Activate a device
Last updated: August 10, 2026
Installing Wandelbots NOVA on a virtual machine or an industrial PC requires activating the device against your NOVA account and license. Learn what activation does and where it happens.
Cloud instances are already tied to your account. An installation on your own hardware is not, so it has to be activated once. Activation connects the device to your NOVA account and to the license assigned to it.
Where activation happens
Activation involves both sides at the same time: the installation dialogue on the device shows a code, and NOVA Cloud accepts it.
| Side | What happens |
|---|---|
NOVA Cloud, Downloads tab | The Activate device button appears in the panel of the Wandelbots NOVA image you downloaded. It opens the activation website |
| The device | The installation dialogue prompts for activation and displays a one-time code |
| NOVA Cloud, activation website | You enter that code. Logging in to your account again may be necessary |
Prerequisites
- The Wandelbots NOVA image downloaded from NOVA Cloud, see Downloads.
- Internet access on the device. Activation and licensing reach NOVA Cloud over
portal.wandelbots.io,api.portal.wandelbots.io, andauth.portal.wandelbots.io, which restricted networks must allow, see Install behind a proxy. - A license assigned to your account. Each on-premise installation consumes one activation, and a license allows 5 activations.
Run the activation
Activation is part of the installation procedure. Follow the steps for your instance type:
Freeing up an activation
Deactivating a license on an instance frees an instance slot so the license can move to another VM or bare-metal instance. Deactivation runs on the instance, see License management on your instance.
Next steps
After installation, connect the instance to NOVA Cloud to manage it in the fleet.