## Activating Your Alpha Insights License

Your license key is essential for unlocking all Alpha Insights features, receiving automatic updates, and accessing premium support. This guide will walk you through finding your license key and activating it on your website.

Important: Without an active license, you will be automatically redirected to the license manager page whenever you try to access any Alpha Insights page.

### Finding Your License Key

Your license key is a unique string that looks like this:
`WPD-AI-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX`

You can find it in several places:

#### 1. Your Purchase Confirmation Email

Check the email you received after purchasing Alpha Insights. Your license key will be clearly displayed, usually near the download link.

#### 2. Your WP Davies Account

1. Visit wpdavies.dev/my-account
2. Log in with your purchase email and password
3. Navigate to the Licenses section
4. Your license key(s) will be listed there with status and expiration date

#### 3. The Order Success Page

If you just completed your purchase, the license key was displayed on the order confirmation page. If you closed that page, use one of the methods above to retrieve it.

### How to Activate Your License

#### Step 1: Navigate to License Settings

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Click Alpha Insights in the left sidebar
3. Click Settings from the Alpha Insights submenu
4. Click on the License tab

Note: If your license is not active, you'll be automatically redirected to this page when accessing any Alpha Insights feature.

#### Step 2: Enter Your License Key

1. You'll see a field labeled "Your License Key"
2. Paste or type your complete license key into this field
3. Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the key
4. The key is not case-sensitive, so uppercase or lowercase doesn't matter

#### Step 3: Activate Your License

You have two options to activate:

Option A: Automatic Activation (Recommended)

1. After entering your license key, click the Save Changes button at the top or bottom of the page
2. The plugin will automatically save your key and attempt to activate it
3. You'll see a success message if activation was successful
4. Refresh the page to see your updated license details

Option B: Manual Activation

1. After entering your license key, click Save Changes first
2. Then click the Activate License button next to the License Status field
3. The plugin will connect to the WP Davies license server to validate your key
4. You'll see a success message if activation was successful
5. Refresh the page to see your updated license details

#### Step 4: Verify Activation

After refreshing the page, you should see:

- License Status: Active
- License Owner: Your name as registered with the purchase
- Max Number Of Uses: How many sites your plan allows (e.g., 1, 5, or unlimited)
- Number Of Uses Remaining: How many more sites you can activate this license on
- Expiration Date: When your license/subscription expires
- Last Updated: When the license information was last refreshed

### Understanding License Status

Your license can have the following statuses:

- Active: Your license is valid and all features are unlocked
- Inactive: License key exists but hasn't been activated yet
- Expired: Your subscription has ended and needs renewal
- Invalid: The license key doesn't exist or is incorrectly entered

### Troubleshooting License Activation

#### Issue: "This license key has reached its activation limit"

What this means: You're trying to use the license on more sites than your plan allows. Each license can only be activated on a specific number of sites simultaneously.

Solution:

- Check the "Number Of Uses Remaining" field - if it shows 0, you've used all available activations
- To move your license to a new site, first deactivate it on a site you're no longer using (see Deactivating section below)
- Or upgrade to a license with more activations in your WP Davies account
- Contact support if you believe there's an error or if you need to reset stuck activations

#### Issue: "Invalid license key"

What this means: The key you entered doesn't match our records or is improperly formatted.

Solution:

- Double-check you've copied the entire key with no extra spaces or characters
- Make sure you're using the key for Alpha Insights (not another WP Davies product)
- The key should follow the format: WPD-AI-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX
- Retrieve your key again from your account area to ensure you have the correct one
- Try clicking the "Refresh License" button after entering the correct key
- If the issue persists, contact support with your order number

#### Issue: "Your license key has expired"

What this means: Your subscription has ended and the expiration date has passed.

Solution:

- Visit your WP Davies account to renew your subscription
- The plugin will continue to work with existing data, but you won't receive updates or support until renewed
- After renewal, your license will automatically update within 24 hours
- To update immediately, click the "Refresh License" button on the license page
- Use code "RENEWAL20" for 20% off your renewal

#### Issue: "Could not connect to license server" or timeout errors

What this means: Your WordPress site couldn't communicate with the WP Davies license validation servers at wpdavies.dev.

