What is mautrix-meta?

mautrix-meta is a Matrix puppeting bridge for Meta's chat networks, and the repository actually produces two of them: one for Facebook Messenger and one for Instagram DMs. It registers as an application service against a homeserver such as Synapse, and syncs messages, media, replies, reactions, edits, read receipts, typing indicators and group membership in both directions, with configurable backfill of older history and optional end-to-bridge encryption. Accounts are logged in by chatting with the bridge bot, pasting browser cookies or using username/password flows for Messenger Lite and Instagram. Operators can run it from a prebuilt binary or systemd service, or pull its image from dock.mau.dev; the bridge keeps its data in a PostgreSQL (or SQLite) database of its own. Presence and polls are not bridged, and Meta sometimes flags bridged logins as suspicious activity, so the docs recommend enabling two-factor authentication on the account. A fully hosted version of these bridges exists on Beeper, but mautrix-meta itself is AGPL-licensed open-source software written for self-hosters.

Should you self-host mautrix-meta?

mautrix-meta scores 52/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #9 of 13 in Instant Messaging. It has 460 GitHub stars.

It shipped 10 stable releases in the past year. The latest, v0.2610.0, came out on 16 October 2026. New versions land roughly every 4 weeks.

Setup is advanced: plan for several services and some ongoing maintenance. It is AGPL-3.0-licensed and written mostly in Go.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Rocket.Chat (82/100, 46 347 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See mautrix-meta vs Rocket.Chat side by side.

Features

Cookie or username/password login
Encrypted Messenger chat supportListed as incomplete in the roadmap (chat-backup writing and presence unchecked).
End-to-bridge encryption
Facebook Messenger and Instagram DM bridging
Group chat membership bridging
History backfill
Media and message content bridging
Message edit and redaction bridging
Personal filtering spaces
Polls
Presence bridging
Proxy Support
Reactions bridging
Read receipts and typing notifications
Relay modeDisabled by default (relay.enabled: false).

How to configure mautrix-meta

addresshomeserver section: address the appservice uses to connect to the homeserver; a mandatory field to change during setup.
homeserver section: address the appservice uses to connect to the homeserver; a mandatory field to change during setup.
allowfalseencryption section: whether end-to-bridge encryption is enabled at all; if false the bridge will not function in encrypted rooms.
encryption section: whether end-to-bridge encryption is enabled at all; if false the bridge will not function in encrypted rooms.
values: true / false
command_prefix'!fb'Bridge option: the prefix for commands, only required in non-management rooms.
Bridge option: the prefix for commands, only required in non-management rooms.
disable_view_oncefalseNetwork option: should view-once messages be disabled entirely?
Network option: should view-once messages be disabled entirely?
values: true / false
domainhomeserver section: domain of the homeserver (server_name, used for MXIDs); a mandatory field to change during setup.
homeserver section: domain of the homeserver (server_name, used for MXIDs); a mandatory field to change during setup.
e2ee_backfillfalseNetwork option: should the bridge prompt for the encrypted backup PIN on login?
Network option: should the bridge prompt for the encrypted backup PIN on login?
values: true / false
env_config_prefixPrefix for environment variables that map to config fields (dots or __ for nesting, _FILE suffix to read from a path); null disables env config.
Prefix for environment variables that map to config fields (dots or __ for nesting, _FILE suffix to read from a path); null disables env config.
homeserver -> addressAddress the appservice uses to connect to the homeserver; mandatory to set during setup.
Address the appservice uses to connect to the homeserver; mandatory to set during setup.
homeserver -> domainHomeserver domain (server_name, used for MXIDs); mandatory to set during setup.
Homeserver domain (server_name, used for MXIDs); mandatory to set during setup.
marketplace_spacetrueNetwork option: should Facebook marketplace chats get a separate space inside the main Facebook space?
Network option: should Facebook marketplace chats get a separate space inside the main Facebook space?
values: true / false
max_initial_messages50backfill section: maximum number of messages to backfill in empty rooms; zero or negative disables backfill in new rooms.
backfill section: maximum number of messages to backfill in empty rooms; zero or negative disables backfill in new rooms.
permissions"*": relayPermission map controlling bridge access; permitted values are relay, commands, user and admin, keyed by *, a domain, or an MXID.
Permission map controlling bridge access; permitted values are relay, commands, user and admin, keyed by *, a domain, or an MXID.
values: relay, commands, user, admin
personal_filtering_spacestrueBridge option: create a Matrix space for each login containing the rooms that account is in.
Bridge option: create a Matrix space for each login containing the rooms that account is in.
values: true / false
pickle_keygeneratePickle key used to encrypt encryption keys in the bridge database; when set to generate a random key is created.
Pickle key used to encrypt encryption keys in the bridge database; when set to generate a random key is created.
port29319appservice section: port where the appservice listens (with hostname, default 127.0.0.1; use 0.0.0.0 under Docker).
appservice section: port where the appservice listens (with hostname, default 127.0.0.1; use 0.0.0.0 under Docker).
private_chat_portal_metatrueBridge option: explicitly set names and avatars for DM portals (needed for clients without MSC4171 support).
Bridge option: explicitly set names and avatars for DM portals (needed for clients without MSC4171 support).
values: true / false
proxyNetwork option: static HTTP/SOCKS5 proxy address used when connecting to Meta.
Network option: static HTTP/SOCKS5 proxy address used when connecting to Meta.
proxy_mediafalseNetwork option: should media be proxied too?
Network option: should media be proxied too?
values: true / false
split_portalsfalseBridge option: give every user their own portals instead of shared ones. Setting this is irreversible and potentially destructive if portals already exist.
Bridge option: give every user their own portals instead of shared ones. Setting this is irreversible and potentially destructive if portals already exist.
values: true / false
torfalseNetwork option: connect to the Facebook .onion address instead of facebook.com (requires a Tor proxy set in proxy).
Network option: connect to the Facebook .onion address instead of facebook.com (requires a Tor proxy set in proxy).
values: true / false
typepostgresdatabase section: the database type for the bridge's own database.
database section: the database type for the bridge's own database.
values: sqlite3-fk-wal, postgres
uridatabase section: connection URI (raw file path for SQLite, connection string for Postgres). Do not share one database between unrelated programs.
database section: connection URI (raw file path for SQLite, connection string for Postgres). Do not share one database between unrelated programs.
usernamefacebookbotbot section: username of the appservice bot users message to log in.
bot section: username of the appservice bot users message to log in.
username_templatefacebook_{{.}}Localpart template of Matrix IDs for remote users; {{.}} is replaced with the remote user's internal ID.
Localpart template of Matrix IDs for remote users; {{.}} is replaced with the remote user's internal ID.