---
title: "Assign licence keys to a product"
description: "Connect a key pool to a product, so buyers get a key with their files."
url: https://help.filemonk.io/assign-licence-keys-to-a-product/
section: "Licence keys"
last_updated: 2026-09-08
---

# Assign licence keys to a product

> Connect a key pool to a product, so buyers get a key with their files.

Adding keys creates a pool. Attaching that pool to a product is what makes customers receive one. You choose which pool to draw from, or have Filemonk generate a key per order.

## Before you begin

Add your keys first, unless you are using auto-generated ones. See [Add licence keys](https://help.filemonk.io/add-licence-keys/).

## Set it up

1. Click **Filemonk** in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
2. Click **Digital products** in the app's menu and open the product.
3. In its content, choose **Add licence key**.
4. Give it a **Licence Key Name**, optional but worth doing, since it helps customers understand what the key is for when they see it on the download page.
5. Choose the type:
   1. **Specific tag**, which takes a key carrying that tag from your uploaded pool. Then pick the **Licence Key Tag**.
   2. **No tag**, which takes a key with no tags from your pool.
   3. **Autogenerated**, which creates a key per order rather than drawing from a pool.
6. Save.

Customers buying that product now receive a key alongside their files.

## Which type to use

| Type | Use when |
|---|---|
| **Specific tag** | You issue keys from your own licensing system and upload them in batches. The usual choice. |
| **No tag** | You keep one general pool with no grouping. |
| **Autogenerated** | You do not have a pool, and your system can check a key through Filemonk's API. |

## What customers will see

Their key on the download page alongside their files, labelled with the name you gave it. It is also in their download email.

## Check your setup

Place a test order and confirm a key appears, that it is from the pool you expected, and that the **Used** count for that tag went up by one. See [Create a test order](https://help.filemonk.io/create-a-test-order/).

## Troubleshooting

### Please select a tag

You chose **Specific tag** without picking which one. Select the tag, or switch to **No tag**.

### Customers get files but no key

Either the product has no licence key attached, or the pool is empty. Check the tag's **Remaining** count on the Licence keys tab. See [Handle orders without licence keys](https://help.filemonk.io/orders-without-licence-keys/).

### The wrong keys are going out

The product is attached to the wrong tag. Open the product's licence key setup and check which tag it points at.

### Autogenerated keys don't work in my software

They are generated by Filemonk, not by your licensing system, so your software has to verify them through Filemonk's API. If it cannot, upload keys from your own system instead. See [Get your API key and use the Filemonk API](https://help.filemonk.io/api-key-and-api-access/).

## FAQ

### Can a product deliver several keys?

Yes, add more than one licence key entry to the product, for example one per component.

### Can different variants use different pools?

Yes. Licence keys are configured per variant configuration, so a Pro variant can draw from a different tag than Standard.

### Is a key reused if the order is refunded?

Not automatically. Unassign it from the order and choose whether it returns to the pool or is marked used. See [Assign new keys to an order](https://help.filemonk.io/assign-new-keys-to-an-order/).

### Can I see which key went to which order?

Yes, on the licence list: each key shows its status, its tags, and the order it is linked to. See [Check licence key status](https://help.filemonk.io/check-licence-key-status/).

## Related guides

- [Add licence keys](https://help.filemonk.io/add-licence-keys/), to build the pool first.
- [Check licence key status](https://help.filemonk.io/check-licence-key-status/), to see what has been used.
- [Handle orders without licence keys](https://help.filemonk.io/orders-without-licence-keys/), for an empty pool.