ASPOSE Connectivity issue

swapnil.chiddarwar · November 10, 2025, 2:01pm

Hi Team,

We are using APOSE Valid Metered license key(ASPOSE TOTAL for .NET), we have notice that when we have made the call to ASPOSE server from our API we have go the below message and looks like this is due to connectivity issues with APOSE license servers.

Error Message on documents
“Created with an evaluation copy of Aspose.Words. To remove all limitations, you can use Free Temporary License”

and we have not got the popper` document response from ASPOSE

We have restarted our API service, and this has resolved this issue but again after some time (1 hour) the same issue has recurred .

Please provide us the Root cause and permeant solution for such issues .

Professionalize.Discourse · November 10, 2025, 2:03pm

@swapnil.chiddarwar

Summary
Your API loads a metered Aspose.Total for .NET license at runtime. The metered license requires periodic validation against the Aspose licensing service. When the validation request cannot be completed, the SDK switches to evaluation mode and the generated documents show the “Created with an evaluation copy …” watermark. Restarting the API reloads the license, so the watermark disappears until the next failed validation attempt.

Why it happens

Metered‑license validation – A metered key is not a static file; the SDK contacts the Aspose licensing endpoint (e.g., `) roughly every 30–60 minutes to confirm that the key is still valid.
Outbound connectivity problem – The validation request fails because the process cannot reach the Aspose server. Common causes are:

Firewall or network‑security‑group rules that block outbound HTTPS (port 443).
A corporate proxy that is not used by the .NET process or whose credentials expire.
A transient outage of the Aspose licensing service (rare).

When validation fails, the SDK automatically falls back to evaluation mode, which adds the watermark to all subsequently generated files.

What to do next

Confirm outbound connectivity

From the host that runs the API, run a simple request, e.g.:

curl -I

If the request times out or is blocked, adjust firewall/NSG rules to allow outbound TCP 443 to *.aspose.com.

Configure proxy settings (if a proxy is required)

The Aspose SDK does not automatically pick up system proxy credentials. Set the default proxy before loading the license:

.NET Core / .NET 5+
var proxy = new WebProxy(")
{
Credentials = new NetworkCredential("proxyUser", "proxyPwd")
};
WebRequest.DefaultWebProxy = proxy;

Load the metered license
var license = new Aspose.Words.License();
license.SetLicense("Aspose.Words.metered.xml");

Enable Aspose diagnostic logging (optional)

If the library version you use provides a logging API, enable debug logging to capture the exact exception that occurs during validation. For example:

Aspose.Words.Logging.LoggerFactory.SetLoggerFactory(
new Aspose.Words.Logging.ConsoleLoggerFactory(Aspose.Words.Logging.LogLevel.Debug));

Review the console output when the watermark appears; look for network‑related errors such as WebExceptionStatus.Timeout or NameResolutionFailure.

Test with a permanent (non‑metered) license

Obtain a regular (non‑metered) license file from your Aspose account.
Replace the metered‑license call with:

var license = new Aspose.Words.License();
license.SetLicense("Aspose.Words.lic"); permanent license file

If the watermark no longer appears, the issue is confirmed to be the periodic validation of the metered key.

Add simple retry logic around license loading (optional)

Network glitches can be mitigated by retrying the SetLicense call a few times:

const int maxAttempts = 3;
for (int i = 0; i < maxAttempts; i++)
{
try
{
var lic = new Aspose.Words.License();
lic.SetLicense("Aspose.Words.metered.xml");
break; success
}
catch (Exception) when (i < maxAttempts - 1)
{
Thread.Sleep(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
}
}

Escalate internally if the problem persists

Gather the following information for the team that manages licensing/network configuration:

Full stack trace or Aspose debug log captured at the moment the watermark appears.
Exact Aspose component versions (e.g., Aspose.Words 24.x, Aspose.PDF 24.x).
Details of the network environment (firewall rules, proxy configuration, outbound IP ranges).

Provide this data to the responsible internal group so they can investigate connectivity or licensing‑service issues.

