The latest version of Mastodon (4.2.0) brings full text search, so you can search by words instead of hashtags.
However, for privacy reasons this only includes posts by people who have actively opted into full text search.
If your server is updated to 4.2.0 and you want to opt into full text search:
1. Log into your server's website
2. Click your profile icon
3. Click "Edit Profile"
4. Click tab "Privacy & Reach"
5. Tick box "Include Public Posts In Search results"
6. Click "Save Changes"
p.s. Apparently it can take a while for the search databases to build up after the upgrade. Don't worry if your searches aren't showing any results yet.
Also, you will only get results from posts by people who have opted into this system. As the system was only released today, it will take time as people find out about it and (possibly) opt in.
I think you'd have to ask your server's admin about that.
It sounds like the part of the server that powers the full text search isn't active?
For your server the admin is @matt
Ah, sorry about that! 😃
Hopefully this helps:
Your server's website is usually the name of your server. You can log into your account through your server's website instead of an app.
For example your server is ohai.social, so the website for your server is https://ohai.social
The settings pages on server websites tend to be updated quicker than the settings pages on the apps. This means when a new option comes out it's often only accessible through the website at first.
Luddites are the best! Do ask if there's anything else you want help with!
Yeah, your server has to be running at least version 4.2.0 in order for you to opt into the full text search.
Hmm... It's working for me on 4.2.0... I assume you're typing @ before you're typing their name?
When the update happened on my server, there was a short period where everything was a bit buggy, but after a while it started working normally again.
I'm guessing it takes a little time for the server to get back to normal after installation?
No, it's not. That option is about whether your posts are indexed by search engines like Google, DuckDuckGo etc.
Your server mastodon.cloud isn't on 4.2.0 yet, so you don't have the full text search setting yet. If you ask your admin, they will tell you when/if they are upgrading.
No worries! 🙂
Some servers installed unofficial patches, and some servers ran the test version of 4.2.0.
However, this is the first time the official release version of Mastodon includes full text search.
Yeah, the old one was only for your own toots, or toots you had favourited etc. This one searches all toots of people who have opted into the system.
Before when I used to use the search functionality in Mastodon it used to show me results from posts I've already interacted with before (boosts, favorites, replies, etc). But now it seems like I'm not able to do that anymore 😢 Is this how it's gonna be from now on? Or will there be an option to search for those previously interacted posts? For me that feature was extremely useful for finding posts I've seen before.
It applies to posts that your server can see which were written by people who have opted into this system.
No one's posts will be searchable unless they want their posts to be searchable.
So, it would only apply to boosts where the person writing it has specifically opted in to being searchable.
Thanks, so if I understand correctly you mean disabled the feature completely, so people can't opt in?
Or do you mean off by default and they can switch it on? I think it's off by default for everyone?
@feditips No. While performing the update, the new feature is disabled by default. Who wants to opt-in, can opt-in.
I'd recommend checking the megaphone icon in the mastodon app or on the web for announcements about the update. If there's none, try checking the instance admin's posts :)
That sounds like the same thing on all servers? As far as I know there are no servers where it is on by default?
The feature is there by default, but everyone is also opted out of it by default.
So, the only search results are posts by people who change the setting to opt into the search.
As far as I know, the option is always off by default. It is opt-in, i.e. you have to personally opt in if you want it to work.
Yeah, I can see your server is still on 4.1.9 so it doesn't have this feature.
You can see your server's version by going to its website's About page (to see About on desktop click Learn More, on mobile click ⋯).
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