Install & Activate¶
This page takes you from nothing to an activated license in about five minutes.
1. Download the plugin¶
- Sign in to the Client Area at my.dealer.ms.
- Open your DMS product and download the plugin file. It is a
.zip.
Don't unzip it. WordPress installs the zip as it is.
2. Install it on your site¶
- In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin, then click Upload Plugin.
- Choose the zip you downloaded and click Install Now.
- Click Activate Plugin.
A Dealer.ms item (with the DMS icon) now appears in your admin sidebar.
Make sure Elementor is installed too
DMS uses Elementor to build its search and listing pages. If you don't have it yet, install and activate it from Plugins > Add New Plugin.
3. Activate your license¶
DMS does nothing until it has a valid license key.
- Click Dealer.ms in the admin sidebar. Until a license is active this is the only DMS item, and it opens a page with a License Key card.
- Paste your license key into the License Key box.
- Click Activate.
If the key is accepted, you land on the Dashboard with a welcome checklist, and the rest of the DMS menus appear. From then on, your license key, plan and Licensed until date are on Dealer.ms > Billing & Usage.
If activation fails¶
DMS shows the reason in a red box.
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| This license key is already tied to the domain: ... | A key works on one site. It is already activated on the address shown. Either use that site, or reset the license there first (see below). |
| This license key is currently suspended. | Usually an unpaid invoice. Pay it in the Client Area and try again. |
| This license key is expired. | The plan ended. Renew it in the Client Area, then activate again. |
| License key data not found. | The key was not recognised. Copy it again from the Client Area and check for typos. |
| Error connecting with request | Your server couldn't reach Dealer.ms. Check your hosting firewall, then try again. |
Moving your license to another site¶
Because a key works on one site at a time, move it like this:
- On the old site, go to Dealer.ms > Billing & Usage and click Reset License. This frees the key.
- On the new site, install the plugin and activate the key as above.
Do the reset before you shut the old site down. If the old site is already gone, open a support ticket from the Client Area (see Billing & Your Account).
Updates¶
Once your license is active, plugin updates appear in Dashboard > Updates in WordPress like any other plugin. Paid extensions update from Dealer.ms > Extensions. See Extensions.
What happens when your plan renews¶
You don't need to do anything on a normal renewal.
- The Licensed until date on Billing & Usage moves forward when the renewal invoice is paid.
- Your monthly AI and Dealer.Pics credits reset on the 1st of every month, whatever your billing date is.
If a renewal invoice is not paid, the license is suspended or expires. The site is then disconnected from the license and you see Your license was removed from this site as it is not valid. Your listings, leads and settings are not deleted. Pay the invoice, click Dealer.ms in the sidebar, enter your key again in the License Key card, and everything comes back.
A short outage won't disconnect you
If Dealer.ms can't be reached for a moment (for example your host is offline for a few minutes), DMS keeps trying. It only disconnects the license after three failed checks in a row.
Next: Your First Listing.