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NFTs accept been a cultural phenomenon throughout 2022, constantly making headlines equally celebrities dabble in the space and every bit shenanigans, scams, and legal fights ensue. With some creators making millions off NFTs, though, it'south understandable why y'all'd desire to try your hand at it or play effectually with the tech to get a better feel for it.

We're going to go over how to create an NFT using two of the nearly pop marketplaces, just before we go to that point, let's cover some of the basics of what an NFT is and the decisions you may accept to make earlier deciding to sell one. (If you're relatively up to speed, y'all can become to Step 3 to brainstorm the journey of really creating a token.)

Stride one: Figure out what an NFT is

Listen, there's no judgment if you've arrived here without much understanding of what NFTs are. Maybe a friend said, "Hey, you should sell that picture of your cat as an NFT." Simply before you lot go through the procedure of creating and selling one, it's probably best to have some thought near what you lot're doing.

We take an unabridged explainer going into NFTs and the culture around them, besides equally an explainer on the blockchain technology that NFTs use. Yous don't have to study every word in them, but the residue of this guide will make references to things like Ethereum, proof of piece of work, and other similar concepts that you lot'll go a better understanding of past reading our explainers.

Here's a quick TL;DR, though. NFTs, or not-fungible tokens, are digital tokens stored on the blockchain. Unlike cryptocurrencies, where each coin is the same (there'due south no reason to prefer one particular Bitcoin over another), each NFT is unique and tin be sold every bit a way to prove buying over some sort of digital file.

In most every case, the files aren't actually stored on the blockchain itself. Rather, a link to the file is stored, along with the token that acts as proof of ownership over whatever that link points to. There'south also no rule maxim that two or more than NFTs can't exist for the aforementioned file — you tin accept NFTs with editions, kind of like trading cards. For example, an NFT tin be rare considering there are just x copies or common because thousands of the aforementioned NFT accept been "minted," or written to the blockchain. At that place's besides nothing to stop someone from taking the file you've used for your NFT and creating their own NFT with information technology (though the blockchain entry will show that it came from their account, not yours).

You lot tin technically sell any digital file every bit an NFT, but if you lot're looking to use a market's piece of cake minting tools, you're going to be express to the formats they support. We'll bear on on that a chip more later, only it's worth keeping in listen that your start NFT should probably be an paradigm, video, or sound prune of some sort. If you don't know what y'all want to sell as an NFT yet, those kinds of restrictions could help you narrow down the possibilities. With that said...

Pace 2: Make certain you actually want to sell an NFT

If you just have the vague idea that you lot want to make an NFT because seemingly everyone is doing it, there are a few considerations yous may desire to have into account. The first big one is transaction fees. While the platforms that we'll comprehend today will allow y'all create NFTs for free, selling them could be a dissimilar matter.

Most NFTs are sold on the Ethereum blockchain (we'll impact ones that aren't in the adjacent section), and every transaction on the Ethereum blockchains costs fees that are paid to the miners. These fees are called "gas," and the amount of gas you need for a transaction (and therefore how much that transaction will price) can vary significantly. About everything you exercise on the blockchain, from minting an NFT to transferring it to someone else to bidding to buy ane, will cost gas (though there are some ways around this for creating NFTs, which we'll go over in a moment).

It's also worth noting that paying gas does non 100 per centum guarantee your transfer volition become through. You can pay more to give yourself a higher chance, merely it is never a sure thing. To be clear, most transactions are likely to go through. However, if something does happen and your transaction isn't completed, you lot won't get the gas fees y'all paid back.

Then there's the environmental attribute of NFTs. The well-nigh pop (and easiest to apply) NFT marketplaces by and large run on the Ethereum blockchain, which uses an energy-intensive "proof of work" system (y'all can read more than about what that ways here). While in that location'due south argue on whether individually selling NFTs has an effect on the overall energy utilisation of the blockchain, if your NFTs are built on Ethereum, you are making use of a organization that has a big carbon footprint.

There are blockchains that utilise alternate systems that don't utilize equally much energy, and Ethereum has plans to move to a more than efficient proof of stake system at some indicate in the future. Yet, that'southward not the case yet, which is i of the reasons people might get upset when others decide to sell NFTs.

