# Implement licensing (/en/realtime-media/iot/reference/licensing) > For AI agents: see the complete documentation index at [llms.txt](/llms.txt). <_PlatformTabsGroup groupMode="structured" canonicalPlatform="android" platforms="["android","linux-c"]" showTabs="true"> <_PlatformPanel platform="android"> <_PlatformProcessedMarker groupMode="structured" canonicalPlatform="android" platform="android" /> Agora utilizes a licensing system as a payment method for IoT SDK. Agora grants a device-specific license to bill for its services, with each device having its own unique license. During the licensed period, Agora does not charge for the duration of the call. Typically, IoT SDK device manufacturers predict the sales volume and usage of their devices, buy and activate licenses from Agora, and then embed the license into each device in the form of a single code. ## Understand the tech [#understand-the-tech] The following figure shows the overall process of using an IoT SDK device license: ![IoT SDK device license workflow](https://assets-docs.agora.io/images/iot/iot-licensing.svg) ## Obtain and use a device license [#obtain-and-use-a-device-license] Follow the steps below to add a license to your IoT SDK devices. ### Apply for a license [#apply-for-a-license] To apply for a license, contact [support@agora.io](mailto\:support@agora.io) and provide the following information: | Name | Description | | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Category | Device license | | Company ID (CID) | A unique identifier assigned by Agora to each company or organization. You can create an Agora account and get your company ID on the **Settings** page of the Agora Console. | | License type | Trial license or commercial license. | | Stock keeping unit (SKU) | The license capability set, including media capabilities, minute limits, and usage period. | | Validity period | The license validity period, which starts on the day of activation. | | Number of applications | The number of licenses you require. | | List of license-enabled project IDs (App ID) | An App ID is the unique identifier of a project, which is provided by Agora and subordinate to the CID. You enable the license for a specific App ID. You can create a project and get the App ID on the **Project Management** page of Agora Console. | | Maximum concurrent user (PCU) limit | After enabling the PCU limit, you can limit the maximum number of people who can access the SDK at the same time in the dimension of CID or App ID. | Use the following details when you fill out the license application: * **License type**: Choose a trial license or a commercial license. Agora recommends that you use a trial license during integration testing, and switch to a commercial license before the official launch. For further details, see [Trial license and commercial license](#trial-and-commercial-license). * **Stock keeping unit (SKU)**: Specify the capability set of the license, including the following parameters: * **License capabilities**: Audio, video, or both audio and video. * **Upper limit of license minutes**: Whether to limit the duration for using the license, which is accurate to minutes. * **License usage period**: Whether to limit the period for using the license, which is accurate to minutes. * **Validity period**: The validity period of the license starts on the day of activation. * **Trial license**: Specify the period in months. Minimum is 3 months. * **Commercial license**: Specify the period in years. Minimum is 1 year. ### Activate a license [#activate-a-license] After receiving the Agora license, refer to the information in this section to activate the license. You use the [IoT SDK License Activation](https://documenter.getpostman.com/view/6319646/SVSLr9AM#c8160c19-a234-49fd-a333-7723b7ca53b2) RESTful API for activation. **Prototype** * Method: `POST` * Access point: `https://api.agora.io/global/dabiz/license/v2/active` **Request parameters** The activation request requires the following query parameters: | Parameter | Type | Description | | ------------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `pid` | String | The license identification defined by SKU, validity period, and category. | | `licenseKey` | String | The unique ID of the device. For example, the SN number, Mac address, and so on. The string length must be less than 64 bytes. | | `appid` | String | The unique identifier assigned by Agora to your project. | **Request example** ```text https://api.agora.io/global/dabiz/license/v2/active?pid=02F5xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxEC30&licenseKey=111&appid=a6d6xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf75e ``` **Response parameters** If the status code is `200`, the request is successful, and the response body contains the following parameters: | Parameter | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | -------------------------------- | | `license` | String | The value of the active license. | | `skuView` | Object | The SKU capability set. | The `skuView` object contains the following fields: * `product` (Integer): * `1`: Video SDK * `2`: IoT SDK * `3`: FPA * `name` (String): The name of the SKU * `mediaType` (Integer): * `1`: Audio * `2`: Video * `3`: Both audio and video * `minutes` (Integer): The maximum duration of the license * `period` (String): License usage time period If the request fails, the status code is not `200`. Follow the returned status code and the `message` field in the response body to troubleshoot errors. **Response example** The following is a response example for a successful activation request: ```json { "code":200, "data":{ "license":"1D65xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx6016", "skuView":{ "product":1, "name":"01", "mediaType":1, "minutes":100, "period":"00:00~23:59" } } } ``` ### Use the license [#use-the-license] After successfully activating a license, you write the license to the device and use it in the SDK. Take the following steps to use the license: 1. Receive an activated license from the server. 2. Write the license to the device. Ensure that the license written to each device is correct and unique. There are two common methods to write the license information to your device: * The license is written to a file on the device that the device reads through a program. * The license is burnt into the device by the manufacturer during production and the device reads it directly. 3. Device reads license: * If the device successfully reads the license, proceed to the next step. * If the device fails to read the license, troubleshoot the problem and write the license again. 4. In the IoT SDK, call `AgoraRtcService.init` and pass the license in the `licenseValue ` parameter of `RtcServiceOptions`. 5. The IoT SDK automatically verifies the license when a user joins a channel. * If the license verification is successful, the user can use the functions of the SDK. * If the license verification fails, the SDK kicks the user out of the channel, and the user receives the `ERR_CLIENT_IS_BANNED_BY_SERVER` error code. ### Check license usage [#check-license-usage] Check your license usage in [Agora Console](https://console.agora.io/license/usage). ![license\_usage](https://assets-docs.agora.io/images/iot/license_usage.png) ## Reference [#reference] The content in this section completes the information on this page, or points you to documentation that explains other aspects of this product. ### The license activation RESTful API [#the-license-activation-restful-api] To import the license activation API for testing and to obtain sample code for your platform, see the [Postman](https://documenter.getpostman.com/view/6319646/SVSLr9AM#c8160c19-a234-49fd-a333-7723b7ca53b2) IoT License Activation API. ### Difference between `licenseValue` and `licenseKey` [#difference-between-licensevalue-and-licensekey] **`licenseValue`** is the ID of each license. There are two ways to query `licenseValue`: * On the [License Usage](https://console.agora.io/license/usage) page of the Agora Console, click **Export License Details** and view the `licenseValue` in the **License** column of the exported CSV file. * After successfully calling the activation API, you receive the activated `licenseValue` in the response. **`licenseKey`** is the unique identifier of the device. For example, the SN number, or the Mac address. The string length must be less than 64 bytes. When a user calls the activation API to activate a license for a device, the user consumes the license which is passed in the `licenseKey` parameter. Users can perform pre-authorization operations, so that only the `licenseKey` in the whitelist can successfully activate the license. ### Trial and commercial license [#trial-and-commercial-license] To facilitate development and testing, Agora offers the following types of licenses: * **Trial license**: For integration-testing and product debugging. * **Commercial license**: For the launch stage of the product. Best practice is to use a trial license before the product is officially launched. To switch to a commercial license, follow these steps: 1. Contact [support@agora.io](mailto\:support@agora.io) to apply for a commercial license. After successfully applying for a license, you can check the PID of the license in the **License Usage** page of the Agora Console. 2. Call the activation API to activate a new license and pass in the PID of the new license and the `licenseKey` which is consistent with the old license. 