Authorize a Domain for QC Backup Manager

Current QC Backup Manager releases use QuantaCade Authorized Domains for normal paid entitlement. You do not need to copy a license key into Joomla to activate Pro, Max, or All Access on a current installation.

The site identifies its current domain, checks QuantaCade entitlement, and reports the result on the QCBM Status tab. This guide explains how to authorize the site and how to verify that QCBM recognizes the expected access.

When Domain Authorization Is Needed

QC Backup Manager Basic remains available without a paid Authorized Domain. Authorize the domain when the site should receive paid QCBM entitlement from a Pro, Max, or All Access subscription, or when another QuantaCade entitlement grants the effective QCBM tier.

Domain authorization is separate from installing the extension. Installing or updating QCBM puts the software on the Joomla site; the Authorized Domain tells QuantaCade which eligible site should receive paid features.

Add the Joomla Domain to Authorized Domains

  1. Sign in to your QuantaCade account.
  2. Open the account area that manages your QC Backup Manager entitlement and Authorized Domains.
  3. Add the domain used by the Joomla installation.
  4. Save the Authorized Domain change.
  5. Return to the Joomla administrator.
  6. Open Components > QC Backup Manager > Status.
  7. Click Refresh Entitlement.

Use the same public site identity the Joomla installation is actually using. Do not add unrelated subdomains merely because they share the same parent domain. QCBM evaluates the current installation against the entitlement information returned for the recognized domain.

Confirm the Base and Effective Tier

After refreshing, review the Current Entitlement card. QCBM distinguishes between the base tier associated with the current entitlement and the effective tier currently available to the installation.

The effective tier can be affected by the current Authorized Domain, All Access, an active Max Preview, or supported legacy/migration conditions. The Status card can also show when entitlement was last checked, when the next automatic check is expected, and whether the site is temporarily operating inside a communication grace period.

If the expected paid tier appears and the readiness cards are healthy, no license-key entry is required for normal current operation.

Use Manage Authorized Domains from QCBM

The Status tab includes a Manage Authorized Domains action when the current administrator has the required permission. Use it to open the QuantaCade account area when you need to add, remove, or review the site assigned to the entitlement.

After changing the account-side domain assignment, return to Joomla and use Refresh Entitlement so you do not have to wait for the next automatic check.

Understand the One-Time 30-Day Max Preview

Eligible installations can start a one-time 30-Day Max Preview. The preview is manual: it does not start simply because you install QCBM, open the administrator, or run a backup.

Once started, the preview runs continuously for its 30-day period and provides the effective Max feature set allowed by the preview. The Status area shows the preview state and, while active, its ending time.

Use the preview when you are ready to evaluate Max features such as File Valet or QCBM Receiver. Starting it long before you can test those features wastes part of the evaluation period.

What Happens If Entitlement Cannot Be Confirmed

Do not immediately reinstall QCBM. First read the Status message. A problem can be caused by the account-side Authorized Domain, connectivity to the entitlement service, an overdue or unhealthy revalidation task, or another validation condition.

When paid entitlement cannot be confirmed, QCBM protects the site by withholding paid actions rather than pretending a paid tier is valid indefinitely. Existing backup data, Profiles, destinations, history, and other saved configuration are preserved even when higher-tier controls are unavailable.

Legacy License Keys on Upgraded Sites

An installation upgraded from an older key-based QCBM version can still contain a saved legacy license key. The key may be shown only as legacy state; it is not required for the current Authorized-Domain model.

After the correct Authorized Domain is configured and paid entitlement is confirmed, an administrator with permission can use Clear Saved Key. Clearing the old key does not delete Backup Sets, Profiles, destinations, or other QCBM data. QCBM immediately relies on current domain entitlement instead.

If the Expected Tier Does Not Appear

  1. Confirm the correct domain is present under QCBM Authorized Domains in your QuantaCade account.
  2. Return to Status and click Refresh Entitlement.
  3. Read the entitlement message rather than relying only on which controls are disabled.
  4. Check Entitlement Revalidation health if Status reports a task problem.
  5. Confirm the site's domain and installation identity shown on Status are the installation you intended to authorize.
  6. If a legacy key remains, do not clear it until the Authorized Domain is working as expected.

Security and Privacy

Do not post legacy license keys, entitlement tokens, Recovery PINs, OAuth secrets, provider credentials, or other private installation details in public community topics or screenshots. For support, the domain, installed version, effective tier, installation UUID, and the exact Status message are usually much safer diagnostic details.

Community Discussion

Want to discuss domain-management workflows with other users? Visit the QC Backup Manager Community. For account-specific entitlement help, private support, bug reports, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.