I recently had to cancel my previous VPS and set up a new one. When I tried to activate my license key (f287ff24-4b3Activation Key Issue After Migration) on the new instance, I got the error “Activation key has already been used on this instance.”
Could you please reset the key so I can activate it on my new server?
Thank you!
Hi @Smile Welcome!
Hi @Smile,
The workaround proposed above using the n8n license:clear command will clean up your container’s local configuration, but it may not be sufficient in your specific case.
During a migration to a new VPS, your n8n installation generated a new unique instance identifier (Instance ID). Your license key is currently still associated with the old identifier on n8n’s activation servers. That’s why the activation server is rejecting the key, even if you try to clear the local cache.
To resolve the situation, here’s what you need to do depending on your license type:
You need to contact the n8n internal team so they can reset the association of your key on the server side:
Send an email to support@n8n.io
Mention that you’ve migrated your VPS, provide your license key, and request a reset of the association so you can register it on your new instance.
If you’re using a free activation key for the community plan, the quickest solution is:
Simply request a new free key from the n8n website.
Enter this new key directly on your new VPS.
Hoping these explanations will help you complete your migration. If this message helped you resolve or understand your issue, feel free to mark it as a solution so it can help other community members in the same situation.