For a CC BY asset, give appropriate credit, link to the license, and say if you changed the work. Do it in any reasonable manner, but never imply the creator endorses you. In an app, a credits or licenses screen that lists each asset with its creator and license link usually works.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Definition: what BY requires
The Creative Commons deed for Attribution 4.0 states the conditions. You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. It also says you may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing what the license permits.
What "appropriate credit" contains
The deed's definition says that, if supplied, you must provide the name of the creator and attribution parties, a copyright notice, a license notice, a disclaimer notice, and a link to the material. Not every item exists for every asset. Include what the creator supplied.
| Element | Example field in your credits list |
|---|---|
| Creator name | As given on the source page |
| Title of the work | Asset name |
| Source link | URL of the original |
| License | CC BY 4.0 with a link to the license |
| Changes | "Recolored" or "Cropped" if you edited it |
Where to put it in a product
The license allows any reasonable manner, so the right place depends on the medium. For reference:
- Mobile app: a credits section in settings or About, next to your open source notices.
- Website: a credits page linked from the footer.
- Video: end card or description.
- Game: credits screen reachable from the main menu.
Pick a place a user can actually find. A hidden file inside the binary is a weaker choice than a screen.
Process that scales
- Keep an asset register: file name, source URL, creator, license, date downloaded.
- Capture the license version, because 3.0 and 4.0 differ in details.
- Generate your credits screen from the register rather than typing it by hand.
- Review the register before every release and remove assets you no longer ship.
- Never remove the credit when you edit the image; add the changes note instead.
Try it yourself
The gate demo shows how a pull request check can stop a change until a condition is met. Click through it and imagine the condition as "asset register updated" for your release process.
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.
Safeguard's policies, gates and guardrails can hold a pull request for review, and its SBOM and dependency scanning cover assets distributed as packages. A free scan is available at gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
Quick check
Do I need creator permission to use a CC BY image commercially?
CC BY does not prohibit commercial use. You must meet the attribution conditions.
Can I say the creator endorses my app?
No. The deed forbids credit that suggests endorsement by the licensor.
Do I have to mention that I cropped the image?
Yes. The deed requires you to indicate if changes were made.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
