---
title: "Document Engine: No ACTIVATION_KEY or LICENSE_KEY Set"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/troubleshooting/errors-and-warnings/no-activation_key/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/troubleshooting/errors-and-warnings/no-activation_key.md"
last_updated: "2026-05-19T10:49:35.402Z"
description: "Solutions for common issues and errors in Nutrient Document Engine SDK with debugging tips and workarounds."
---

# No ACTIVATION_KEY or LICENSE_KEY set

If you see the following error message in Document Engine container logs, you’ll need to set a valid `ACTIVATION_KEY`:

```

No `ACTIVATION_KEY` or `LICENSE_KEY` set. You need to set one of them in your `docker-compose.yml`. https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/deployment/product-activation/

```

See our [product activation](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/deployment/product-activation.md) guide for more information on how to do this.
---

## Related pages

- [401 Response](/guides/document-engine/troubleshooting/errors-and-warnings/401-response.md)
- [504 Response](/guides/document-engine/troubleshooting/errors-and-warnings/504-response.md)
- [503 service unavailable (overload)](/guides/document-engine/troubleshooting/errors-and-warnings/overload.md)
- [RequestTimeTooSkewed](/guides/document-engine/troubleshooting/errors-and-warnings/request-time-too-skewed.md)
- [Docker pull rate limit](/guides/document-engine/troubleshooting/errors-and-warnings/pull-rate-limit.md)