OpenSea Setup Guide

Time: 15 minutes | Difficulty: Advanced | Market: NFTs Mode: Full automation (conditional) | API: REST API + Smart contract interaction | Docs: docs.opensea.io

This guide wires an OpenSea NFT bot to the OpenSea API and blockchain smart contracts using the botwir3 runtime. Configure API access, connect to NFT marketplace data, and run automated NFT trading strategies locally.

⚠ Access requirements

OpenSea API access has tiered restrictions. This may include:

• Free tier: read-only access to metadata, listings, and collection data
• API key required for higher rate limits (request via OpenSea API key form)
• Transactions (buying/selling) execute via blockchain smart contracts, not through the OpenSea API directly
• The bot interacts with the blockchain for order execution — a wallet private key is required

OpenSea API Documentation | OpenSea Terms of Service

The user is responsible for obtaining appropriate access and complying with all platform terms.

Before you start

Verify that automated operation is permitted under OpenSea's current terms of service before deploying. botwir3 provides tools for building structured automation. The user is responsible for compliance with the platform's terms and all applicable regulations.

OpenSea Terms of Service | Last verified: May 2026

What you need

• An Ethereum wallet with ETH for gas
• A private key or keystore file for the wallet (stored locally — never shared)
• An OpenSea API key (for marketplace data access at higher rate limits)
• The botwir3 runtime downloaded and unzipped
• A strategy config file from the builder
• An RPC endpoint (Infura, Alchemy, or a self-hosted node)

Step 1: Configure wallet and API credentials

1. Request an API key from OpenSea (via the developer docs)
2. Prepare a dedicated Ethereum wallet for bot operations

🔒 Security. The wallet private key controls all funds in the wallet. Use a dedicated wallet for bot operations with only the funds allocated to the strategy. The private key and API key are stored in a local config file and are not transmitted to botwir3 or any third party. botwir3 never sees, stores, or has access to wallet or API credentials.

Step 2: Configure the adapter

Create adapter.json in the bot directory:

{
  "adapter": "opensea",
  "credentials": {
    "api_key": "paste-opensea-api-key-here",
    "private_key": "paste-wallet-private-key-here",
    "rpc_url": "https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/paste-project-id-here"
  },
  "collection": "boredapeyachtclub",
  "chain": "ethereum",
  "environment": "live",
  "rate_limit_ms": 2000
}

collection: The collection slug from OpenSea (visible in the URL). The API provides listing data; transactions execute on-chain.

chain: OpenSea supports Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and other chains.

API keys are stored in a local config file on the machine running the bot. They are not transmitted to botwir3 or any third party. botwir3 never sees, stores, or has access to platform credentials.

Step 3: Test the connection

botwir3 test --adapter opensea

Expected output:

[botwir3] Adapter: opensea
[botwir3] Connection: OK (API + Ethereum mainnet)
[botwir3] Wallet: 0x1234...abcd
[botwir3] API tier: keyed
[botwir3] Rate limit: keyed tier limits

Step 4: Start the bot

botwir3 start --config my-strategy.json

The runtime loads the strategy, computes the spec hash, connects to the OpenSea API for marketplace data and the blockchain for order execution, and begins evaluating signals. The gate function compares proposed actions against the configured spec. The user is responsible for monitoring the bot and verifying execution outcomes.

Rate limits and considerations

Common OpenSea bot configurations include floor price monitoring (alerting when NFTs in a collection drop below a threshold), collection trait sniping (buying undervalued NFTs based on trait rarity), and automated listing management for sellers. All actions and decisions are recorded in the local ledger.

Troubleshooting

Related guides

• Blur Setup Guide — NFTs, on-chain only
• Magic Eden Setup Guide — NFTs, multi-chain
• Uniswap Setup Guide — DeFi swaps on Ethereum

One bot. $129. No subscription. No $749/mo platform. → Build for OpenSea