3. Write the new license to the device and read it. 4. Call the initialization method of the SDK with the new license. ### API reference [#api-reference] * [`init()`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/iot-sdk/android/1.x/classio_1_1agora_1_1rtc_1_1_agora_rtc_service.html#aab47fc030b290004c6d29a0a306db032) <_PlatformProcessedMarker close="true" /> <_PlatformPanel platform="linux-c"> <_PlatformProcessedMarker groupMode="structured" canonicalPlatform="android" platform="linux-c" /> Agora utilizes a licensing system as a payment method for IoT SDK. Agora grants a device-specific license to bill for its services, with each device having its own unique license. During the licensed period, Agora does not charge for the duration of the call. Typically, IoT SDK device manufacturers predict the sales volume and usage of their devices, buy and activate licenses from Agora, and then embed the license into each device in the form of a single code. ## Understand the tech [#understand-the-tech-1] The following figure shows the overall process of using an IoT SDK device license: ![IoT SDK device license workflow](https://assets-docs.agora.io/images/iot/iot-licensing.svg) ## Obtain and use a device license [#obtain-and-use-a-device-license-1] Follow the steps below to add a license to your IoT SDK devices. ### Apply for a license [#apply-for-a-license-1] To apply for a license, contact [support@agora.io](mailto\:support@agora.io) and provide the following information: | Name | Description | | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Category | Device license | | Company ID (CID) | A unique identifier assigned by Agora to each company or organization. You can create an Agora account and get your company ID on the **Settings** page of the Agora Console. | | License type | Trial license or commercial license. | | Stock keeping unit (SKU) | The license capability set, including media capabilities, minute limits, and usage period. | | Validity period | The license validity period, which starts on the day of activation. | | Number of applications | The number of licenses you require. | | List of license-enabled project IDs (App ID) | An App ID is the unique identifier of a project, which is provided by Agora and subordinate to the CID. You enable the license for a specific App ID. You can create a project and get the App ID on the **Project Management** page of Agora Console. | | Maximum concurrent user (PCU) limit | After enabling the PCU limit, you can limit the maximum number of people who can access the SDK at the same time in the dimension of CID or App ID. | Use the following details when you fill out the license application: * **License type**: Choose a trial license or a commercial license. Agora recommends that you use a trial license during integration testing, and switch to a commercial license before the official launch. For further details, see [Trial license and commercial license](#trial-and-commercial-license). * **Stock keeping unit (SKU)**: Specify the capability set of the license, including the following parameters: * **License capabilities**: Audio, video, or both audio and video. * **Upper limit of license minutes**: Whether to limit the duration for using the license, which is accurate to minutes. * **License usage period**: Whether to limit the period for using the license, which is accurate to minutes. * **Validity period**: The validity period of the license starts on the day of activation. * **Trial license**: Specify the period in months. Minimum is 3 months. * **Commercial license**: Specify the period in years. Minimum is 1 year. ### Activate a license [#activate-a-license-1] After receiving the Agora license, refer to the information in this section to activate the license. You use the [IoT SDK License Activation](https://documenter.getpostman.com/view/6319646/SVSLr9AM#c8160c19-a234-49fd-a333-7723b7ca53b2) RESTful API for activation. **Prototype** * Method: `POST` * Access point: `https://api.agora.io/global/dabiz/license/v2/active` **Request parameters** The activation request requires the following query parameters: | Parameter | Type | Description | | ------------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | `pid` | String | The license identification defined by SKU, validity period, and category. | | `licenseKey` | String | The unique ID of the device. For example, the SN number, Mac address, and so on. The string length must be less than 64 bytes. | | `appid` | String | The unique identifier assigned by Agora to your project. | **Request example** ```text https://api.agora.io/global/dabiz/license/v2/active?pid=02F5xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxEC30&licenseKey=111&appid=a6d6xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf75e ``` **Response parameters** If the status code is `200`, the request is successful, and the response body contains the following parameters: | Parameter | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | -------------------------------- | | `license` | String | The value of the active