Table of Contents

Licensing

Trial Mode

Without a license key, CobaltPdf operates in trial mode. All features work normally, but every generated PDF includes a COBALT PDF TRIAL VERSION watermark overlay on every page.

Activating a License

Call CobaltEngine.SetLicense with your license key before any renders take place:

CobaltEngine.SetLicense("YOUR-LICENSE-KEY-HERE");

Best practice: Call SetLicense at the very start of your application, before Configure or any render:

// Program.cs
CobaltEngine.SetLicense(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("COBALTPDF_LICENSE")!);

CobaltEngine.Configure(o =>
{
    o.MinSize = 2;
    o.MaxSize = Environment.ProcessorCount;
});

In ASP.NET Core

CobaltEngine.SetLicense(builder.Configuration["CobaltPdf:LicenseKey"]!);

Store the key in appsettings.json (development), Azure Key Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or an environment variable — never commit it to source control.

Invalid or Expired Keys

If the key is invalid, forged, or expired, SetLicense throws InvalidOperationException with a descriptive message. The application will not start rather than silently falling back to trial mode.

License Types

Type Duration Description
Trial Unlimited All features, watermarked output
Annual 12 months Full commercial license
Renewal 12 months Extension for existing customers

License Scope

A CobaltPdf license covers a single deployed application. Contact support for multi-application or OEM licensing arrangements.

Purchase & Support

CobaltPDF is developed and maintained by Modus Squared Ltd.