My n8n activation key for using n8n on HOSTINGER is not authenticating the application on the Hostinger VPS,
the error is : Activation failed - Activation key has already been used on this instance
Probably because I started testing n8n on the n8n platform itself with the email account [email protected]. I tested and liked the n8n tool, so I subscribed to the Hostinger plan. How could I resolve this? I thought about deleting my n8n.io account and then re-registering the VPS. Would that solve my problem? If it does, how do I delete the account from the n8n.io website? Thank you in advance for your support.
Hey! I’ve seen this exact issue before when folks test n8n Cloud first, then try to self-host with the same license.
The problem is your activation key got “used up” when you tested it on n8n.io. Each license key can only be activated on one instance at a time.
Here’s how to fix it:
-
Email n8n support at [email protected] and tell them:
- You tested on n8n.io with email [email protected]
- Now you want to use the Hostinger plan on your VPS
- Ask them to reset/transfer your license key
-
They’ll reset it within a day or two (usually pretty quick!)
-
Once reset, activate it on your Hostinger VPS
Pro tip: You don’t need to delete your n8n.io account - just ask support to move the license. They handle this all the time.
If you’re planning to run n8n in production, I’d also recommend setting up:
- Proper backups (workflows + credentials)
- SSL certificate for secure access
- Environment variables for sensitive data
I help clients set up production n8n instances on VPS regularly - once you get the license sorted, everything else is smooth sailing!
Let me know if support gives you any trouble and I can help troubleshoot.
Hi @valterlazaro
Please contact support on [email protected]