License Limits: How Many Sites Can I Use?

Understanding Link Whisper's license limits is crucial for choosing the right plan and managing your WordPress installations effectively. This comprehensive guide explains license tiers, how to check your usage, and how to manage site activations.

Understanding License Tiers

Link Whisper offers tiered licensing to accommodate different user needs, from individual bloggers to large agencies managing dozens of client sites.

Important Principle:

Features Are Identical: All license tiers include the exact same features. Whether you purchase a Single Site or 50-Site license, you get:

• ✅ AI-powered link suggestions

• ✅ One-click link insertion

• ✅ Link reports and statistics

• ✅ Broken link detection

• ✅ Auto-linking capabilities

• ✅ Orphaned post identification

• ✅ Priority customer support

Only Difference: The number of active WordPress installations you can support simultaneously.

License Tiers Explained

Here are the available license tiers:

Single Site License

Activations Allowed: Valid for 1 active WordPress installation

Best For:

• Individual bloggers with one website

• Small businesses with a single WordPress site

• Freelancers managing their own blog

Price: Approximately $97 per year (check current pricing)

Important Note: You can deactivate and reactivate as many times as you want, but only 1 site can be active at once.

3-Site License

Activations Allowed: Valid for 3 active WordPress installations simultaneously

Best For:

• Bloggers with multiple niche sites

• Small agencies with a few client sites

• Businesses with staging + production + development environments

Price: Approximately $197 per year (discounted package rate)

Savings: Cheaper than buying 3 single licenses separately

10-Site License

Activations Allowed: Valid for 10 active WordPress installations simultaneously

Best For:

• Growing agencies managing client portfolios

• Content networks with multiple properties

• Freelancers with numerous client sites

Price: Approximately $297 per year (heavily discounted)

Savings: Significant discount compared to individual licenses

50-Site License (Agency/Developer Plan)

Activations Allowed: Valid for 50 active WordPress installations simultaneously

Best For:

• Large agencies with extensive client bases

• Web development firms

• Enterprise content operations

Price: Custom pricing (contact sales)

Additional Options: Plans supporting 200+ sites are available for very large agencies managing client portfolios.

How Site Counting Works:

What Counts as "1 Site":

• Each unique domain or subdomain counts as one site

• Examples that each count separately:
  • example.com (1 site)
  • staging.example.com (1 site)
  • blog.example.com (1 site)

What Doesn't Count Separately:

• localhost (development on your computer) - doesn't count toward your limit

• 127.0.0.1 (local development) - doesn't count toward your limit

Staging vs. Production:

Most users have both a staging site (for testing) and a live/production site. These count as 2 sites toward your license limit.

Solution: If you only have a Single Site License, you'll need to:

• Deactivate the license on staging when pushing to production

• Reactivate on production

• OR upgrade to a 3-Site License to keep both active

How to Check Your Current Usage

Monitoring your license usage helps you avoid hitting activation limits and plan for upgrades.

Step-by-Step: Check License Usage

Step 1: Log Into Your Account

Navigate to LinkWhisper.com/my-account and log in with your credentials.

Step 2: Access License Keys

Click on the License Keys tab in the account navigation menu.

Step 3: View Your License

Locate your active license in the list. You'll see information including:

License Key: Your unique alphanumeric key

License Type: Single Site, 3-Site, 10-Site, etc.

Activations: The dashboard will typically display your usage count

Format: Shows as "X / Y Activations"

• X = Currently active sites

• Y = Total allowed sites

Examples:

• 1 / 1 Activations - Single site license, fully used

• 2 / 3 Activations - 3-site license with 1 slot available

• 7 / 10 Activations - 10-site license with 3 slots available

Step 4: View Active Sites (Detailed View)

Click "Manage Sites" or "View Sites" next to your license to see:

List of URLs: All WordPress sites currently activated

Activation Dates: When each site was activated

Deactivation Options: Buttons to remove individual sites

What the Numbers Mean:

"0 / 3 Activations"

• You have a 3-site license

• No sites are currently activated

• You can activate on 3 sites

"3 / 3 Activations"

• You have a 3-site license

• All 3 slots are in use

• You must deactivate one site before activating on a new site

• OR you can upgrade to a higher tier

"No Activations Left"

• This message appears when trying to activate a new site

• You've used all available slots

• Solution: Deactivate an unused site or upgrade your license

How to Deactivate a Site (Freeing Up a Slot)

Deactivating a site instantly frees up a license slot without requiring you to contact support.

When to Deactivate:

📦 Moving from staging to production: Deactivate staging, activate on live site

🔄 Changing domains: Deactivating old domain to activate on new one

🗑️ Site no longer needed: Client site shut down, personal project abandoned

🔧 Troubleshooting: Deactivate and reactivate to resolve licensing issues

Step-by-Step: Deactivate a Site

Step 1: Access Your Account

Go to LinkWhisper.com/my-account and log in.

Step 2: Navigate to License Keys

Click on the License Keys tab.

Step 3: Manage Sites

Click "Manage Sites" or "View Sites" next to your license key.

You'll see a list of all activated sites under that license.

Step 4: Identify the Site to Remove

Locate the URL you want to deactivate.

Common examples:

• staging.yoursite.com (staging site you no longer need)

• oldexample.com (old domain you've migrated away from)

• testsite.com (development site no longer in use)

Step 5: Click Deactivate

Next to the site URL, click the "Deactivate" button.

Confirmation: You may see a popup asking "Are you sure?" - click "Yes" or "Confirm"

Step 6: Verify Deactivation

Result: The site is instantly removed from your license.

