#Licensing
SignetMail is licensed per active user: a person counts when they actually received a signature in the last 30 days. Accounts that never send mail, shared mailboxes nobody uses and stale directory entries cost nothing. Every license includes all features; plans differ only in the number of active users.
#Free 30-day trial
A new installation starts a 30-day trial automatically — no key, no card, no registration:
- all features,
- up to 50 active users,
- a banner in the portal shows the days left.
The start date is stored in the database when the server first runs, so restarting or re-installing the container on the same data does not restart the clock.
#What happens when the trial or license ends
SignetMail sits in the path of every outgoing e-mail, so it is built to fail open:
| Behaviour | |
|---|---|
| Published signatures | Keep working. Users still receive their signature; nothing is removed from e-mails. |
| Changes in the portal | Locked: publishing, editing, rules, campaigns, organization data and new access grants return "The license has expired…". |
| Still possible when locked | Viewing everything, previews, disabling a signature (emergency switch), revoking/granting access, and applying a license key. |
| Grace period | A paid license that has just expired has 14 days of grace: everything works, the portal shows a warning. The built-in trial has no grace period. |
Applying a valid key unlocks the portal immediately.
#Active users and limits
- Active user = a person who received a signature (new message) in the last 30 days.
- The count is shown on License → Active users.
- Over the limit:
- Paid license: a warning, and changes stay possible up to 20 % above the limit. Further above that, changes are locked until the license is extended.
- Trial: changes are locked as soon as the 50-user limit is exceeded.
- Published signatures keep being delivered in all cases.
#Privacy of the count
The server stores only a salted SHA-256 hash of the user and the date they last received a signature — never a name, e-mail address or UPN — and deletes entries older than 60 days. Nothing is sent to the vendor: SignetMail does not contact any license server, so the count never leaves your server.
#Applying a license key
- Receive the key (a long text starting with
SM1.) from your supplier. - Sign in to the portal as an Owner.
- Open Administration → License, paste the key into License key and click Apply key.
The key is verified on your server with the vendor's public key — offline; no internet connection is required. If the key is invalid, damaged or was not issued by the vendor, it is rejected and the current license stays in place. Applying a key is recorded in the audit log.
Alternatively an administrator can place the key in the SignetMail__License__Key environment variable (.env / compose file). A key applied in the portal takes precedence.
#Plans
| Plan | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Trial (built-in) | 30 days, 50 active users, all features. |
| Trial (issued key) | An extended trial issued by the vendor with its own end date and user limit. |
| Paid | Valid until a date, with a maximum number of active users. |
| Internal use | For the product owner's own use: no expiry, no user limit. |
#Renewal
Renewal is a new key with a later date: apply it on the License page. There is nothing to reinstall and no restart is needed. A reminder appears in the portal when the license is about to end.
#Hosting models
The same license works if you host SignetMail yourself or if a provider runs an instance for you. One installation serves one Entra tenant; companies inside one tenant are modelled as organizations and share the license.
#Frequently asked questions
Does the server need internet access for the license? No. Verification is offline.
Can I move the license to another server? Yes — apply the same key there. Restore the database backup first so the usage data and trial start move with it.
Will mail stop if the license expires? No. Only changes in the portal are locked; signatures already published keep being delivered.
How do I get more users or a longer trial? Ask your supplier for a new key and apply it.