By ensuring reliable outbound HTTPS access to the Aspose licensing endpoint (or by switching to a permanent license), the SDK will remain in licensed mode and the evaluation watermark should no longer be added to your documents.

amjad.sahi · November 10, 2025, 3:00pm

@swapnil.chiddarwar,

Do you encounter the issue when using your Aspose.Total metered license with the Aspose.Words for .NET API, or does this issue occur with other APIs as well (if so, which ones)? If needed, we may request your metered license keys, but this should be done via a private message.

swapnil.chiddarwar · November 20, 2025, 9:19am

We have tried the retry logic but again faced the same issue.

observed the below error.

Exception occered while setting the Meterd Key : License attempt 3 failed: Authentication failed.user Date :11/15/2025 1:23:43 PM

can you please confirm what is the permeant solution for this.

amjad.sahi · November 20, 2025, 9:38am

@swapnil.chiddarwar,

Do you get the issue when using your Aspose.Total metered license with the Aspose.Words for .NET API, or does this issue occur with other APIs as well (if so, which ones please specify)?

swapnil.chiddarwar · November 20, 2025, 9:49am

We are getting this issue for Aspose.Total metered license with the Aspose.Words for .NET API

amjad.sahi · November 20, 2025, 9:57am

@swapnil.chiddarwar,

Thank you for your confirmation.

I am moving your thread to the appropriate category, where one of our colleagues from the Aspose.Words team will assist you soon.

alexey.noskov · November 20, 2025, 12:36pm

@swapnil.chiddarwar The problem might occur because the code makes too many requests to metered licensing server. Normally it is enough to apply the metered license once on application start. However, if the metered licensing mechanism fails to communicate with the Aspose servers for 24 hours, Aspose.Words will exit licensed mode and switch to evaluation mode. To avoid such case, you should regularly check the license status – if Aspose.Words turns into evaluation mode, please apply the metered license again. You can check whether the license is set using the following code:

private static bool IsLicensed()
{
    const string testString = "test";
    Document doc = new Document();
    DocumentBuilder builder = new DocumentBuilder(doc);
    builder.Write(testString);

    using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
    {
        doc.Save(ms, SaveFormat.Docx);
        ms.Position = 0;
        doc = new Document(ms);
    }

    string test = doc.ToString(SaveFormat.Text).Trim();

    return test == testString;
}

swapnil.chiddarwar · December 13, 2025, 10:56am

Hi Team,

We have Again received the Watermark issue please confirm is there any outage from ASPOSE side and when and by when it will be resumed.

Please check and confirm this on high Priority and confirm us.

We are using APOSE Valid Metered license key(ASPOSE TOTAL for .NET), we have notice that when we have made the call to ASPOSE server from our API we have go the below message and looks like this is due to connectivity issues with APOSE license servers.

Error Message on documents
“Created with an evaluation copy of Aspose.Words. To remove all limitations, you can use Free Temporary License”

alexey.noskov · December 13, 2025, 3:36pm

@swapnil.chiddarwar I do not see any issues reports. I will consult with the team responsible for metered licensing mechanism and get back to you once get response.

swapnil.chiddarwar · December 14, 2025, 4:10am

Yes Alexey please check and confirm on high Priority as we are continuously seeing the outage and getting the same watermark response

alexey.noskov · December 14, 2025, 6:31am

@swapnil.chiddarwar The team checked and did not detected any problems on their side. Our services work okay, we encountered any problems. Our authorization process works.

swapnil.chiddarwar · December 15, 2025, 4:01am

If Services are working fine and we are using License version, why are we getting watermark response from ASPOSE side

alexey.noskov · December 15, 2025, 6:46am

@swapnil.chiddarwar Could you please check whether Aspose.Words throws any exception while setting the metered license on your side? Probably firewall on your side somehow blocks Aspose.Words requests to metered licensing service.

swapnil.chiddarwar · December 15, 2025, 9:51am

Hi team,
Please confirm
If we plan to buy a perpetual license instead of a metered license, how does it work? Currently, we process more than 1,000k requests per day, and each request verifies the license key under the metered model. Does the perpetual license work the same way, or is the mechanism different? Also, are there any changes or issues that might arise with the perpetual license as well?

alexey.noskov · December 15, 2025, 11:54am

@swapnil.chiddarwar Perpetual license does not do any external calls to verify the license. So there cannot be any connectivity issues. It can be used even in the isolated environment without internet connection. Please see our documentation to lean more:
https://docs.aspose.com/words/net/licensing/