# Activate your license A Blink license is signed by IZT for your instance. It sets the hostname your agents connect to and your plan: **Blink Core** or **Blink Pro**, and how many technician seats and Access devices you have. Until the instance is activated, nothing in the plan is available: you cannot create Support codes, enroll devices or add users, and the instance cannot fetch agents from IZT or build installers. Activate it before your first session. :::note[On Blink Cloud] You do not need to do anything. Blink Cloud activates your license by itself once [setup](/get-started/first-sign-in/) is finished. You can see it under **Instance** › **License**, where the hostname is marked **Managed by Blink Cloud**. ::: Only the instance owner can activate a license. You need: - the **activation code** IZT sent you. It looks like `BLINK-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX`. - the **hostname** your agents use to reach this server, for example `blink.example.com`. ## Open the License page 1. Sign in to the console. 2. Go to **Instance** › **License**. The **License** card shows **Not activated** and your instance id. Below it, the **Activate** card has a **Hostname** field and two ways to activate: **Online** and **Offline**. ## Choose the hostname Type the hostname in **Hostname**, in lowercase, as a full domain name such as `blink.example.com`. An IP address also works. - If agents reach the server on a port other than 443, add it: `blink.example.com:8443`. - The hostname is locked into the license and built into every agent. Changing it later means activating again. ## Activate online Use this when the server can reach IZT over the internet. The server needs outbound access to: | Host | Port | |---|---| | `license.blink.izt.app` | 443/TCP | | `build.blink.izt.app` | 443/TCP | Allow both through your firewall and any proxy before you start. The same access keeps the license renewing by itself and lets agents download and update. 1. In **Online**, paste your code into **Activation code**. Spaces and lowercase letters are fine. 2. Click **Activate**. 3. If a **Confirm it's you** dialog opens, confirm with your passkey or a code from your authenticator. The page shows **License activated** and the **License** card turns **Active**. An online license renews by itself: the card shows when under **Renews**, and **Renew now** renews it on the spot. If the **Online** section says this server does not reach the IZT build service, use the offline steps. ## Activate offline Use this when the server cannot reach the internet. You move two small files between the server and the IZT license portal, `license.blink.izt.app`, from any computer that has internet access. 1. Under **Offline**, click **Activation request**. A request file for the hostname above downloads. 2. On a computer with internet access, open `license.blink.izt.app` and go to its activation page. 3. Enter your activation code and upload the request file. The portal shows what the file asks for. Confirm it. 4. The portal returns a **license file**. Save it. 5. Back in the console, under **Offline**, click **License file** and choose the file you saved. The page shows **License imported** and the **License** card turns **Active**. :::tip Use a request file within 30 days of downloading it. After that, download a new one. ::: ## Check your plan After activation, the **License** card shows your **Plan**, your **Technician seats** and **Access devices**, and below them a checklist of what your plan includes. See [Understand your plan and its limits](/configure/plans-and-limits/). :::note[Blink View] If your license includes Blink View, an online activation lets customers enter a 6-digit code on `view.blink.izt.app`. After an offline activation, customers get a direct link or QR code from you instead. Activating or renewing online later switches to codes. See [Online and offline instances](/use/blink-view/#online-and-offline-instances). ::: ## Check that agents are available After activation, the **Agent builds** card on the same page lists the agents this server hands out, and shows **Updates on**. Click **Check now** to fetch the latest agents straight away instead of waiting for the next automatic check. Once a version appears, customers can download the support tool, and you can build Access installers. ## Renewal, grace and lapse - **Online**, the license renews automatically before it expires. - **Offline**, renew it with the same exchange: download a new **Activation request**, upload it on the portal's Renew page (no code needed), and import the license file it returns. If a license expires without being renewed, the console shows a banner and the License card shows **Expired, in grace**. During the 30-day grace, everything keeps working. After the grace, the license is **Lapsed**: Blink stops getting new agent builds and updates, but everything in your plan keeps working: your installed agents keep connecting, and Support sessions and new enrollments keep working. See [Install](/install/) for more on licenses, renewal and offline agent updates.