How to change the Confluence Data Center License in confluence.cfg.xml file
Platform notice: Server and Data Center only. This article only applies to Atlassian products on the Server and Data Center platforms.
Support for Server* products ended on February 15th 2024. If you are running a Server product, you can visit the Atlassian Server end of support announcement to review your migration options.
*Except Fisheye and Crucible
Purpose
As a Confluence administrator, you might need to manually change the license directly in confluence.cfg.xml file for any number of reasons including:
- upgrades are failing
- the license is corrupted
- the license cannot be changed in the Confluence UI
- etc
Solution
If that is the case, please, follow below steps to achieve it:
- Install a new instance of Confluence using the same Confluence version.
- Be sure to use the license listed at https://my.atlassian.com
- You can use the embedded HSQL database for this step as we just need the license information.
- This new install doesn't have to run on the same server where the license needs to be applied.
After you have completed all steps in the Confluence setup wizard, open this new instance's
<confluence_home>/confluence.cfg.xmlfile.Identify the properties below:
<property name="atlassian.license.hash">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</property> <property name="atlassian.license.message">yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy</property>Some versions of Confluence do not require a hashed license. In these versions, you simply need to edit the
confluence.license.messageproperty- Copy these properties into the original
<confluence_home>/confluence.cfg.xmlfile replacing the information already there - Start Confluence.
- Feel free to delete the temporary instance at this point.