼

You unfollow a user by sending an Undo activity referencing the original Follow activity. This mechanism halts content delivery to the former follower and updates the following collection accordingly.

How is post content delivered to followers in ActivityPub?▼

Content delivery to followers uses the to and cc fields targeting the followers collection, often optimizing with a sharedInbox. This ensures posts correctly reach federated actors across different instances.

What is the difference between open and locked accounts in the Fediverse?▼

Open accounts have manuallyApprovesFollowers set to false, auto-accepting follows, while locked accounts set it to true, requiring manual approval. This determines whether the follow handshake waits for explicit authorization.

How do I migrate a Fediverse account to a new server?▼

Migrate a Fediverse account by issuing a Move activity to transfer followers to the new actor object. This updates the federation state, redirecting existing followers to the new server instance.

Related Skills

Explore More Software Engineering Skills→
zephyrwang6zephyrwang6
333

mcp-builder

Guide developers in designing and implementing MCP servers with FastMCP or MCP SDK.

Community
Advanced
nirholasnirholas
443

unfollow-management

Run browser console scripts to mass unfollow accounts on X/Twitter.

Community
Advanced
reiverreiver
9

kb-fediverse-openwebauth

Explain the OpenWebAuth federated authentication protocol and its 5-step handshake.

Community
Advanced
AutomatticAutomattic
576

activitypub-federation

Explain ActivityPub actors, activities, and federation mechanics.

Official
Basic