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As part of your Account, Security, and Billing Management, AppSumo licensing provides a way to activate websites and gain AI credits without a traditional recurring subscription.

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Redeeming and linking AppSumo license keys

The redemption process is handled through a secure OAuth workflow that connects your AppSumo purchase to your Butternut account.

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OAuth exchange

When you redeem your code, the system performs an OAuth exchange to obtain a temporary token and fetch your specific license key.

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Account association

  • Key already linked: If the license key is already linked to an existing Butternut user, the system logs you into that account.
  • New key: If the key is new, a license record is created in the appsumo_license collection, storing your license key, status (inactive/active), and tier.

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Tier-based benefits

Your AppSumo tier determines:
  • Domain limits
  • The size of your one-time AI credit bundle

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One-time AI credits

Once your license is active and linked to your user ID, the system grants a one-time grant of AI credits based on your tier (as long as you haven’t been credited previously).

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Utilising license credits to activate websites

Once a license is linked to your account, you can use it to activate websites, moving them from a restricted/deactivated state to a fully functional live state.

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Activation workflow

You can attempt to activate a specific site through the authorised endpoint:
  • POST /utilise-license-credits
Provide the website_id for the site you want to activate.

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Eligibility & exclusions

  • Portfolio sites excluded: AppSumo licenses cannot be used to activate single-page “portfolio” style sites. These sites are explicitly excluded from the AppSumo activation flow.
  • Tier capacity enforced: The system checks your domain limits (defined by your tier) against the number of websites already activated with that license.

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What happens during activation

When a website is successfully activated using a license:
  • The website configuration is updated with the license_key and marked as active
  • Any existing Stripe subscription fields are cleared to prevent double-billing
  • Previously deactivated pages are restored, making site content accessible again

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Error handling

If you attempt to activate more websites than your tier allows, the system returns:
  • “Appsumo License limit exceeded”

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Analogy for AppSumo licensing (Car club membership card)

Think of an AppSumo license like a lifetime membership card for a car club:
  • Redeeming and linking is like visiting the club office to register your card and prove you bought it.
  • Utilising credits is like deciding which of your cars in the garage gets a permit sticker.
    • Your membership tier decides if you get 1, 3, or 10 stickers.
    • You can place a sticker on any standard car to make it road-legal (Active), but the club rules state these stickers don’t work on motorcycles (portfolio sites).