Troubleshooting Common NFT Issues: A Step-by-Step Guide
Encountering issues with a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) can be a frustrating experience, especially given the technical complexity of blockchain technology. Whether your NFT isn't appearing in your wallet, its media is broken, or transactions are failing, most problems can be resolved with a few systematic checks. This guide provides a professional walkthrough of the most common NFT issues and their solutions.
Problem 1: NFT Not Visible in Your Wallet
This is the most frequent issue users face after a purchase or transfer. The transaction was successful on the blockchain, but the NFT is nowhere to be found in your wallet interface (e.g., MetaMask, Phantom).
- Check the Correct Network: Ensure your wallet is connected to the correct blockchain network. If you purchased an NFT on the Polygon network, you must switch your wallet's network from Ethereum Mainnet to Polygon to see it.
- Verify on a Block Explorer: The blockchain is the ultimate source of truth. Use a block explorer like Etherscan (for Ethereum), Polygonscan (for Polygon), or Solscan (for Solana). Enter your public wallet address to view all tokens associated with it. If you see the NFT listed there, you own it, and the issue is with your wallet's display.
- Manually Import the NFT: Most wallets require you to manually add new NFT collections. To do this, find the NFT's contract address and its specific Token ID from the block explorer or the marketplace where you acquired it. In your wallet, look for an "Import NFT" or "Add Collectible" option and paste in these two pieces of information.
- Check the 'Hidden' Folder: To protect users from spam, wallets and marketplaces like OpenSea often automatically move NFTs from unknown collections into a "Hidden" or "Spam" folder. Check this location within your wallet or marketplace profile.
Problem 2: The NFT Image or Media is Not Displaying
Sometimes the NFT appears in your wallet, but the associated image, video, or audio file is a blank space or a broken link icon. This is typically a metadata issue.
- Refresh Metadata: Marketplaces like OpenSea have a "Refresh Metadata" button on the NFT's page. Clicking this prompts the platform to re-fetch the image and attributes from its source (often IPFS or a private server). This is the most effective fix.
- Be Patient with IPFS: Many NFTs store their media on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), a decentralized network. It can sometimes take time for the media to propagate across the network and become available. Wait a few hours and check again.
- Check the Metadata URI: For advanced users, you can use a block explorer to look up the token's metadata URI. If this link is broken or points to a server that is down, the issue lies with the project's hosting, and you may need to contact the project's creators directly.
Problem 3: Transaction Failures When Buying, Selling, or Transferring
A "Transaction Failed" or "Reverted" error can occur for several reasons, almost always related to gas fees or network conditions.
- Insufficient Gas Fees: Every transaction requires a network fee (gas). Ensure you have enough of the blockchain's native currency (e.g., ETH, MATIC, SOL) in your wallet to cover both the item's cost and the separate gas fee.
- Network Congestion: During periods of high traffic, the base gas fees can spike dramatically. Your transaction may fail if the fee you set was too low for the current network demand. Try the transaction again later or use your wallet's "aggressive" or "high" gas setting.
- Slippage Settings: When interacting with decentralized exchanges, high price volatility can cause a transaction to fail if the final price "slips" too far from the expected price. While less common for direct NFT sales, this can be a factor in some complex mints.