Last Updated: November 21, 2025
OpenSea
Leading NFT marketplace
Web3
NFT
Getting Started
Visit opensea.io
Official OpenSea website (beware of phishing sites)
Connect Wallet
Click wallet icon > MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, WalletConnect
Sign Message
One-time signature to verify wallet ownership (free, no gas)
Profile Setup
Profile icon > Settings > Add username, bio, profile image
Email Verification
Settings > Notifications > Verify email for alerts
Supported Blockchains
Ethereum, Polygon, Klaytn, Solana, Arbitrum, Optimism, Avalanche
Buying NFTs - Fixed Price
Browse Collections
Explore > Trending, Top, Art, Gaming, Music, etc.
Search NFT
Search bar > Enter collection or item name
Filter by Price
Left sidebar > Price range, currency (ETH, WETH, USDC)
"Buy Now" Listings
Toggle "Buy Now" to see instant-purchase items
View Item Details
Click NFT > Check properties, rarity, owner, price history
Check Rarity
Properties tab shows trait rarity percentages
Buy Now Button
Click "Buy Now" > Complete checkout in wallet
Gas Fees (Ethereum)
Buyer pays gas fee on top of NFT price
Polygon = No Gas
Polygon NFTs have negligible gas fees (~$0.01)
Confirm in Wallet
Approve transaction in MetaMask; NFT arrives in seconds
Making Offers
Make Offer Button
On any item page, click "Make Offer"
WETH Required
Offers use Wrapped ETH (WETH), not ETH
Wrap ETH
OpenSea > Wallet icon > Click ETH > Wrap ETH (1:1 conversion)
Set Offer Amount
Enter offer price in WETH (can be below floor price)
Offer Duration
Choose expiration: 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, custom
Collection Offers
Offer on any item in collection (owner chooses to accept)
Trait Offers
Offer on NFTs with specific traits (e.g., "Red Hat")
Cancel Offer
Profile > Offers Made > Cancel (costs gas on Ethereum)
Seller Accepts
If accepted, WETH auto-transfers and you receive NFT
Auctions
English Auction
Highest bidder wins when timer ends
Reserve Price
Minimum price; auction fails if not met
Place Bid
Click "Place Bid" > Enter amount (must beat current bid)
WETH for Bids
Auction bids require WETH
Automatic Extension
Last-minute bids extend auction by 10 minutes
Outbid Notifications
Receive email/notification if someone outbids you
Withdraw Bid
Not possible; only outbid or wait for auction end
Listing NFTs for Sale
Profile > Collected
View NFTs you own
Select NFT
Click NFT > "List for Sale" or "Sell"
Fixed Price Listing
Set price and duration; instant sale when buyer clicks "Buy Now"
Choose Currency
ETH, WETH, USDC, DAI (depends on blockchain)
Set Duration
1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months
Reserve for Buyer
Optional: Reserve listing for specific wallet address
First-Time Approval
One-time collection approval transaction (costs gas)
Seaport Protocol
New listings are gas-free (off-chain signatures)
Lazy Listing
No gas until sale completes (Ethereum mainnet)
Edit Listing
Profile > Listings > Edit price or duration (gas-free)
Cancel Listing
Profile > Listings > Cancel (costs gas on Ethereum)
Creating NFTs (Minting)
Create Button
Top right corner > Create (single or collection)
Upload File
PNG, GIF, JPG, SVG, MP4, WEBM, MP3, WAV (max 100MB)
Add Name & Description
Title and optional description
Choose Collection
Add to existing collection or create new one
Properties/Traits
Add attributes (e.g., Background: Blue, Eyes: Laser)
Unlockable Content
Hidden content for buyer (download link, code, etc.)
Supply
1 for unique NFT, 2+ for editions (ERC-1155)
Blockchain Selection
Ethereum (expensive), Polygon (free), Solana, etc.
Lazy Minting
Free NFT creation; buyer pays gas at purchase (Ethereum/Polygon)
Create Button
Sign message in wallet (free); NFT minted when first sold
Collections
Create Collection
Profile > Create > Create Collection
Logo, Banner, Description
Customize collection branding
Royalties
Set creator earnings (0-10%; you earn on secondary sales)
Blockchain
Choose Ethereum, Polygon, etc. (cannot change later)
Payment Tokens
Select which tokens buyers can use (ETH, WETH, USDC, DAI)
Verified Badge
Blue checkmark for authentic projects (apply via OpenSea)
Collection Stats
Floor price, volume, owners, total supply
Gas Optimization
Use Polygon
Near-zero gas fees for minting, listing, buying
Gas-Free Listings (Seaport)
New listings on Ethereum are gas-free with Seaport protocol
Monitor Gas Prices
Use Etherscan gas tracker or gasNow.org
Transact During Low Traffic
Weekends, late night UTC = lower gas (50-70% savings)
Batch Actions
Cancel multiple listings in one transaction (use tools)
Accept Offers (Seller)
Seller pays gas when accepting offers on Ethereum
Layer 2 Networks
Arbitrum, Optimism have 90%+ lower gas than Ethereum mainnet
Fees & Earnings
OpenSea Fee: 2.5%
Platform fee on all sales (deducted automatically)
Creator Royalties
0-10% set by collection creator (on secondary sales)
Total Seller Cost
2.5% (OpenSea) + Royalty % + Gas (if applicable)
Example: $1000 Sale
$975 to seller - $50 royalty (5%) = $925 net (before gas)
Withdraw Funds
Sales proceeds go directly to your wallet (instant)
WETH Auto-Conversion
Option to auto-convert WETH to ETH in settings
Activity & Analytics
Activity Tab
Real-time sales, listings, transfers for collection
Floor Price
Lowest "Buy Now" price in collection
Volume (24h, 7d, Total)
Total trading volume in ETH/USD
Owners
Number of unique wallet addresses holding NFTs
Listed %
Percentage of collection currently for sale
Rarity Tools
Use rarity.tools or Rarity Sniper for trait rankings
Trending Collections
Stats > Rankings > Top by volume, sales, etc.
Safety & Security
Verify Collection
Look for blue checkmark; beware of copycats
Check Contract Address
Compare with official project website or Etherscan
Beware of Phishing
Only use opensea.io (not .com or other variations)
Review Approvals
OpenSea needs approval to transfer NFTs; revoke on revoke.cash if suspicious
Scam DMs
OpenSea never DMs first; ignore "support" messages
Hidden NFTs
Profile > More > Hidden; scam NFTs auto-hide
Report Suspicious Items
Flag icon on NFT page > Report to OpenSea
Pro Tips:
- Floor Price Strategy: List 1-5% above floor for quick sales; 10-20% for rarer traits
- WETH vs ETH: Keep some WETH ready for instant offers; wrap during low gas times
- Rarity First: Check rarity tools before buying; common traits = floor price
- Polygon for Testing: Practice minting/trading on Polygon (free gas) before using Ethereum
- Offers Below Floor: Make 20-30% below-floor offers on collections; sellers in rush may accept
- Sweep the Floor: Buy cheapest items in hot collections; flip when floor rises
- Collection Bids: Place collection-wide offers to catch panic sellers
- Tax Implications: Track all NFT transactions for tax reporting (crypto.com/tax, Koinly)