Activation Failed - Activation key has already been used on this instance

[Aphidsgroup]

Hi everyone,

I’m encountering an “Activation failed” error in my self-hosted n8n instance, with the message “Activation key has already been used on this instance.” I’m running the Community Edition, and I’m not sure why I’m seeing this since the Community Edition is supposed to have no restrictions on instance usage.

Here’s a summary of what I’ve done so far:

1. Initial Installation: I followed the standard n8n installation instructions for macOS (details below).

2. Installation Method: I initially tried using npm but ran into permission issues. I then switched to using nvm to manage Node.js and npm.

3. Node.js Version: I’m currently running Node.js v18.17.0, which is a supported version.

4. n8n Installation: I installed n8n globally using npm install -g n8n after switching to Node.js v18.17.0 with nvm.

5. Starting n8n: I can start n8n successfully using the n8n command in my terminal.

6. Accessing n8n in Browser: I can access the n8n interface in my browser.

7. The Problem: When I go to the “Usage and Plan” section, I see the “You’re on the Community Edition” message. However, when I click on the “Enter activation key” button and try to activate, I get the “Activation failed” error with the message “Activation key has already been used on this instance. Activation key has already been used on this instance.”

8. Troubleshooting Steps Already Taken: I have already checked the following:

   • I’ve confirmed that this is a fresh installation of n8n.
   • I have confirmed I am using the Community Edition
   • I have tried reinstalling n8n

Additional Information:

• Operating System: macOS
• Node.js Version: v18.17.0
• npm Version: [Please provide your npm version by running npm -v in the terminal]
• n8n Version: [Please provide your n8n version by running n8n version in the terminal]
• Terminal: zsh
• Installation steps followed:

content_copydownload

Use code [with caution](https://support.google.com/legal/answer/13505487).

curl -o- [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.3/install.sh](https://www.google.com/url?sa=E&q=https%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Fnvm-sh%2Fnvm%2Fv0.39.3%2Finstall.sh) | bash
export NVM_DIR="

HOME/.nvm"[−s"HOME/.nvm"[−s"

NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && . "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" # This loads nvm
nvm install node
nvm use 18.17.0
npm install -g n8n
n8n

My Questions:

• Is there a known issue with activation on the Community Edition that might be causing this?
• Are there any specific logs I should check for more details about the activation failure?
• Is there a way to reset the activation status of my local instance?
• Any guidance on how to resolve this issue would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Jon]

Hey @Aphidsgroup,

Can you trying running n8n license:clear and then restart n8n and see if you can then apply the license?

[lawrence.dass]

I can confirm the provided solution by Jon, works.

[Mina_Ramzy]

Works!, thanks.