License Activation Issue - "Activation key has already been used on this instance"

[Toufik_Dtp]

I’m experiencing an issue with my n8n license activation and would appreciate your assistance.

Current Setup:

• Self-hosted n8n instance
• Version: 1.102.3
• Plan: Startup Plan (purchased)

Issue Description: My n8n instance currently displays “You’re on the Community Plan” in the interface, but when I attempt to enter my activation key, I receive the following error:

“Activation failed - Activation key has already been used on this instance”

Current Behavior:

• I have access to some enterprise features (e.g., Environments)
• I don’t have access to other features I should have with my plan (e.g., execution history beyond one day)
• The license appears to be partially activated but not fully recognized

What I’ve Already Tried: [You can add any troubleshooting steps you’ve attempted, such as:]

• Restarting the n8n instance
• Clearing browser cache
• Checking for any configuration issues

Request: Could you please help me resolve this license activation issue? I believe there may be a problem with how the activation key is being processed or stored in my instance.

I’m happy to provide any additional information you might need, such as:

• Instance logs
• Configuration details
• Screenshots of the error messages

Thank you for your time and assistance.

[sahil_patel]

“Activation failed - Activation key has already been used on this instance”

means that your license key has already been successfully activated on this particular n8n instance.

This is expected behavior because:

• License keys can only be used once per instance.
• Since your key was already applied, reusing it results in this error.
• Your instance should now be fully licensed and display a “Community Plan” label with a “Registered” tag in the UI, confirming the license is active.

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What you can do next:

• Please restart your n8n instance to ensure all license features are applied.
• Clear your browser cache or do a hard refresh.