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License Key Management with Creem

Welcome to Creem’s License Key documentation! As a Merchant of Record specializing in Micro-SaaS and AI Businesses, we’ve built a powerful license key system that’s both flexible and secure.

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Getting Started

Setting up license keys for your product is straightforward:
  1. Configuring
    • Create a new product with a License key feature enabled
    • Configure settings related to the licenses
    • Set up your product integration or payment links for customer purchases
  2. Dealing wiht a license after purchases
    • Enable the user to enter a license key in your application
    • Activate a license key instance
    • Validate a license key instance on subsequent usages

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Step-by-Step Tutorial: Implementing License Keys

Let’s walk through the complete process of implementing license keys in your application. We’ll cover everything from initial setup to handling customer interactions.

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Step 1: Creating Your Product

First, let’s set up your product in the Creem dashboard:
  1. Navigate to Products: Log into your Creem dashboard and click “Create New Product”
  2. Enable License Keys: In the product settings, enable the “License Key Management” feature
  3. Configure License Settings:
    • Set activation limits (e.g., 3 devices per license)
    • Define expiration periods (e.g., 1 year from purchase)

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Step 2: Customer Purchase Flow

When a customer purchases your product, here’s what happens automatically:
  • A unique license key is generated and associated with their purchase
  • The key appears in their order confirmation page
  • It’s included in their email receipt
  • The key is accessible in their customer portal

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Step 3: Implementing License Key Activation

Now comes the exciting part - implementing the license key system in your application!
  1. Create a License Key Input form or input field where users can enter their license key. This could be during:
  • Initial app setup
  • First launch
  • Account creation
  • Premium feature access
  1. Implement the Activation Endpoint 
    const activateLicense = async (licenseKey, instanceName) => {
  const response = await fetch('https://test-api.creem.io/v1/licenses/activate', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'accept': 'application/json',
      'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      key: licenseKey,
      instance_name: instanceName
    })
  });
  return await response.json();
}
The InstanceName field is an arbitrary name of your choice. Merchants usually use the internal customer ID, or customer email for quality of life maintainibility

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Step 4: Ongoing License Validation

To ensure continued valid usage, implement regular license checks:
  • Validate on application startup
  • Check before accessing premium features
  • Periodically verify license status (e.g., daily)
  • Implementation Example: 
    const validateLicense = async (licenseKey, instanceId) => {
  const response = await fetch('https://test-api.creem.io/v1/licenses/validate', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'accept': 'application/json',
      'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      key: licenseKey,
      instance_id: instanceId
    })
  });
  return await response.json();
}

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Step 5: Handling License Deactivation

There are several scenarios where you might need to deactivate a license:
  • User requests to transfer their license to a new device
  • Subscription cancellation
  • Suspicious activity detection
  • Deactivation Implementation: 
    const deactivateLicense = async (licenseKey, instanceId) => {
  const response = await fetch('https://test-api.creem.io/v1/licenses/deactivate', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'accept': 'application/json',
      'x-api-key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      key: licenseKey,
      instance_id: instanceId
    })
  });
  return await response.json();
}

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Best Practices

  • Always validate license keys on startup and critical operations
  • Implement offline fallback mechanisms
  • Cache validation results to prevent excessive API calls
  • Securely store API keys and never expose them client-side

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Security Considerations

Creem’s license key system implements several security measures:
  • Encrypted communication channels
  • Automatic suspicious activity detection
  • Regular security audits and updates

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API Reference

For detailed API documentation, visit: