# Online license activation

## Requirements

Diffblue Cover requires a remote license check with the Diffblue licensing server each time it is used. *Offline license activation is available with the* [*Enterprise Edition*](/get-started/licensing.md#editions) *offline* *option only*.

To perform the license check Diffblue Cover needs an active internet connection to the following servers:

* <https://licensing.diffblue.com/>
* <https://api.licensespring.com/>

The license check uses this connection to identify individual devices. Further details regarding the exact data exchanged are available in the [Privacy Notice](/legal/diffblue-legal/privacy-notice.md).

## Activate a license

Follow these steps to activate a license. Note that:

* Cover Plugin Community Edition is free to use but does require product verification to activate your perpetual license.
* These steps cover online license activation only.
* Offline licensing for Cover CLI is available for Diffblue Cover Enterprise Edition only - see [Licensing](/get-started/licensing.md#editions) and [Offline license activation](/get-started/licensing/licensing-offline.md).

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cover Plugin" %}
Once you install Cover Plugin for IntelliJ, you'll be prompted for your license key to activate the plugin. Alternatively, the license can be activated at any time from the IntelliJ toolbar `Diffblue > Activate License`.

Diffblue Cover requires a remote license check with the Diffblue licensing server each time it's used. For help troubleshooting license keys, network connections, and proxy server settings, see [Online license activation](/get-started/licensing/licensing-online.md).

<figure><img src="/files/0SKxPD4QVPrjJQiM4rX0" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To check your current license details, go to the Intellij toolbar `Diffblue > View License Information`.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Cover CLI" %}
Diffblue Cover requires a remote license check with the Diffblue licensing server each time it's used. For help troubleshooting license keys, network connections, and proxy server settings, as well as details of offline licensing (Enterprise Edition only), see [Licensing](/get-started/licensing.md).

* To activate your license, from a Windows PowerShell (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) enter the command `dcover activate <license-key>` - replace `<license-key>` with the license key provided in your welcome email or provided by your organization.
* Entering multiple different license keys will overwrite the existing key.
* You can check your license status by running the command `dcover license`
  {% endtab %}
  {% endtabs %}

## Configuring a proxy server

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Cover Plugin" %}
Please ensure you have the Proxy Server details configured in the IntelliJ settings page and then restart IntelliJ:

* **Windows and Linux:** `File > Settings > Appearance and Behavior > System Settings > HTTP Proxy`
* **macOS:** `IntelliJ IDEA > Preferences > Appearance and Behavior > System Settings > HTTP Proxy`

Please see the [HTTPS certificate errors](#troubleshooting-https-certificate-errors) information below.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Cover CLI" %}
Diffblue Cover CLI utilizes the system Java proxy configurations; these can be set via the environment variable `JVM_ARGS` which details the proxy server FQDN and port, for example:

```shell
JVM_ARGS="-Dhttps.proxyHost=proxy.domain.com -Dhttps.proxyPort=8080"
```

As shown in this example:

* `JVM_ARGS` passes extra options to the Java process from Diffblue Cover.
* Passing `-Dname=value` sets a system property. You can use system properties to set the proxy config as shown here: <https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/technotes/guides/net/proxies.html>

*Reminder: Ensure that the environment variable `JVM_ARGS` is set permanently according to your operating system instructions.*
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Troubleshooting license server connections

1. Check you have an active internet connection at all times when using Diffblue Cover.
2. Ensure you can access `https://licensing.diffblue.com/` via a web browser; you will automatically receive a confirmation message when this is successful.
3. Ensure you can access `https://api.licensespring.com/` via a web browser, you should see the message "Welcome to the LicenseSpring API".
4. Ensure that any Proxy Server settings are correctly set up (see the bottom of this page).
5. Please speak to your network manager about allowing access to the URLs above, and checking that port 443 is open.
6. For Cover Plugin, restart IntelliJ.
7. Try temporarily disabling anti-virus, malware detector or any firewall software.
8. A detailed logfile is available which shows further diagnostic information about the license check process - please review the logs ([Cover Plugin Log Files](/features/cover-plugin/cover-plugin-admin/log-files.md), [Cover CLI Log Files](/features/cover-cli/cover-cli-admin/log-files.md)).

For further help troubleshooting licensing network connection issues, please contact [Diffblue Support](https://www.diffblue.com/support).


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://cover-docs.diffblue.com/get-started/licensing/licensing-online.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.