license. | | `skuView` | Object | The SKU capability set. | The `skuView` object contains the following fields: * `product` (Integer): * `1`: Video SDK * `2`: IoT SDK * `3`: FPA * `name` (String): The name of the SKU * `mediaType` (Integer): * `1`: Audio * `2`: Video * `3`: Both audio and video * `minutes` (Integer): The maximum duration of the license * `period` (String): License usage time period If the request fails, the status code is not `200`. Follow the returned status code and the `message` field in the response body to troubleshoot errors. **Response example** The following is a response example for a successful activation request: ```json { "code":200, "data":{ "license":"1D65xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx6016", "skuView":{ "product":1, "name":"01", "mediaType":1, "minutes":100, "period":"00:00~23:59" } } } ``` ### Use the license [#use-the-license-1] After successfully activating a license, you write the license to the device and use it in the SDK. Take the following steps to use the license: 1. Receive an activated license from the server. 2. Write the license to the device. Ensure that the license written to each device is correct and unique. There are two common methods to write the license information to your device: * The license is written to a file on the device that the device reads through a program. * The license is burnt into the device by the manufacturer during production and the device reads it directly. 3. Device reads license: * If the device successfully reads the license, proceed to the next step. * If the device fails to read the license, troubleshoot the problem and write the license again. 4. In the IoT SDK, call `agora_rtc_init` and pass the license in the `license_value` parameter of `rtc_service_option_t`. 5. The IoT SDK automatically verifies the license when a user joins a channel. * If the license verification is successful, the user can use the functions of the SDK. * If the license verification fails, the SDK kicks the user out of the channel, and the user receives the `ERR_CLIENT_IS_BANNED_BY_SERVER` error code. ### Check license usage [#check-license-usage-1] Check your license usage in [Agora Console](https://console.agora.io/license/usage). ![license\_usage](https://assets-docs.agora.io/images/iot/license_usage.png) ## Reference [#reference-1] The content in this section completes the information on this page, or points you to documentation that explains other aspects of this product. ### The license activation RESTful API [#the-license-activation-restful-api-1] To import the license activation API for testing and to obtain sample code for your platform, see the [Postman](https://documenter.getpostman.com/view/6319646/SVSLr9AM#c8160c19-a234-49fd-a333-7723b7ca53b2) IoT License Activation API. ### Difference between `licenseValue` and `licenseKey` [#difference-between-licensevalue-and-licensekey-1] **`licenseValue`** is the ID of each license. There are two ways to query `licenseValue`: * On the [License Usage](https://console.agora.io/license/usage) page of the Agora Console, click **Export License Details** and view the `licenseValue` in the **License** column of the exported CSV file. * After successfully calling the activation API, you receive the activated `licenseValue` in the response. **`licenseKey`** is the unique identifier of the device. For example, the SN number, or the Mac address. The string length must be less than 64 bytes. When a user calls the activation API to activate a license for a device, the user consumes the license which is passed in the `licenseKey` parameter. Users can perform pre-authorization operations, so that only the `licenseKey` in the whitelist can successfully activate the license. ### Trial and commercial license [#trial-and-commercial-license-1] To facilitate development and testing, Agora offers the following types of licenses: * **Trial license**: For integration-testing and product debugging. * **Commercial license**: For the launch stage of the product. Best practice is to use a trial license before the product is officially launched. To switch to a commercial license, follow these steps: 1. Contact [support@agora.io](mailto\:support@agora.io) to apply for a commercial license. After successfully applying for a license, you can check the PID of the license in the **License Usage** page of the Agora Console. 2. Call the activation API to activate a new license and pass in the PID of the new license and the `licenseKey` which is consistent with the old license. 3. Write the new license to the device and read it. 4. Call the initialization method of the SDK with the new license. ### API reference [#api-reference-1] * [`agora_rtc_init()`](https://api-ref.agora.io/en/iot-sdk/linux/1.x/agora__rtc__api_8h.html#a6187076d897f0b56cb20942368c15aaa) <_PlatformProcessedMarker close="true" />