The Licensing module requires an active Pax8 integration. See Set Up Pax8 Integration to get started.
Key Features
Approval Workflows
Control when license quantity changes require MSP approval, with auto-approve thresholds and vendor overrides.
Product Catalog
Manage which Pax8 products are visible and featured in the client self-service portal.
Self-Service Rules
Set per-subscription rules for quantity changes, including min/max limits and approval requirements.
Automatic Sync
Subscriptions, products, and companies sync automatically from Pax8 on a regular schedule.
Prerequisites
- An active Pax8 partner account
- The Pax8 integration configured in MSPortal.ai (see Set Up Pax8 Integration)
- The manage_licensing permission to configure settings
- At least one Pax8 company mapped to an MSPortal company
Licensing Settings
Navigate to Settings > Licensing to access three configuration tabs: Approval, Catalog, and Self-Service.All three tabs require an active Pax8 integration. If no integration is connected, you’ll see a prompt to set one up in Settings > Integrations.
Approval Settings
The Approval tab controls when license quantity changes require your review before they take effect.Global Approval Setting
Toggle Require Approval by Default to control whether all quantity change requests need MSP approval before processing.- Enabled: All client-initiated quantity changes are held for your approval
- Disabled: Changes are applied automatically (subject to threshold rules)
Auto-Approve Threshold
Set a percentage threshold that determines when changes are auto-approved versus held for review.| Threshold | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 50% | A change from 10 to 15 licenses (50% increase) auto-approves. A change from 10 to 16+ requires approval. |
| 25% | Only small changes (up to 25% of current quantity) auto-approve |
| 0% | All changes require manual approval |
Vendor-Specific Overrides
Click vendor badges to mark specific vendors that always require approval, regardless of the global setting or threshold. This is useful for high-value or sensitive products. For example, you might allow auto-approval for most products but always require approval for Microsoft 365 license changes.Catalog Settings
The Catalog tab controls which Pax8 products are visible to clients in the self-service portal and which products appear as featured.Product Table
The table lists all synced Pax8 products with the following columns:| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Name | The product name from Pax8 |
| Vendor | The software vendor |
| Category | Product category |
| Retail Price | Listed retail price |
| Visible | Toggle to show/hide the product from clients |
| Featured | Star icon to mark a product as featured (appears first in self-service) |
Managing Visibility
- Show/Hide individually: Toggle the visibility switch on any product row
- Bulk actions: Select multiple products using checkboxes, then use the bulk action dropdown to Show, Hide, Feature, or Unfeature selected products
- Filter: Use the vendor, category, and visibility filters to find specific products
- Search: Search by product name
Featured Products
Mark products as Featured to highlight them at the top of the client self-service catalog. Use this for products you want to promote or that clients frequently request.Self-Service Settings
The Self-Service tab controls what clients can do with their subscriptions without contacting your team.Global Defaults
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Allow Self-Service by Default | Whether clients can request quantity changes on subscriptions |
| Default Min Quantity | Minimum number of licenses a client can reduce to |
| Default Max Quantity | Maximum number of licenses a client can increase to |
Per-Subscription Rules
Override global defaults for individual subscriptions by clicking on a subscription in the table:| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Allow Quantity Changes | Enable or disable self-service for this specific subscription |
| Require Approval | Whether changes to this subscription always need MSP approval |
| Min Quantity | Minimum license count for this subscription |
| Max Quantity | Maximum license count for this subscription |
How Sync Works
After Pax8 is connected, data syncs automatically:| Data Type | Sync Frequency |
|---|---|
| Companies | Every 4 hours |
| Subscriptions | Hourly |
| Products | Daily (3 AM) |
| Azure Usage | Daily (4 AM) |
Only subscriptions belonging to mapped companies are synced. If a Pax8 company isn’t mapped to an MSPortal company, its subscriptions won’t appear in the Licensing module.
Client Self-Service Experience
When self-service is enabled, clients can view their active subscriptions and request quantity changes:- Client navigates to the Licensing section
- They see their active subscriptions with product name, vendor, and current quantity
- For subscriptions where self-service is allowed, a Request Change option is available
- Client enters their desired quantity (validated against min/max limits)
- Depending on your configuration:
- Auto-approved: Change applies immediately
- Pending approval: Request is submitted for MSP review
Approving Requests
When a client submits a quantity change that requires approval:- The request appears in the Licensing module with a Pending status
- Review the request details: company, product, current quantity, requested quantity
- Approve to apply the change (synced to Pax8 automatically) or Reject with an optional reason
- The client is notified of the outcome
Permissions
| Permission | Access |
|---|---|
| manage_licensing | Full access: configure approval, catalog, self-service settings; approve/reject requests; trigger syncs |
| write_licensing | Client-level: request quantity changes on allowed subscriptions |
Related Guides
- Set Up Pax8 Integration - Connect your Pax8 account to MSPortal.ai
- Integrations Overview - General integration management