Account management for admins

User licensing authorization

Here are some frequently asked questions about Autodesk's transition to named user and Autodesk-hosted licensing. For information about data security and privacy, see User licensing data security.

User authentication and authorization (FAQs)

How do I authorize my software?

Named users sign in using their Autodesk ID or company ID (if single sign-on is enabled) to authenticate their identity and authorize software use.

Do I need an Internet connection the first time I start the product?

Yes. The licensing service must connect to the Internet when you use the product for the first time to make sure that you're authorized.

After I sign in, how often do I have to reauthorize?

The product checks for authorization every time you're online, and when the product restarts. If the product stays open and running, then it checks for license authorization once every 24 hours. This confirms that you're still assigned to the product, the subscription is still valid, and that the seat usage reporting data is refreshed.

How often do I need to sign in if I remain online with the product open?

If you sign in and stay online with the product open, your cached credentials automatically refresh every day.

What happens if I'm not connected to the Internet while the product is open?

When accessing a named user license included in a subscription with single-user access, you can be offline for up to 30 days without interruption. When you're offline, usage data isn't recorded for usage reporting.

How do I know if I'm reaching the 30-day limit?

You'll receive in-product messages throughout the 30 days indicating how many more days you can remain offline. In the final three days, a different message displays when you start the software. This is a warning that you have less than three days left to connect to the Internet or the product will stop working.

What happens if I'm signed in to more than one device at the same time?

You can have only one active session running at a time. More than one active, concurrent session running on different devices is not compliant and is considered a violation of our Terms of use.

Outage protocols

Named user licensing relies on Autodesk’s identity and licensing services to provide users access to their software. We are committed to limiting customer impacts from service interruption or performance by maintaining high availability.

What happens if I can't reach the identity service due to an Autodesk technical issue?
If the identity service is down and there is no valid access token (which lasts up to one hour), you can't authenticate and access the product.

What happens if I can't reach the licensing service due to an Autodesk technical issue?

If you start the product for initial authorization, you'll receive a temporary license that can be used for up to four hours. If the issue is not resolved within four hours, you're issued another temporary license. After the licensing service is back up and running, you're automatically granted your license.

If you already have the product open, you can continue using the product for up to 24 hours. If the issue is not resolved within 24 hours, you're issued a temporary license. After the licensing service is back up and running, you're automatically granted your license.