Hello.

Mastodon's cross-instance following is clunky. I propose a solution using the web+follow URL scheme, like mailto, to streamline following users on ActivityPub platforms. A user's home instance registers as a handler for web+follow. Clicking a web+follow link opens the home instance, redirecting to a /follow request on the target instance. This page uses a meta refresh tag to redirect to /resolve-app, which redirects back to web+follow: with the user's ID. This triggers the registered handler (if available), creating a seamless follow experience within the user's preferred app. If no handler is installed, the user remains on the target instance's follow page, preserving existing functionality.

Custom URL schemes can enhance web app functionality by handling specific URLs, but detecting scheme support is tricky. Several methods exist, including click handlers, navigation handlers (Blink), and server-side redirects with meta refresh. While the server-side approach offers the most robust solution, it introduces complexity. A key challenge is the limited user understanding of custom schemes, leading to a preference for standard HTTPS URLs. This post explores a common pattern for custom scheme usage, involving detecting navigation failures and presenting alternative UI. The pattern addresses the issue of handling custom schemes like web+follow for Mastodon, aiming to improve user experience. While custom schemes are valuable developer tools, user preference for HTTPS URLs persists. Despite this, custom schemes empower developers to guide users to preferred apps or sites while gracefully handling cases where no suitable option exists. This approach also opens possibilities for other applications, like rebuilding web intents.

I've rejoined Mastodon! Driven by the potential Twitter costs and wanting more control, I'm now self-hosting my instance for about the same price as a Twitter Blue subscription. I'll keep using Twitter for learning, but I'm excited about Mastodon's open, interoperable nature and its excellent PWA. Come find me on Mastodon!