This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum.

One of the foundational aspects of the Fediverse is that you are able to move your account to another home aka instance. And that you can take the majority of your data with you.

This interoperability capability shared between ActivityPub platforms is a fantastic benefit for you and open social in general.

There are many reasons for moving you account to a new home:

  • you may have discovered another instance that better matches your interests or maybe a new one was just created.

  • you may find the moderation policies of your home have changed and you don't agree with them now.

  • your instance's admin(s) may have devolved into a techbro, technofascist, or AI slop merchant.

  • or as unfortunately happens now and then, your home may be shutting down due to admin burnout or lack of financial resources.

  • or maybe you don't like having multiple accounts on a variety of Fediverse platforms and are looking to consolidate.

In any event, if you are looking to move, Bonfire opens new opportunities for community-driven, boundary-respecting social networking. I think it can be the everything app of the Fediverse. It's a great choice for a new home for your identity and data.

However, a move has the potential to be irreversible so you need to be sure about your decision. And Bonfire has unique features like Circles, Groups, and Boundaries that may not exist on you current platform. So read some of the linked articles here to get an idea of what your new experience will entail.

Note that while we are one of the few publications covering Bonfire, I am not an expert so most of this information is pulled (by handwritten notes) from the Bonfire documentation.

Like developing software for the Fediverse itself, migrating is not simple but it is possible with a little work and concentration.

Here are the processes we will go through:

  • Export Your Current Data

  • Start a Fire

  • Importing Your Data

  • Move Your Followers

  • Clean Up Your Old Account

  • Hey, This Didn't Work as Advertised

  • Let's Rock Bonfire

 
If you just want to create a new Bonfire account, read our notice Setting up your account on a Bonfire / Manade instance.

Note That Not Everything Migrates

Migratable:

  • followers

  • manual imports

    • following lists

    • block lists (with Bonfire you can block, silence, or ghost)

    • bookmarks (if your instance can export them)

    • likes and boosts

    • custom lists (these will become Bonfire Circles)

    • complete posts history (if your instance exports a JSON archive of you outbox)

Not migratable:

  • private conversations

  • media files (though references can be preserved)

  • any instance specific feature

 

Export Your Current Data

Your current data has to be migrated.

The Bonfire docs cover moving from a variety of platforms including other Bonfire instances. But, we are going to look at the most common possibilities here.

The Fediverse's 800 pound Gorilla aka Mastodon

Moving from the extinct pachyderm would be the most common migration path.

From the user interface of your current home the steps are:

  1. 1.

    Go to Settings > Import and Export Data > Data Export

  2. 2.

    Download your follow, blocks, mutes, bookmarks, and lists to CSV files

  3. 3.

    Request a full archive of your posts and media

Misskey and friends

With Misskey and its forks there is a similar process with these steps:

  1. 1.

    Go to Setttings > Import / Export

  2. 2.

    Export your following list, blocked users, muted users, bookmarks, lists

  3. 3.

    Some lists may need to be manually created

Akkoma

For this innovative Misskey-influenced fork of Pleroma:

  1. 1.

    Go to Settings > Data export

  2. 2.

    Export follows, blocks, mutes, bookmarks

  3. 3.

    Export your lists as they are available

 
You should be able to migrate from any Fediverse platform with similar steps. Your current home's admin might even help you, especially if the instance is shutting down.

Start a Fire

The first step to creating a new Bonfire account is to choose an instance. And this is the most challenging step in my opinion.

Because, there aren't many pubic instances of Bonfire available. So be diligent in reviewing the communities and their rules for the few choices you have.

Note that this is why we are working on Manade. There needs to be an easier way to stand up a new Bonfire community.

Bonfire itself has an experimental instance so you can experience how it works. But it's not a permanent home for you on the Fediverse.

Also, make sure the Bonfire community you want to migrate to will federate with your current platform's instance.

Sign on the dotted line

You might want to read our article, Grab a seat at our Bonfire: the revolutionary community platform before continuing.

And you might want to choose an instance based on the flavor of Bonfire it uses.

On the signup page of your final choice:

  • Use the same username (hopefully available)

  • Set up your profile with a display name and bio

  • Upload your profile and header images

Note that with Bonfire you can have up to four profiles on each account. This is assuming your new community permits them. You could have a personal and professional profiles. And maybe one for intimate friends and family or a group-based profile.

Fortunately, you don't have to do this a signup and have time to plan your profiles strategy. I would recommend waiting.

If you want to at this point, you can also create custom Circles for sharing and organizing your feeds. You can set up Boundaries and your privacy settings. And you can explore Bonfire's user interface.

Of course, you don't have to select all your settings immediately. You might want to read about Circles, Boundaries, and Groups first. Then customize your settings after the migration is finished.

Set up your Aliases

You need to create alias(es) on the instance you are leaving.

The same steps are required for leaving a Mastodon, Akkoma, or even Pixelfed instance:

With Misskey aliasing may not be supported so you will have to manually notify your followers ahead of executing the move. Publicize a moving date and time in your header and send multiple posts while preparing to move to Bonfire.

Now, in Bonfire go the Settings > Import and scroll down to the bottom. In the "Account Aliases" section add your previous Fediverse handle -> @youroldusername@youroldinstancename.social etc. Finally, save the alias.

