You bought a license, pasted the key, clicked Activate — and got "Invalid license key." Before you email support, it helps to understand what actually happens behind that button.
What a license key really is
A license key is an identifier, not magic. When you click Activate, the software sends the key plus an identifier for your device (or website) to a license server. The server checks three things: does the key exist, has it expired or been revoked, and how many devices is it allowed on. Pass all three and your device is registered against the key — the paid features unlock.
How "1 device" licensing works
Many licenses allow one active device. The first one that activates claims the slot, and a second gets "activation limit reached" — that's the license doing its job, not a bug. Our Automizer desktop app works exactly this way: one key works on one PC, and you activate and deactivate it in the app's License tab. Moving to a new PC? Deactivate on the old one first, or ask support to release the slot.
The 3 most common activation failures
1. Invisible characters. Copying a key from an email often drags along a trailing space or line break. Paste into a plain-text editor first if unsure.
2. You can't reach the license server. Activation needs an internet connection. A firewall, VPN, proxy or strict antivirus can block the request, which looks like a failure even though the key is fine. Try again on a normal connection before assuming the key is wrong.
3. The key is already used. One key, one device. Check whether you (or someone on your team) activated it somewhere else.
Licensing that respects you
Automizer keys are delivered by email and to your dashboard, show the exact expiry date, work on any one PC of your choice, and can be moved by deactivating in the License tab or by contacting support. The plans are listed in the pricing section.
