License Management and Administration

Effective license management ensures you maintain uninterrupted access to DigiConsent Pro features, stay compliant with license terms, and maximize the value of your investment. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about managing your license throughout its lifecycle, from initial activation through renewal and beyond.

Whether you’re managing a single site license or coordinating unlimited activations across dozens of websites, understanding license management best practices helps you avoid common pitfalls and maintain seamless Pro functionality.

Understanding Your License Dashboard

Your license dashboard is the central hub for managing all aspects of your DigiConsent Pro license. Access it through your account on our website using the credentials created during purchase.

Dashboard Overview

The license dashboard displays critical information about your license status:

License Key: Your unique alphanumeric license identifier. Click to copy it to clipboard for easy activation on new sites.
License Status: Shows whether your license is active, expired, or suspended. Active licenses receive updates and support.
License Type: Indicates your tier (Single Site, 5-Site, or Unlimited), which determines how many websites can use this license simultaneously.
Purchase Date: When you originally bought the license, useful for tracking license age and planning renewals.
Expiration Date: When your current license period ends. After expiration, Pro features continue working, but you lose access to updates and support.
Sites Activated: Number of websites currently using this license. For Single Site licenses, this shows 0/1 or 1/1. For 5-Site licenses, it might show 3/5, indicating three sites are activated with two slots available.
Renewal Status: Indicates whether auto-renewal is enabled and when the next renewal payment will process.

This information provides complete visibility into your license usage and status at a glance.

Viewing Active Installations

Below the license overview, you’ll see a list of all websites where this license is currently activated. Each entry displays:

Site URL: The full domain where DigiConsent Pro is activated
Activation Date: When the license was activated on this specific site
Last Checked: The most recent time this site verified its license with our servers (typically happens automatically several times per day)
Actions: Quick access to deactivate the license from this site remotely

This visibility is particularly valuable for 5-Site and Unlimited licenses where tracking multiple installations manually would be difficult.

Managing Site Activations

License activation management involves adding new sites, removing old ones, and ensuring you stay within your license limits.

Activating on a New Site

To activate DigiConsent Pro on a new website:

Verify available slots: Check your license dashboard to confirm you have activation slots available. If using a Single Site license with 1/1 sites activated, you must deactivate the existing site first.
Install the plugin: Upload and install DigiConsent Pro on the new WordPress site using the methods described in the Installation guide.
Enter license key: Navigate to Settings > DigiConsent > License in the WordPress dashboard, paste your license key, and click Activate License.
Confirm activation: Verify the site appears in your license dashboard’s active installations list within a few minutes.

The new site now has full access to all Pro features.

Deactivating from a Site

You can deactivate licenses in two ways: from within WordPress or remotely through your license dashboard.

Method 1: Deactivate Within WordPress

Log into the WordPress dashboard of the site where you want to deactivate
Navigate to Settings > DigiConsent > License
Click the Deactivate License button
Confirm the deactivation when prompted

The license slot becomes available immediately for use on another site.

Method 2: Remote Deactivation via Dashboard

If you can’t access the WordPress dashboard (site deleted, credentials lost, etc.), deactivate remotely:

Log into your license dashboard on our website
Find the site you want to deactivate in the Active Installations list
Click the Deactivate action next to that site
Confirm the remote deactivation

Remote deactivation is particularly useful when dealing with staging sites you’ve deleted, domains you no longer own, or client sites you no longer manage.

Managing Staging and Development Sites

Staging and development environments present unique license management challenges because they count toward your activation limits despite not being production sites.

Best practices for staging sites:

Activate only when testing: Don’t keep your license permanently activated on staging sites. Activate when you need to test Pro features, then deactivate when testing is complete.
Use separate license for development: If you regularly develop on staging sites, consider purchasing a separate Single Site license exclusively for development/staging use.
Document staging URLs: Keep track of all staging and development URLs where you’ve activated licenses so you can clean them up periodically.
Deactivate before cloning: When creating staging copies of production sites, deactivate the license on production first, clone the site, then reactivate on production. This prevents doubling your activations.

