Core Concepts
Everything in Cryptlex builds on a small set of concepts. This page explains how licensing works end to end, and then defines each concept you will encounter throughout the documentation.
How licensing works
- You create a product in Cryptlex representing your application, and attach a license template that defines the default licensing rules (type, allowed activations, subscription interval, and so on).
- When a customer buys, you create a license under the product, manually in the admin portal or automatically through your order automation. This generates the license key you deliver to the customer.
- The customer activates the license key in your app. Your app validates the license with the Cryptlex servers using LexActivator or the Web API, and an activation is recorded along with the machine's fingerprint, consuming one of the license's allowed seats.
- On every run, your app verifies the license locally and periodically syncs with the Cryptlex servers, picking up server-side changes such as renewals, suspension, or revocation.
- Optionally, you offer trials before purchase, distribute updates through releases, and give customers self-service through the customer portal.
Product
A product represents the application you want to license.
Create a single product per application, even if you sell it in multiple editions like Lite, Pro, or Enterprise; model editions with Entitlement Sets instead. Create separate products only for separate applications.
License template
A license template is a blueprint for the licenses you create. It defines the default license properties (type, duration, allowed activations, and so on), and is the main tool for implementing your licensing model.
A single license template can be shared across products, and each product must have a default license template linked. To learn more, refer to License Templates.
Trial policy
A trial policy configures trials for your product, including the trial duration and how trial activations behave.
A single trial policy can be shared across products, but a product can have only one trial policy linked to it. Attaching a trial policy is optional; if a product has no trial policy, trials are disabled for it.
User
A user represents a customer you license your product to. It can be as simple as a contact linked to a license, storing the customer's name and email, or the actual licensee, as in named user licenses where the license is tied to the user's identity.
Beyond that, Cryptlex provides identity management for your customers, so users can log in with an email and password or single sign-on and manage their licenses in the customer portal. To learn more, refer to Users.
Organization
An organization groups users who belong to the same company. An organization admin can manage the organization's users, form user groups, and allocate its licenses internally, without your involvement. To learn more, refer to Organizations.
License
A license grants a customer the right to use your product and is identified by its license key. Licenses are grouped under products and inherit all the properties of the license template attached to the product.
You can override any inherited property on an individual license if needed.
Activation
An activation is created when your customer activates a license key in your app on their machine. It consumes one of the license's allowed seats.
By default, activations are node-locked, which means the machine's fingerprint is stored with the activation and the license key only works on that machine.
Trial activation
A trial activation is created when your customer starts a trial in your app on their machine, without a license key.
Like license activations, trial activations are node-locked by default, which prevents customers from resetting the trial by reinstalling your app.
Feature entitlement
A feature entitlement defines a feature of your product and the value a license gets for it, letting you enable, disable, or configure features per customer. Entitlement Sets group feature entitlements into reusable tiers like Basic, Pro, and Enterprise.
To learn more, refer to Features and Entitlements.
Meter attribute
A meter attribute tracks a usage count on a license, such as API calls, exports, or credits, letting you enforce usage limits and implement usage-based licensing.
To learn more, refer to Meter Attributes.
Maintenance policy
A maintenance policy defines how long a license is entitled to receive product updates, letting you sell time-bound maintenance separately from the license itself. It controls which release versions a license can use.
To learn more, refer to Maintenance Policies.
Release
A release represents a version of your app that you distribute through Cryptlex. Cryptlex hosts your release files, secures downloads behind license keys, and powers software updates.
To learn more, refer to Releases.
Next steps
Now that you know how Cryptlex works, pick the licensing model that fits your business in Choosing a Licensing Model, or jump straight to the Quick Start.