---
title: "Service license keys"
description: "Service license keys for on-premises Docker-based services, including TinyMCE AI, Export to PDF, Import from Word, and Export to Word."
canonical_url: "https://www.tiny.cloud/docs/tinymce/latest/service-license-keys/"
md_url: "https://www.tiny.cloud/docs/tinymce/latest/service-license-keys/index.md"
version: "latest"
last_updated: "2026-06-01T04:07:48Z"
tokens: 1012
---
# Service license keys

## Overview

Service license keys authenticate and enable Tiny on-premises services that run as Docker containers. These keys are separate from TinyMCE editor license keys.

> **Important:** Service license keys and TinyMCE editor license keys serve different purposes:
> 
> - **TinyMCE editor license keys** configure the license mode for the TinyMCE editor (GPL or commercial). See [License key](../license-key/) for details.
> - **Service license keys** authenticate on-premises Docker-based services such as TinyMCE AI, Export to PDF, and the Import from Word / Export to Word converters. They are provisioned separately and managed through the [Tiny customer portal](/my-account).

## Services requiring a service license key

The following on-premises services require a service license key:

- **[TinyMCE AI](../tinymceai-on-premises/)** — the on-premises AI service.
- **[Export to PDF](../individual-export-to-pdf-on-premises/)** — the PDF converter service.
- **[Import from Word and Export to Word](../individual-import-from-word-and-export-to-word-on-premises/)** — the DOCX converter service.

> **Note:** Other containerized services such as Spell Checker, Enhanced Media Embed, and Image Proxy do not currently require service license keys. These services use access tokens for Docker registry authentication only.

## How service license keys work

Deploying a Tiny on-premises service can involve two separate credentials. These are different values and cannot be substituted for one another:

1. **Docker registry access token** — used with `docker login` to authenticate with the Tiny Docker registry and pull the service image. **All** Tiny on-premises services require an access token to pull images. An access token is not a service license key.
2. **Service license key** — passed to the running Docker container as the `LICENSE_KEY` environment variable to enable the service at runtime. **Only** the services listed in [Services requiring a service license key](#services-requiring-a-service-license-key) require a service license key. Without a valid service license key, those containers will not start.

> **Tip:** Three separate credentials can be involved when running Tiny on-premises services. Do not confuse them:
> 
> - **TinyMCE editor license key** — configures the license mode for the TinyMCE editor (GPL or commercial). See [License key](../license-key/).
> - **Docker registry access token** — authenticates with the Tiny Docker registry to pull service images. Required by all on-premises services.
> - **Service license key** — enables a licensed on-premises service at runtime. Required by some services only.

### Obtaining a service license key

Service license keys are provisioned through the [Tiny customer portal](/my-account). [Contact Tiny](/contact/) to request a trial or to discuss service licensing.

### Using service-specific environment variables

When running multiple on-premises services and storing their environment variables in a shared location, use service-specific environment variable names for each service license key. This prevents collisions when consolidating services into a single `.env` file or Docker Compose project.

Each Docker container expects the `LICENSE_KEY` environment variable internally. The service-specific variable names (such as `AI_LICENSE_KEY`, `PDF_LICENSE_KEY`, and `DOCX_LICENSE_KEY`) are host-side conventions that map to `LICENSE_KEY` when launching the container. These names are the conventions used in the documentation for each service rather than a fixed requirement.

| Service | Environment variable name | Docker container mapping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TinyMCE AI | `AI_LICENSE_KEY` | `-e LICENSE_KEY="$AI_LICENSE_KEY"` |
| Export to PDF | `PDF_LICENSE_KEY` | `-e LICENSE_KEY="$PDF_LICENSE_KEY"` |
| Import from Word / Export to Word | `DOCX_LICENSE_KEY` | `-e LICENSE_KEY="$DOCX_LICENSE_KEY"` |
Each service license key is a distinct value. For example, in a `.env` file used with Docker Compose:

```env
AI_LICENSE_KEY=[your AI license key]
PDF_LICENSE_KEY=[your PDF converter license key]
DOCX_LICENSE_KEY=[your DOCX converter license key]
```

## Deployment guides

See the deployment guides for each service for complete setup instructions:

- [Getting started with TinyMCE AI on-premises](../tinymceai-on-premises-getting-started/)
- [Deploy the Export to PDF service using Docker](../individual-export-to-pdf-on-premises/)
- [Deploy the Import from Word and Export to Word service using Docker](../individual-import-from-word-and-export-to-word-on-premises/)
For an overview of containerized server-side services, see [Introduction and initial setup for containerized server-side services](../bundle-intro-setup/).