Solution:

- Check that your WordPress site can make outbound HTTPS connections
- Verify your hosting provider isn't blocking external API requests
- Temporarily disable any security or firewall plugins (iThemes Security, Wordfence, etc.) and try again
- Check if your server firewall is blocking connections to wpdavies.dev
- Try again in a few minutes in case of temporary server issues
- Contact your hosting provider if the issue persists - they may need to whitelist wpdavies.dev

#### Issue: License shows as "active" but I'm still being redirected

What this means: There's a mismatch between the stored license status and what's displayed.

Solution:

- Click the "Refresh License" button - this performs a hard refresh of your license status
- Save your license key again using the "Save Changes" button
- Clear your browser cache and WordPress object cache if you're using caching plugins
- If still having issues, try deactivating and reactivating your license

### Managing Your License

#### Checking License Status

Return to Alpha Insights → Settings → License at any time to:

- View your current license status
- See your expiration date
- Check how many site activations you're using
- See when your license was last verified

Automatic Checks: Alpha Insights automatically checks your license status periodically via scheduled background tasks to ensure it stays up to date.

#### Refreshing License Information

The "Refresh License" button performs a complete license refresh:

1. Deactivates your current license
2. Forces a fresh check of the expiration date and status with the WP Davies servers
3. Reactivates your license with the latest information
4. Updates all license details displayed on the page

Use this when:

- You've just renewed your license and want to see the new expiration date immediately
- Your license details seem out of date
- You're experiencing licensing issues

#### Deactivating Your License

If you need to move Alpha Insights to a different website or stop using it on the current site:

1. Go to Alpha Insights → Settings → License
2. Click the Deactivate License button (appears when license is active)
3. Wait for the success confirmation message
4. Refresh the page to confirm the status changed to "inactive"
5. You can now activate the license on a different site

Important: Always deactivate before deleting the plugin or moving to a new site. If you don't deactivate first, your activation slot will remain occupied and count against your license limit. If this happens, contact support to reset the activation.

#### Renewing Your License

You'll receive email reminders before your license expires. To renew:

1. Visit your WP Davies account
2. Go to the Subscriptions section
3. Find your Alpha Insights subscription
4. Click Renew or update your payment method if needed
5. Complete the renewal payment
6. Your license will automatically update within 24 hours - no need to re-enter anything
7. Or click "Refresh License" for immediate update

Renewal Discount: Use code "RENEWAL20" for 20% off your next payment.

### License Types Explained

Single Site License: Can be activated on one website at a time. Includes all features, updates, and support. Perfect for individual store owners.

5 Site License: Can be activated on up to five websites simultaneously. Perfect for agencies or store owners managing multiple shops.

Unlimited Sites License: No activation limits. Ideal for agencies managing many client sites or developers building WooCommerce stores.

Note: You can upgrade your license at any time from your account area. The cost difference will be prorated.

### What Happens If My License Expires?

If you choose not to renew, here's what happens:

- All your data remains completely intact - no data loss whatsoever
- You will be redirected to the license manager page when trying to access any Alpha Insights features
- You won't receive plugin updates (new features, improvements, bug fixes)
- You won't have access to priority support
- You won't receive security updates
- The plugin will not delete any of your reports, costs, or expense data

We strongly recommend keeping your license active for security, compatibility, and to continue receiving new features. WordPress and WooCommerce release regular updates, and an outdated plugin can cause compatibility issues.

### Technical Details (For Advanced Users)

The license system works as follows:

- License information is stored in WordPress options: `wpd_ai_api_key`, `wpd_ai_license_status`, `wpd_ai_license_details`
- Activation requests are sent to: `https://wpdavies.dev/wp-json/wp-davies/v1/alpha-insights/license`
- Requests include your license key, site URL, plugin version, WordPress version, and PHP version
- A scheduled background task checks license status periodically to keep it up to date
- License checks require outbound HTTPS connectivity on port 443

### Still Having Issues?

If you're experiencing licensing issues that aren't covered in this guide:

- Visit our support portal
- Check your account area for license status
- Contact support with your order number and a description of the issue
- Include any error messages you're seeing

Our support team typically responds within 24 hours on business days.