License

Self-hosted Studio needs a license key to start. The hosted Studio and Studio Desktop don't use license keys: they are billed through your workspace's plan.

Get a license key

1. Sign in at pdf-redaction.com/licenses.
2. Create a free 14-day trial license, or buy a pay-as-you-go or subscription license. Prices are on the Pricing page.
3. Copy the key. Your licenses and their usage are listed under Licenses in the user menu on pdf-redaction.com.

Add the key

Put the key in .env:

PDF_REDACTION_LICENSE=your-license-key

Then restart the backend:

docker compose up -d backend

The installer asks for the key and writes it to .env for you.

How the key is checked

The backend checks the key once, when it starts. If the key is missing, invalid or expired, the backend stops with an error that points to the license page, and Studio can't sign anyone in. Check the reason with:

docker compose logs backend

A key that expires while the backend is running keeps working until the next restart. Renew before the expiry date so a restart or a server reboot doesn't stop Studio.

Renew or replace a key

Get the new key from pdf-redaction.com/licenses, replace the value of PDF_REDACTION_LICENSE in .env and run docker compose up -d backend. Your accounts, workspaces and synced documents are kept.

Usage reporting

The license includes usage metering: the number of pages processed on your server is reported to PDF Redaction for licensing and billing. You can follow it under Licenses Usage in your pdf-redaction.com account. Document files and their text stay on your server.

Next steps