Activation failed Failed to activate license: Invalid URL

Questions
1

Describe the problem/error/question

Had it installed bevore with a different email, then used the license key in another instance, then changed email because could not activate again. When trying to activate with new email got this error, even the url is correct, Env variables WEBHOOK_URL and N8N_HOST are correctly set. “Activation failed
Failed to activate license: Invalid URL” I also tried to clear the license cache with: docker exec -u node -it f0dec76d3a80 n8n license:clear no luck so far???

What is the error message (if any)?

Please share your workflow

Activation failed
Failed to activate license: Invalid URL

Share the output returned by the last node

Activation failed
Failed to activate license: Invalid URL

Information on your n8n setup

  • n8n version: Version 2.3.0
  • Database (default: SQLite): Postgres
  • n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main): own
  • Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app): docker compose
  • Operating system: Debian 12
2

Hi @babo75, welcome!
I suppose these env variables are set as is.

N8N_HOST=your.domain.com
N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL=https://your.domain.com/
WEBHOOK_URL=https://your.domain.com/

And now just run this command,
docker exec -u node -it [container-name] n8n license:clear
and once the licence is cleared, just add it again via Settings → Usage and Plan, and yeah, make sure to restart it after the licence clearing that should work.

5

@babo75 the “Invalid URL” is probably a red herring here, the real issue is you already activated that key on a different instance — n8n licenses are bound per-installation and clearing the local cache won’t unbind it server-side. Email help@n8n.io with your license key and ask them to release it from the old instance, once they do the activation on your new setup should just work. Are you still running that other instance or is it fully gone?