Auto-generate license keys instead of uploading a CSV

Configure auto-generation

1. Open the License Keys page

In the Alva admin, click License Keys in the side navigation. Open a group, or click Add License Keys to create one and name it after the product.

Screenshot needed

Alva admin license key group settings panel. Highlight the "Auto-generate" toggle in the on position. Show the format selector (alphanumeric / UUID / ULID) and the optional prefix input directly beneath. No real customer data visible.

The Auto-generate toggle and format options inside a license key group.

2. Toggle Auto-generate on

Open the group's settings and switch Auto-generate on. The CSV import controls disappear — the group no longer holds a stock pool because Alva mints each key on demand at order time.

3. Choose a format and optional prefix

Pick a key format (see the next section). Optionally enter a short prefix — Alva prepends it with a hyphen, for example PROv3-X7K2-9PMN-4QRT-8WBC.

4. Save and attach to a product

Click Save. Open the matching Shopify product in the Alva admin and attach the group under License Keys. Alva generates one key per paid order from then on.

Format options

Alva supports three formats — length is fixed per format, no separate length setting:

Alphanumeric — four groups of four characters (X7K2-9PMN-4QRT-8WBC). The character set excludes confusing glyphs (I, O, 0, 1) so customers can retype keys without errors.
UUID v4 — standard 36-character UUID (550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000).
ULID — 26-character lexicographically sortable identifier (01ARZ3NDEKTSV4RRFFQ69G5FAV).

The optional prefix accepts up to 50 characters and is prepended with a hyphen — useful for tagging a release or product line in the key itself.

What customers see

After a paid order passes any fraud check, the delivery email shows the generated license key alongside the download links. The key also stays on the customer-account downloads page for re-copy. To the customer, an auto-generated key looks identical to a CSV-uploaded one.

Screenshot needed

A customer delivery email showing one auto-generated alphanumeric license key (e.g. PROv3-X7K2-9PMN-4QRT-8WBC) inside the License Keys section, with a "Copy" button next to it. Use a fake but realistic-looking code. Show the email's branded header at the top so the screenshot is clearly an Alva delivery email.

An auto-generated key inside the customer's delivery email.

Limitations

Auto-generated keys exist only inside Alva — they are not registered with any external system. A vendor licensing server, game launcher, or self-hosted activation API will reject keys it has never seen.

Two ways to bridge that gap: forward the key to your server via Shopify Flow on the digital-purchase-delivered trigger, or pre-issue keys with the vendor and use CSV upload instead.

Frequently asked questions

Will my software activation server recognise auto-generated keys?

Only if you also push the generated key to your server before the customer redeems it. Alva does not POST to external systems. Use Shopify Flow on the digital-purchase-delivered trigger to forward the key, or upload pre-issued keys via CSV instead.

Can I switch a CSV group to auto-generate later?

Yes. Open the group, switch Auto-generate on, and save. Existing uploaded keys stay in the group and are assigned first; once they run out, Alva starts minting new ones in the chosen format.

Are auto-generated keys guaranteed to be unique?

UUID v4 and ULID are statistically unique by design. The alphanumeric format draws from a 32-character set across 16 positions, giving roughly 10^24 combinations — collisions inside one shop are not realistic. The same key is never assigned twice.

Was this helpful?

Still stuck? Email us.

Last updated 2026-05-06