wordpress

License Manager - WordPress Integration Example

A WordPress plugin demonstrating how to integrate with the License Manager API for license activation, verification, deactivation, and automatic updates.

Features

• License activation & deactivation from WordPress admin
• Periodic license verification (daily via WP-Cron)
• Automatic update checks from License Manager
• One-click update installation
• Admin notices for license status
• Secure credential storage using WordPress options API

Installation

1. Copy the wordpress folder to wp-content/plugins/license-manager-client/
2. Activate the plugin in Plugins > Installed Plugins
3. Go to Settings > License Manager to configure

Configuration

Required Settings

Setting	Description
API URL	Your License Manager server URL (e.g., https://license.example.com)
API Key	External API key from License Manager > API Settings
Product ID	Product Reference ID from License Manager > Products

License Activation

1. Enter your License Code (e.g., XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)
2. Enter the Client Name (buyer/customer name)
3. Click Activate License

How It Works

API Endpoints Used

Endpoint	Method	Purpose
/api/external/connection-check	GET	Test API connectivity
/api/external/license/activate	POST	Activate a license
/api/external/license/verify	POST	Verify license validity
/api/external/license/deactivate	POST	Deactivate a license
/api/external/update/check	POST	Check for product updates
/api/external/update/latest	POST	Get latest version info

Required Headers

All API requests include these headers:

Content-Type: application/json
X-API-KEY: {your-api-key}
X-API-URL: {your-site-url}
X-API-IP: {your-server-ip}
X-API-LANGUAGE: {locale, e.g. "en"}

License File

On successful activation, the server returns encrypted license data. This plugin stores it in the WordPress database (lm_license_data option) instead of a file, which is more reliable in WordPress environments.

Auto-Updates

When a license is active, the plugin hooks into WordPress's update system (pre_set_site_transient_update_plugins) to check for new versions from your License Manager server. Updates appear alongside other plugin updates in Dashboard > Updates.

Integration in Your Own Plugin/Theme

Using the API Client Class

// Initialize the client
$client = new LM_API_Client(
    'https://license.example.com',
    'your-api-key',
    'PRODUCT_ID'
);

// Activate
$result = $client->activate_license('XXXX-XXXX-XXXX', 'John Doe');
if ($result['is_active']) {
    // Save $result['lic_response'] as license data
}

// Verify
$result = $client->verify_license($license_data);

// Deactivate
$result = $client->deactivate_license($license_data);

// Check for updates
$result = $client->check_update('1.0.0');

Multiple Products on the Same Site

When using License Manager for both a theme and a plugin on the same WordPress site, each product must use a unique option prefix to avoid conflicts. Change the $option_prefix property in the main plugin class:

// In your plugin's main file:
private string $option_prefix = 'lm_myplugin';

// In your theme's functions.php:
private string $option_prefix = 'lm_mytheme';

This ensures each product stores its own API settings, license data, and status in separate wp_options keys (e.g., lm_myplugin_license_data vs lm_mytheme_license_data).

Theme Integration Example

// In your theme's functions.php
require_once get_template_directory() . '/includes/class-lm-api-client.php';
require_once get_template_directory() . '/includes/class-lm-updater.php';

$option_prefix = 'lm_mytheme';

$client = new LM_API_Client(
    get_option($option_prefix . '_api_url'),
    get_option($option_prefix . '_api_key'),
    'MY_PRODUCT_ID'
);

// For theme updates, use the theme's stylesheet as the slug
$updater = new LM_Updater(
    $client,
    get_stylesheet(),                // theme slug instead of plugin basename
    wp_get_theme()->get('Version'),  // current theme version
    $option_prefix
);

// Verify on theme activation
add_action('after_switch_theme', function () use ($client, $option_prefix) {
    $license_data = get_option($option_prefix . '_license_data');
    if ($license_data) {
        $result = $client->verify_license($license_data);
        if (!$result['is_active']) {
            update_option($option_prefix . '_license_status', 'invalid');
        }
    }
});

File Structure

wordpress/
├── license-manager-wp.php              # Main plugin file
├── includes/
│   ├── class-lm-api-client.php         # Reusable API client
│   ├── class-lm-admin.php              # Admin settings page
│   └── class-lm-updater.php            # WordPress auto-updater
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── admin.css                   # Admin page styles
│   └── js/
│       └── admin.js                    # Admin page scripts
└── README.md

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Connection failed	Check API URL and API Key are correct
Activation failed	Verify License Code and Product ID match
License blocked	Contact your license provider
Max activations reached	Deactivate on other sites first
Updates not showing	Ensure license is active and valid

Security Notes

• API keys are stored in the WordPress database (consider using wp-config.php constants for production)
• License data is encrypted by the server
• All API communication should use HTTPS
• The plugin uses WordPress nonces for form security

Requirements

• WordPress 5.0+
• PHP 7.4+
• cURL extension enabled

License

MIT