How to find NFT metadata on OpenSea and Rarible?

NFTs are a game-changing technology, providing ownership of digital assets and acting as holder certificates or access keys to the underlying content, which can be music, movies, art, real estate and much more. However, what makes nonfungible tokens (NFT) useful in real terms is metadata. It may not exactly be a buzzword, but it ensures that the user is able to find out what NFT is all about.

Metadata is information about the content that an NFT represents. Since large files cannot be stored on the blockchain for the simple reason that they become too expensive, NFTs usually only point to the files stored off the blockchain. That said, only a few NFT artworks are stored on the chain.

This article explains NFT metadata, what makes it impractical to post content on the blockchain, and how to find NFT metadata on Opensea and Rarible. Let’s start by understanding what NFT metadata actually is.

What is NFT metadata (nonfungible token)?

An NFT refers to a specific digital resource which can be in the form of a JPEG, GIF or an MP4 file. Although the token itself is hosted on the blockchain, the file is stored below off-chain. NFT metadata points out specifications for the stored data. It may include information such as the NFT’s name, description of the NFT, transaction history, link to the host image, properties and more.

As for the benefits of NFT metadata, it helps solution architects put aside the technical issues when hosting large files on a chain. The preferred practice is to upload the link to the content to the blockchain while storing content at an HTTP URL on the current Internet or InterPlanetary File System (IPFS).

IPFS is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing network for storing and sharing data in a distributed file. The metadata acts as input to the NFT smart contract that needs to be distributed on the blockchain network.

Metadata is specified in a standardized JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. Inside the smart contract, however, the information is stored as a Universal Resource Identifier (URI) as storage as a JSON is too demanding on resources. However, users can download NFT metadata at will.

Why is metadata needed for off-chain data?

The large size of images, audio and video content makes it very expensive to upload it to the blockchain. For example, if someone wanted to store one gigabyte of data on the Ethereum blockchain, it would cost approximately $35 million. If a 160-odd-minute movie is stored on a blockchain, it could cost more than the cost of making the movie, i.e. $237 million.

The URI string, as mentioned above, indicates a location where to find the token’s JSON description. The relevant metadata remains as a permanent record on the blockchain, describing what the token represents.

What Opensea and Rarible add to the NFT ecosystem?

High demand for NFTs led to the need for marketplaces where users can create, transfer and monetize their assets. The marketplaces provide the tools for these activities, which are so crucial to sustaining the NFT movement. At the top of the list are Opensea and Rarible, two open platforms where anyone can create and trade NFTs.

OpenSea is the world’s first and largest NFT marketplace, enabling users to roll out their own NFT collections to sell on the platform. By simplifying the intricate processes required to manage and monetize NFTs, OpenSea provides the infrastructure for minting, listing and trading NFTs. Originally built to support CryptoKitties, OpenSea has grown to become NFT participants’ go-to marketplace.

Rarible is also a peer-to-peer (P2P) gateway to the NFT market, offering easy coining and trading features. Unlike OpenSea, Rarible distributes its native token, RARI, to govern the platform and enable holders of RARI to vote on critical decisions.

How to view NFT metadata on OpenSea?

Any experienced trader will look at NFT metadata on OpenSea to find out what NFT is all about. Checking metadata on OpenSea is quite simple. For easy understanding, let’s focus on finding metadata for NFTs based on Ethereum.

The process is as follows:

1. Open the NFT for which they want to retrieve metadata.

2. Scroll down and click on the “Details” tab and click on the link next to the contract address.

3. In the Etherscan link that appears on the screen, then copy the contract address.

4. The user now types api.opensea.io/asset/ in the URL text box and pastes the copied contract address after the slash at the end of the URL, followed by the token ID mentioned in the contract details.

The metadata in JSON format is displayed on the screen. To find metadata of NFTs hosted on other blockchains, one uses a relevant blockchain explorer to obtain the contract address. For example, if NFT is hosted on the Solana blockchain, clicking the link next to “Contact Address” on the “Details” tab will take you to the Solana explorer Solscan.io. You can then use the relevant API to get the metadata.

How to find NFT metadata on Rarible?

Like OpenSea, Rarible also offers a way to find metadata information. To understand the process, let’s use a popular NFT based on the Ethereum blockchain called EXIO, the pilot entering the atmosphere of a planet controlled by psychedelic consciousness.

Here is the process for finding NFT metadata for EXIO on Rarible:

1. On Rarible, the user opens the respective page of the NFT, for example EXIO, as shown in the image below.

2. Scroll the screen down. Under the Details tab, click View on Etherscan.

3. Click on the Token ID number in blue on the screen.

4. The user will now be directed to a new page.

5. Copy the contract address.

6. To find metadata, plug in the following link in the given format.

Address: Token ID

For the specified contract address, the link will be

https://api.rarible.org/v0.1/items/ETHEREUM:0x3D34D2A719C2666e603650858ac159D12e623B77:10029

The metadata is displayed on the screen.

To find metadata for the NFTs hosted on blockchains other than Ethereum on Rarible, all one needs to do is replace Ethereum with another blockchain of their choice. In some cases, there is no token ID. Below are examples for each individual blockchain represented on Rarible:

Pay attention to metadata when shopping on OpenSea and Rarible

Metadata helps users focus on the ownership and tradability of NFTs, thereby making tokens applicable in a variety of use cases such as art, real estate, music, fashion, gaming, supply chain, luxury goods, ticketing and more. Immediate access to this important data brings efficiency to real-world implementations of NFT technology. Active use of metadata by users will promote stability in the ecosystem, adding enormous value to it.

A large part of traders on platforms like OpenSea and Rarible tend to see metadata as technical stuff and don’t bother to check it. However, any experienced trader will know how important it is to know about every possible thing about the NFTs they are going to buy. Both platforms provide users with easy ways to find metadata about the specific NFTs and ensure that the tokens they are buying are worth the deal.

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