Adding Deployment Keys to CI/CD Services

Updated on Aug 14, 2026

This article describes how to activate your Kendo UI for Vue license in popular CI/CD services. Use Deployment Keys for build pipelines and provide the key through an environment variable or a secure file.

Deployment keys are dedicated license keys for build pipelines. Each deployment key is tied to one application and its selected products. You cannot use deployment keys for application development.

Developer license keys remain valid for CI/CD deployments, so existing pipelines do not need to be updated. For new pipelines, we recommend using deployment keys. For more information, see the differences between developer license keys and deployment keys.

To activate your license in a CI/CD environment:

1. Go to the Deployment Keys page.
2. Click Add Application. In the form that opens:
   • Add the application name.
   • Select the type of application: public or private.
   • Select the set of products used in the application.
3. Copy the deployment key and store it securely.
4. Create an environment variable named TELERIK_LICENSE, and set it to the deployment key value. Alternatively, store the key securely in a telerik-license.txt file.

The following general requirements apply to all CI/CD environments:

• Regardless of the CI/CD tool you use, the step that installs the project dependencies must be executed before the step that activates the license.
• The license activation step requires the @progress/kendo-licensing package to be downloaded and set up in your local environment or CI/CD pipeline.
• Store the deployment key securely in an environment variable, a secret, or a secure file. Never hardcode a key in the build script.
• The CI pipeline configurations are not executable. They merely outline the specific sequence of steps.

For a runnable demo with setup pipelines for all CI services mentioned on this page, refer to the DevOps - Pipeline and Workflow GitHub repository.

Creating an Environment Variable

Set TELERIK_LICENSE to your deployment key. Each platform has a different process for setting environment variables. The following examples cover popular CI/CD services.

GitHub Actions

1. Create a new Repository Secret or an Organization Secret. Set the secret name to TELERIK_LICENSE and paste the deployment key as its value.
2. Add a build step to activate the license after running npm install or yarn:

yaml

steps:
    # ... install modules before activating the license
    - name: Install NPM modules
      run: npm install

    - name: Activate Kendo UI License
      run: npx kendo-ui-license activate
      # Set working directory if the application is not in the repository root folder:
      # working-directory: 'ClientApp'
      env:
        TELERIK_LICENSE: ${{ secrets.TELERIK_LICENSE }}

    # ... run application build after license activation
    - name: Build Application
      run: npm run build

Azure Pipelines (YAML)

1. Create a new User-defined Variable named TELERIK_LICENSE. Paste the deployment key as its value.
2. Add a build step to activate the license after running npm install or yarn:

Syntax for Windows build agents:

yaml

pool:
  vmImage: 'windows-latest'

steps:

# ... install modules before activating the license
- script: call npm install
  displayName: 'Install NPM modules'

- script: call npx kendo-ui-license activate
  displayName: 'Activate Kendo UI License'
  # Set working directory if the application is not in the repository root folder:
  # workingDirectory: 'ClientApp'
  env:
    TELERIK_LICENSE: $(TELERIK_LICENSE)

# ... run application build after license activation
- script: call npm run build
  displayName: 'Build Application'

Syntax for Linux build agents:

yaml

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

steps:

# ... install modules before activating the license
- script: npm install
  displayName: 'Install NPM modules'

- script: npx kendo-ui-license activate
  displayName: 'Activate Kendo UI License'
  # Set working directory if the application is not in the repository root folder:
  # workingDirectory: 'ClientApp'
  env:
    TELERIK_LICENSE: $(TELERIK_LICENSE)

# ... run application build after license activation
- script: npm run build
  displayName: 'Build Application'

Azure Pipelines (Classic)

1. Create a new User-defined Variable named TELERIK_LICENSE. Paste the deployment key as its value.

2. Add a new Bash task to the Agent job (before the npm build task)

   

3. Change the step to inline and use the following command

bash

# Activate the license
npx kendo-ui-license activate

Set License Key when using CDN scripts

To activate the license when using CDN scripts, perform the following steps:

1. Go to the License Keys page in your Telerik account.

2. On the Progress® Kendo UI® for Vue row, click the Download key link in the LICENSE KEY column and copy the license code.

3. Load the common kendo-licensing script before the component scripts.

   html

   <script src="https://unpkg.com/@progress/kendo-licensing/dist/index.js"></script>

4. Add your Script License key after the @progress/kendo-licensing script

   html

   <script src="https://unpkg.com/@progress/kendo-licensing/dist/index.js"></script>
   <script>KendoLicensing.setScriptKey('.................You License Key.......................');</script>

5. Add the rest of the scripts you want to use.

Suggested Links

• Setting Up Your License Key
• License Activation Errors and Warnings
• Frequently Asked Questions about Your Kendo UI for Vue License Key