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Online Activation

The Online Activation workspace is where you transform your software into a scalable commercial product. Instead of manually generating keys for every customer, your DLL communicates directly with the VBA Padlock Activation Kit — a PHP server you install on your web hosting — to validate credentials and unlock itself in seconds. Learn more in the Online Activation Feature guide.

VBA Padlock Studio Online Activation settings for server-based licensing

🚀 Automated Fulfillment

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Online activation removes the friction from your sales process. When a user buys your software, they can activate it immediately, regardless of your time zone:

  • Real-time Validation: The DLL sends the user’s Hardware ID and activation code to your server. If valid, the server returns an encrypted key that the DLL installs automatically.
  • Offline Fallback: Checking Allow manual activation ensures that users with restricted firewalls can still activate via email or phone, providing a fail-safe user experience.
  • Scalability: Whether you have ten users or ten thousand, the PHP server handles the heavy lifting of key issuance and database management.

The activation codes are managed from the Activation Kit Dashboard on your server. Each license entry contains an Activation Code that you provide to your customer after purchase (e.g., via email or your e-commerce confirmation page):

Activation Kit Dashboard showing license activation codes

Your end-user then enters this activation code in the online activation dialog that appears in your application:

Online activation dialog as seen by the end-user

🛡️ Security Infrastructure

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The trust between your software and your server is anchored by a shared secret and a robust endpoint configuration.

Activation Endpoint

The URL of your hosted PHP script. This acts as the secure gatekeeper for all license requests.

Security Private Key

A unique shared secret used to sign and verify every message between the DLL and your server. This ensures that no third party can spoof an activation response.

📋 Custom Registration

Section titled “📋 Custom Registration”

Turn your activation process into a lead generation tool. By enabling the Custom Registration Form, you can collect valuable data before the software unlocks:

  1. Lead Capture: Require users to provide their Name, Email, and Company during activation.
  2. HTML Flexibility: Use the Custom Form HTML editor to design a registration window that matches your brand’s aesthetic.
  3. Server Storage: All collected data is securely transmitted to your PHP server and stored alongside the license record.

🔄 The Automation Workflow

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  1. Configure: Enable online activation and provide your Base Activation URL.
  2. Sync: Generate your Security Private Key and update your PHP server’s configuration.
  3. Sync (Optional): Define your custom registration form if market research or lead capture is required.
  4. Validate: Use the Test Connection tool to ensure the Studio can communicate with your live server.
  5. Deploy: Compile your project to bake the server connectivity into the DLL.

See Also

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