Update Solana Token Metadata: When, How, and Why
Solana token metadata has two layers: the on-chain name and symbol, and the file your URI points to. A plain guide to editing each and when to lock it.
If you want to update your Solana token metadata and the change is not showing up the way you expected, you are probably running into a quiet split that trips up almost everyone. Metadata is just a token's public info: its name, symbol (the short ticker like SOL or USDC), logo, description, and links. The confusing part is that this info does not sit in one place. It lives in two, and they update separately. That single fact explains the most common support message after a token launch: "we changed the logo a week ago, but Solscan still shows the old name."
Here is the everyday version. Picture your token as an ID card whose front is sealed in plastic, and printed on that front is the name plus an arrow pointing to a folder. The name on the sealed front is hard to change. The folder it points to is easy to change, you can swap anything inside it any time. The logo and the links live in the folder. The name lives on the sealed front. Change the folder and the name on the card does not move. That is the whole trick, and once it clicks, every question about how to change a Solana token name, fix a logo, or decide whether to lock things forever gets a lot simpler.
The two layers of token metadata
When most tokens are minted, they get their info through Metaplex Token Metadata. Think of that as the standard most Solana tokens use to carry their name, symbol, and a link. It creates the first layer.
Layer one is on-chain. On-chain means stored directly on the Solana network itself: hard to change, and the version wallets trust most. This layer holds exactly three things you care about: the name, the symbol (the ticker), and a web address (sometimes called a URI, which is just a link that points to a file elsewhere). Wallets and explorers like Phantom or Solscan read this layer first. Editing any of these three is an on-chain edit, and on-chain edits cost a small fee.
Layer two is the file at that web address. The link points to a normal file sitting somewhere on the web (that is the "off-chain" part). Inside that file is the logo image, the description, the website link, and the social links like Twitter/X, Telegram, and Discord. Changing any of these just means re-uploading the file to the same address. No chain edit, no fee.
So when someone swaps a logo and the name does not update, nothing is broken. The logo lives in the file (off-chain). The name lives on the network (on-chain). Editing one never touches the other.
| Field | Layer | How to change it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Token name | On-chain | Update tool | 0.2 SOL |
| Ticker symbol | On-chain | Update tool | 0.2 SOL |
| Web address (URI) | On-chain | Update tool | 0.2 SOL |
| Logo image | The file | Re-upload to same address | Free |
| Description | The file | Re-upload to same address | Free |
| Website + social links | The file | Re-upload to same address | Free |
Quick memory aid: only the name, the symbol, and the web address are sealed on the network. Everything else, the logo and all the text and links, sits in the file you can edit for free.
When should you update, and what does it cost?
Almost every reason to touch your metadata falls into one of four cases. Two are free, two cost a small fee.
You want a fresh logo. Design shipped a nicer version. Because the logo lives in the file, you re-upload the new image to the same web address and you are done. Wallets pick up the new picture the next time they look. No fee, no network edit, as long as you control the file.
A social or website link changed. Your Discord moved, your X handle changed, or the site is on a new domain. Same story: edit the file, re-upload, free.
The name or symbol is wrong. Maybe you launched as "Test Coin" and now it needs the real name, or there is a typo in the ticker. That is the sealed front of the card, so it needs a real on-chain edit through the update tool. 0.2 SOL once. This is the part many people do not realize they can even do, so to be clear: yes, you can rename a token after launch, as long as the edit permission is still held.
You are moving the file to permanent storage. You launched in a hurry and put the file on a quick free host. Now you want it somewhere it can never disappear, so you upload it to the permanent place and point the on-chain web address at the new link. Because the address itself changes, this is also an on-chain edit. 0.2 SOL. This is the step that should always come before you ever lock anything, and the next sections explain why.
The first two never touch the network and never cost anything. The last two run through the same update flow, whether you are changing the name, the ticker, or the web address.
How to update on j.tools, step by step
If all you need is a new logo or new links, you never touch the network. Re-upload the file to the same web address and you are done. For a name, symbol, or web-address change, here is the calm version of the flow.
- Check the state first. Open the free token snapshot tool and paste your token address. It reads the current name, symbol, and web address straight from the network, and it tells you whether the metadata is still editable, meaning whether the update authority (the permission to edit, held by a wallet) is still held by someone. If it was already given up, no one can change the on-chain layer, so there is no point paying a fee. Better to learn that now. This check is free.
- Connect the wallet that holds the edit permission. Only that exact wallet can sign the change, like still holding the key to an editable sign. If you connect a different wallet, the edit simply will not go through. j.tools never asks for your private key; you approve the action yourself in your wallet.
- Enter the new values and sign. Open the update metadata tool, paste your token address, type the new name, symbol, or web address, and approve the transaction in your wallet. The fee is 0.2 SOL plus a tiny network charge. Nothing happens without your signature.
- Verify after. Run the free snapshot tool again to confirm the on-chain values changed. For the logo specifically, give wallets some patience: they cache token images, so a new picture can take roughly 10 to 30 minutes to appear in some apps. If the snapshot shows the new values but your wallet still shows the old image, that is just the cache, not a failed update.
