Manatan activity guide
How activity works.
Activity combines automatic list updates with posts from the community. Knowing which is which makes Following and Global much easier to read.
01
Two kinds of activity
A list activity is created automatically when somebody changes a title on an anime, manga, novel, or game list. Its cover, title, action, and progress come from that list entry. It is not a message the person typed.
Every list entry is linked to canonical catalog media. Read How list tracking works for the identity and import rules.
A status post is written by a person through the “Write a status…” composer. Status posts can contain formatted text and are visually distinct from list activity.
02
How list activity is worded
Manatan uses the media type, list status, and progress change to produce a concise activity. The title after the action links to its catalog entry.
PlanningPlans to watch, read, or play
StartedWatching, Reading, or Playing when no progress is recorded yet
ProgressWatched episode 8 of… or Read chapter 24 of…
Progress rangeWatched episode 9 - 12 of… when progress jumps several units
PausedPaused watching, reading, or playing
CompletedCompleted
DroppedDropped
RepeatingRewatched episode…, Reread chapter…, or Replayed progress…
Long catalog titles are shortened visually to keep every feed card compact. The complete title remains available from the link and its hover label.
03
Episode and chapter activity merging
Your Activity merge time in Media settings controls how long consecutive progress updates for the same title remain one activity. With the default 12-hour window, reading chapters 274 through 278 in one session produces Read chapters 274–278instead of five feed cards.
The window is measured from the previous update, so an uninterrupted session can continue growing into one range. Manatan’s minimum window is 30 minutes; Always keeps future progress for that title in the same activity. Changing the preference affects future updates and does not rewrite old history.
When a newer update absorbs an older activity, its likes, replies, and profile pin move to the new activity. Manatan still retains every base progress event for accurate statistics and auditing.
04
Quick planning transitions
If a title moves from Planning to Watching or Repeating within five minutes, the newer activity supersedes the planning card. This avoids showing two updates for what was effectively one action.
Plans to watch→Watchingwithin 5 minutes
Transitions after that window remain separate because they represent distinct moments. Manatan retains the underlying event history even when the earlier planning card is superseded in the feed.
05
Following, Global, and privacy
Following
Shows your own activity and visible activity from accounts you follow. Semi-public profiles are visible to their followers; private profiles are visible only to their owner.
Global
Shows activity from public profiles. Activity tied to a private list entry remains visible only to its owner and is never exposed merely because the profile itself is public.
Mature-content preference
Activity for mature catalog entries is hidden unless the viewer has enabled mature content in their account preferences.
06
Community statuses and interactions
Status posts support Manatan’s safe formatting controls and may be up to 5,000 characters. In the feed, very tall formatted posts are capped and become scrollable so one post cannot take over the page.
Visible activities can receive likes and replies. If pinning is available for the account, its owner can pin one activity to their profile. Superseded or otherwise hidden activity cannot continue to receive interactions through an old direct identifier.
Posts and replies must follow the Terms of Service. List activities are system-generated and cannot be used to insert a custom message into somebody’s feed.
07
Common questions
Why does a card show a letter instead of artwork?
The catalog entry does not currently have cover art. Manatan keeps the card readable with a stable placeholder until artwork is added.
Why did my planning activity disappear?
You probably moved the title into Watching or Repeating within five minutes. The newer state replaced the short-lived planning card.
Why do I see a range instead of separate units?
Either one update advanced multiple units or consecutive updates landed within your Activity merge time. You can change that window in Media settings, from 30 minutes through Always.