How do I activate my license key? #
A LearnDash LMS license provides access to premium features that help you create, manage, and sell online courses with ease. You’ll have access to updates, technical support, and integrations with other tools, while also offering advanced customization options. With a valid license, you can scale your platform as your courses and user base grow, all while maintaining security and reliability.
For detailed instructions on activating your license key, please see this article. If you’re setting up LearnDash for the first time, you can easily activate your license by following the steps in the Onboarding Wizard article. If you’d like to update your license without going through the wizard, you can:
- Navigate to LearnDash LMS > Settings
- Click on LMS License tab.
NOTE: LearnDash will still function properly even with an invalid license. A valid license is needed in order to continue to receive product updates, security patches, and support.
Why is my license invalid? #
This can happen for a variety of reasons, like an expired license, a mismatch between your license key and site URL, or a connection issue with the Learndash licensing server. By following the steps below, you’ll be able to fix the problem quickly and get your LMS back up and running smoothly. If your active license still shows “Please enter a valid license or buy one now,” the following troubleshooting steps can help:
Verify Your License Status #
You can verify your license status by navigating to LearnDash LMS > Settings > LMS License in your WordPress dashboard. Then, make sure your license key is correctly entered and marked as active.
Verify License Number and Email #
Confirm that the settings entered under LearnDash LMS and Settings and LMS License are exactly the same as what is in your account.
- The email address in the license field should match the email address on your account.
- Your license key should match exactly what is on your subscription details.
- If you have ProPanel, double-check that you didn’t accidentally insert the ProPanel license key for the LearnDash LMS license.
Re-enter License Key #
If the license status appears incorrect, re-enter your license key and save the settings to refresh the connection with LearnDash servers.
Check for Extra Spaces #
Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after your license key when entering it.
Check Number of Domains #
Make sure that you are not exceeding the number of domains allowed by your license in your LearnDash Account. For example, if you have a 1-site license, if it has been installed on one site, any site afterwards will display an error. You can delete any other sites from your subscriptions details page.
- Log into the Account page, select Subscriptions
- Select the gear icon (Manage)
- Navigate to Sites > Remove
- Click Remove to delete any domain you are no longer using
Check for Server Blocks #
In some cases, server settings or firewalls may be blocking the connection to LearnDash servers. You may need to check in with your hosting provider for more details. To check if server settings or firewalls are a potential issue, you can:
- Install Query Monitor (free plugin)
- Navigate to LearnDash LMS and Settings and LMS License
If you notice the Query Monitor top toolbar menu turn red, check to see if the LearnDash LMS license calls are being blocked by your server by navigating to the error.
- 401 errors indicate that the call is blocked. If you see this, contact your hosting provider and request that they let these calls through.
- Timeout errors may indicate you need to increase your site and PHP memory. Navigate to LearnDash LMS > Settings > Support and look to see if either PHP or Memory are listed in red. If so, contact your hosting provider to increase these values.
It is also possible that the timeout error is the result of your IP address being blocked. Contact LearnDash support with your IP address to check if it is blacklisted. If you’ve completed these steps and the issue persists, consider reaching out to the LearnDash Support Team by submitting a support ticket for additional assistance.
What is a site license? #
Licenses refer to the number of domains (websites) that LearnDash can be installed on and still receive both support and updates.
If you have several WordPress sites (“yoursite.com”, “courses.yoursite.com”, “yourothersite.com,” etc.) then installing LearnDash on each of these sites counts against the license total, including sub-domains.
Here are the current offerings of LearnDash depending on the number of sites you need. You can find out more on the Pricing Page.
- LearnDash 1 Site License
- LearnDash 10 Sites License
- LearnDash Unlimited Sites License
You can also get a LearnDash Cloud site fully built, ready and managed for you without having to think about hosting and servers. Check out the LearnDash Cloud page to learn more. You can pay monthly or annually for LearnDash Cloud with Pro Panel included.
Can I transfer my license to someone else? #
Yes. If you want to transfer your license to another party, please contact support by opening a ticket and include the following:
- Email address of the new license owner
- First and last name of the new license owner
The support team will work with you to verify and complete the license transfer.
NOTE: Once the license is transferred, you will no longer be billed for renewals. You will no longer have access to your old account.
When does my license renew? #
Licenses renew automatically one calendar year after the date of purchase. You can see the exact renewal date of your license(s) from the LearnDash Account page under Subscriptions. If you want to manage your licenses or turn off auto-renewal, please check the Billing page.
Can I install on a development environment? #
The LearnDash license includes a bonus domain installation for testing purposes.
If your primary license is installed on yourdomain.com, your extra development license can be installed on the following sub-domain:
test.yourdomain.com
The extra development license will only work on a sub-domain “test.yourdomain.com.” If your development domain does not match this, you will need to contact support for it to be authenticated.
FAQ #
A separate license key is required for ProPanel prior to version 3.0.
For LearnDash versions prior to 4.18.0, licensing was managed via the Licensing and Management add-on. If you are using a version prior to 4.18.0, you may need to verify that the Licensing and Management add-on is activated by following the steps below:
Verify LearnDash Licensing and Management Add-on is Activated
This should have auto-updated/installed along with the LearnDash LMS plugin, however, this could be causing the licensing conflict if it did not also activate this plugin.
Login to your WordPress site
Click Plugins
Search for LearnDash Licensing and Management and confirm this is installed and activated
If you do not see this plugin, go to your Accounts page to download and install