Publishing BioRender figures in a journal: What you need to know

Looking to publish your BioRender figure? This guide will walk you through how to export your figure properly, cite it correctly, understand the license terms, and know who has publishing rights. 

Can I publish my figure in a journal?

How to export a figure for publication

Only users on a Premium plan (except for the Undergrad Plan) can generate a publication license.

Step-by-Step:

1. Open your figure in the BioRender Editor or Gallery
2. Click “Export”
3. Check  ☑️ “I would like a publication license with this export”
4. Enter your figure title and manuscript info
5. Select “Yes” if publishing open-access or “No” if closed-access.
6. Click “Download License”. You’ll get a PDF document of the license and a Unique Citation + URL for your figure.

If you forget to download the license, simply re-export the same figure (as long as you still have Premium access) to generate a license.

Citation Guidelines

When you export with a publication license, BioRender will generate an Unique Citation + URL. You can include the citation in the figure legend, references section, or acknowledgments. Check which aligns with your journal’s preferences. 

Your citation will look like this:

Created in BioRender. Smith, J. (2025). BioRender.com/c248457

Which citation do I use?

⚠️ If you’re using a free trial or undergrad account, you do not have publishing rights. 

Do I need to be the first author to publish my figure?

If you're on an Individual plan: 

You must appear as one of the following author positions:

• First author,
• Co-first author, or
• Last author

If you’re a middle author, or not listed as an author, you cannot publish the figure.

If you're on a Team, Lab, Institutional, or Enterprise plan: 

You can publish BioRender figures regardless of your author order (even if you're not listed as an author at all).

Publishing Checklist

Before submitting your manuscript, make sure you’ve completed all the steps below:

✅ You’re on a Premium BioRender plan (Individual, Team, Lab, or Institutional)

✅ You exported your figure with a publication license

✅ You selected the correct journal type:

• "Yes" for open-access journals (CC-BY 4.0 license)
• "No" for closed-access journals

✅ You included your unique citation + URL in your manuscript

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to export a separate CC-BY license and publication license? 

No. Selecting "Yes" for open-access in the export flow gives you a combined CC-BY 4.0 publication license.

Can I change a figure from closed to open-access later? 

Yes. Simply generate a new publication license with updated settings.

What if I edit my figure after exporting it?

Re-export it to generate an updated license and citation link.

I submitted my paper but forgot to include a BioRender citation or license. What should I do?

If your figure was exported properly, you still have rights to publish it. Reach out to your journal to see if the license PDF or citation can be included during revisions or proofs.

Related articles

• How to cite your BioRender figure
• Publishing in open-access resources
• Publishing in closed-access resources
• Publication License: Terms of Use
• Author listing requirements for publishing BioRender figures
• How to reuse and republish a BioRender figure (without modifications)

Need help?

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