License Keys for AbleCommerce

Overview

Please take a moment to review this important information about AbleCommerce licensing. An improperly requested license key can disable your installation.

Each AbleCommerce license key is bound to the name of a website or IP address. This information must be provided with each key request.
The AbleCommerce license keys are version specific. This means you must request a license key that matches the version of the software you are using.
You can install AbleCommerce software without having a license key. Simply choose the "Free demo/development" option during installation.
A license key can be entered at any time.

Requesting a new License Key

Login to your Customer Account area.
Click on the "Orders" tab.
Click the linked order number.
At the bottom of the order invoice, you will see the "Request License Key" form.
Enter one or more license key requests using the form instructions, or by following the detailed instructions below.

example request: Ver 9 LIVE key for www.ablesite.com

Type of License Key

There are two types of license keys that can be requested:

LIVE - This is a license key that is, or will be used, for a store going into production and taking live orders. It is typically associated to your public domain name and SSL certificate.
DEVELOPMENT - This license is used for a store that is in a separate development or staging environment. This type of license is typically associated to an IP address, localhost, or development domain. A development license is generally recommended for plugin development and required for upgrade tests.

KEYLESS INSTALLATION: AbleCommerce version 9 has a new installation option that allows you to install a free development version without needing to request and use a license key. It is a non-expiring demo version.

Type of License:	Live	Development	Demo
Key Requests	Key request needs to include version and the exact website name, taking care to spell correctly and include or exclude www as needed.	Key request needs to include version and the exact development website name, such as localhost, or the IP address. You can include both IP and domain in the request.	Key request not applicable. Instead, choose the demo/development version during installation.
License Key Expiration	Perpetual licenses never expire. Subscription licenses will need to be renewed before the expiration date. For more information about the new licensing options, please see our plans and pricing page.	Development licenses are issued without expiration dates.	Demo/development installations never expire.
License Subscription for Upgrade Entitlement	Subscription end date is used to determine upgrade eligibility for all installations. If you let the subscription lapse on a perpetual license, the store will continue running but you will no longer be eligible to receive upgrades. If you let the subscription lapse on a license key that must be renewed each year, the store will cease to function on the day of expiration.	Subscription end date will match the live key. A development license can be upgraded as long as the subscription is valid on or after the date of a release.	Demo/development installations are not eligible for upgrades.
Key Differences	Depending on the license purchased, there may be a limit on the number of admin users. For more information about the new licensing options, please see our plans and pricing page.	The customer's order information is obfuscated. Any limit on admin users will match the live key. If purchased separately, there is no limit on the number of admin users.	The customer's order information is obfuscated. An intermittent on-screen demo message appears while using application. No limitation on admin users.

Comparison of license types that are available for AbleCommerce 9.

Version of License Key

The software version needs to be included in each request. The version can be obtained from several places including the file name of the download.

For Ablecommerce 9, this information is shown in the upper-left corner of the page. (e.g. Version: 9.0.1.{build number} )
For AbleCommerce Gold, this information is shown at the bottom of the page, in the footer.

Matching FQDN (Fully-Qualified Domain Name) or IP/localhost

The name of the website you are installing to must match the license key. If you are unsure of what information to provide in your request, simply look in the Address Bar of your browser to find the http address of your software installation.

e.g. http://www.ablecommerce.com

AbleCommerce license keys can respond to any website name or IP address that you give in your request. However, when installed, the license key will force a redirect to the name contained in your key data. Make sure you request the correct website name, or your installation may become disabled.

TIPS

Your live license request should specify the exact fully-qualified domain name. This typically matches your SSL certificate. (e.g. https://www.ablecommerce.com)
We are unable to issue a license key that responds to wildcard domains, such as (*anything*).ablecommerce.com
After key installation, you may switch to ENABLE DEMO mode. This allows the installation to respond to any website name. To do this go to the Configure > Security > Licensing page.

Receiving your License Key

How long will it take?

Most license key requests are fulfilled within a few hours or less. At this time, the license keys will be sent during our normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, Pacific time. This excludes weekends and holidays. Make sure to obtain your license keys in advance if necessary.

