SubscriptionFlow documentation

Subscription Products

A subscription product is a WooCommerce product turned into a recurring plan. Buying one creates a subscription and a license, tracked for their whole life.

Available onStarter (Free)Pro

Documents version1.5.5

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What this does

This page explains the concept and lifecycle of a subscription product. For the field‑by‑field setup, see Your First Subscription Product.

Why it exists: so you can sell recurring access — software licenses, memberships, services — using the WooCommerce store you already have.

Typical use cases

  • A yearly plugin/software license limited to a number of sites.
  • A monthly membership that renews automatically (Pro).
  • A lifetime product that issues a license but never renews.

The subscription lifecycle

Once a customer buys a subscription product, it moves through clear states:

Status Meaning
Active Paid and working normally.
Grace Period Expired, but still working within the allowed grace days.
Pending Cancellation Will not renew; access continues until the period ends.
On Hold Temporarily paused.
Expired Grace period ended; access stopped.
Cancelled Ended and will not renew.
Revoked Terminated by an admin; all sites released.

You can see and manage these on the Licenses and Subscriptions pages.

How to create one

  1. Open a product under Products → All Products.
  2. Go to the Subscriptions Settings tab.
  3. Tick Enable License Product, choose the Plan, Duration, Allowed Sites, and (optionally) Renewal Price and Grace Period Days.
  4. Optionally, under Free Trial, tick Enable Free Trial and set the length — see Free Trials.
  5. Update / Publish.

Full details: Your First Subscription Product.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Decide the duration and allowed sites before launch — they define the offer and are what customers pay for.

  • Add a small grace period so a late payment doesn’t instantly cut off access.

  • Use lifetime for one‑time products — they still issue a license and allowed‑sites limit without ever renewing.

  • Plan for renewals early. If you want hands‑off billing, set up Automatic Renewals (Pro) and a gateway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a subscription product a special product type?

No — it’s a standard WooCommerce product with SubscriptionFlow enabled in its Subscriptions Settings tab.

What gets created when someone buys it?

A subscription (the billing cycle) and a license (the key + allowed sites) for that customer.

Do subscriptions renew automatically?

On Pro, yes. On Free, renewals are manual — see Manual Renewals.

Can one product offer multiple plans?

A product links to one plan. To offer several tiers, create a product per tier (each linked to its plan).

What happens when a subscription expires?

It enters the grace period, then expires if not renewed. See Grace Period & Expiry.

Can customers manage their subscription themselves?

Yes — via the customer dashboard. Self‑service cancel/upgrade are Pro features.

Getting StartedYour First Subscription ProductTurn a normal WooCommerce product into a subscription, field by field, using the Subscriptions Settings tab — the detailed reference behind the Quick Start.SubscriptionsManual RenewalsOn Starter (Free), subscriptions renew manually — the customer places a new order as their term ends. How that works, and how to make it smooth for them.SubscriptionsAutomatic RenewalsAutomatic Renewals charges each customer's saved payment method when their subscription is due, so recurring revenue keeps flowing without manual work.SubscriptionsGrace Period & ExpiryThe grace period is a short window after a paid term ends where the customer keeps access — a safety net against a lockout caused by a late payment.