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License Keys

License keys connect your servers to your PatchCTL organization.

What is a License Key?​

A license key:

  • Identifies your organization
  • Authorizes agent connections
  • Links servers to your account
  • Counts against your node quota

Format: pk_live_ followed by alphanumeric characters.

Viewing Your License Key​

Only organization owners can view the full key:

  1. Go to Settings → Account
  2. Find License Key section
  3. Click Show to reveal
Keep Your Key Secret
  • Don't commit to public repositories
  • Don't share in screenshots
  • Treat like a password

Using Your License Key​

During Installation​

curl -fsSL https://install.patchctl.com | sudo bash -s -- --key=YOUR_LICENSE_KEY

In Agent Configuration​

{
  "license_key": "pk_live_abc123..."
}

Located at: /etc/patchctl/config.json

Regenerating Keys​

If your key is compromised:

  1. Go to Settings → Account
  2. Click Regenerate Key
  3. Confirm regeneration
Breaking Change

Regenerating invalidates the old key immediately. All agents using the old key will lose connectivity until updated.

Updating Agents After Regeneration​

On each server:

# Edit config
sudo nano /etc/patchctl/config.json

# Update license_key value

# Restart agent
sudo systemctl restart patchctl

Key Security Best Practices​

  1. Limit access - Only owners should view the full key
  2. Use environment variables - For automated deployments
  3. Rotate if exposed - Regenerate immediately
  4. Audit usage - Monitor for unauthorized servers
  5. Secure storage - Use secrets management in CI/CD

Troubleshooting​

"Invalid license key" Error​

  • Verify the key is copied correctly
  • Check for extra spaces or characters
  • Confirm key matches your organization
  • Try regenerating if issues persist

Servers Not Linking​

  • Verify network connectivity to API
  • Check agent logs for errors
  • Ensure key in config matches dashboard