> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.apryse.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.apryse.com/core/get-started/faq/bad-license-key.md).

# What do I do with a "Bad License Key" error?

World's #1 PDF SDK Library for Web, Mobile, Server, Desktop

If you see an error that says:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Shell" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```sh
Bad License Key. 

PDFNet SDK will work in demo mode. 

For more information please see PDFNet FAQ or contact support [at] pdftron.com.
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

It means that the license key may have been copied incorrectly.

Please verify the following:

1. Please make sure you’re using the entire key string, but with no extra whitespace included (i.e. at the end, which can happen when you copy/paste out of an email or the website).For example if your key is "`YOUR APRYSE LICENSE KEY::Testing::123`", then you would call:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="C#" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```csharp
pdftron.PDFNet.Initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123");
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="C++" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```cpp
PDFNet::Initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123");
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Java" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```java
PDFNet.initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123");
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="JavaScript" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```js
// Use runWithCleanup instead of initialize
// PDFNet initialize is called within runWithCleanup
// runWithCleanup will also perform automatic memory management
PDFNet.runWithCleanup(callback, "YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123");

// Optional alternative to call initialize directly 
PDFNet.initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123");
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Obj-C" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```objc
[PTPDFNet Initialize:@"YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123"];
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Swift" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```swift
PTPDFNet.initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123")
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="PHP" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```php
PDFNet::Initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123");
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Python" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```python
PDFNet.Initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123")
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Ruby" %}
{% code lineNumbers="true" %}

```ruby
PDFNet.Initialize("YOUR APRYSE  LICENSE KEY::Testing::123")
```

{% endcode %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

1. Make sure you are running on the licensed OS/platform.License keys are not interchangeable between platforms. They are uniquely created based on your license and the platform specified.
2. Also, this needs to be in the `first` instance of PDFNet `initialize`, and there should be only one call to PDFNet `initialize`.If the license key is used in other calls to initialize besides the first then it will not work because PDFNet will already be loaded in demo mode which cannot be changed by another `initialize` call.
3. `Before` any other calls to `PDFNet` functions, you must call PDFNet `initialize`.Initialize is required to load up the required parts of PDFNet that are used across all other PDFNet methods. The initialize method can be called multiple times but will only be activated the first time.


---

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