When to Intervene Manually

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When to Intervene Manually

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When to Intervene Manually #

While DMSI DDLS automates most tasks, you’ll occasionally need to manually intervene for customer support.

Common Manual Tasks #

Extending a License #

Scenario: Customer asks for extension due to downtime, illness, or special circumstances.

How To:

  • Go to DDLS > Licenses
  • Find the license (search by email or key)
  • Click “Edit”
  • Change expiration date (extend by days/weeks/months)
  • Save
  • Notify customer (optional – they’ll see in portal)

    • Example: Customer had website down for 2 weeks, extend expiration by 14 days.

    Resetting Activations #

    Scenario: Customer lost access to old sites and can’t deactivate them.

    Option 1: Deactivate Specific Installations

  • Go to DDLS > Activations
  • Search for customer’s email or license key
  • Find old/unused activations
  • Click “Deactivate” on each

    • Option 2: Reset All Activations

  • Go to DDLS > Licenses
  • Find their license
  • Click “Edit”
  • Find “Reset Activation Count” button
  • Resets to 0 (all installations deactivated)
  • Customer can activate fresh

    • Example: Customer switched hosting companies, lost access to old installs.

    Processing Subscription Renewal #

    Scenario: Subscription is due for renewal and customer wants to continue.

    How To:

  • Go to DDLS > Subscriptions
  • Find their subscription
  • Create a renewal order in WooCommerce
  • Send payment link to customer
  • When paid: License expiration extended automatically

    • Example: Customer’s subscription is due, they want to renew.

    Suspending a License #

    Scenario: Customer issued chargeback, violated terms, or committed fraud.

    How To:

  • Go to DDLS > Licenses
  • Find their license
  • Click “Edit”
  • Change status to “Suspended”
  • Save
  • All activations immediately stopped
  • Software stops working on next validation check

    • Example: Customer issued chargeback after 6 months of use.

    Creating Manual License #

    Scenario: Special situations requiring manual license creation.

    When Needed:

    • Refund issued but customer keeps license (goodwill)
    • Gift license to reviewer/influencer
    • Migration from old licensing system
    • Special deal not through store

    How To:

  • Go to DDLS > Licenses
  • Click “Add New”
  • Fill in:

    • – Customer (select existing or create new)

    – Product

    – Variation (if variable product)

    – Activation limit

    – Expiration date

    – Status (usually “Active”)

  • Save
  • License key auto-generated
  • Manually email customer the key

    • Example: Gave free license to YouTuber for review.

    Helping with Lost License Key #

    Scenario: Customer lost confirmation email and can’t find their key.

    How To:

  • Go to DDLS > Customers
  • Search by email address
  • View customer details
  • See all their licenses listed
  • Copy license key or click “Resend Email”
  • Provide key via support channel or resend email

    • Example: Customer searched email, can’t find purchase confirmation.

    Upgrading Customer’s Plan #

    Scenario: Customer wants to upgrade from Starter to Professional tier.

    Option 1: Process as New Purchase

    • Customer purchases upgrade through store (selects higher variation)
    • You cancel old license
    • New license auto-generated with variation settings

    Option 2: Manual Adjustment

  • Go to their existing license
  • Edit activation limit (increase)
  • Adjust expiration if needed
  • Save
  • Notify customer

    • Example: Customer outgrew 1-site license, needs 5-site.

    Downgrading Subscription #

    Scenario: Customer wants to reduce from Agency to Pro tier.

    How To:

  • Cancel current subscription
  • Create new subscription manually (if needed)
  • Adjust license accordingly
  • Notify customer of changes
  • Process pro-rated refund (manual, via WooCommerce)

    • Note: Downgrades are more complex than upgrades, require careful handling.

    Fixing Activation Abuse #

    Scenario: Customer activated on 50 sites despite 5-site limit (API bypass or bug).

    How To:

  • Go to DDLS > Activations
  • Filter by license key
  • Review all activations (check IPs, domains)
  • Deactivate suspicious ones
  • Contact customer if fraud suspected
  • Consider suspending license if abuse confirmed

    • Example: Customer shared license key publicly.

    Support Response Times #

    Typical response time for manual tasks:

    • License extensions: Within 24 hours
    • Activation resets: Within 24 hours
    • Renewal processing: Within 48 hours
    • Lost keys: Within 12 hours (simple lookup)

    When NOT to Intervene #

    Don’t manually intervene for:

    • Standard activations (API handles this)
    • Regular expiration warnings (system handles this)
    • Email delivery (system handles this, check logs first)

    Let automation work. Only intervene for exceptions.

    Related Topics #

    • [What Happens Automatically](#)
    • [Customer Support Best Practices](#)
    • [Managing Licenses](#) (Part 2)
    • [Managing Subscriptions](#) (Part 6)

    Summary #

    You now understand:

    • What DMSI DDLS is and who uses it
    • The 8 core concepts (License, Activation, Subscription, Customer, Product, Version, Download, Support Contract)
    • New in v1.2.0: License Types, Variable Products, 3-column admin shell, redesigned customer portal
    • How everything connects (including License Type inheritance)
    • The admin menu structure
    • Complete workflows for licensed and non-licensed products
    • What happens automatically
    • When you need to intervene manually

    Next Steps #

    • Explore the [Dashboard](#) to see your current status
    • Read [Part 2: Managing Licenses](#) to learn detailed license management
    • Try [creating your first product](#) with licensing enabled
    • Set up the [Customer Portal](#)
    • Learn about [License Types](#) (Part 13) for preset license categories

    Ready to dive deeper into license management? Continue to Part 2!

    Document Created: 2025-11-22 | Updated: 2026-03-22 for v1.2.2
    Category: Getting Started
    Total Docs: 15
    Status: Ready for BetterDocs import

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