Many users accidentally exhaust their activation slots by leaving licenses active on forgotten staging sites. Regular audits of your active installations prevent this issue.

License Renewal and Expiration

DigiConsent Pro licenses are valid for one year from purchase. Understanding renewal and expiration processes ensures you maintain access to updates and support.

What Happens When Licenses Expire

License expiration does not disable DigiConsent Pro on your website. Instead, expiration affects your access to certain benefits:

What continues working after expiration:

All Pro features remain fully functional on your site
Existing configurations and settings continue operating normally
Geolocation targeting, iframe blocking, display controls—everything keeps working
Your consent banners continue displaying to visitors
Cookie preferences continue being respected

What stops working after expiration:

Plugin updates: You won’t receive new features, bug fixes, or security patches
Priority support: Access to our support ticket system becomes limited
Documentation updates: Access to new documentation and guides may be restricted
New activations: You cannot activate the expired license on additional sites

The most significant concern is losing access to security updates. Even if Pro features work perfectly, security vulnerabilities could be discovered that require patches. Without an active license, you won’t receive these critical updates.

Renewal Process

Renewing your license before expiration ensures uninterrupted access to all benefits. The renewal process is straightforward:

Receive renewal reminder: Starting 30 days before expiration, you’ll receive email reminders with renewal instructions.
Access renewal page: Click the renewal link in the email or log into your license dashboard and click Renew License.
Complete payment: Renewal typically costs 50-60% of the original license price, discounted as a thank you for continuing customers.
Automatic extension: Upon payment, your license expiration date automatically extends by one year. No need to enter new license keys or reconfigure anything—it just continues working.

Your license key remains the same after renewal. All existing activations continue without interruption.

Auto-Renewal Option

Enable auto-renewal to automatically renew your license each year without manual intervention. When enabled:

Your payment method is charged automatically on the expiration date
License extends for another year immediately upon payment
You receive email confirmation of renewal and receipt
No risk of accidental expiration or forgetting to renew

You can disable auto-renewal at any time through your license dashboard. If you disable it, you’ll simply receive manual renewal reminders as the expiration date approaches.

Renewing Expired Licenses

If your license has already expired, you can still renew it. The process is identical to standard renewal, but keep these considerations in mind:

No retroactive updates: Renewing doesn’t retroactively provide updates released during the expired period. You’ll receive updates going forward from the renewal date.
Grace period: We typically offer a 30-day grace period after expiration with continued access to critical security updates. After this grace period, update access ends.
Same renewal pricing: Renewal pricing remains available even after expiration—you won’t be charged full price for renewing an expired license.

Upgrading License Tiers

As your needs grow, you may need to upgrade from a lower-tier license to one with more activation slots.

When to Upgrade

Consider upgrading your license tier when:

You’ve used all available activation slots and need to add more sites
You’re managing an increasing number of client websites requiring Pro features
You’re frequently activating and deactivating licenses to swap between sites
Your business is expanding and you anticipate needing more activations soon

Upgrading costs less than purchasing a new higher-tier license because you receive credit for your existing license.

Upgrade Process

To upgrade your license tier:

Contact support: Email our support team or open a support ticket requesting a license upgrade. Specify your current license key and the tier you want to upgrade to.
Receive upgrade quote: We’ll calculate the prorated difference between your current license value and the new tier, accounting for time remaining on your current license.
Complete payment: Pay the prorated upgrade fee through the secure payment link we provide.
Receive new license key: Upon payment, you’ll receive a new license key for the upgraded tier.
Swap license keys: On all sites using your old license, deactivate the old key and activate the new one. This process is quick—just replace one key with another.

All existing configurations transfer seamlessly because DigiConsent Pro settings are stored in your WordPress database, not tied to the specific license key.

Downgrading Licenses

While less common, you may occasionally need to downgrade (e.g., from 5-Site to Single Site due to reduced needs). Contact support to discuss downgrade options. Typically:

Downgrades are processed during renewal rather than mid-license-period
You must deactivate excess sites to meet the new lower limit before downgrading
Downgrades don’t provide refunds for the current license period, but reduce renewal costs going forward

Transferring Licenses to New Owners

If you sell a website or transfer it to a new owner who wants to continue using DigiConsent Pro, licenses can be transferred.

