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How to Take an NFT Snapshot on Solana: Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

You need a list of every wallet holding NFTs from your Solana collection. Maybe you're airdropping tokens to holders, building a whitelist for your next mint, or identifying your most dedicated collectors.

The problem? Marketplaces don't export holder lists. APIs require coding. And manually checking each NFT is impossible for collections with thousands of items.

In this tutorial, I'll show you exactly how to take an NFT snapshot on Solana—no coding required—and export your NFT holders to CSV in under 60 seconds.

What You'll Need

Before starting, make sure you have:

  1. Collection Address — The verified collection identifier (not individual NFT mints)
  2. Web Browser — Any modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
  3. 5 Minutes — That's all it takes

Don't have the collection address? Find it on Magic Eden, Tensor, or Solscan by searching your collection name.

How to Find Your Collection Address

The collection address is different from individual NFT mint addresses. Here's how to find it:

On Magic Eden

  1. Go to your collection page
  2. Click on any NFT in the collection
  3. Look for "Collection" in the details
  4. Copy the address shown

On Tensor

  1. Navigate to your collection
  2. Click the info icon or details section
  3. Find "Collection Address" or "Verified Collection"
  4. Copy the address

On Solscan

  1. Search for any NFT from your collection
  2. View the NFT details
  3. Look for "Collection" metadata
  4. The address shown is your collection address

Example collection address: DRiP2Pn2K6fuMLKQmt5rZWyHiUZ6WK3GChEySUpHSS4x

How to Take an NFT Snapshot (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Open the NFT Snapshot Tool

Navigate to the Solana NFT holder export tool.

No account or wallet connection required—the tool reads public blockchain data.

Step 2: Enter Your Collection Address

Paste your collection's verified address into the input field.

The tool validates the address and shows collection metadata (name, symbol, total supply) if available.

Step 3: Configure Snapshot Settings

Adjust optional settings:

Setting Description Default
Max Holders Limit results to top N holders All
Min NFT Count Exclude wallets below threshold 1
Export Format CSV or JSON CSV

For most use cases, default settings work fine—capturing all holders.

Step 4: Generate the Snapshot

Click "Generate Snapshot" to start the process.

What happens next:

  • The tool queries Solana for all NFTs in the collection
  • It identifies the current owner of each NFT
  • Progress bar shows completion status
  • Large collections (10K+ NFTs) may take 30-60 seconds

Step 5: Download Your Holder List

Once complete, click "Download CSV" or "Download JSON".

Your file includes:

  • Wallet addresses (holders)
  • NFT count per holder
  • Percentage of collection owned
  • Holder rank

Understanding Your Snapshot Data

Here's what each column in your CSV means:

Wallet Address

The Solana public key of the holder. This is the address you'll use for:

  • Airdrop distribution
  • Whitelist verification
  • Analytics tracking

NFT Count

The number of NFTs this wallet holds from the collection. A wallet with 5 NFTs appears once with count 5—not 5 separate entries.

Percentage of Collection

The holder's share of total collection supply. Useful for:

  • Identifying whales (collectors with many NFTs)
  • Proportional airdrop calculations
  • Concentration analysis

Holder Rank

Position in holder leaderboard by NFT count. Rank 1 = largest holder.

What to Do After Taking a Snapshot

For Token Airdrops

  1. Calculate allocation — Decide tokens per NFT held
  2. Add amount column — Multiply NFT count by tokens per NFT
  3. Filter if needed — Remove marketplace wallets or bots
  4. Import to Multisender — Upload to Jumpbit Multisender

Example calculation:

Wallet A: 5 NFTs × 100 tokens/NFT = 500 tokens
Wallet B: 1 NFT × 100 tokens/NFT = 100 tokens
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For Whitelist Generation

  1. Set criteria — Minimum NFTs required for whitelist
  2. Filter snapshot — Keep only wallets meeting criteria
  3. Export addresses — Single column of eligible wallets
  4. Import to mint tool — Use for presale/allowlist verification

For Diamond Hands Tracking

  1. Take initial snapshot — Record holders at time T1
  2. Wait period — Weeks or months
  3. Take second snapshot — Record holders at time T2
  4. Compare lists — Wallets in both = diamond hands

How to Filter Your Snapshot Data

Raw snapshots include everything—including addresses you may want to exclude.

