License Activation

Activate your Shondalai license to unlock automatic updates through Joomla's built-in updater. The template itself keeps working without a license.

Where licensing lives

Licensing is managed inside the Template Studio app, on the template style you are using:

1. Go to System → Site Template Styles.
2. Open your template's style.
3. Select the License tab.

The tab is headed License & Updates and shows the current activation state for this site.

What a license does

A license connects this site to your shondalai.com account so that update downloads are authorised automatically. To be clear about what it does and does not do:

With an active license	Without a license
Automatic update downloads through System → Update → Extensions	The template, page builder and all features keep working normally
Renewal and support dates visible on the License tab	Joomla still shows that updates exist, but the download is refused

Nothing switches off

Your template never deactivates or loses features when a license is missing or expires. The only thing gated is downloading updates. See Updates for how the update flow works.

Activating

The License tab offers two ways to activate. Use whichever suits you.

Option 1: Connect your account

Sign in with your shondalai.com account and a covering license is found and activated for you.

1. On the License tab, find the Connect your account card.
2. Enter your Username or email and Password for shondalai.com.
3. Click Activate.
4. When a license on your account covers this template, it is activated and the message "License activated. Automatic updates are now enabled." appears.

If no license on the account covers this template, the tab tells you so. Check which product your license was purchased for in your shondalai.com account.

Option 2: Enter a license key

Paste a key you already have.

1. Sign in to your account on shondalai.com and copy the license key for your template. Keys look like XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
2. On the License tab, find the Enter a license key card.
3. Paste the key into the License key field.
4. Click Activate.

Key stored but not activated

If the key is valid but this site could not be activated (for example, all domain seats are already in use), the key is kept on the site and the tab explains what went wrong. Free a seat in your account, then use Check now to try again.

The activated view

Once active, the License tab shows a status card with:

Item	What it shows
Product	The licensed product name and an Active badge
License key	Your key, masked for safety (first and last four characters only)
Domain seats	Sites activated out of the seats your license allows, or Unlimited
Renews	The renewal date, or Lifetime if the license never expires
Support until	When your support period ends
Last checked	When the license was last verified with shondalai.com

Below the card, an update panel shows Up to date or Update available, together with the installed and latest version numbers. When an update is available, an Update now link takes you straight to Joomla's extension updater.

Managing the activation

Three controls sit at the bottom of the activated view:

Control	What it does
Check now	Re-verifies the license with shondalai.com straight away. Use this after renewing or freeing a seat
Deactivate this site	Frees this site's domain seat but keeps the key stored here, so you can re-activate later without pasting it again
Disconnect	Removes the key from this site entirely

Both Deactivate this site and Disconnect ask you to click a second time to confirm. A Manage in your account link opens your shondalai.com account, where you can view seats and renewals across all your sites.

Health notices

The License tab shows a banner when the license needs attention:

Notice	Meaning
License expiring soon	30 days or fewer remain. Renew to avoid interruption
License expired	Updates stop until you renew
License suspended	Renew or contact support to restore the license
License revoked	Updates and support are disabled for this key
All seats in use	Every activation seat is taken. Free one up or manage seats in your account

Renewals and seat management are handled in your account at shondalai.com. The banner includes a Renew or Manage seats link that takes you there.

"License Manager is not enabled"

Activation is handled by the Shondalai License Manager system plugin, which installs with the template package. If the License tab shows License Manager is not enabled, the plugin is missing or disabled.

1. Click Open plugin manager on the notice, or go to System → Plugins.
2. Search for licensing and enable Shondalai - License Manager.
3. Return to the template style and reload the License tab.

Shared plugin

The License Manager plugin is shared by all Shondalai extensions on your site, including EasyCommerce. Disabling it stops license checks and automatic update downloads for all of them, so leave it enabled.