# Entering and updating your license key

When you start your Tonic Structural instance for the first time, to activate Structural, you must provide your license key.

You also update the license key when it expires or when you upgrade to a new license plan.

## Activating a new Structural instance <a href="#license-key-new-instance" id="license-key-new-instance"></a>

On a new instance of Structural, to provide the Structural license key and activate Structural:

1. On the **Welcome to Tonic** panel, click **Get Started**.
2. On the **Input License Key** panel, in the **License Key** text area, paste your license key.
3. Click **Activate**.

Structural verifies the license key. If the license key is valid, the Structural login panel is displayed.

## Updating a license key <a href="#license-key-update" id="license-key-update"></a>

{% hint style="info" %}
**Required global permission:** Update the Tonic Structural license key
{% endhint %}

When your license key expires, Structural displays a banner across the top of the application. The banner contains a message to indicate that the license is expired.

The expired license banner contains an **Update Tonic License** button.

The **Update Tonic License** button also displays on the **System Status** tab of **Structural Settings** view. You can use this option to update an expired license key or to provide a new key when you upgrade to a higher license plan.

![System Status tab on Structural Settings view with Update License Key option](https://3378426797-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LSQCLFQ4bslJ-HYc8c3%2Fuploads%2FDsZWldK9h5AbF3cTyPYF%2FUpdateLicenseKey.png?alt=media\&token=8d2dc503-a2d4-48df-8fa4-c96afaa48430)

You obtain your updated license key from Tonic.ai. To update the license key:

1. Click **Update Tonic License**.
2. On the **Update License Key** panel, you can either:
   1. Paste the new license key into the license key text area.
   2. Upload a file that contains the license key. To search for and select the file, click **Browse**.
3. Click **Update**.

Structural verifies the license key. If the license is valid, then the license key is updated, and the expired license banner is removed.

## Using the TONIC\_LICENSE environment setting (if no users have permission to update the license)  <a href="#tonic-license-environment-variable" id="tonic-license-environment-variable"></a>

The **Structural Settings** option to update the license key is only available to users who have the **Update the Tonic Structural license key** global permission. All self-hosted instances should have at least one user with this permission.

If your instance does not have a user with the **Update the Tonic Structural license key** global permission, then you can set the Structural license key as the value of the `TONIC_LICENSE` [environment setting](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/admin/environment-variables-setting).

If your instance has a user with the **Update the Tonic Structural license key** global permission, then Structural ignores the `TONIC_LICENSE` environment setting. You must use the **Structural Settings** option to update the license.