To download the toolkit, go to the Admin Console > Packages > Tools. Then, use the download links on the Licensing Toolkit card.
Last updated on
Dec 16, 2024
Use the Adobe Licensing Toolkit to generate client codes, install or remove Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL) licenses, and view license details from the command line.
Adobe's Licensing Toolkit is a command-line utility that provides the following functionality that you can use when working with feature restricted licenses:
To install licenses for Isolated activation packages, Adobe provides a Licensing Toolkit that is used to generate unique client codes. Use these codes when you create Isolated activation packages.
Note
Unique client codes are not required for Offline or Online activation, but they are required for Isolated activation.
Caution
The generateChallengeKey switch described below is case-sensitive and must be entered in camel case.
To generate a client code:
Single computer
For a single computer, run the following command with admin privileges:
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --generateChallengeKey
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -c
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --generateChallengeKey
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -c
When the command is run, the code is displayed as output. Note this code; you need it when creating the Isolated activation package for a single computer.
Multiple computers
For multiple computers, run the following command with admin privileges:
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --generateChallengeKey --filePath <absolute path ofchallengekey csv file>
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -c -f <absolute path ofchallengekey csv file>
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --generateChallengeKey --filePath <absolute path ofchallengekey csv file>
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -c -f <absolute path ofchallengekey csv file>
When the command is run on each computer, the code is appended to the .csv file that you reference in the --filePath switch.
For the first computer, when you provide the file's absolute path, the command creates the file at that location. When you run the command for every other computer, the codes are appended to the file if you specify the same filename.
Use the .csv file when you create an Isolated activation package for multiple computers.
Caution
The CSV file you create must not be larger than 2 MB.
After you create a license-only package in the Admin Console, follow these steps to install this license to end-user computers (for Online, Offline, or Isolated activation packages):
Download the package from the Admin Console.
Extract the contents of the package.
The license-only package contains a .json file (that contains the licensing information) and the Licensing Toolkit utility:
- For Windows: adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe
- For macOS: adobe-licensing-toolkit
To install the license, run the following commands with admin privileges:
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --precondition --install --filePath <absolute path of the .json file>
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -p -i -f <absolute path of the .json file>
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --precondition --install --filePath <absolute path of the .json file>
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -p -i -f <absolute path of the .json file>
The license is deployed on the computer. The user is now licensed to use the installed Adobe apps.
Follow these steps to remove a license (for Online, Offline, or Isolated activation packages) from a computer in the following scenarios:
- The package is a license-only package.
- The package includes the license and apps, and the apps are uninstalled using the OS-specific uninstall procedures (for example, Add-Remove Programs on Windows).
Note
For Online activation packages, if you wish to decrease the count in the Admin Console, you must update license usage in the Admin Console.
Ensure that the package for which you want to remove the license is available on the computer. If not, then:
- Download the package from the Admin Console.
- Extract the contents of the package.
The package contains a .json file (that contains the licensing information) and the Licensing Toolkit:
For Windows: adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe
For macOS: adobe-licensing-toolkit
To uninstall the license, run the following commands with admin privileges:
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --precondition --uninstall --filePath <absolute path of the .json file>
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -p -u -f <absolute path of the .json file>
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --precondition --uninstall --filePath <absolute path of the .json file>
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -p -u -f <absolute path of the .json file>
The license installed via this package is uninstalled from the computer. The Adobe apps installed via this package will no longer be licensed on this computer.
The uninstall command removes the license from the computer. It may not update the license count in the Admin Console. You must use the deactivate command to reliably remove licenses from the computer as well as decrement the count.
Note
For Online activation packages, if you wish to decrease the count in the Admin Console, you must update license usage in the Admin Console.
Ensure that the Adobe Licensing Toolkit is available on the end-user computer. If not, then download the Toolkit from the Admin Console > Packages > Tools.
To uninstall all licenses from a computer, run the following commands with admin privileges:
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --deactivate
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -t
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --deactivate
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -t
All licenses are uninstalled from the computer. All Adobe apps installed via packages will no longer be licensed on this computer.
Note
The uninstall command removes the licenses from the computer. It may not update the license count in the Admin Console. You must use the deactivate command to reliably remove licenses from the computer as well as decrement the count.
If you remove a license for an Online activation package, the license usage displayed under Admin Console > Overview is not always decremented.
However, the update on the Admin Console requires an Internet connection to the Adobe licensing servers. If you removed the license while disconnected, or if an error occurred while connecting to the Adobe servers, the updated license usage may not be reflected in the Admin Console.
In this case, follow these steps to update the license usage on the Admin Console:
Ensure that the Adobe Licensing Toolkit is available on the end-user computer. If not, then download the Toolkit from the Admin Console > Packages > Tools.
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --deactivate --npdId <Unique ID of Preconditioning Data described below>.
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -t -n <Unique ID of Preconditioning Data described below>
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --deactivate --npdId <Unique ID of Preconditioning Data described below>
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -t -n <Unique ID of Preconditioning Data described below>
Use the --displayAspnDetails option, described below, to view package details on a computer. The output includes the Unique ID of Preconditioning Data required for this command.
Note
The npdId used in the above command corresponds to the Package License ID for the package in the Admin Console.
Use the licenseInformation command for details of the licenses installed on a machine.
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --licenseInformation
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -l
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --licenseInformation
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -l
Sample output:
Note
The NpdId displayed in the output above, corresponds to the Package License ID for the package in the Admin Console.
Use the displayAsnpDetails for brief information on the licenses activated on a client computer.
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --displayAsnpDetails
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -d
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --displayAsnpDetails
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -d
The following output displays the apps installed via packages on this computer.
Use the displayAsnpDetails option, with the optional verbose flag, to view all available details of the licenses activated on a client computer.
For Windows:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --displayAsnpDetails --verbose
Short form:
adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe -d -v
For macOS:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit --displayAsnpDetails --verbose
Short form:
sudo ./adobe-licensing-toolkit -d -v
The following output displays the apps installed via packages on this computer. For each app, the output also displays the following details:
asnpData:
JSON object of all activation data.
nglAppId:
The Creative Cloud app installed as part of the activation.
npdId:
Unique package identifier. Used when removing an Online Activation package license from a computer.
Note
The npdId, corresponds to the Package License ID for the package in the Admin Console.
Sign into the Admin Console and go to the Packages tab.
(Optional) If you have the NpdId and need to find the corresponding package on the Admin Console.
In the Search box, enter the NpdId of the package that you got from running the Licensing Toolkit command, above.
Note
The search is case-insensitve. Also, you can make a partial search. Which means that you don't need to enter the entire NpdId when searching.
In the list of packages, select the package. The details of that package appear.
The Package License ID on the Admin Console corresponds to the NpdId on the Licensing Toolkit commands.