Step three: Choose a platform to sell your NFT on

There are dozens of platforms that let you sell NFTs beyond a wide variety of blockchains, and then it's almost impossible for any single guide to cover them all, much less tell you which one is the right one for your project. Nosotros'll be roofing ii of the more popular marketplaces in this guide, but do know that in that location are alternatives if neither of these platforms fit what you want to do, like AtomicHub, which uses the Wax blockchain, or the Solana-based Solsea.

Information technology's also worth noting at this signal that our guide volition show you how to practise things the basic way. Fifty-fifty with NFT markets, there are deep rabbit holes you can go downwards that won't be covered in this guide (things like selling an NFT minted with OpenSea on Rarible, programmatically generating collections like Bored Apes, and so on). Just know that this isn't meant to exist a comprehensive compendium on selling NFTs — information technology'southward merely getting y'all to the path.

Both OpenSea and Rarible let yous create NFTs on Ethereum without paying anything, thanks to what they call "lazy minting" systems. Lazy minting lets you create an NFT and put it upwards for sale without it actually beingness written to the blockchain, thus avoiding any fees. When someone actually buys it, the fees for writing your NFT to the blockchain will be bundled with the fees to transfer it to the heir-apparent. That helps you avoid the situation where yous pay $10 to $thirty (or more!) to mint an NFT that no one ends up ownership.

There can be catches — with OpenSea, list your first Ethereum NFT for sale will crave initializing your account, which can be an expensive transaction (during testing, I saw prices in the $300 to $400 range). It is a one-time fee, and later on paying it, you'll be able to lazy mint NFTs without having to pay anything.

With Rarible, I didn't have to pay this sort of fee during my testing. However, trying to remove your NFT from auction will toll a fee (I saw prices around $twenty to $30). Both Rarible and OpenSea will accept a 2.five percent fee from whatsoever sales you make — if you lot sell an NFT for 0.025 ETH, you'll actually receive 0.024375 ETH.

There are, however, alternatives to the Ethereum blockchain. Rarible lets yous sell NFTs using the Flow blockchain (the aforementioned ane used by NBA Top Shot) if you lot sign upwardly for information technology using the Blocto wallet, and OpenSea will let you sell using the Polygon blockchain. Both options have much lower fees than those y'all pay for using the Ethereum blockchain, if any fees at all, so we will at least touch on using them.

As y'all might have guessed, if at that place were no catches or downsides to these depression / no-fee blockchains, everyone would be using them. At the time of writing, choosing to use Flow on Rarible will limit you to single edition NFTs (one of ones), and you lot won't exist able to sell them with an auction. Additionally, when yous're using non-Ethereum blockchains like Flow or Polygon, people can't utilise Ethereum to buy your NFTs (at least, not without going through actress, fee-inducing steps). While both platforms exercise let buyers add funds to their wallet to complete a buy, having to convert or outright purchase another cryptocurrency to nab your NFT may put some collectors off.

(Annotation: while Polygon does let you lot employ Ethereum, information technology's actually Polygon'south version of Ethereum. Y'all can directly transfer Ethereum from its principal blockchain over to Polygon and transfer back, just doing so will incur gas fees.)

Do I have to use a marketplace site to create an NFT?

Technically, no. You can create your own smart contract, deploy it to the blockchain of your choice, and then mint your own tokens using it. That'southward jumping into the deep end, though, and probably non the route you'll desire to become unless y'all're very technical. Most people will want to employ one of the platforms discussed above.

Pace 4: Fix a wallet

Wallets are the applications you use to store your cryptocurrencies, as well equally any NFTs you lot end up minting or buying. Coinbase has a more in-depth explanation of how wallets piece of work and the different options that are bachelor, just if you're merely getting started, there's really 1 main matter y'all need to worry about: using a wallet that'south compatible with the blockchain you're using.

MetaMask's wallet is 1 of the wallets that's widely supported by Ethereum-based applications similar OpenSea, Foundation, and others and tin can be used either every bit a Chrome / Firefox extension or as an iOS / Android app. Coinbase besides has its ain wallet that you can use equally an extension or an app, and information technology's supported by nearly platforms. Yous may want to consider Coinbase's wallet if you lot're planning on getting into crypto more broadly, as it has support for blockchains not based on Ethereum, like Bitcoin.

