Generating Activation Codes With The Web-Activator™

Generating Codes with the Web-Activator is actually a non-task. The Generator handles all this for you. The only thing you have to do is deploy the generator correctly and assemble correct URL parameters from your purchase site - that's it.

To deploy the Activation Code Generator on the web, you must have a Windows (IIS) web server to host the application. There is no requirement that this must be the same server as your storefront page or merchant services page resides. Follow these steps:

1. Create a sub-directory on the hosting server where you allow only executable permissions.
2. Copy the Web-Activator from the SoftwareShield directory on your machine to that web-directory. Place a copy of the license project that you wish to generate Activation Codes for in that directory as well.
3. Set up your web-page where your customer purchases your product with a required field for their Authorization Request Code. Program the page such that they must provide this code (along with purchase information) to proceed. Also program your page so that when they enter purchase information you know exactly what license (product) they are purchasing for and what (if any) parameter will be required for the Activation Code Generator. The next steps depend on your particular situation:
   1. If you process your own credit card payments - do so immediately. When the payment is successfully processed - assemble a string for the Activation Code Generator and call the web-application now (via http GET). Remit the output from the Activation Code Generator to the customer along with their receipt or proof of payment.
   2. If you instead use a third party merchant to process payments who then calls your Activation Code Generator for you, first assemble the full URL string (or just the parameter portion of the URL string - depending on the merchant requirements) and pass it to the merchant along with any other necessary information. Almost all merchants have some mechanism allowing you to pass strings of information to them for processing Key (Activation Code) Generator requests. Check with your merchant for details. Your merchant will then process the payment and if successful, will call (via http GET) the Activation Code Generator, and puts its response in the receipt or proof of purchase which they then directly remit to your customer.

That's it. The Request Code validation and Activation Code generation is all completely handled by the Web-Activator. Once its set up - you never have to lift a finger.