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Synapsis Guide

Understanding the federated social network

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1. What is the Fediverse?

The Fediverse (federated universe) is a network of interconnected social platforms that can talk to each other. Unlike centralized platforms like Twitter or Facebook, the Fediverse is made up of thousands of independent servers (called "instances" or "nodes") that share a common protocol.

Think of it like email: you can send an email from Gmail to Outlook because they speak the same language. Similarly, you can follow someone on a Mastodon server from your Synapsis account because they both speak ActivityPub.

Key Terms
  • Node / Instance: An independent server running social software (like this Synapsis node).
  • ActivityPub: The protocol that allows different servers to communicate.
  • Handle: Your username, including your server (e.g., @alice@mynode.com).
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2. How Synapsis is Different

While Synapsis uses ActivityPub like Mastodon, it introduces a key difference: Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs).

The Problem with Traditional Federation

On Mastodon, your identity is @username@server.com. If your server shuts down, or you want to move to a different one, you effectively lose your identity. Your followers have to re-follow your new account, and your post history doesn't come with you.

The Synapsis Approach: DIDs

When you create an account on Synapsis, you're assigned a unique DID (Decentralized Identifier) — a cryptographic ID like did:key:z6Mk.... This DID is your true identity. Your human-readable handle (@alice) is simply a friendly pointer to that DID.

What this means for you
  • You own your identity. Your DID is generated from a cryptographic key pair that only you control.
  • Authenticity. Every post you make is cryptographically signed, proving it came from you.
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3. Following Users on Other Servers

Following Someone on Another Synapsis Node

To follow a user on a different Synapsis node, use the Explore / Search feature. Enter their full handle in the format:

@username@other-node.com

Synapsis uses WebFinger to discover the user's profile on the remote server, then sends a Follow request via ActivityPub.

Following Someone on Mastodon (or other Fediverse platforms)

The process is identical! Enter their full handle:

@user@mastodon.social

Because ActivityPub is an open standard, Synapsis can communicate with Mastodon, Pleroma, Misskey, and other compatible platforms.

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4. How Others Follow You

To let someone on another server follow you, share your full handle. It includes your username and this node's domain:

@your-username@{typeof window !== 'undefined' ? window.location.host : 'this-node.com'}

When they search for your handle on their platform (Mastodon, another Synapsis node, etc.), their server will use WebFinger to find your profile and send a Follow request.

You can find your full handle on your Profile page.

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5. Portable Identity & Account Migration

Synapsis offers true account portability powered by DIDs. You can migrate your entire account — identity, posts, and media — to another Synapsis node.

What Gets Migrated

How to Migrate

  1. Go to Settings → Account Migration
  2. Click Export Account and enter your password
  3. Download your export file (keep it safe!)
  4. On the new node, go to Settings → Account Migration → Import
  5. Upload your export file and choose a handle
The Synapsis Advantage

Unlike Mastodon where followers must manually re-follow you, Synapsis followers are automatically migrated because they follow your DID, not just a server-specific account. This is true account portability.

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