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The Licensing module connects MSPortal.ai to your Pax8 distributor account, giving you centralized control over software subscriptions, product catalogs, and client self-service license management. MSPs can configure approval workflows, control which products clients can see, and set per-subscription rules for self-service quantity changes.
The Licensing module requires an active Pax8 integration. See Set Up Pax8 Integration to get started.

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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.

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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

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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.

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Approval Settings

The Approval tab controls when license quantity changes require your review before they take effect.

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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)

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Auto-Approve Threshold

Set a percentage threshold that determines when changes are auto-approved versus held for review.
Start with a conservative threshold (e.g., 25%) and adjust based on your comfort level with automatic changes.

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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.

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Catalog Settings

The Catalog tab controls which Pax8 products are visible to clients in the self-service portal and which products appear as featured.

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Product Table

The table lists all synced Pax8 products with the following columns:

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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
Hidden products are not visible to clients in the self-service portal. Hiding a product does not cancel existing subscriptions for that product.
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.

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Self-Service Settings

The Self-Service tab controls what clients can do with their subscriptions without contacting your team.

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Global Defaults

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Per-Subscription Rules

Override global defaults for individual subscriptions by clicking on a subscription in the table: The edit dialog shows the current quantity for reference, helping you set appropriate min/max limits.
Use the search bar to quickly find subscriptions by product name, vendor, or company.

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How Sync Works

After Pax8 is connected, data syncs automatically:
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.
You can trigger a manual sync at any time from Settings > Integrations on the Pax8 card.

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Client Self-Service Experience

When self-service is enabled, clients can view their active subscriptions and request quantity changes:
  1. Client navigates to the Licensing section
  2. They see their active subscriptions with product name, vendor, and current quantity
  3. For subscriptions where self-service is allowed, a Request Change option is available
  4. Client enters their desired quantity (validated against min/max limits)
  5. Depending on your configuration:
    • Auto-approved: Change applies immediately
    • Pending approval: Request is submitted for MSP review

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Approving Requests

When a client submits a quantity change that requires approval:
  1. The request appears in the Licensing module with a Pending status
  2. Review the request details: company, product, current quantity, requested quantity
  3. Approve to apply the change (synced to Pax8 automatically) or Reject with an optional reason
  4. The client is notified of the outcome

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Permissions