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Overview

License keys are the core of KeyBox’s functionality. Each license is automatically generated when you create a project and can be activated, revoked, and monitored throughout its lifecycle.
Licenses are always created as part of a project. KeyBox does not support standalone license creation—every license belongs to a project under a client.

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License Generation Process

Licenses are automatically created when you set up a new project.
1

Navigate to Create Project

Use the Create Project & License card on your dashboard.
2

Configure License Parameters

Your license is configured through the project settings:
  • Duration: Sets how long the license remains valid (1-12 months)
  • Services: Defines which services the license grants access to
  • Client Context: Associates the license with a specific client
3

Generate License

Click Create Project & License to generate the license key.KeyBox creates:
  • A unique, cryptographic license key
  • Initial status set to “Pending”
  • Issue date timestamp
  • Expiration date (calculated from duration)
4

Access License Key

The new license appears in the project’s license table, ready to be shared with your client.

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License Configuration

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Duration Settings

The license duration determines the validity period:

1-3 Months

Short-term licenses for trials, demos, or monthly subscriptions

3-6 Months

Medium-term licenses for quarterly or semi-annual plans

6-12 Months

Long-term licenses for annual contracts and enterprise agreements
The duration counter starts when the license is activated, not when it’s created. This allows you to generate licenses in advance.

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Service Configuration

Services define what the license grants access to:

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Available Services

  • Hosting: Grants access to hosting-related features in your application
  • Domain: Grants access to domain management features
You can select:
  • Hosting only: For server or infrastructure services
  • Domain only: For domain registration or DNS management
  • Both: For complete hosting packages with domain included
Service selection is permanent. Once a license is created, you cannot modify its services. Plan carefully before generation.

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License Lifecycle

Licenses progress through several states during their lifecycle.

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Pending Status

When first created, all licenses start in pending state:
  • Status Badge: Gray badge reading “PENDING”
  • Duration: Not yet consuming time
  • Header Message: “Starts on Activation (X Months)”
  • Actions: Can be activated or deleted

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When to Keep Pending

  • Licenses generated in advance for future clients
  • Pre-created licenses for batch deployment
  • Licenses awaiting purchase or payment confirmation

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Active Status

Activated licenses are fully functional:
  • Status Badge: Green badge reading “ACTIVE”
  • Duration: Timer running, counting down to expiration
  • Header Message: “Expires: [Date]” with color-coded urgency
  • Actions: Can be revoked or monitored

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Activation Process

1

Locate the License

Find the license in its project’s license table.
2

Toggle Activation

Click the toggle switch in the Actions column.The switch moves to the right and changes color to indicate active state.
3

Confirm Activation

A notification appears confirming the status change.The expiration date is calculated and displayed in the project header.
First activation can also happen through the SDK when a client validates the license for the first time.

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Revoked Status

Manually disabled licenses:
  • Status Badge: Red badge reading “REVOKED”
  • Duration: Timer paused
  • Actions: Can be reactivated
  • SDK Response: Validation fails until reactivated

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When to Revoke

  • Client payment failure or chargebacks
  • Terms of service violations
  • Temporary access suspension
  • Testing or debugging purposes

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Revocation Process

1

Find Active License

Navigate to the license you want to revoke.
2

Toggle Off

Click the active toggle switch to move it to the off position.
3

Confirm Revocation

The status immediately changes to “REVOKED” and the client can no longer validate the license.
Revocation is immediate and will cause the client’s application to fail license validation on the next check.

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Expired Status

Licenses that have exceeded their duration:
  • Status Badge: Gray badge reading “EXPIRED”
  • Duration: Timer reached zero
  • Header Message: “License Has Been Expired”
  • Actions: Cannot be reactivated
Expired licenses cannot be renewed or reactivated. You must create a new project and license for the client.

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Managing License Keys

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Viewing License Keys

By default, license keys are masked for security: 
ABCDEF12••••••••
1

Reveal Full Key

Click the eye icon next to the masked key.The full key is displayed:
ABCDEF1234567890GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV
2

Hide Key Again

Click the eye-off icon to re-mask the key for security.

