In this guide
What this covers
Copy-minting reproduces a mint configuration — phases, supply, pricing, royalty structure — that has already worked, so you are not re-deriving mechanics under launch pressure. This guide covers doing it safely from either surface.
Before you start
Copy the configuration, never the artwork or the identity. And read the audit output: a contract that worked for someone else can still carry behaviour you do not want.
1. Point at the source
Copy the mint configuration from this collection and deploy it on Base
with my metadata.From the terminal:
aco mint copy --source 0xA1b2...C3d4 --chain base --config ./mint.jsonBoth paths run the same audit and produce the same preview.
2. Read the audit before the preview
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Mint function access control | Who can mint outside the phases you configured |
| Supply cap enforcement | Whether the cap is actually enforceable onchain |
| Royalty implementation | Whether it is standards-compliant or cosmetic |
| Owner privileges | What the deployer can still do post-deploy |
Owner privileges are the one people skip and regret. Know exactly what you retain and what you cannot change later.
3. Replace everything that is yours
Metadata URI, royalty recipient, phase timings, allowlist. Maren surfaces each inherited field so nothing carries over by accident.
Deploy to testnet first, and mint through every phase. A phase bug found after mainnet deploy is permanent.
4. Deploy and verify
Maren deploys, verifies the source, and returns the address plus phase schedule. Verification matters — an unverified mint contract is a trust problem for every collector who looks.
Tips
- Keep
mint.jsonin version control. It is the record of what you actually shipped. - Fund the deploy wallet slightly above estimate; a failed deploy still burns gas.
- Ask Maren to simulate the allowlist phase against real addresses before opening it.
Troubleshooting
Audit flags an unbounded mint. Do not proceed. Copying an unbounded mint reproduces the bug.
Metadata not resolving after deploy. Check the base URI trailing slash and token ID offset. It is almost always one of those two.
The controls behind this workflow
- The source contract is audited before its configuration is reproduced.
- Metadata and royalty targets are yours; nothing is inherited silently.
- Deploy is preceded by a testnet dry run by default.
Guides describe how to operate Maren. They are not financial advice, and figures shown are illustrative. You approve every transaction before it is signed.