How sublicenses work

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How sublicenses work

This guide explains controlled access delegation through sublicenses, including limits, lifecycle management, and governance.

Required access: Plan with sublicensing enabled.

When to use sublicenses

Use sublicenses when you need controlled delegation instead of sharing your primary license directly.

How to create a sublicense

  1. Open Licenses and select a sublicense-enabled license.
  2. Go to sublicense management.
  3. Create a sublicense and set limits.
  4. Assign it to the correct client/project context.
  5. Verify limits and access scope before sharing.

How to manage sublicense lifecycle

  1. Review active sublicenses weekly or monthly.
  2. Adjust limits when project scope changes.
  3. Revoke sublicenses for completed/archived projects.
  4. Keep an internal ownership note for each sublicense.

Verification checklist

Confirm:

  • Sublicense counts are within plan maximum
  • Limits reflect current project requirements
  • No orphaned or unused sublicenses remain
  • Delegated users only have intended access

What happens after creating a sublicense

  • Delegated users get controlled access based on limits.
  • Download and activation constraints are enforced automatically.
  • Your main account keeps centralized governance.

Troubleshooting

If sublicense actions are unavailable, confirm your plan includes this feature and that you still have capacity.

Related guides

  • How to activate your license
  • How billing and subscription management works

Exact route paths

  • /dashboard/licenses
  • /dashboard/licenses/[license_key]/sublicenses

Expected UI state after each step

  • Step 1: Sublicense-enabled license displays management entry.
  • Step 2: Sublicense creation form accepts limits and scope.
  • Step 3: Sublicense count updates after creation.
  • Step 4: Revoked entries no longer appear as active.

Screenshot map (step-level)

  1. License to sublicense flow

  2. Operational governance view

Operational objective

Complete the “How sublicenses work” workflow with predictable outcomes, clear auditability, and repeatable execution quality across team members and projects.

Acceptance criteria (all must pass)

  • The workflow can be completed without missing permissions or blocked route access.
  • All required dashboard routes load successfully for the active account.
  • The expected UI states are visible in the same order as documented.
  • At least one end-to-end validation confirms the process works in practice.
  • Evidence artifacts are captured for support and audit handoff.

Routes that must be reachable during validation:

  • /dashboard/licenses
  • /dashboard/licenses/[license_key]/sublicenses

Failure modes and exact remediation

  • Permission failure: Recheck plan/license entitlements and retry after session refresh.
  • Route loads but action is missing: Confirm feature flags/plan gates and selected context (site/license).
  • Action runs but state does not update: Refresh, re-open the relevant page, and verify from history/log view.
  • Partial success in multi-step operations: Retry only failed sub-steps and preserve successful state.
  • Cross-page mismatch: Reconcile with dashboard history and capture timestamps before escalation.
  • Persistent failure after one controlled retry: Open support ticket with full evidence package.

Evidence package for support escalation

Collect all items before escalating:

  • Account email and user role
  • Affected route path and exact action taken
  • Site URL, product/license identifier (if relevant)
  • Timestamps for first failure and latest retry
  • Expected result vs actual result
  • Screenshot set listed below

Screenshot evidence checklist

  • Step 1: License to sublicense flow
  • Step 2: Operational governance view
  • One screenshot with visible timestamp (system clock/browser tab)
  • One screenshot showing route context or breadcrumb
  • One screenshot showing final persisted result
  • Replace any generic placeholder/demo visuals with real environment captures

FAQ

Can I skip steps if I already know this workflow?

Skip only after all acceptance criteria still pass. If any criterion fails, run the full sequence exactly as documented.

Should I run this in production first?

Use staging first for medium/high-impact changes. Promote to production only after validation evidence is complete.

What if my screen does not match the guide exactly?

UI can vary by plan and feature access. Validate route access, plan gates, and expected state outcomes instead of pixel-perfect layout.

How many retries should I perform before escalation?

Run one controlled retry after checklist validation. If failure persists, escalate with full evidence to avoid hidden side effects.

Who owns this guide operationally?

Support Engineering owns this guide and its periodic review cycle.

Guide metadata

  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Estimated completion time: 15-25 minutes
  • Owner: Support Engineering
  • Last reviewed: 2026-03-18