Creative Commons, explained clearly

Creative Commons FAQ

Clear answers about Creative Commons licences, CC0, attribution, reuse and remixing.

The licence suite

Six licences, four conditions

BYCC BYCredit the creator BYSACC BY-SACredit + share alike BYNDCC BY-NDCredit + no shared adaptations BYNCCC BY-NCCredit + noncommercial only BYNCSACC BY-NC-SANoncommercial + share alike BYNCNDCC BY-NC-NDNoncommercial + unchanged

Public-domain tools are different. CC0 helps a rights holder dedicate a work to the public domain; the Public Domain Mark labels a work believed free of known copyright restrictions.

Primary sources

Check the official guidance

Use our explanations to understand the choices, then confirm the exact terms at the source.

Find and use open content

Free images, sounds and tools

“Free” does not always mean restriction-free. Check the licence shown on the individual file before downloading, editing or publishing it.

Free images

Free sounds

Free tools

Quick answers

Questions people ask first

AttributionHow do I give proper Creative Commons attribution? ReuseCan I use Creative Commons work commercially? Licence termsAre Creative Commons licences irrevocable? RemixingCan I remix a NoDerivatives work? Public domainWhat is the difference between CC0 and PDM? ProblemsWhat is the 30-day cure period in 4.0?

Complete guide

Browse every topic

12 sections, built around real questions.