The Employee Time Logger Pro license connects one WordPress installation to Charter Hosting for license validation, support eligibility, and private Pro updates.
Required access: WordPress Administrator access and an active Employee Time Logger Pro license from the Charter Hosting account that owns the product.
Before activating
- Confirm Employee Time Logger Lite 1.4.0 or newer is active.
- Confirm Employee Time Logger Pro is active.
- Confirm the WordPress Address and Site Address under Settings > General are correct.
- Confirm the server can make outgoing HTTPS connections to my.charterhosting.com.
- Copy the complete generated license key from the Pro service in your Charter Hosting client area.
Activate a license
- Sign in to WordPress as an Administrator.
- Go to Time Logger > Settings.
- Select the License tab.
- Paste the key into Charter Hosting license key. Avoid spaces before or after the key.
- Select the button to save and check the license.
- Wait for the page to reload.
- Confirm the status badge displays Active.
- Confirm Licensed product displays Employee Time Logger Pro.
- Confirm Last checked shows the current date and time.
How the saved key is handled
- The key is encrypted using this WordPress installation's security salts before it is stored.
- The License page displays only a masked portion after saving.
- Validation is sent only to Charter Hosting over HTTPS.
- A signed local validation result reduces the need to contact the server on every page request.
- A temporary validation outage may use a limited grace period when a recent valid signed result exists.
Never publish or email the full key in an unsecured message. Screenshots of the License page should keep the key field blank.
Check the saved license again
- Return to Time Logger > Settings > License.
- Leave the license field blank.
- Select Check license now.
- Confirm that the status, last-checked time, and validation source update.
Leaving the field blank checks the encrypted saved key. It does not erase it.
Understand license states
| Status | Meaning | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The response was verified and the license matches this product and installation. | No action is needed. |
| Unlicensed | No usable license key is saved. | Enter an active Pro license key. |
| Invalid | The key, product, binding, signature, or response could not be validated. | Review the exact message and use the checklist below. |
| Grace | The remote service could not be reached, but a recent signed Active result remains temporarily acceptable. | Restore outgoing HTTPS access before grace ends. |
| Expired or suspended | The Charter Hosting service or license is no longer active. | Resolve the account status, then check again. |
If a newly created WHMCS license does not work
- Open the product in WHMCS and confirm its Module Name is License Software.
- Confirm the WHMCS licensing product name exactly matches Employee Time Logger Pro.
- Confirm the customer service is Active and a license was generated.
- Copy the generated license key. Do not use the WHMCS order number, service ID, or product name.
- Confirm the private Charter Hosting license endpoint is installed and configured with the same verification settings expected by the Pro package.
- Reissue the WHMCS license if it is bound to a different domain, IP address, or installation directory.
- Return to WordPress, enter the generated key, and check again.
If a temporary development key works but a generated customer key does not, install the current production Pro ZIP and verify the WHMCS endpoint, product-name, and license-binding configuration.
Move the license to another WordPress site
- On the old site, go to Time Logger > Settings > License.
- Select Remove the saved key from this site.
- In the Charter Hosting client area, open the Pro service and use Reissue if the old binding remains.
- Install current Lite and Pro versions on the new site.
- Confirm the new site's WordPress Address and Site Address are final.
- Activate the license on the new site.
- Run Time Logger > Tools > System Status and test the update check.
After a staging-to-live move
- Update WordPress Address and Site Address.
- Reissue the license in the Charter Hosting account.
- Open the License tab and check the saved key.
- If WordPress security salts changed and the saved key cannot be decrypted, enter the key again.
Activation troubleshooting
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| Key not found or invalid | Confirm it is the generated Pro license key and the WHMCS service is Active. |
| Product mismatch | Confirm the licensing product name exactly matches Employee Time Logger Pro. |
| Domain, IP, or directory conflict | Reissue the license after verifying the WordPress site URL and installation location. |
| Response could not be verified | Confirm endpoint verification settings and server clocks, then install the current Pro build. |
| Connection or timeout error | Allow outbound HTTPS to my.charterhosting.com and check DNS, firewall, and TLS errors. |
| Saved key stopped working after migration | Re-enter the key if WordPress salts changed, then reissue the WHMCS binding. |
| Active license but no update appears | Check the license, then use Dashboard > Updates > Check again. Confirm the advertised version is newer. |
What happens without an active license
Pro-only workflows remain locked, but Lite continues to operate and existing time, payroll, leave, schedule, and audit records are preserved. The license system does not delete customer data. Restore the license, then reload the requested Pro screen.
Information to send support
- The exact license status and error message, without the full key.
- The WordPress Site Address and whether it recently changed.
- The installed Lite and Pro versions.
- The approximate time of the failed check and the site's timezone.
- The secret-free diagnostics file from Time Logger > Tools > System Status.