Updated Count: Your activation count decreases immediately (e.g., from 3/3 to 2/3)

Free Slot: You can now activate the license on a new site immediately without waiting

Important Notes About Deactivation:

✅ Instant Effect: Deactivation happens immediately - no waiting period

✅ No Limit: You can deactivate and reactivate unlimited times

✅ No Support Needed: This is a self-service feature - no need to contact support

✅ No Data Loss: Deactivating doesn't delete your internal links on that site - they remain in your WordPress database

⚠️ Plugin Still Installed: Deactivating the license doesn't uninstall the Link Whisper plugin from the WordPress site - it just makes premium features inactive

After Deactivation:

On the deactivated WordPress site, you'll see:

❌ Premium features locked (link suggestions, reports, etc.)

❌ Prompts to re-enter your license key

✅ Existing internal links remain active (they're permanent HTML)

✅ Plugin still installed (you can reactivate anytime)

Reactivating on the Same Site:

If you deactivate and later want to reactivate on the same site:

1. Ensure you have an available slot (deactivate another site if needed)

2. In WordPress, go to Link Whisper → Settings → Licensing

3. Your license key should still be there - click "Activate License"

4. Premium features are restored immediately

Upgrading Your License Tier

If you consistently need more sites, upgrading is more cost-effective than constantly juggling activations.

When to Upgrade:

📈 Adding more clients: You've grown from 1 to 3+ sites

🔥 Frequent deactivation hassle: Constantly swapping between staging and live

📦 Multiple environments: Need to keep dev, staging, and production all active

📅 Better value: The per-site cost decreases significantly with higher tiers

How to Upgrade Your License

Step 1: Log Into Your Account

Navigate to LinkWhisper.com/my-account and log in.

Step 2: Go to License Keys

Click on the License Keys tab in your account dashboard.

Step 3: Click View / Upgrade

Next to your current license, click the "View / Upgrade" button.

Step 4: Select Upgrade Tier

In the Action column, you'll see options like:

• "Upgrade to 3 Site License" (if you have Single Site)

• "Upgrade to 10 Site License" (if you have 3-Site)

• "Upgrade to 50 Site License" (for agency plans)

Click the upgrade tier you want.

Step 5: Review Pricing

You'll be taken to the checkout page.

Price Shown: The checkout will automatically calculate the difference between your current plan and the new plan.

No Coupon Needed: The pro-rated credit is applied automatically - you don't need a manual coupon code.

What You Pay:

• Cost of new tier

• MINUS remaining value of current license

• = Upgrade fee

Example:

If you're 6 months into a Single Site license ($97/year) and upgrade to a 3-Site license ($197/year):

• Remaining value: $48.50 (6 months left of $97)

• New license annual cost: $197

• Amount you pay now: $197 - $48.50 = $148.50

Step 6: Complete Checkout

Enter your payment information and click "Complete Purchase" or "Upgrade Now"

Step 7: New License Activated

Once payment processes:

✅ Your license tier is upgraded immediately

✅ New activation slots are available right away

✅ Your existing sites remain activated - no need to reactivate

✅ License key stays the same - you don't need to update it on your WordPress sites

✅ New renewal date is set (typically 1 year from upgrade)

Downgrading:

What if you need fewer sites later?

Contact Support: Downgrades must be handled manually

Email: support@linkwhisper.com

Subject: "License Downgrade Request"

Process: Support will:

1. Verify you're using fewer sites than your current tier

2. Apply a partial refund or credit (case-by-case)

3. Adjust your license tier

Note: Downgrades are not automatic and may have restrictions depending on your renewal date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use one license on a network of multisite WordPress installations?

A: Each sub-site in a WordPress Multisite network counts as a separate site. If you have a network with 5 sub-sites, you need a 5-site license (or 10-site to have room to grow).

Q: Does localhost/local development count toward my limit?

A: No! Local development environments (localhost, 127.0.0.1, or tools like Local by Flywheel, MAMP, XAMPP) do not count toward your site limit.

Q: What happens if I accidentally exceed my limit?

A: You'll see an error: "No Activations Left" when trying to activate on a new site. Simply deactivate an old site to free up a slot, or upgrade your license.

Q: Can I transfer my license to a client after finishing their site?

A: No. Licenses are non-transferable between accounts. However, you can deactivate from one site and activate on another site as long as both are under your account/license.

Q: If I deactivate, can I reactivate later?

A: Yes! You can deactivate and reactivate unlimited times. There's no restriction.

Q: What if I need 200+ sites for an enterprise?

A: Contact our sales team at support@linkwhisper.com for custom enterprise pricing and license options.

Q: Does the license tier affect plugin performance or features?

A: Absolutely not. All tiers have identical features and performance. The only difference is the number of sites you can activate.

Q: Can I split my license (e.g., activate 2 sites on my account and give 1 site to a colleague)?

A: No. All activations under a license must be controlled by the same account holder. Each user needs their own license.

Managing Multiple Licenses

Some users purchase multiple licenses (e.g., two 3-site licenses instead of one 10-site license). Here's how to manage:

Viewing Multiple Licenses:

1. Log into LinkWhisper.com/my-account

2. Go to License Keys tab

3. All your licenses will be listed separately

4. Each shows its own activation count

Best Practices:

Label Your Licenses: Use the "Notes" field (if available) to label licenses by purpose (e.g., "Client Sites," "Personal Projects")

Track Expiration Dates: Different licenses may renew on different dates - set calendar reminders

Consider Consolidation: If managing multiple licenses is cumbersome, consider upgrading to a single higher-tier license for simplicity

Need Help with License Management?

Our support team is here to help with license questions:

Email: support@linkwhisper.com

Common Requests:

• Help choosing the right license tier

• Assistance with upgrades or downgrades

• Troubleshooting activation issues

• Questions about site counting

Response Time: Usually within 24 hours

Include: Your license key or purchase email for faster assistance