FediFetcher/README.md

# Pull missing responses into Mastodon

This GitHub repository provides a GitHub action runs every 10 mins, and pulls remote replies into your instance, using the Mastodon API. It has two parts:

 1. It gets remote replies to posts that users on your instance have already replied to during the last `REPLY_INTERVAL_IN_HOURS` hours, and adds them to your own server.
 2. It gets remote replies to the last `HOME_TIMELINE_LENGTH` posts from your home timeline, and adds them to your own server.

Either part can be disabled completely, and the values for `REPLY_INTERVAL_IN_HOURS` and `HOME_TIMELINE_LENGTH` are configurable (see below). 

**Be aware, that this script may run for a long time, if these values are too high.** Experiment a bit with what works for you, by starting with fairly small numbers (maybe `HOME_TIMELINE_LENGTH = 50`, `REPLY_INTERVAL_IN_HOURS = 12`) and increase the numbers as you see fit.

**For full context and discussion on why this is needed, read the blog post: [Pull missing responses into Mastodon](https://blog.thms.uk/2023/03/pull-missing-responses-into-mastodon?utm_source=github)**

## Setup

### 1) Get the required access token:

1. In Mastodon go to Preferences > Development > New Application
   1. give it a nice name
   2. enable `read:search`, `read:statuses` and `admin:read:accounts `
   3. Save
   4. Copy the value of `Your access token`

### 2) Configure and run the GitHub action

1. Fork this repository
2. Add your access token:
   1.  Go to Settings > Secrets and Variables > Actions
   2.  Click New Repository Secret
   3.  Supply the Name `ACCESS_TOKEN` and provide the Token generated above as Secret
3. Provide the required environment variables, to configure your Action:
   1. Go to Settings > Environments
   2. Click New Environment
   3. Provide the name `Mastodon`
   4. Add the following Environment Variables:
      - `MASTODON_SERVER`: The domain only of your mastodon server (without `https://` prefix) e.g. `mstdn.thms.uk`
      - `HOME_TIMELINE_LENGTH`: An integer number. E.g. `200`. (See above for explanation.) Set to `0` to disable this part of the script.
      - `REPLY_INTERVAL_IN_HOURS`: An integer number. E.g. `24`. (See above for explanation). Set to `0` to disable this part of the script.
4. Finally go to the Actions tab and enable the action. The action should now automatically run approximately once every 10 min. 

## Acknowledgments

This script is mostly taken from [Abhinav Sarkar](https://notes.abhinavsarkar.net/2023/mastodon-context), with just some additions and alterations. Thank you Abhinav!