After making your request, please allow up to 2 hours before contacting us again. The license key(s) will be sent in an email to the current contact for the account. It is the software owner's responsibility to keep the account profile updated and distribute any license key(s) as needed.

Where can I see all my License keys?

If you login to your Customer Account area, click on the Licenses tab to view all keys that have been issued.

Installing a License Key

The installation process requires that you access our website over a secure connection to validate the key. You must be able to access https://www.ablecommerce.com from the server that you are installing to, or you will need to manually register your license key.

When you install a license key, make sure the key you've requested is associated with the same domain or IP used to access the install screen of AbleCommerce. If the license key is not correctly associated, you may receive an error "HTTP 404 Not Found" or be redirected to the wrong website.

A license key can be installed with the software running or when it is no longer accessible through the browser.

To begin, select one of the key update methods below:

Installing a license during the initial installation - installing the software for the first time using your new key, or..
Updating a key after installation - updating a working installation with a new key, or..
Installing a license after the software has expired or is no longer accessible - installing a key manually.
Updating the Commercebuilder.lic file directly - when you can't validate a license in the normal way.

1) Install a License Key during the initial installation

For new installations -

If you are installing AbleCommerce software for the first time and have your license key, follow the instructions below to install your key.

From the Installation page, Step 1 of 2, find the section License Key.
Choose the option "Provide my license key".
Enter your license key into the field provided.
If you can proceed to the next page without an error, then your license key is valid.

If you receive an "HTTP 404 Not Found" error, or you are being redirected, then your license key does not match the name of the website you are installing to. If this happens, you will need to re-request your license key and follow key update method #3 instead.

2) Update a License Key after installation

For working installations -

If you already have AbleCommerce installed, and you are able to access the Merchant Administration, follow the instructions below to update your key.

From the Merchant Dashboard, go to Configure > Security > Licensing
This will bring you to the Store License page where you should now see an Update License section.
Enter your license key into the field provided.
Click the SAVE button. You will be prompted with an 'Are you sure...' dialog box, click OK to continue.

If you receive an "HTTP 404 Not Found" error, or you are being redirected, then your license key does not match the name of the website you are installing to. If this happens, you will need to re-request your license key and follow key update method #3 instead.

3) Install a License Key after AbleCommerce has expired or no longer accessible

For expired or disabled installations -

If you have installed AbleCommerce and the evaluation period has expired, you should automatically be prompted to enter a license key when accessing any page. However, if the "Key Update" page doesn't appear, then follow the instructions below.

These instructions assume that you have already removed your \Install\ folder. If you have not removed this folder yet, you should be able to directly access the Update Key page by going to your store's website address and adding /install/updatekey.aspx to the URL.

e.g. http://www.ablesite.com/install/updatekey.aspx

If the updatekey.aspx page is not available, then continue with the instructions below.

You will need to access your AbleCommerce program files, either by FTP or directly from the server.
Find the \App_Data\ folder.
Delete the existing commercebuilder.lic file.
Access your store (any page). You will be redirected to an Update Key page.
Enter your license key and update.

If you receive an "HTTP 404 Not Found" error, or you are being redirected, then your license key does not match the name of the website you are installing to. If this happens, you will need to re-request your license key and follow key update method #3.

4) Updating the Commercebuilder.lic file directly

For installations that are not accessible to the internet -

This option would be used if your installation is unable to communicate with our server and validate the license key we provide you. If this happens, you will need to create and download your Commercebuilder.lic file.

Login to your Customer Account area.
Find your order and request a pre-registered license key with your request.
Provide the physical path to the root of this AbleCommerce installation. (e.g. c:\inetpub\wwwroot\ablecommerce\ )
To install the key, find the \App_Data\ folder.
Copy the new commercebuilder.lic file to this location.
Access any store page with a web browser to confirm your license key is updated properly.

If you receive an "HTTP 404 Not Found" error, or you are being redirected, then your license key does not match the name of the website you are installing to. If this happens, you will need to re-request your license key and follow this key update method again.

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