FASP Providers — Search

wellesley.social
A

Connect to a FASP Server

This page lets you set up a connection to a FASP (Fediverse Auxiliary Service Provider) server. A FASP server provides global search across the fediverse. Connecting to one means your server will share its public posts only with the FASP provider so they can be indexed and made searchable. Private, followers-only, and direct messages are never shared.

How to get started

1
Find a FASP server and sign up

Visit a FASP provider (for example https://fasp.allroads.social), go through their signup process, and provide your server URL (wellesley.social) and your admin email address. The two servers will automatically exchange cryptographic keys during this step.

2
Wait for FASP admin approval

The FASP provider's admin will review your request. While you wait, the registration appears here as Pending FASP Approval. This may take some time.

3
FASP admin approves or denies

If denied, the registration is marked as Declined — no further action needed. If approved, continue to the next step.

4
You receive an approval email with a fingerprint

Once approved, you'll receive an email at the address you provided in step 1. This email contains:

  • The FASP provider's public key fingerprint
  • A link to finish the registration on your Wellesley server
What is a fingerprint? A fingerprint is a short, human-readable representation of a cryptographic public key (SHA-256 hash). It lets you verify you're connecting to the correct FASP server and not an impersonator. This is critical — approving a connection with the wrong fingerprint could let an attacker intercept your data.
5
Click the link in the email

The link opens the approval page on your Wellesley server. This page shows the FASP provider's fingerprint as your server recorded it during the initial key exchange.

6
Compare fingerprints and approve

Carefully compare the fingerprint on the approval page with the one from the email. Only click "Approve" if they match exactly. If they differ, reject the connection and investigate — a mismatch may indicate a man-in-the-middle attack.

Why does this matter? The email fingerprint comes directly from the FASP provider. The approval page fingerprint was received during the initial handshake. If both match, the connection is authentic and has not been tampered with.

Wellesley Admin — Complete FASP Registration

Verify the provider's identity and approve or reject the connection

FASP Search Provider
FASP ID
Status Awaiting Your Approval
Requested
FASP Approved

🔑 FASP Public Key Fingerprint

Compare this fingerprint with the one in the approval email you received. Only approve if they match exactly. A mismatch may indicate a security issue.