Understanding why your custom icon request may be rejected

Our custom icon service is designed to create high-impact, scientifically relevant visuals for the broader scientific community. However, not all icon requests can be fulfilled. Understanding why a request may be rejected can help you refine your submission or find alternative solutions.

Who can request custom icons?

Custom icon requests are available to users on:

• Industry Team plans
• Enterprise plans

To compare available plans, visit our Plans & Pricing page.

BioRender icons are built for science communication

Our mission is to empower scientists to create clear, standardized, and professional visuals. Custom icon requests help us identify common needs in the global scientific community, ensuring the icons we produce serve the widest possible audience.

To maintain this focus, we occasionally reject requests that fall outside our design scope or standards.

Common reasons icon requests are rejected

Your request may be declined for one or more of the following reasons:

• Not specific to the life sciences (e.g., general symbols or icons unrelated to biology or biomedical fields)
• Style is not scientifically accurate (e.g., exaggerated, cartoonish, or schematic beyond BioRender’s visual style)
• Too complex for BioRender’s vector style (e.g., icons that are highly detailed or not reproducible in a simplified form)
• Too niche or custom (e.g., a one-off setup or experimental configuration not broadly applicable)
• You’ve reached your plan’s request limit (Each plan has a defined quota for icon requests)

What to do if your icon is rejected

If your icon request is not accepted, you still have two options:

1. Revise and resubmit your request
   • Make adjustments to your submission to better align with the needs of the broader BioRender community. This could involve simplifying the icon, changing the style, or reframing the use case
2. Upload an open-source image.
   • If you still need the specific visual, you can upload an open-source image directly into your BioRender library for use in your figures.

How to find and use an open-source image

1. Go to Google Images

2. Search for your desired visual

3. Click Tools > Usage Rights, and select Creative Commons License. Learn more about Google's usage rights here.

4. Select an appropriate image

5. Copy and paste the image directly into your BioRender canvas

• This automatically adds it to your uploads library
• You can reuse it across all of your illustrations

Related articles

Make your next request more likely to be accepted:

• How to write a good description for your custom icon request
• How to include key features in your custom icon request
• How to name your custom icon request
• Understanding what makes a custom icon complex

Need help?

If you have any questions or concerns:

1. Email Support: support@biorender.com
2. Live Chat: Available by clicking on the "Help" bubble in the app on the bottom right-hand corner.