How to Create an NFT Collection on Ethereum - Complete Guide 2026

How to Create an NFT Collection on Ethereum (2026)

Complete guide from contract to mint page. Step by step.

Step 1: Write the Smart Contract

Use OpenZeppelin ERC-721 as base. Add mint function, max supply, mint price, per-wallet limit.

pragma solidity ^0.8.20;
import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC721/ERC721.sol";
import "@openzeppelin/contracts/access/Ownable.sol";

contract MyNFT is ERC721, Ownable {
    uint256 public nextTokenId;
    uint256 public maxSupply = 10000;
    uint256 public mintPrice = 0.01 ether;
    bool public mintActive;
    
    constructor() ERC721("MyNFT", "MNFT") Ownable(msg.sender) {}
    
    function mint(uint256 qty) external payable {
        require(mintActive);
        require(nextTokenId + qty <= maxSupply);
        require(msg.value == mintPrice * qty);
        for (uint i = 0; i < qty; i++) {
            _safeMint(msg.sender, nextTokenId++);
        }
    }
    
    function toggleMint() external onlyOwner {
        mintActive = !mintActive;
    }
}

Step 2: Upload Metadata to IPFS

Use Pinata or nft.storage. Upload images and JSON metadata. Set baseURI to ipfs://CID/

Step 3: Deploy

forge create --rpc-url $RPC MyNFT

Step 4: Verify on Etherscan

forge verify-contract $RPC MyNFT --etherscan-api-key $KEY

Step 5: Build Mint Page

Use React + ethers.js. Connect MetaMask, call mint function.

Want the complete NFT collection template with whitelist, reveal, royalties, and React mint page? Get all 15+ templates: https://rentry.co/w9gngnqt ($1+)

Free NFT template: https://telegra.ph/Free-NFT-Smart-Contract-Template---ERC-721-2026-05-13