Transfer Process

Contact support: Email our support team with both the current owner’s account email and the new owner’s email address.
New owner creates account: The new owner must create an account on our website if they don’t already have one.
Transfer authorization: Both parties confirm the transfer (we’ll send verification emails to prevent unauthorized transfers).
License moved: We move the license to the new owner’s account, where they can manage it going forward.

After transfer, the original owner loses access to that license but retains access to any other licenses they own separately.

Important limitations:

Single Site licenses can only be transferred when transferring the entire website
Multi-site licenses (5-Site, Unlimited) cannot be partially transferred—the entire license transfers to the new owner
Transfers are permanent and cannot be reversed

License Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Occasional license issues may arise during normal operation. Here’s how to diagnose and resolve common problems.

License Shows Inactive After Being Active

If your previously active license suddenly shows as inactive in WordPress:

Check expiration: Verify your license hasn’t expired by checking the license dashboard
Server connectivity: Ensure your WordPress site can connect to our licensing servers. Some hosting providers block outbound connections after security incidents.
License revoked: If you requested a refund or disputed a charge, the license may have been revoked. Contact support if you believe this was done in error.
Reactivate: Try deactivating and reactivating the license key. This often resolves temporary synchronization issues.

Pro Features Disappeared After Update

If Pro features become unavailable after updating WordPress or DigiConsent Pro:

Clear all caches: Clear WordPress cache, page cache plugins, browser cache, and CDN cache
Verify license status: Check Settings > DigiConsent > License to confirm the license still shows active
Reinstall Pro: Deactivate and delete DigiConsent Pro, then reinstall from your original download. Your settings are stored in the database and won’t be lost.
Check for conflicts: Temporarily deactivate other plugins to identify potential conflicts

Cannot Deactivate License from Old Site

If you can’t access a site to deactivate its license normally:

Use remote deactivation: Log into your license dashboard and remotely deactivate that site
Wait for automatic cleanup: Sites that haven’t checked in with our licensing servers for 60+ days may be automatically flagged for review and potential deactivation
Contact support: If remote deactivation isn’t available, support can manually deactivate sites on your behalf

License Security Best Practices

Protecting your license from unauthorized use ensures you maintain control over your activations and prevents potential abuse.

Don’t share license keys: Each license is licensed for your use only. Sharing with others violates terms of service and may result in license revocation.
Use secure storage: Store your license key in a password manager or encrypted storage rather than plain text files or unsecured documents.
Monitor activations regularly: Check your license dashboard monthly to ensure all active installations are sites you control.
Remove old activations: Deactivate licenses from old staging sites, abandoned projects, or sold websites to prevent unauthorized continued use.
Don’t commit to version control: Never commit license keys to Git repositories, especially public ones. Use environment variables or excluded configuration files instead.
Enable two-factor authentication: Protect your account with two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your license dashboard.

Getting License Support

When license issues arise that you can’t resolve using this guide, our support team is ready to help.

Before contacting support, gather:

Your license key
The specific error message or behavior you’re experiencing
Your site URL
WordPress version and DigiConsent Pro version numbers
Steps you’ve already taken to troubleshoot

Support channels:

Support tickets: Submit detailed tickets through your license dashboard for complex issues requiring investigation
Email support: Email our support address (provided in purchase confirmation) for quicker questions
Documentation: Search our documentation library first—many common questions are already answered in detail

Pro license holders receive priority support with faster response times than free version users. Expect responses within 24-48 hours for most inquiries, often much faster.

Next Steps

With a solid understanding of license management, you can confidently maintain your DigiConsent Pro installation across all your websites. Explore these related guides to maximize your Pro investment:

Upgrading from Free to Pro: Learn how to migrate existing free version settings when upgrading
Geolocation Targeting Overview: Start configuring Pro’s most powerful feature for location-based consent management
Display Controls and Triggers: Optimize when and how consent banners appear to visitors

Effective license management ensures you always have access to the latest features, security updates, and support resources, keeping your websites compliant and your consent management system running smoothly across all your properties.