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Copying License Keys

1

Locate Copy Icon

Find the copy icon next to the license key (clipboard icon).
2

Click to Copy

Click the icon to copy the full license key to your clipboard.The icon changes to a green checkmark for 2 seconds to confirm the action.
3

Share with Client

Paste the key into your communication method of choice:
  • Email
  • Customer portal
  • Support ticket
  • Direct message
You can copy keys even when they’re masked. The full key is always copied, not the masked version.

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Monitoring License Health

KeyBox provides visual indicators to help you proactively manage license renewals.

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Expiration Indicators

The project header badge changes color based on remaining time:

Green Badge

>80% remainingLicense is healthy with plenty of time left

Yellow Badge

30-80% remainingConsider preparing renewal soon

Red Badge (Pulsing)

Less than 30% remainingUrgent renewal needed, contact client immediately

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Expiration Date Display

Active licenses show their expiration date in the header: 
Expires: Mar 5, 2026
Format:
  • Month abbreviated (Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.)
  • Day of month
  • Full year

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License Dashboard Features

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License Table Layout

Each project displays its licenses in a detailed table: 
┌──────────────────┬─────────────────┬──────────┬──────────┐
│ License Key      │ Services        │ Status   │ Actions  │
├──────────────────┼─────────────────┼──────────┼──────────┤
│ ABCDEF12•••••••• │ Hosting, Domain │ ACTIVE   │ [Toggle] │
│ [👁] [📋]        │                 │          │          │
└──────────────────┴─────────────────┴──────────┴──────────┘

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Service Tags

Services appear as colored badges:
  • Hosting: Blue/slate badge
  • Domain: Blue/slate badge
  • Multiple services display as separate tags

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Status Badges

Color-coded status indicators:
  • ACTIVE: Green badge with emerald tones
  • PENDING: Amber/yellow badge
  • REVOKED: Red badge with white text
  • EXPIRED: Gray/slate badge

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License Best Practices

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Pre-Generation Strategy

Batch Creation

Create multiple licenses in advance for planned deployments

Template Projects

Set up common project configurations for quick license generation

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Activation Timing

  • Immediate Activation: For licenses that should start right away
  • Client-Triggered: Let clients activate via SDK validation (recommended)
  • Delayed Activation: Keep pending until payment or contract signature

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Renewal Management

1

Monitor Dashboard Regularly

Check the dashboard for yellow and red expiration badges.
2

Set Renewal Reminders

Contact clients 30 days before expiration for license renewals.
3

Create New License

When a license is near expiration, create a new project with an updated duration.
4

Coordinate Transition

Share the new license key before the old one expires to avoid service interruption.
There is no automatic renewal system. You must manually create new licenses when existing ones expire.

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Troubleshooting

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License Not Activating

  • Ensure you have an active internet connection
  • Check that your session hasn’t expired (refresh the page)
  • Verify the license is in PENDING or REVOKED status
  • Check browser console for errors
  • Refresh the dashboard page
  • Expand and collapse the client card to reload data
  • Check that the backend server is responding

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License Key Issues

  • Ensure clipboard permissions are enabled in your browser
  • Try selecting the text manually and using Ctrl+C/Cmd+C
  • Check if browser extensions are blocking clipboard access
  • Expand the client card containing the project
  • Scroll down to the project’s license table
  • Ensure the project creation succeeded (check for success notification)

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Expired License Recovery

Expired licenses cannot be reactivated. This is a permanent state.
To provide continued service:
  1. Create a new project for the same client
  2. Generate a fresh license with appropriate duration
  3. Provide the new key to your client
  4. Update their application configuration with the new key

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Integration with SDKs

Once you’ve generated a license key, your clients can integrate it into their applications:

Node.js SDK

Validate licenses in Node.js applications

Python SDK

Integrate license validation in Python projects

.NET SDK

Use license validation in C# and .NET apps

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Next Steps

Learn License Lifecycle

Understand the complete license state machine

Implement Validation

Add license validation to your applications

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