MetaMask and Coinbase Wallet's setup processes are like. One time you have the browser extension or app installed (MetaMask can be downloaded hither, Coinbase Wallet hither), click or tap the "Create new wallet" button. Coinbase will ask you for a username, and both will ask you lot for a password, which you'll want to brand certain is secure (preferably by generating it with and saving it in a password manager).

Keep your seed phrase as secure every bit you possibly can — both from prying optics and the possibility of loss. Do not postal service it, even a blurred version of it, on the internet (equally I am doing).

Finally, both MetaMask and Coinbase will give you what'south known every bit a "seed phrase," which is 12 random words. Information technology's very important not to lose this, as it will allow yous recover your business relationship if you, say, uninstall the app or need to fix up your wallet on a new device. It'south a adept idea to copy it and store information technology in a very safe location, such as a physical prophylactic or password manager (or both). MetaMask will ask you lot to repeat the phrase back, while Coinbase Wallet will ask you if y'all want to shop an encrypted copy of it on the cloud if you gear up information technology upward using the app. If you're setting Coinbase upwards with the extension or you choose to manually back it up instead of saving it to the cloud, information technology'll exist the aforementioned process as MetaMask, where yous'll have to re-enter the phrase manually.

If you lot lose your countersign and / or security phrase, you'll exist out of luck with both MetaMask and Coinbase Wallet — neither company can practise anything to help you. That means you'll lose access to any cryptocurrency or NFTs stored in that wallet, too as the accounts that you've set using information technology. And then seriously, go on your password and secret phrase safe.

Finally, you lot'll take admission to your wallet, which won't have anything in it however!

Step 5: Connect your wallet

After you've got your wallet set upwards, yous'll want to connect it with the NFT marketplace you plan on using. OpenSea and Rarible make this like shooting fish in a barrel — clicking the Create button in the top left prompts you to connect your wallet. You'll and then exist presented with a listing of compatible wallets, and choosing yours will prompt y'all to go through the connection process.

*Connecting an account with MetaMask is unproblematic if y'all have the browser extension installed.*

If you accept Metamask or Coinbase's extension installed, you lot'll see a pop-up asking you if you want to connect your wallet, which tin be washed with a few button clicks. If you're using the Coinbase Wallet app, you tin can as well connect to the marketplace by using the QR code scanner (which you can observe to the right of your balance on the primary wallet screen).

*The QR button in the Coinbase Wallet app lets you scan a QR code to connect to NFT marketplaces or other apps that require a wallet.*

A word of circumspection for the future: be careful if you see a asking to connect to your wallet when you don't expect it, as scammers could exist trying to access your funds or NFTs. As long every bit yous're on a trusted site, y'all should generally exist okay (at least, as long equally something isn't very incorrect — be sure to check transactions to make certain they're kosher). But if an unknown site asks to connect to your wallet, you should probably call up twice before accepting.

Stride 6: Create an NFT

After you've connected your wallet, you lot'll make it at the folio you lot use to create an NFT (and if you don't end up in that location, you can get there by clicking the Create button that both platforms put in the upper right-mitt corner).

Before we start creating our NFTs, a give-and-take on collections — both platforms support collections, which are pretty much what they sound like. If you lot want to create a series of NFTs, y'all can utilise a collection to do so — on Rarible, you can create i correct from the NFT creation screen, which the NFT yous're making will be added to. On OpenSea, you'll have to go to your profile movie in the summit correct, so get to My Collections > Create a collection.

We won't comprehend collections in this guide, but OpenSea volition automatically place the NFT you create into an unnamed drove if you don't specify one (you can either edit the collection after or movement the NFT to another collection), and Rarible lets yous sell an NFT as a Rarible Unmarried without a drove.

Now, let's finally get started on our NFT.

Listing an NFT on OpenSea

After clicking the Create button, you'll exist brought to the create new particular page. To first, click the box with an image icon in it, which volition let y'all upload the file yous'll be selling as an NFT (though, do brand certain to take notation of the file size and type limitations noted to a higher place the selector).

After you've added your file, give information technology a name, or title. You can as well utilise the External Link field to add a URL pointing to, say, your website or Twitter account, and y'all tin use the Description field to requite potential buyers a meliorate idea of what your NFT is.

