License Configuration

Air-Gapped License Activation follows a similar concept to offline activation. The key distinction is that, in air-gapped environments, file exchange is not feasible. Therefore, the activation process relies on exchanging strings instead of files.



Concurrent license, same as the Floating Licenses model, allows multiple users to utilize the license simultaneously. For example, with a shared license key among 100 machines, up to 10 machines can concurrently run the binary using the same license. The number of machines sharing the license can be set to unlimited.

A consumption-based or metered usage license model allows software vendors to implement a pay-per-use or metered approach for their end-users. This model is similar to "credits" in an arcade game, processing cycles in a CGI rendering farm, or generating a specific number of reports, where the usage is measured and billed accordingly.



A Cloud Concurrent Licensing enables multiple users or computers to share the same license, but the application can only run a single instance. The specific computers that share the license are defined. This licensing model can be cost-effective compared to purchasing individual licenses for each user or seat.

A Floating Server is designed for implementations where licenses are issued for on-premise servers, and client devices do not require an internet connection to request or release licenses from the server. This setup allows for efficient management and distribution of licenses within a local network.

The Floating Max Simultaneous Users represents the maximum number of machines that can concurrently use a floating license. It is important to note that Max Simultaneous Users and Max Activations are not the same. Max Activations refers to the number of machines that are node-locked to the license. A license must be activated on a device before it can be checked out. Therefore, the number of Simultaneous Users should be less than or equal to the Max Activations configured for the license.

The Floating Timeout Period refers to the duration in minutes that the license app needs to ping the LicenseSpring server to maintain an active license. If the app fails to ping the server before the timeout period elapses, the license will be released from that app, making it available for other users. To modify the Floating Timeout Period for a configured product, navigate to the product settings, click on "Edit Product," and adjust the License Configuration accordingly.

Key-Based Licensing is a model in which software usage authorization and validation are managed through the use of a license key.

License borrowing allows users to temporarily "check out" a floating license from the license server for a specified duration. During the borrowing period, the license can be used without requiring communication with the license server. Once the borrowing period expires or the license is manually checked in, it is returned to the pool of available floating slots. This feature provides flexibility in utilizing licenses when internet connectivity is intermittent or not available.



License Custom Fields are key-value pairs that enable software developers to define and push custom information to end-users at the license level. These fields provide a flexible way to include additional personalized or specific information associated with the license.

A license key is considered expired when it is no longer valid. Typically, this entails the application rolling back any entitlements associated with the license key, transitioning from a commercial state to a trial state.

License Features refer to the ability to enable or disable specific features or functionalities within an application without requiring separate binaries or extensive code modifications. This allows software developers to control the availability of features based on the license entitlements.



The activation feature is a straightforward functionality present in a license. It can be either enabled or disabled, indicating whether the license supports activation or not.

Consumption feature licensing enables metered usage of a specific feature within an application. This licensing model proves useful when the vendor intends to restrict the number of times a particular function is executed or a specific report is generated. It allows for precise measurement and control over the usage of the feature based on predefined thresholds or limits.

Product features can have a time limitation. This means that the expiry_date field on license product features can be set as a specific date (with the default value being null). This expiry_date is validated during license checks, license activations, offline license activations, and add_feature_consumption processes. Any product features with an expiry_date in the past or on the current date (according to UTC time) will be automatically removed from the license.

Resets the consumption count on a license feature, setting it back to zero.

License Note are additional information or comments that can be included by license managers in the back-end system for individual licenses.



A License Policy is defined on a product and acts as a template for license entitlements. Every product must always have at least 1 license policy, which also acts as a default. When issuing licenses, you would just select the appropriate license policy or customize from a given license policy.

The Maintenance Period is the duration during which the end user is eligible for software updates after activating a license key. While the maintenance period is active, the software publisher can configure the SDK to check for and push the latest application updates to the user. Once the maintenance period expires, users can still access and activate updates released prior to the expiration. The maintenance period can be set to never expire.

Max Activations refers to the maximum number of distinct devices that can be activated against a license.

More information on activations can be found at Activations & Device Transfers.



