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Creating a License Record

Software Asset Management Guide
Software Licenses

Creating a License Record

This page covers the manual workflow for entering a single license. For bulk loading, see Importing Licenses — manual entry is for one-off purchases or licenses that do not fit a bulk pattern.

Workflow

1. Open the Create Form

From the Licenses query, choose Create New Software License Asset from the Software License Menu:

License menu showing Create option

An asset entry screen opens for the new license:

License entry form

2. Fill in the Required Fields

Field What to Enter
Description A clear name (e.g., "Microsoft 365 Apps for Business — 50 Seats")
Software Product The catalog entry this license covers. Must exist in the Software Catalog — start typing and pick from the dropdown.
License Type How the license is metered. Inherits the catalog entry's default if blank. See Concepts: License Metrics.
Seats The capacity in metric units (50 users, 16 cores, etc.)
Date Purchased When the license was acquired. Determines when the engine starts allocating from it.
Cost The purchase cost. Used in expenditure reports.
Supplier Who you bought from.
Status Typically In Service for active licenses. See License Status Codes.

3. Optional Fields

Field Why Use It
Reference / Barcode Internal asset reference and scan code
Registration Code / Serial Number Vendor's product key, for audit lookup
Quantity Number of license items purchased (5 packs of 10 = Quantity 5, Seats 50)
Software Agreement Parent agreement this license is part of (e.g., an Enterprise Agreement) — see Agreements
Downgrade Rule Override the catalog default if this specific license has different downgrade rights
Location Restricts the license to consumptions in this location (or its children) — see Concepts: Affinity vs Requirements
Custodian The person the license is allocated to (for named-user licenses)
Department / Cost Centre Used for affinity scoring during allocation

4. Save

Click OK to save. The license appears immediately in the Licenses query but does not contribute to the licensing position until you recalculate (see step 5).

Saved license record

5. Recalculate

Run Licensing → Calculate Licensing Position to fold the new license into compliance. The new seats appear in the Seats column for the product, and the Allocated/Outstanding columns update based on what the engine grants from the new license.

Tips

  • Keep descriptions consistent. Include the seat count (e.g., "Microsoft 365 — 50 Seats") so the licenses query is scannable.
  • Set the License Type at creation. If the catalog entry's default is wrong for this specific license, override at creation rather than fixing later.
  • Use Location and Department deliberately. A blank location means "no scoping requirement, eligible everywhere." A specific location means the license only covers consumptions within that location (or its children).
  • Status drives engine inclusion. Only In Service licenses are counted by the engine. Expired or upgraded licenses keep their record but are excluded from the position. See License Status Codes.

When Manual Entry Is Wrong

Three scenarios where you should not use manual entry:

  1. Loading 20+ licenses — use Standard License Import. Manual entry at that scale is error-prone.
  2. A Microsoft volume statement — use the Microsoft License Statement Import so the agreement and lineage are captured.
  3. Adobe VIP / ETLA — use the Adobe License Import.

For everything else — one-off purchases, retail boxed software, perpetual licenses bought outside a volume agreement — manual entry is the right path.