# Kb Loops > Background knowledge about Loops, the federated short-form video sharing platform (TikTok/Vine alternative for the Fediverse). Covers the key federation design decision of using Note objects with video attachments instead of Video objects for maximum cross-platform compatibility, the instance actor and shared inbox implementation, HTTP Signatures with SHA-256 digests, WebFinger discovery, the graph-walking comment validator (rejects top-level Notes, creates Comment and CommentReply objects), cross-platform interactions (follow, comment, like, Announce across Mastodon/Pixelfed/PeerTube), the tech stack (Laravel/PHP, Vue 3, Tailwind, Expo/React Native mobile), features (vertical swipe feed, For You algorithm, duets, 3-minute videos, playlists, threaded comments), the relationship to Pixelfed and creator Daniel Supernault, federation beta status, and comparison with PeerTube (Note vs Video object types, short-form vs long-form). Load when the user asks about Loops; how short-form video federates in the Fediverse - Skill: `majiayu000/kb-loops` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add majiayu000/kb-loops` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/kb-loops/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Product & Planning - Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000) - Updated: 2026-09-09 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/kb-loops --- # Loops — Complete Reference ## Overview Loops is a federated, open-source short-form video sharing platform — the Fediverse equivalent of TikTok/Vine. Its tagline is "Short videos. Your community. Your rules." Created by **Daniel Supernault** (aka Dansup), the Canadian developer also behind **Pixelfed** (the Fediverse Instagram alternative). Branded as "Loops by Pixelfed," it is a separate platform under the Pixelfed project umbrella. Built on **Laravel (PHP), Vue 3, and Tailwind CSS** with a custom ActivityPub implementation. Licensed AGPL-3.0. ActivityPub federation entered beta on October 14, 2025. As of March 2026, the latest release is v1.0.0-beta.10. --- ## 1. Technology Stack | Component | Technology | |-----------|-----------| | Backend | PHP / Laravel | | Frontend | Vue 3 + TypeScript | | CSS | Tailwind CSS | | Build tool | Vite | | Mobile app | React Native (Expo) | | Deployment | Docker / Docker Compose | | CDN | Fastly (Fast Forward program) | | License | AGPL-3.0 | ### Repositories | Repository | URL | |-----------|-----| | Server | https://github.com/joinloops/loops-server | | Mobile app | https://github.com/joinloops/loops-expo | | API docs | https://docs.joinloops.org/ | --- ## 2. The Key Design Decision: Note, Not Video The most important technical decision in Loops' federation: **Loops uses `Note` objects with video attachments instead of `Video` objects** for maximum cross-platform compatibility. From Daniel Supernault: > "The fediverse is optimized for notes. Mastodon, Pleroma, Misskey — > they all handle notes beautifully. By wrapping video content as notes > with video attachments, loops federate seamlessly across the entire > fediverse without requiring special handling." > "This pragmatic approach means loops show up properly everywhere, not > just on platforms that specifically understand video objects. It's about > meeting the fediverse where it is, not where we wish it would be." ### What Gets Federated When a loop is posted, the federation sends: - A `Note` object with rich video attachments - Multiple video encodings for different devices (where supported) - Generated thumbnails and preview images (where supported) - Captions and content warnings - All standard interaction capabilities (Like, Announce, Reply) ### Why Not Video Objects? PeerTube uses `Video` objects, which provide richer video-specific metadata. However, many Fediverse platforms (especially microblogging platforms like Mastodon, Misskey, Pleroma) either don't handle `Video` objects at all or display them with degraded UX. By using `Note` — the type every Fediverse platform handles natively — Loops videos appear correctly in timelines across the entire Fediverse without special handling. ### Comparison | Approach | Used by | Pros | Cons | |----------|---------|------|------| | `Note` + video attachment | Loops | Universal compatibility; shows up in all timelines | Less video-specific metadata | | `Video` object | PeerTube | Rich metadata (duration, resolution, chapters) | Many platforms ignore or poorly display `Video` type | --- ## 3. Federation Implementation ### Instance Actor and Shared Inbox Every Loops instance has a server-level actor that handles: - Server-to-server authentication - Instance metadata exchange - Account deletions and relay subscriptions A **shared inbox** is implemented for optimized delivery — remote instances send activities once to the shared inbox rather than per- follower, reducing network overhead as instances grow. ### HTTP Signatures Request signing with: - SHA-256 digests - Date header parsing (handling format variations across servers) - Non-standard port number handling - Every federated request is cryptographically signed ### WebFinger Discovery Standard WebFinger discovery for both individual users and the instance actor, enabling seamless follow operations across the Fediverse. ### Federation-Aware Comments Loops implements a **graph-walking validator** that traces reply chains: - **Top-level `Note` objects from remote servers are rejected** — Loops is for videos only, not microblog posts - Replies to videos create `Comment` objects - Replies to comments become `CommentReply` objects with correct parent relationships - This enables nested conversations that work across platforms This validator is important for interoperability: when a Mastodon user replies to a loop, the reply is accepted as a Comment. But if a Mastodon user tries to create a top-level post that arrives at a Loops instance, it is rejected. ### What Works in Federation Beta | Feature | Status | |---------|--------| | Follow any ActivityPub user | Working | | Be followed from Mastodon/Pixelfed/etc | Working | | Cross-platform comments | Working | | Cross-platform likes | Working | | Share/Announce to followers | Working | | Federated notifications | Working | | Multi-instance video distribution | Working | | Account migration with follower transfer | Planned | ### Federation Configuration Federation is **opt-in** during beta for self-hosted instances: - Enable in instance settings - HTTPS required - Configure domain properly - Allocate storage for remote media caching - Documented in FEDERATION.md in the repository --- ## 4. Features ### Available Now - Vertical swipe short-video feed - **Following feed** (chronological) and **For You feed** (algorithmic, powered by engagement/hashtags/social graph) - Videos up to **3 minutes** (originally 30 seconds, extended over time) - In-app camera with multi-lens switching and caption editor - **Duets** (collaborative video creation) - Nested/threaded comments with @mentions across the Fediverse - Like, share, boost/repost - Hashtag browsing and trending topics - Profile and video search - Pinned videos (up to 3) - Playlists & Collections - Favourites (private bookmarks) - Sound library - Full ActivityPub federation (beta) - Native iOS and Android apps - Admin dashboard - Public API with OpenAPI documentation ### Roadmap (2026) | Quarter | Features | |---------|----------| | Q1 | Advanced moderation, push notifications, multi-account, stitches | | Q2 | Creator analytics, AR filters, collaborative moderation, accessibility | | Q3 | Embeddable player, account migration, live streaming, video editor | | Q4 | Challenges, monetization options | --- ## 5. Loops vs PeerTube | Aspect | Loops | PeerTube | |--------|-------|----------| | Focus | Short-form vertical video (TikTok/Vine) | Long-form video (YouTube) | | Video length | Up to 3 minutes | No practical limit | | UI | Mobile-first vertical swipe | Web-first video library | | Discovery | For You algorithmic feed + hashtags | Federated search, channels | | AP object type | `Note` with video attachments | `Video` | | Tech stack | Laravel (PHP) + Vue.js | Node.js + Angular | | P2P delivery | No | Yes (WebRTC) | | Live streaming | Planned Q3 2026 | Yes | | Maturity | Beta (v1.0.0-beta.10) | Stable (v6+, since 2018) | Loops and PeerTube are complementary, not competing — they target fundamentally different video use cases. PeerTube is for long-form content hosting (channels, playlists, educational videos). Loops is for short-form social video (trends, creativity, casual sharing). --- ## 6. Interoperability Notes for Implementers 1. **Loops videos arrive as `Note` objects** — if your software handles `Note` with video attachments, Loops content will display correctly in timelines. No special `Video` type handling needed. 2. **Replying to a Loop** — send a standard `Note` reply with `inReplyTo` pointing to the loop's `Note` ID. Loops will accept it as a Comment. 3. **Top-level Notes are rejected** — Loops only accepts video content for top-level posts. If a Mastodon user mentions a Loops user in a standalone post (not a reply), Loops will not ingest it as a post. 4. **Like and Announce work normally** — standard `Like` and `Announce` activities targeting a loop's `Note` ID work as expected. 5. **Video stays on origin server** — when a loop federates, remote instances receive the `Note` metadata but the video file is served from the original Loops instance. This reduces storage requirements for remote instances but depends on the origin server's availability. 6. **Multiple encodings** — Loops may include multiple video file attachments (different resolutions/encodings) in the `Note` object. Consumers should select the appropriate encoding for their display context. --- ## 7. API Loops provides a full public REST API (OpenAPI spec v1.0.0): - OAuth authentication with 2FA support - Video upload and management - Duets - Playlists and collections - Explore/trending endpoints - For You feed with impression tracking - Full-text search - Privacy controls - 25+ language support - AI content detection flags - Alt text and content sensitivity marking Documentation: https://docs.joinloops.org/ --- ## 8. Known Considerations - **Beta federation**: ActivityPub support is in beta (since October 2025). Some edge cases with remote platforms may still need work. - **Opt-in federation**: Self-hosted instances must explicitly enable federation in settings during the beta period. - **Video bandwidth**: Short-form video demands significant bandwidth and storage. Instance operators should plan for CDN/object storage costs. Loops benefits from Fastly Fast Forward sponsorship for its premiere instance. - **No monetization yet**: Creator monetization features are planned for Q4 2026. This may affect creator adoption in the near term. - **Recommendation algorithm limitations**: The "For You" feed uses engagement, hashtags, and social graph signals, but federated privacy constraints limit the data available compared to centralized platforms like TikTok.