Rice husk, whether in the form of raw materials ash or char is one of the best potential materials for the production of a variety of value-added products. This study intends to optimize biochar from Malaysian rice husk, as a friendly low-cost adsorbent for removing cadmium from aqueous solution. Biochar production has been done using a tube furnace with different input parameters which are heating temperature, residence time, and impregnation ratio. The effect of pyrolysis process parameters was examined by using response surface methodology (RSM). Responses parameters, biochar yield, and removal efficiency were investigated. Depend on the Central Composite Design (CCD), three 2FI models were developed to compare three independent response variables. The optimum production condition for magnetic biochar was found as follows: a heating temperature of 395 °C, the residence time 120 min, and 0.5 g/g impregnation ratio. The optimum magnetic biochar showed 44.5 of biochar yield and 94.25 removal efficiency which was in agreement with the predicted values. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.