---
title: Activate your licence
description: "Turn on one-click updates with your wpruby.com licence key, move it to another site, and renew it."
url: "https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-licence/"
updated: "2026-11-04"
category: WPRuby Themes / Cartavera
---

# Activate your licence

Cartavera is GPL software and every feature works without a licence key. An active licence lets WordPress download theme updates for you, from **Dashboard → Updates**, like any other theme.

Table of Contents

 [Toggle](#)

- [Find your key](#Find_your_key)
- [Activate](#Activate)
- [Install an update](#Install_an_update)
- [Refresh the status](#Refresh_the_status)
- [Move your licence to another site](#Move_your_licence_to_another_site)
- [When a licence expires](#When_a_licence_expires)
- [Status messages](#Status_messages)
- [For developers](#For_developers)

## Find your key

Your licence key is in [your wpruby.com account](https://wpruby.com/my-account/), next to your Cartavera purchase. The licence form links there too (*Find your key in your WPRuby account*).

## Activate

1. Go to **Appearance → Cartavera**.
2. Under **Licence and updates**, paste your key into **Licence key**.
3. Click **Activate licence**.

[![The Licence and updates panel on Appearance → Cartavera](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/04082751/cartavera-docs-admin-licence.png)](https://cdn.wpruby.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/04082751/cartavera-docs-admin-licence.png)

You'll see *Licence activated. Theme updates will now appear under Dashboard → Updates.* The **Status** row then shows:

- **Active**, with the expiry date or **Lifetime licence**
- **Sites: X of Y**: how many sites use this key, and how many your licence allows

Only users who can manage options (administrators) can see and change the licence.

Until a licence is active, administrators see a short reminder on **Appearance → Themes** and **Dashboard → Updates**, with an **Enter licence key** link.

## Install an update

When a new version is out, it appears under **Dashboard → Updates** and on **Appearance → Themes**. Update it as you would any theme.

WordPress checks for theme updates on its own schedule (about twice a day). To check right away, click **Check again** on **Dashboard → Updates**.

Before you update a live store, read the [changelog](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-changelog/) and keep a backup. If the release bundles a newer Cartavera Blocks plugin, update that too; see [Updating the companion plugin](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-installation/#updating-the-companion-plugin).

## Refresh the status

Cartavera asks wpruby.com for your licence status once a day. If you've just renewed or upgraded, click **Refresh status** to update it now.

## Move your licence to another site

1. On the old site, go to **Appearance → Cartavera** and click **Deactivate licence**. This frees the site's seat.
2. On the new site, activate the key as above.

If the old site is already gone and you can't deactivate it there, contact WPRuby support to free the seat.

Whether a staging or local copy of your site uses a seat is decided by the store's licensing settings, not by the theme. After activating on a copy, check the **Sites: X of Y** count, and deactivate the key on copies you no longer use.

## When a licence expires

The theme keeps working, and so does everything you built with it. What changes:

- **Status** shows **Expired** with the date, and a **Renew licence** link.
- WordPress still tells you an update exists, but it can't download it. If you try, WordPress says *Update package not available*.

Renew from the **Renew licence** link (it opens wpruby.com's checkout with your key filled in), then click **Refresh status**. The update downloads as normal after that.

## Status messages

| You see | What it means | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| This licence key was not recognised. | The key doesn't match a wpruby.com licence | Copy the key again from your account. Check for spaces at either end |
| This licence key is for a different product. | The key belongs to another wpruby.com product | Use the key for Cartavera |
| This licence has reached its site limit. | Every seat is in use | Deactivate the key on a site you no longer use, or upgrade your licence |
| This licence has expired. | Updates have stopped | Renew, then click **Refresh status** |
| This licence key has been disabled. | The store has disabled this licence | Contact WPRuby support |
| Not active on this site | The key is saved but this site isn't one of its activations | Click **Activate licence** again |
| The licence server returned an unexpected response | Your server couldn't reach wpruby.com, or got an error page back | See [Troubleshooting → Licence and updates](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-troubleshooting/#licence-and-updates) |

## For developers

The updater uses WordPress's own `Update URI` mechanism, so WordPress.org never offers an unrelated theme with the same folder name. Developers can point it at another store with the `CARTAVERA_STORE_URL` constant or the `cartavera_license_store_url` filter. See [Hooks and filters](https://wpruby.com/knowledgebase/cartavera-hooks/#setup-and-licensing).