---
title: "Introduction to Licenses"
slug: "introduction-to-licenses"
updated: 2026-10-05T16:39:27Z
published: 2026-10-05T16:39:27Z
canonical: "developer.rocket.chat/introduction-to-licenses"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.rocket.chat/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction to Licenses

A license unlocks premium capabilities in a Rocket.Chat workspace and defines its limits, such as the number of active users. The Licenses API lets administrators inspect the applied licenses, add a new license, and check limits programmatically.

## The license object

License endpoints return a license object describing validity, limits, and granted modules. A trimmed example from [Get Licenses](https://developer.rocket.chat/apidocs/get-licenses-1):

```json
{
  "license": {
    "license": {
      "version": "3.0",
      "information": {
        "id": "6569155ab286e50001b78ec1",
        "autoRenew": true,
        "visualExpiration": "2024-03-10T00:00:00Z",
        "trial": true,
        "tags": [{ "name": "Enterprise trial", "color": "#F3BE08" }]
      },
      "validation": {
        "serverUrls": [{ "value": "testspace.rocket.chat", "type": "url" }],
        "validPeriods": [
          { "validUntil": "2024-03-24T00:00:00Z", "invalidBehavior": "invalidate_license" }
        ]
      },
      "grantedModules": [
        { "module": "auditing" },
        { "module": "ldap-enterprise" },
        { "module": "livechat-enterprise" }
      ]
    }
  },
  "success": true
}
```

Fields you use most often:

- `information`: What the license is - its ID, whether it is a `trial`, when it visually expires, and its tags.
- `validation`: Where and until when the license is valid, including the workspace URLs it is bound to and its `validPeriods`.
- `grantedModules`: The premium modules the license unlocks, such as `auditing` or `livechat-enterprise`.

## Common workflows

**Check what a workspace is licensed for**

1. [Get the licenses](https://developer.rocket.chat/apidocs/get-licenses-1) to see validity, limits, and granted modules.
2. [Get the maximum active users](https://developer.rocket.chat/apidocs/get-maximum-active-user-1) to compare the seat limit against current usage.

**Apply a new license**

1. [Add the license](https://developer.rocket.chat/apidocs/add-license) string to the workspace.
2. [Validate the license](https://developer.rocket.chat/apidocs/validate-license) to confirm it applied, then [read it back](https://developer.rocket.chat/apidocs/get-licenses-1) to check the granted modules.

## Conventions

- These are administrative endpoints. They require workspace admin permissions such as `view-privileged-setting` and `edit-privileged-setting`. Each endpoint page lists its requirements.
- Workspaces without a paid license run on Community defaults; license details also appear in the admin area under **Subscription**.
- A license is bound to specific workspace URLs and periods — a valid license on the wrong URL or past its `validPeriods` does not unlock modules.