Should you lock it forever? Revoke update authority vs make immutable
At some point you will hear that you should "lock" your metadata. This is the one decision you cannot take back, so it deserves real thought. Locking means you permanently give up the edit permission so the metadata can never be changed again by anyone, including you. Once it is gone, the metadata becomes immutable, meaning locked forever. Buyers like seeing this, and some exchange listing checklists treat "metadata locked" as a trust signal, since it proves the team cannot quietly swap the logo or rename the token later. That signal is real and worth having.
There is one prerequisite that matters more than everything else combined, and skipping it has permanently broken real tokens.
Before you lock, your off-chain file MUST live somewhere permanent. Here is the disaster that keeps happening: a team uploads the file to a quick free host during launch, locks the metadata weeks later, then months on the host expires or the domain lapses. The web address now returns a 404, the page-not-found error. The name still shows because it is sealed on the network, but the logo and description vanish. And since the edit permission is gone, no one can ever point the token at a fresh file. It is broken in every wallet, permanently.
The fix is an order of operations. Move your file to Arweave (a service where you pay once and it stores the file forever) or to pinned IPFS (a shared file network where a "pinning" service keeps your file online for a small subscription). Both survive long after a normal host would have expired. Update the on-chain web address to that new permanent link with the update tool. Confirm it loads from two different machines over a few days. Only then lock it.
When you do lock, you choose how much to seal:
- Lock only the metadata. The revoke update authority tool permanently removes just the edit permission for the name, symbol, and web address. It leaves the other two permissions untouched: the mint authority (permission to create more coins) and the freeze authority (permission to freeze holders). 0.1 SOL.
- Lock all three at once. The make immutable tool gives up the edit, mint, and freeze permissions together in one step, so the token is locked forever in every sense. 0.2 SOL. Most memecoins want this.
If you would rather handle the other two permissions on their own, the revoke mint tool gives up the create-more-coins permission and the revoke freeze tool gives up the freeze-holders permission, each 0.1 SOL.
A short decision guide. Lock when the brand has settled, the token has been live for six months or more with no rename in sight, the file already lives on permanent storage, or an exchange specifically asks for it. Hold off when you might still rebrand, when the file sits on a host you could lose, or when a rename or a version-two token is even slightly possible. Locking is the only one-way door in this whole process.
What is j.tools?
j.tools is a Solana toolkit with more than 40 no-code tools: update your metadata, create tokens, lock authorities, snapshot a token's current state, and plenty more. Everything is bilingual, Turkish and English, and built so a non-developer can work entirely from a simple form instead of a command line. It is security-minded by design: it never asks for your private key. You connect your own wallet and approve every single action yourself, so you stay in control the whole way through.
Common mistakes
- Editing the file and assuming the on-chain name caught up. The logo is in the file; the name is on the network. Changing one never touches the other, so always check the name separately.
- Locking while the file is on a temporary host. The single most expensive mistake on this list. Months later the host expires, the file 404s, and there is no way back. Move to Arweave or pinned IPFS first, always.
- Not waiting for the cache. Wallets and explorers cache images for 10 to 30 minutes. Give it that window, and check the snapshot, before deciding something failed.
- Trying to rename through the file. The name in the file is ignored. Wallets read the on-chain name, so a real rename always goes through the update tool.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change a Solana token's name after launch? Yes, as long as the edit permission has not been given up. The name is sealed on the network, so you change it with the update tool for 0.2 SOL, signed by the wallet that holds that permission. Check first with the free snapshot tool to confirm it is still editable. If the permission was already revoked, the name is sealed for good.
Why does my token still show the old logo? Two reasons usually. Either you edited the wrong layer (the name is on-chain, the logo is in the file), or your wallet is simply caching the old image, which can lag 10 to 30 minutes. Re-upload the logo to the same web address, run the snapshot tool to see what is actually stored, then wait out the cache.
How much does updating token metadata cost? Editing the file (logo, description, links) is free, since you are only re-uploading. Changing the on-chain name, symbol, or web address costs 0.2 SOL each through the update tool, plus a tiny network charge. Checking a token's state with the snapshot tool is also free.
Should I make my token immutable? Lock it once the brand is settled, the token has some history, and the file is on permanent storage. It is a real trust signal for buyers and listings. Hold off while you might still rebrand or could lose access to the file. Locking can never be undone.
What is update authority? It is the permission, held by a specific wallet, to edit the on-chain metadata later. Think of it as still holding the key to an editable sign. Revoke it and the sign is sealed forever.
The short version
Updating metadata is cheap and repeatable, so there is no pressure to get every field perfect on day one. You can fix a name, swap a logo, or move links as many times as you need. Locking is the single move you cannot undo, so treat it with respect: move the file to permanent storage, point the web address at it, confirm it loads, and only then revoke the edit permission. For more in this vein, browse our collection of practical token guides or everything in our Solana how-to articles. When you are ready, the free token snapshot tool is the right place to check your token's state before you change anything.
One last note for Token-2022 owners. Token-2022 is a newer Solana token format that carries its own metadata built into the token, and it follows a different update path. This guide covers the classic SPL token plus Metaplex flow that most tokens use today.
