V5.8.0 – If it’s on the Fediverse, you can embed it.

This update introduces two exciting improvements: brand-new email templates and personalized notification settings.

Emails now deliver much richer content—mentions and direct messages include the full post, and the refreshed design feels modern and refined. Additionally, new follower notifications feature a profile card, making it easier to see who’s interacting with your content.

We’ve made several improvements around Embeds and Importing: Fediverse content embedding now has fallback support, so even if native oEmbed responses are unavailable, embeds will appear consistently. The Mastodon importer has also been significantly enhanced—it now imports all media types, supports user blocks, and automatically embeds replies in imported conversations, making transitions smoother and content richer.

For Email Notifications, you’ll now receive alerts whenever someone mentions you in the Fediverse. Direct message notification emails have been upgraded with embedded message previews, and follower notification emails received a visual refresh with helpful meta details included.

We’ve also refined User Interactions and Moderation by integrating WordPress’s disallowed list to prevent unwanted ActivityPub interactions. Notification preferences have become user-specific, allowing more personalized control over alerts and interactions.

Additionally, we’ve improved Compatibility and Stability, including better support for Multisite Language Switcher, resolving PHP warnings during Mastodon import processes, enhancing user context handling in Global-Inbox actions, and ensuring reply links and popup modals are properly translated for logged-out visitors.

Full Changelog

Added

  • An option to receive notification emails when an Actor was mentioned in the Fediverse.
  • Enable direct linking to Help Tabs.
  • Fallback embed support for Fediverse content that lacks native oEmbed responses.
  • Support for all media types in the Mastodon Importer.

Changed

  • Added WordPress disallowed list filtering to block unwanted ActivityPub interactions.
  • Mastodon imports now support blocks, with automatic reply embedding for conversations.
  • Tested and compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
  • Updated design of new follower notification email and added meta information.
  • Update DM email notification to include an embed display of the DM.
  • Updated notification settings to be user-specific for more personalization.

Fixed

  • Add support for Multisite Language Switcher
  • Better check for an empty headers array key in the Signature class.
  • Include user context in Global-Inbox actions.
  • No more PHP warning when Mastodon Apps run out of posts to process.
  • Reply links and popup modals are now properly translated for logged-out visitors.

Downloads

Comments

8 responses to “V5.8.0 – If it’s on the Fediverse, you can embed it.”

  1. Thiago Skárnio Avatar

    @activitypub.blog It turned out really well! The "opposite path" would also be nice to improve some things, like displaying videos and audios present in a post on the Fediverse timelines. This could transform WordPress sites into video and podcast players on the Fediverse.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Matthias Pfefferle Avatar

      Thanks for your feedback! The challenge with media is that we have limited control over how platforms like Mastodon display videos, images, or audio, since they don’t support inline HTML media.

      That said, we’ve optimized podcasts so you can listen to episodes directly on Mastodon. A good example is @dothewoo.io@dothewoo.io.

      Like

      1. Thiago Skárnio Avatar

        @activitypub.blog Thanks! Is there a tutorial on how to embed the audio so that I can listen to it on Mastodon?

        Like

        1. Matthias Pfefferle Avatar

          If you use the Block-Editor, you simply have to add an Audio-Block and set the Post-Format from `Standard` to `Audio`. This way, the plugin prioritises audio over the other media attachments.

          That’s it :)

          Like

          1. Rodrigo Ghedin Avatar

            Alternatively, you can use a plugin like Seriously Simple Podcasting. It works pretty well with AP plugin, as you can see here: https://mastodon.social/@feed@manualdousuario.net/114409345910835434

            Like

          2. Thiago Skárnio Avatar

            @activitypub.blog Wow! I'll try it now!
            It would be great to have an alternative like this for video.

            Like

            1. Matthias Pfefferle Avatar

              For video it should be the same. Simply add a video block and use the Post-Format `Video` to ensure that the video has the focus.

              Like

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