# MolDraw Docs

> How to use MolDraw, a free browser chemical structure editor by LabCanvas. Draw molecules and reactions, view 3D, export figures, add plugins.

Every page has a Markdown version at the same path with .md. Full text: https://www.moldraw.com/docs/llms-full.txt

## Get started

- [Introduction to MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/get-started/what-is-moldraw-free-online-chemical-structure-editor.md): MolDraw is a free chemical structure editor that runs in your browser. You can draw molecules and reactions, view them in 3D, and export figures for papers and slides.
- [Draw your first structure](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/get-started/how-to-draw-your-first-chemical-structure-in-moldraw.md): Click the benzene ring, click the canvas, add a bond, then place an oxygen. Click Clean up and open Info to see the name, formula and weight. This guide draws phenol in six steps.
- [The MolDraw screen](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/get-started/moldraw-editor-interface-toolbar-and-panels-explained.md): The screen has a top bar, a tools row, a left tool rail, an atom palette, a ring bar and the canvas. A 3D panel sits on the right.
- [Save and open your work](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/get-started/how-to-save-and-open-chemical-drawings-in-moldraw.md): MolDraw saves your drawing in your browser by itself. Open old drawings from My designs. Use File, Save to keep a .moldraw file on your computer.
- [Keyboard shortcuts](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/get-started/moldraw-keyboard-shortcuts-list.md): Press ? in the editor to see every shortcut. The most used are Ctrl+Z to undo, Ctrl+C to copy, 1, 2 and 3 for bond types, and letters like O or N to pick an element.

## Draw structures

- [Draw atoms](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-atoms-and-change-elements.md): Pick an element in the atom palette, then click the canvas or the end of a bond. Click an atom to change it. Use the periodic table for other elements.
- [Draw bonds](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-single-double-triple-and-wedge-bonds.md): Pick a bond type in the left rail and drag from atom to atom. Click a bond to change its type. Press 1, 2 or 3 for single, double or triple bonds.
- [Rings and structures](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-benzene-cyclohexane-and-fused-rings.md): Use the ring bar at the bottom to place rings from 3 to 8 atoms. Click a ring atom or bond to fuse a new ring. Clean up tidies the shape.
- [Atom labels and R-groups](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-add-atom-labels-and-r-groups.md): Pick the atom label tool (A) and click an atom. Type a label like Ph, COOH or R1. MolDraw can expand known labels into full structures.
- [Stereochemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-stereochemistry-wedge-hash-and-r-s-labels.md): Use wedge and hash bonds for 3D centers. Open Chemistry and pick Show CIP labels to see R and S. Right click to invert a center.
- [Lone pairs, radicals and charges](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-add-lone-pairs-radicals-and-formal-charges.md): Pick the lone pair tool and click an atom to add a pair of dots. Use the radical tool for one dot. Charge tools add plus and minus marks you can drag around the atom.
- [Polymer brackets](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-polymer-repeat-unit-brackets.md): Select the repeat unit, then click the Brackets tool. Click the small n to change the number of units.
- [Text, shapes and images](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-add-text-shapes-images-and-lab-glassware.md): Open the Draw ribbon to add text, shapes, images and glassware. Click the canvas to place them and drag to move.
- [Style and display](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-change-structure-style-colors-and-display.md): Open Color and style to change colors, font, bond width and the structure look. Settings control hydrogens, labels, grid and snap.

## Reactions and schemes

- [Reaction arrows](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/reactions/how-to-draw-reaction-arrows-with-reagents.md): Pick the Reaction arrow tool and drag between molecules. Choose the arrow kind in the top bar. Type reagents above or below the arrow.
- [Build a reaction scheme](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/reactions/how-to-make-a-chemical-reaction-scheme.md): Draw the reactants and products, add an arrow, then add reagents. Export as RXN, SVG or PNG. Start from a named reaction in the Library to save time.

## Library and templates

- [Library and templates](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/library/how-to-use-the-structure-library-and-templates.md): Open Library in the ring bar to place ready-made structures. It has functional groups, ligands, amino acids, polymers, COFs, MOFs and named reactions.

## Import, export and sharing

- [Copy and paste SMILES](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/import-export/how-to-copy-and-paste-smiles-inchi-and-mol.md): Click Copy SMILES to copy your structure as text. Click Paste SMILES to draw from a SMILES string. Right click for more formats like InChI and MOL.
- [Download and file formats](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/import-export/how-to-export-png-svg-pdf-mol-and-cdxml-files.md): Click Download and pick a format. Use SVG or PDF for papers, PNG for slides, and MOL, SDF or CDXML to move to other chemistry software.
- [Search PubChem](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/import-export/how-to-search-pubchem-by-name-or-cas-number.md): Type a name or CAS number in the search box at the top. MolDraw draws the structure from PubChem.

## Analyze and 3D

- [Names, formula and properties](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/analyze/how-to-find-iupac-name-molecular-formula-and-weight.md): Select a molecule and click Info. You see the name, formula, weight, SMILES, InChI, exact mass, logP and more.
- [3D viewer](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/analyze/how-to-view-molecules-in-3d.md): The 3D panel builds a 3D model from your drawing. Drag to rotate it. Use 3D Clean Up to show your 2D drawing in perspective.

## AI

- [AI assistant](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/ai/how-to-use-the-ai-chemistry-assistant.md): Click AI in the tools row to open the chat. Add your Gemini API key once. Ask it to draw, name or edit structures.

## Plugins

- [Plugins overview](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/moldraw-plugins-overview-and-how-to-install.md): Plugins add extra features to MolDraw. Open Settings, then Plugins, and click Install. Most need a free account.
- [NMR Analyser plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/nmr-analyser-plugin-predict-1h-13c-and-2d-nmr-spectra.md): Install NMR Analyser from Settings, Plugins, draw a molecule, open the NMR tab, pick an experiment and press Predict.
- [ChEMBL plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/chembl-plugin-bioactivity-and-drug-target-lookup.md): Install ChEMBL from Settings, Plugins, open the ChEMBL tab, click Use canvas or type a name/ID, then press Lookup.
- [Electrostatic Potential (MEP) plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/mep-plugin-molecular-electrostatic-potential-surface.md): Install MEP from Settings, Plugins, draw a molecule, open the MEP tab and press Show in 3D.
- [Compare Molecules plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/compare-molecules-plugin-tanimoto-similarity.md): Install Compare molecules, open the Compare tab, press Add canvas for the reference, paste other SMILES and press Add SMILES.
- [Protein Viewer plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/protein-viewer-plugin-view-pdb-structures-in-3d.md): Open the Protein tab, type a PDB ID such as 1HHO and press Go. It is installed by default and works without signing in.
- [Smart Draw plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/smart-draw-plugin-hand-drawn-sketch-to-structure.md): Install Smart Draw, pick the Smart Draw pencil in the left toolbar, sketch, then pause or press Enter to convert.
- [AI Spectroscopy plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/ai-spectroscopy-plugin-predict-nmr-ms-and-uv-vis.md): Add a Gemini API key in Settings , AI, install Spectroscopy, open AI chat and ask e.g. "Predict the EI mass spectrum of this molecule".
- [Themes (Ball-and-Stick) plugin](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/plugins/themes-plugin-ball-and-stick-2d-style.md): Click Color & style in the toolbar and set Look to Ball and stick. Themes is installed by default.