*Some file types, like videos or music, will ask for a second "preview" image.*

Underneath those fields, you can choose a collection for your NFT if you've set 1 up, besides as add properties, levels, or stats that can basically act every bit metadata. If you're selling an NFT that could act as a video game character, for instance, this is where you'd put in their information. If yous're selling a slice of art, you lot could apply the properties panel to add together information about it, such as the medium, yr, etc. However, all these fields are optional, so a lot of people will probably be able to ignore them.

OpenSea also lets you add text that acts every bit unlockable content, which the buyer / owner of the NFT will be able to encounter. You lot could use this toggle-able field to include something like an invite link to a private Discord, a lawmaking to redeem something on an external website, or fifty-fifty just a bulletin thanking them for buying. You can also apply the explicit and sensitive content toggle if your NFT is NSFW in nature.

*Be sure to pay close attention to which blockchain you're minting on — you can't change it afterward, and it could have a drastic upshot on the fees you pay.*

Later those toggles and fields is the dropdown you use to select which blockchain you're minting your NFT to — the Ethereum chain or the Polygon one. Y'all can meet Pace 3 for more than information on the pros and cons of each, but we're going to go with Polygon for our example, as it currently doesn't require paying any fees. If you're minting with Polygon, you'll also have the option to mint multiple copies of your NFT.

Subsequently you've chosen your blockchain, you'll want to double-bank check everything. OpenSea lets y'all alter the metadata afterward as long as y'all haven't put it up for sale, but it's good practice to make certain everything's shipshape before doing anything blockchain-related. And notation that yous won't be able to modify which blockchain the NFT is on later on the fact.

Later y'all're good to become, you tin click the Create button. Depending on the options you've selected and what kind of file y'all're selling as an NFT, there might be a bit of a wait as things upload. After it finishes, you'll encounter a screen saying that your NFT was created.

*Our NFT is on OpenSea simply not written to the blockchain nonetheless — that won't happen until someone purchases information technology.*

All the same, your NFT isn't actually upwards for sale on OpenSea however — to exercise that, y'all'll have to click off of the congratulations screen to go to your NFT's folio (you tin also go to it by clicking on your profile picture, clicking on the Created tab, and selecting the NFT). On the NFT's folio, there'll be a Sell push.

*This NFT has been created, but isn't for sale — to list it, click the Sell button.*

With NFTs listed on Ethereum or Polygon, you'll have the option to create a listing for a stock-still toll, and on Ethereum, yous'll have the option to create a timed auction equally well. For a fixed price listing, you'll but put in the amount that y'all want to sell the item for (listed in Ethereum, merely it'll give y'all an judge dollar amount beneath) and choose how long you lot want the listing to be available for.

*OpenSea's Polygon implementation just supports fixed-price sales at time of writing.*

Since the NFT will be available to purchase as shortly as you listing it, you lot tin can as well make information technology but available to a specific heir-apparent using the "More options" dropdown.

To list your NFT for auction, click the "Complete list" button. You'll take to ostend, or sign, a few transactions with your wallet, either using the browser extension or the app. On Polygon, the transactions are complimentary, and you'll get a screen saying that your item's been listed.

*An case signature request in the Coinbase Wallet app.*

On Ethereum, if information technology'due south your starting time NFT, you'll have to exercise a ane-time blessing transaction to "initialize" your wallet, which nosotros discussed above. To do so, y'all'll need to have Ethereum in your wallet. Ownership crypto could be its ain dissever explainer, but hither'due south a guide to get you started.

The money for this transaction is merely going towards gas, not a fee for OpenSea, then how much it costs depends entirely on how much Ethereum's gas fees are at the moment. In my tests, I saw prices from around $240 to $450, and then if it'due south very high, you may desire to wait until the toll drops — y'all tin can apply a site like Ethereum Gas Station to monitor transaction costs.

*Registering to use Ethereum with OpenSea can be expensive.*

Afterwards you've canonical and signed all the transactions, your NFT will exist listed for sale on OpenSea.

Listing an NFT on Rarible

*Rarible starts you with an selection right off the bat.*

The get-go question Rarible volition ask is whether yous want to create a single-edition NFT or a multiple-edition NFT — in other words, whether yous want to create a ane-of-i NFT, or one that'south express edition but can be purchased by multiple people. The screens y'all'll cease up on are largely similar (though y'all can simply use Ethereum if you're creating a multiple-edition, and yous'll accept to specify the number of copies you desire to sell), but for this instance, we'll cull single.

