The Metadata field in the Blockchain details section of NFT pages on OpenSea shows how and where your NFT's metadata is stored. This helps you understand the permanence and decentralization of your item’s metadata without leaving OpenSea.
You'll see one of the following labels for each NFT:
Fully onchain means all metadata and media are stored directly on a blockchain. This is the most permanent storage method since the data exists as long as the blockchain does. Examples include CryptoPunks, Nouns, Loot, and Autoglyphs.
Onchain metadata means the metadata references or is generated from onchain data, but media may be served externally. You'll see this label for items like Art Blocks generative art (where the algorithm lives onchain) or ENS domain names (where name ownership is onchain).
Decentralized means the metadata is stored on IPFS or Arweave. These are distributed storage networks designed to preserve data without relying on a single server.
Centralized means the metadata is stored on traditional web servers. The availability of this data depends on the server owner maintaining access.
Unknown appears when the storage method couldn't be determined, such as when the metadata source isn't recognized or the NFT doesn't have a standard token URI.
You can also filter top and trending collections by metadata storage label:
Please note that these classifications are determined programmatically and may not be entirely accurate for all projects. If you believe a classification is incorrect, please contact Support.