In a major step towards a more interconnected and decentralized internet, Ghost, the popular open-source alternative to Substack, has officially integrated with the fediverse—the open social web powered by ActivityPub. This long-awaited update brings new opportunities for independent publishers, bloggers, and newsletter creators to expand their reach beyond traditional platforms.
What is the Fediverse?
The fediverse is a decentralized network of platforms that communicate through ActivityPub, an open protocol that allows different apps to interact seamlessly. Platforms like Mastodon, Pixelfed, Threads, and Flipboard all operate on this system, enabling users to engage with content across multiple services without needing to be on a single platform.
By connecting to the fediverse, Ghost enables its publishers to distribute their content to a wider audience beyond their website and email subscribers. This move aligns with a broader trend of decentralization in social media, offering an alternative to corporate-controlled networks.
A Long-Awaited Integration
Ghost initially announced its plans to integrate ActivityPub in 2023, aiming to provide its users with a way to share their blog posts across the open social web. Though originally slated for launch last year, the feature has now arrived in beta, marking a significant milestone for the platform.
Currently, Ghost Pro subscribers can opt into the social web beta by navigating to Settings > Labs in the Ghost Admin panel. While still in active development, the feature is expected to be fully refined and rolled out in the upcoming Ghost 6.0 release.
How It Works
Once a Ghost Pro user enables the fediverse integration, their blog or newsletter becomes a followable entity within the open social web. Each publication is assigned a unique handle, formatted as:
Here, “@index” represents the homepage of the publication, followed by the domain name. Ghost has announced that users will soon be able to customize the “@index” portion to better reflect their brand or identity.
Users on Mastodon and other federated platforms can then follow Ghost publications just as they would any other social media account. They will be able to interact with posts by liking, replying, and reposting them—drastically increasing engagement opportunities for Ghost publishers.
Introducing Ghost’s Social Web Reader
To help users navigate this new interconnected landscape, Ghost has also launched its Social Web Reader, a built-in tool designed to enhance the user experience. The Reader consists of two primary sections:
- The Feed: This section showcases short-form posts from across the fediverse, including updates from Mastodon, Threads, and similar platforms.
- The Inbox: Acting like an email inbox, this section aggregates long-form content, such as blog articles from Ghost and WordPress (which integrated with the fediverse in 2023). Clicking on an article opens an inline reader, and users can engage with the content directly within Ghost.
Ghost’s Reader also includes a Notifications section, which alerts users to new follows, replies, likes, and reposts. This makes it easier than ever for Ghost publishers to track their audience engagement across different fediverse platforms.
Expanding Social Features for Publishers
With the integration of ActivityPub, Ghost is evolving beyond a simple blogging platform—it’s becoming a full-fledged social publishing tool. Some of the key social features include:
- Posting short-form content directly to the fediverse to build visibility and audience engagement.
- Customizable profile pages displaying a preview of the publisher’s content and follower metrics.
- Notifications for social interactions such as likes, replies, and reposts.
- Future plans to integrate Ghost memberships with fediverse profiles, allowing for more seamless community building.
To further refine these capabilities, Ghost is also working on tools for blocking, reporting, and muting users, as well as enhancing posts with media and images.
Challenges and Compatibility Issues
While the integration is a game-changer for open social publishing, some compatibility challenges remain—particularly with Meta’s Threads. Although Ghost users can search for and find Threads profiles, actual interactions such as replies and likes are currently blocked due to restrictions on Meta’s end. Ghost has encouraged users to bring this issue to the attention of Instagram head Adam Mosseri in hopes of resolving it.
Who’s Already Using Ghost?
Ghost has steadily gained traction among independent publishers and journalists looking for a platform that prioritizes control and ownership over their content. Notable publications using Ghost include:
- Casey Newton’s Platformer
- 404 Media
- David Sirota’s The Lever
- Tangle
- Jason Calacanis’ Inside
- SFist
These publishers now have the opportunity to tap into a broader audience thanks to the fediverse integration.
Final Thoughts
Ghost’s move to integrate with the fediverse marks a significant step forward for independent publishing. By breaking down the walls of traditional content distribution, Ghost is empowering creators to reach and engage with a much wider audience on their own terms.
For those already using Ghost Pro, enabling the social web beta is a simple way to experiment with this new frontier of content distribution. And for those considering a shift away from centralized platforms like Substack, Ghost’s fediverse integration offers a compelling reason to make the move.
As the web continues to decentralize, Ghost is positioning itself at the forefront of the next era of online publishing—where creators own their content, control their audience, and have the freedom to connect beyond platform silos.
Ready to Join the Fediverse? Ghost Pro subscribers can activate the social web beta today via the Ghost Admin > Settings > Labs section.
Stay tuned for Ghost 6.0, where these features will become even more polished and widely available.