After choosing single on Rarible, you'll finish up on the NFT creation screen. The first affair to practice is upload the digital file you're hoping to sell every bit an NFT, using the Cull File push. Eventually, it'll terminate up on the InterPlanetary File System, or IPFS, which is a decentralized way to store media, making it so that your NFT won't disappear off the internet if one company decides to finish hosting it.

Like OpenSea, Rarible may inquire you lot for a separate preview image for sure types of media, like videos or music — think of this equally a video thumbnail or album art, which volition display whenever your NFT shows upward on the site.

*Rarible gives yous a few options for how you'll sell your NFT.*

Next, yous'll want to set your selling options. If y'all don't want to sell your NFT simply withal, you can flip off the "Put on marketplace" switch, which is on by default. If yous practice want to sell your NFT, though, you'll have options.

"Stock-still cost" is like creating a store list — you lot set a price for your NFT, and if someone wants to pay that cost, they tin can just purchase it.
"Open for bids" lets people submit offers to buy your NFT, which you tin either accept or pass up.
"Timed auction" is an auction — you can ready a minimum price and choose when the auction volition start and how long information technology will final.

For this case, nosotros'll go with list our NFT for a fixed price, which we tin can enter into the field. You can also choose which currency you lot'd similar to receive (people can, however, send offers in unlike currencies). When you're setting your price, remember that Rarible will take 2.5 percent if your NFT sells.

After you cull your selling method and details, you'll take the selection to add together unlockable content, which will exist provided to the buyer. This could exist something like an invite link to a private Discord, a code to redeem something on an external website, or even just a message thanking them for ownership.

The next two options let you employ choose your collection (we'll get with Rarible Singles for our instance), and the Gratuitous Minting option, which lets you choose whether you want to utilize Rarible'southward lazy minting system, which we went over in Footstep iii. If y'all turn it off and are using the Ethereum blockchain, you'll accept to pay a gas fee to mint your NFT at the end of this process — when I was testing, the fee was effectually $120.

*Name and description will be of import to aid y'all stand out. Most people will want to leave the free minting pick on.*

You lot so requite your NFT a name — or title — and a description if you desire. Finally, you lot tin choose the royalty pct. This volition change how much of each subsequent sale goes back to you in the future. For example, if someone purchases your NFT for 0.2 ETH and then sells information technology for 1 ETH in the time to come, you lot'll get a percentage of that sale also — by default, it'due south 10 per centum (so 0.1 ETH in our instance).

The last option is the Advanced Settings, which lets y'all add together properties to your NFT (which is completely optional only could be useful if you were creating a series of characters with different backdrop) and alternative clarification text, which volition help make your NFT more than accessible.

Double-check that everything is exactly how you desire information technology, as it could be expensive or impossible to alter afterward. Then, when y'all're sure your NFT is practiced to go, click the "Create Detail" push button.

*Your wallet, in this case MetaMask, will ask you to sign a few transactions.*

Doing this will kick off a serial of actions, during which yous'll take to approve some transactions with your wallet. If you're using a browser extension, you should get a pop-up when Rarible asks for your signature (if not, you can click on the extension's icon in your browser, and it should nowadays you with whatsoever requests). If you lot're using an app, you'll want to open it on your phone, where you'll be presented with the request.

Afterwards approving a few wallet requests and a moment of waiting, you'll get a message proverb that your NFT has been created. You can click the "View NFT" push button to see it, and you can come across your drove by going to your contour picture in the top right and clicking "My Profile."

If everything'southward gone well, you'll now have an NFT listed for sale on either Rarible, OpenSea, or both. However, as sellers have told me, that's not likely to get yous very far — as you've seen, the process is relatively complicated, but the aureate rush-esque environment effectually NFTs has led many to endeavour their hand at making ane. If you want your creation to actually sell, you'll probable have to find some way to rise to a higher place the noise, either through snazzy marketing or making your fine art admittedly exceptional (and then probably doing some snazzy marketing). That job, nevertheless, I'll go out in your hands.

PS: Don't worry if your wallet has an NFT section, the NFT yous fabricated using this guide doesn't bear witness up in it. Your wallet reads entries from the blockchain to figure out what it should display, and lazy minted NFTs aren't actually written to the blockchain until someone buys them — thus, they won't show upward in your wallet after you lot create them.