Overages refers to the allowance given by the software vendor for the license (or license feature) to exceed the maximum value set for consumptions. If overages are permitted, the vendor can specify a specific value by which the license (or license feature) can exceed the maximum consumptions limit. However, if overages are not allowed, the Max Overages value is set to 0, indicating that it cannot exceed the defined maximum consumptions.

Max Consumption refers to the predefined limit that determines the maximum usage allowed for a license. It represents the highest threshold or cap set for utilizing the licensed features or resources. The Max Consumption value specifies the maximum number of times or quantity that a particular functionality or resource can be accessed or utilized within the license terms.

Node-locking a license involves specifying the number and type of devices or computers that are authorized to bind to and use a particular software license. This process generates a unique Hardware ID based on the device's specifications using the SDK. The license becomes tied to these IDs, preventing unauthorized usage or sharing. Each license file is designed for activation on a specific device, ensuring it cannot be used on unintended devices.

Offline licensing refers to the mechanism developed to enable the activation and deactivation of licenses in an environment where some computers do not have an active internet connection or are behind firewalls that prevent online activation.

Offline Activations are the initial step in offline licensing. It involves verifying the software license and authorizing its use on a specific device or system. Instead of connecting to a license server over the internet, offline activations typically involve generating a unique activation key or file that is tied to the hardware or software configuration of the device. This key is used to activate the software without requiring an internet connection.

Offline license checks are performed to validate the license status of the software on the user's device. These checks ensure that the software is being used within the terms and conditions defined by the vendor. To perform offline license checks, the software may periodically scan the device or specific license files to verify the validity of the license. It may also compare the current system configuration with the authorized parameters to prevent unauthorized usage.

Offline license refresh is used when a license has already been activated on an offline device, but there is a need to modify the license entitlements, such as adding new license features. This process synchronizes the local license with the platform, ensuring that the latest entitlements are applied.

A perpetual software license is a commercial licensing model that grants end-users the right to use an application indefinitely, without any time restrictions. Once obtained, the license remains valid without the need for renewals or expiration dates.

More information about perpetual licenses can be found on our License Types page.

Device fingerprinting becomes irrelevant on virtual machines as they often share the same machine profile, resulting in identical hardwareID computations across instances. Consequently, the configuration of "max activation" becomes inconsequential. To address this scenario, app developers have two alternatives: either utilize floating licenses or implement measures to prevent their software from running on virtual machines.

Reset Consumption is a functionality that automatically restores the available number of license (or license feature) uses to the predefined value specified in the "Max Consumption" field at regular intervals. This reset can occur on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis, depending on the chosen reset period. By resetting the consumption count, users are granted a renewed allocation of usage for the specified time period, ensuring fair and controlled access to the licensed features or resources.

A subscription license is a type of license where the validity is dependent on the status of an active subscription. As long as the buyer maintains an active subscription, the license remains valid, granting them the rights and access to the software or service. If the subscription is not renewed or expires, the license may no longer be valid, and the user's access to the software or service may be restricted.

More information about subcscription licenses can be found on our License Types page.

A time-limited license is a type of license that has a predefined expiration date. After the specified date, the license ceases to function. The validity period of a time-limited license can be extended by the Independent Software Vendor (ISV) if required.

More information about time-limited licenses can be found on our License Types page.

A license begins with 0 activations and increases by 1 each time it is activated. When a device is deactivated from the license, the activation count decreases by 1. The total activations should never exceed the maximum allowed activations.

For more information, visit our documentation on Activations & Device Transfers.

Total Consumptions refers to the count of consumptions that the end-user has already utilized. It is important to ensure that this value remains within the limit defined by the sum of Max Consumptions and Max Overages.

Trial Licenses are an alternative, expiring license type that exists within the LicenseSpring SDK. Trial licenses provide LicenseSpring’s customers the opportunity to tailor the state of their application for trial users.



User-based licensing expands beyond license keys and incorporates other user-provided credentials, such as name, email, password, or other fields, for authentication and usage. In this approach, license activation may not rely solely on a license key, but rather on user account credentials. This type of licensing is common for online services like content streaming or database access.

When configuring a new product within LicenseSpring, you can define the default validity period for generated license keys. The validity period represents the number of days between the first activation of the license key and its expiration. License keys can be set to be valid indefinitely (perpetual) or for a specific limited period of time.