# Wandelbots NOVA licenses

> How a Wandelbots NOVA license behaves on your instance. Activate a license on a virtual machine or industrial PC, transfer it between instances, check limits and offline usage, and manage it with the License API or the License helper app.

This page covers the license lifecycle on a Wandelbots NOVA instance: activation on virtual
machines and bare-metal instances, transfer between instances, offline behavior, and the tools
for checking limits and usage.

The license types, their limits, seats, and how a license reaches your account are described in
[Licenses](/nova-cloud/licenses) in the NOVA Cloud documentation. Cloud instances activate their
license once, on first creation, see [Cloud instances](/nova-cloud/cloud-instances).

## Activate license

### Step 1: Prerequisites

In order to activate/deactivate a license, you need to have internet access, and a license
assigned to your NOVA account. See
[Accounts](/nova-cloud/accounts).

### Step 2: Virtual machines and bare-metal instances

1. Install Wandelbots NOVA on your VM or bare-metal server.\
   → You'll be prompted to activate your license.

   > **Info:** Each on-premise installation of Wandelbots NOVA counts as a slot for the available VM/bare-metal instances and as 1 activation.\
   > This means, while you can have up to unlimited Wandelbots NOVA installations, you can only activate the license 5 times.

2. Follow the activation steps.\
   → You'll be prompted to verify a one-time code.

### Step 3: Transfer license between instances

To transfer a license, you have to deactivate it on the current instance first.

### Step 4: Deactivate license

Deactivating a license allows transfer to another VM/bare-metal instance.

1. Open your instance's API and use the [Deactivate License](https://portal.wandelbots.io/docs/api/v2/ui/#/operations/deactivateLicense) endpoint.
2. Select the instance to deactivate.
3. Submit to free up an instance slot.

## Offline usage

Offline usage applies **only** to VM and bare-metal NOVA installations within the range allocated by your license type. Cloud instances cannot operate offline.

1. Use the [Get License](https://portal.wandelbots.io/docs/api/v2/ui/#/operations/getLicense) endpoint to check your license's offline usage details.\
   → You can see the `grace_period_expiry_date` field, which indicates when the offline grace period ends. After this date, the instance will require an internet connection to continue functioning.

OR

2. Open the instance's system settings on the homescreen to check the offline usage status.

## Manage license

Users can check the main attributes and limits of their license with the Wandelbots NOVA API and the License helper app.

In order to manage a license, you need to have internet access.

### via API endpoints

1. [Get License](https://portal.wandelbots.io/docs/api/v2/ui/#/operations/getLicense)
   - License type
   - Grace period for offline usage
   - Activation/deactivation counters
   - Allowed number of cloud instances, on-prem instances, robot cells, and activation slots
2. [Activate License](https://portal.wandelbots.io/docs/api/v2/ui/#/operations/activateLicense)
3. [Deactivate License](https://portal.wandelbots.io/docs/api/v2/ui/#/operations/deactivateLicense)
4. [Get License Status](https://portal.wandelbots.io/docs/api/v2/ui/#/operations/getLicenseStatus)

### via License helper app

Recommended for non-technical users or quick at-a-glance overviews.

1. Open the App Store via the home screen of your Wandelbots NOVA instance.
2. Install the License helper app.
3. Open the License helper app.

The License helper app displays the following license information.

- View the main license attributes
- See usage limits
- See the activation status
- Deactivate the license

## Troubleshooting

### What happens when my license has expired?

You will get an `Access denied` error upon opening the Wandelbots NOVA instance.
Contact your Customer Success contact person or email <customersuccess@wandelbots.com>.

### Can licenses be transferred, paused, or used in any country?

Transfer between accounts, pausing, and location restrictions are answered in
[Licenses](/nova-cloud/licenses).