> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.msportal.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Licensing
> Manage software subscriptions, approval workflows, and client self-service through Pax8
The Licensing module connects MSPortal.ai to your [Pax8](https://www.pax8.com) 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](/user-guides/licensing/setup) to get started.
## Key Features
Control when license quantity changes require MSP approval, with auto-approve thresholds and vendor overrides.
Manage which Pax8 products are visible and featured in the client self-service portal.
Set per-subscription rules for quantity changes, including min/max limits and approval requirements.
Subscriptions, products, and companies sync automatically from Pax8 on a regular schedule.
***
## Prerequisites
* An active [Pax8](https://www.pax8.com) partner account
* The **Pax8 integration** configured in MSPortal.ai (see [Set Up Pax8 Integration](/user-guides/licensing/setup))
* 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 |
Start with a conservative threshold (e.g., 25%) and adjust based on your comfort level with automatic changes.
#### 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
Hidden products are not visible to clients in the self-service portal. Hiding a product does not cancel existing subscriptions for that product.
#### 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 |
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.
***
## 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.
You can trigger a manual sync at any time from **Settings > Integrations** on the Pax8 card.
***
## 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
***
## 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
***
## 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](/user-guides/licensing/setup) - Connect your Pax8 account to MSPortal.ai
* [Integrations Overview](/user-guides/integrations/index) - General integration management