Activating Specific Plugins: Complete Access Hub vs. iLok License Manager

Paul Hessing

October 23, 2026 18:05

💡 Quick answer

The Activate Licenses button in Complete Access Hub activates all of your eligible licenses at once. It can't activate individual plugins, and it can't activate licenses to an iLok USB dongle. To choose exactly which licenses are activated, and where, use the iLok License Manager app.

This article explains why, and walks you through activating only the plugins you need.

⚙️ How Complete Access Hub activation works

Complete Access Hub doesn't activate or authenticate plugin licenses itself. It's a convenience tool that hands the request off to iLok through the PACE/iLok API. The actions available through that API are limited.

Your licenses always live in your iLok account, and everything is actually managed in the iLok License Manager app. Nothing is ever transferred from Complete Access Hub to iLok.

Complete Access Hub's activation is built for one scenario: a user who buys a subscription or plugin bundle and wants to start using it quickly, without opening iLok License Manager. It supports two activation locations:

Machine (your computer)
iLok Cloud

If you manage licenses across multiple activation locations, or want your licenses on an iLok USB dongle, use iLok License Manager instead. https://www.ilok.com/#!home

🔗 Opening iLok License Manager from Complete Access Hub

Complete Access Hub's Settings show your current activation location and include a shortcut to iLok License Manager.

Open Complete Access Hub and click the Settings icon (⚙️).
Find Activation location.
Click For advanced settings, go to iLok License Manager.

Complete Access Hub Settings > Activation location, showing the "For advanced settings, go to iLok License Manager" button

🔄 Why "Activate Licenses" activates everything

Activate Licenses is an all-or-nothing action. That's all the iLok API currently allows Complete Access Hub to do.

Licenses from other developers activating too

Complete Access Hub can only activate Slate Digital and Complete Access licenses. If licenses from other developers (ones that aren't part of Complete Access) are also activating, your iLok Cloud session is most likely set to Automatic Mode.

That's iLok License Manager behavior, not Complete Access Hub:

Automatic Mode (the iLok default) activates every cloud-enabled license on your iLok account as soon as a cloud session opens. Individual licenses can't be activated or deactivated.
Managed Mode works like a physical iLok. You choose which licenses go into your cloud session.

To switch, open your cloud session in iLok License Manager and click Show Details.

👉 Full steps: iLok Cloud Managed Mode vs Automatic Mode

✅ How to activate only the plugins you need

Use iLok License Manager. You'll need an iLok 2 or iLok 3 USB dongle to activate licenses to a dongle.

Step 1: Remove activations you don't want (optional)

If Complete Access Hub already activated licenses you don't want on your computer:

Open iLok License Manager and sign in with your iLok User ID.
Click your computer in the left sidebar.
Select the licenses you don't want there.
Right-click and choose Deactivate.

The licenses go back to your Available tab, ready to activate somewhere else.

⚠️ Note: If the unwanted licenses are in your iLok Cloud session and it's in Automatic Mode, switch it to Managed Mode first. Automatic Mode doesn't let you deactivate individual licenses.

Step 2: Activate the licenses you want

Click Available at the top of iLok License Manager to see your unactivated licenses.
Select only the licenses you want. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) to select several.
Drag them onto your iLok USB in the left sidebar. Or right-click, choose Activate, and pick your iLok USB.

🎉 Done! Your selected licenses are now on your dongle, and nothing else is activated. From here, skip the Activate Licenses button in Complete Access Hub and manage your activations in iLok License Manager.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can I activate individual plugins in Complete Access Hub?

No. Selective, per-plugin activation can only be done in iLok License Manager.

Is per-plugin activation planned for Complete Access Hub?

No. It isn't possible right now, though we'll be looking to make improvements in the future, especially as more functionality becomes available to us.

Can Complete Access Hub activate licenses to my iLok USB dongle?

No. Complete Access Hub supports Machine and iLok Cloud activation only. All Complete Access collections can be activated to an iLok USB dongle, but that has to be done in iLok License Manager.

Why don't my SSL, Harrison, or sonible purchases show up in Complete Access Hub?

Slate Digital, Solid State Logic, Harrison, and sonible each have their own storefronts and customer accounts. Complete Access Hub only shows purchases from the Slate Digital shop and your Complete Access membership. Licenses bought directly from those brands keep working from your iLok as they always have.

Please see: Why Don’t All My SSL, Harrison, or sonible Purchases Show Up in Complete Access Hub?

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