Make Sure It Works

To make sure everything is good to go:

  • Follow your new handle from your old home

  • Follow your old handle your old handle from your new Bonfire instance

  • Share a post from each account

  • Make sure federation is working in both directions via boosting, liking, replying, etc.

  • Both accounts should show the other as a verified alias

 
You're all set Clark Kent.

Importing Your Current Data

The next process is importing your data.

Like everything else with Bonfire, it's import system is flexible and secure.

You will import these files:

  • Relationship and activity data CSV files

  • Your "outbox" consisting of complete post history and activities JSON files

OK, let's import them.

Here's how it works:

  • Upload a file in Settings > Import

  • Large import jobs are queued and processed in the background so you can keep using Bonfire

  • Bonfire features Smart Handling so it automatically skips duplicates and handles errors. Invalid data is ignored.

  • You can track you import's progress in Settings > Import History

 

What You Can Import

As you might guess by now, you can import:

  • Following lists

  • Block lists

  • Bookmarks

  • Likes and Boosts

  • Lists as Circles

  • Complete post history (if you old platform has this export capability)

Preserving Data is Important during Imports

Bonfire carefully preserves your content's original identity when importing your posts and other content.

So:

  • Posts keep their original timestamps and canonical links

  • Replies from different instances remain linked to their parent posts

  • Like and boost counts are retained

  • Your timeline remains chronologically accurate

This works by:

  • Imported posts being boosted to make them visible on your new profile's timeline

  • However, note they are not pushed to your followers' feeds or notifications

  • So, your old content is synced to your new profile without flooding everyone with old posts

It benefits you by:

  • Providing an accurate and complete posting history

  • Being available for interaction with your historical posts

  • However, if you old posts are interacted with you will not be notified

  • Having conversations (public) and reply threads remain intact

  • No worrying about annoying your followers with old content

 

Importing More Data into Bonfire

You also need to import the accounts you are following.

So:

  • Go to Settings > Import

  • Upload your following CSV files

  • Accounts will automatically be refollowed. Again, you can check the progress via Import History

  • Import you blocks, silences, ghost, etc by uploading your CSV file(s)

  • Import your bookmarks via uploading those CSV files (if available)

  • Do the same for your likes and boosts

  • And for lists (as conversion to Circles) if applicable

  • Upload your "outbox" JSON export file to restore your posts, replies, and other content

 

Move Your Followers

It's now time to move your followers. Note that this is irreversible. So make sure you 100% committed to the move.

You have to start the move on your old home by:

  • Going to account settings

  • Search for "move to a different account" or something similar

  • Enter your new Bonfire handle

  • Read all the warnings

  • Enter your old password to confirm the move

What Happens Now

Here's what should now occur:

  • Your old account is marked as moved. A moved notice may automatically appear or you may need to edit your old bio

  • Your followers will receive a notification about your new account

  • Followers running compatible software will automatically refollow your new Bonfire profile

  • Your old account may now be restricted

 
If your old instance does not support moves, what should you do?

Manually announce your move in a final post. Then pin that announcement post to the top of your old profile. Ask your existing followers to follow your new Bonfire profile.

Clean Up Your Old Account

You will need to clean up your old account. Note that you have the option to keep your old account and redirect it to Bonfire rather than closing and deleting it.

The other option is the deletion route. Maybe you're pissed off at your old instance and want to have nothing to do with legitimizing it's newly exposed technofascist admin who has gone all in on the AI Slop train. ;) Tech routinely gets enshittified and Fediverse instances are no different. But, fortunately you have moved to Bonfire.

So:

  • Wait a week to let all your followers migrate

  • Follow the account deletion process of your old instance

  • Again, this is permanent and irreversible

  • Also note, your old username may be available for a new account to take

 

This did not work as advertised

You may need to do some troubleshooting (though probably not).

If your followers didn't transfer:

  • Wait 48 - 72 hours for slow Federation to finish

  • Your old home may not support moves so you will have to use the manual technique covered above

If you import failed on Bonfire:

  • Check the progress in Settings > Import > Import History

  • Make sure you CSV files are properly formatted

  • Large files may need to be split into smaller ones

  • Some old instance-specific data may not be importable

If you can't set up aliases:

  • Ensure both instances can federate with each other

  • Double-check that you got the handle addresses correct

  • Your old home may not support aliasing

If a move option say it's not available:

  • Make sure the old and new accounts have each other as aliases

  • Make sure you cooldown period has expired (if applicable)

  • As a last resort check with you old admin

 

Let's Rock Bonfire

It's time to rock and roll with Bonfire.

If you haven't already, read our Grab a seat at our Bonfire: the revolutionary community platform and Bonfire: A Social Platform Apart articles.

You will notice your lists have become Circles with new settings. Bonfire's privacy model and settings are different from those of your old home.

And new interaction options are now available to you as well. So get started and take advantage of them.

Wrapping it Up

As you have seen, migrating to Bonfire is doable but not simple. It's like Activity Pub software development itself. But, the important part is that it is possible. And it's not super difficult.

Interoperability, agency, and freedom are key tenants of the Fediverse. They are well worth any patience and effort required to benefit from them.

Your reward is upcoming hours of enjoying the most innovative and customizable Fediverse platform, Bonfire.

Grab your seat and revel in the warmth of ActivityPub's most secure, stable, and safe community tool.

Cheers!

 

 

CTAs

 

And please build something for a community! We're painfully nurturing the Bonfire-based Manade.