Removing Marketplace Wallets

When NFTs are listed for sale, they may be held by marketplace escrow accounts:

Marketplace What Happens Action
Magic Eden Escrow holds listed NFTs Optional filter
Tensor Various escrow accounts Optional filter
Other Check listing status Case-by-case

Note: Listed NFTs are still "owned" in some sense—the seller controls them. Decide based on your use case.

Removing Suspected Bots

Bot wallets often have patterns:

  • Very new wallet age
  • Holding minimum 1 NFT only
  • No other activity on-chain

Consider your filtering criteria carefully—some legitimate holders may match these patterns.

Setting Minimum Thresholds

Filter by NFT count:

Filter: NFT Count >= 3 (for whale-only rewards)
Filter: NFT Count >= 1 (for all holders)
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NFT Snapshot for Different Collection Types

Standard Metaplex Collections

Most Solana NFT collections use Metaplex standard:

  • SMB, DeGods, y00ts, Mad Lads
  • Straightforward snapshot process
  • Works with all snapshot tools

Compressed NFT Collections (cNFTs)

Newer collections using state compression:

  • DRiP, some gaming NFTs
  • Stored in Merkle trees
  • Requires cNFT-compatible tools

The Metaplex NFT snapshot tool supports cNFTs—no special configuration needed.

Programmable NFTs (pNFTs)

Collections with enforced royalties:

  • Some newer Metaplex collections
  • Custom authorization rules
  • Same snapshot process as standard

Mixed Collections

Some collections have multiple standards:

  • Early mints: standard Metaplex
  • Later mints: cNFTs or pNFTs
  • Good tools handle all types automatically

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"Invalid Collection Address"

Cause: You entered something that isn't a valid Solana collection address.

Fix:

  • Verify on Magic Eden or Tensor
  • Ensure it's the collection address, not an NFT mint
  • Check for extra spaces or characters

"Collection Not Found"

Cause: The collection may not be verified or uses non-standard structure.

Fix:

  • Confirm collection has verified collection status
  • Try finding the address on a different marketplace
  • Some very old collections lack proper collection data

"No Holders Found"

Cause: The collection has no current holders or address is incorrect.

Fix:

  • Verify collection exists and has been minted
  • Check that NFTs aren't all burned
  • Confirm collection address on explorer

"Snapshot Taking Too Long"

Cause: Large collection with many NFTs.

Fix:

  • Wait for processing (can take 60-90 seconds for 50K+ NFTs)
  • Large compressed NFT collections may take longer
  • Try during off-peak hours

Alternative Methods for NFT Snapshots

Method 1: Helius API 

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.helius.xyz/v1/nft-events',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      query: { collection: 'COLLECTION_ADDRESS' },
      apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY'
    })
  }
);
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Pros: Programmable, rich data
Cons: Requires coding, API key, rate limits

Method 2: Tensor API

Tensor offers API access for analytics:

  • Holder data available
  • Requires developer account
  • Rate limits apply

Pros: Real-time marketplace data
Cons: Account required, limits on free tier

Method 3: Snapshot Tool (Recommended)

No code, no API keys, just paste and export. Use a collection holder snapshot tool for the fastest results.

Pros: Fast, simple, export-ready formats
Cons: Less customizable than API methods

Best Practices for NFT Snapshots

1. Document Snapshot Timing

Always record when the snapshot was taken:

  • Block height (if available)
  • Timestamp
  • Purpose of snapshot

2. Announce in Advance

For governance or rewards:

  • Announce snapshot date/time beforehand
  • Prevents accusations of unfairness
  • Gives holders time to consolidate

3. Verify Sample Addresses

Spot-check 5-10 random addresses:

  • Confirm they hold the expected NFTs
  • Verify NFT counts match
  • Build confidence in data accuracy

4. Consider Staked/Locked NFTs

NFTs in staking contracts may show different owners:

  • Staking contract address = current holder
  • Original owner = intended recipient
  • Coordinate with staking platform for true owner data

5. Keep Historical Snapshots

Save snapshots for:

  • Audit trails
  • Diamond hands comparisons
  • Dispute resolution

Key Takeaways

Taking an NFT snapshot on Solana is straightforward:

  1. Get your collection address (not NFT mints)
  2. Use a snapshot tool (no coding required)
  3. Generate and download your holder list
  4. Filter and process for your specific use case

The entire process takes under 60 seconds for most collections.

Ready to snapshot your NFT collection?

Try the NFT holder CSV export tool—paste your collection address and download in seconds.

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