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+# DashCaddy License Server Implementation Plan
+
+## Goal
+
+Connect live Stripe billing to DashCaddy Premium licensing without inventing a second license model.
+
+## Existing DashCaddy integration points
+
+The main DashCaddy app already has the core license hooks:
+- `dashcaddy-api/license-keygen.js`
+- `dashcaddy-api/license-manager.js`
+- `dashcaddy-api/routes/license.js`
+
+The app already supports:
+- `LICENSE_SERVER_URL`
+- online validation at `/api/license/validate`
+- online deactivation at `/api/license/deactivate`
+- offline HMAC validation fallback
+- premium feature checks for:
+  - `sso`
+  - `recipes`
+  - `swarm`
+
+## Locked product decisions
+
+### Free tier
+Everything works without a license except premium-gated features.
+
+### Premium tier
+Paid subscriptions unlock:
+- `sso`
+- `recipes`
+- `swarm`
+
+### Stripe plans
+- 1 month — $25
+- 3 months — $50
+- 6 months — $65
+- 12 months — $99
+
+### Subscription policy
+- recurring subscriptions
+- 7-day grace period on failed payment
+- cancel at period end
+- one active machine at a time
+- transfer requires deactivation from previous machine
+- no public lifetime plan
+
+## Recommended system shape
+
+### Website (`dashcaddy.net`)
+Responsibilities:
+- show Premium pricing cards
+- create Stripe Checkout sessions through the license server
+- redirect to Stripe Checkout
+- return users to success/cancel pages
+
+### License server (`dashcaddy-license-server`)
+Responsibilities:
+- create Stripe Checkout sessions
+- ingest Stripe webhooks
+- maintain customer/license/subscription state
+- issue and renew DashCaddy-compatible licenses
+- validate license activations
+- enforce one-active-machine policy
+- accept deactivation requests
+- provide admin support tooling later
+
+### Stripe
+Source of truth for:
+- customers
+- subscriptions
+- invoices
+- payment state
+- cancellation state
+
+## Proposed API surface
+
+### Public endpoints for website
+- `POST /api/checkout/session`
+- `GET /api/public/plans`
+
+### DashCaddy app endpoints
+- `POST /api/license/validate`
+- `POST /api/license/deactivate`
+
+### Stripe webhook endpoint
+- `POST /api/stripe/webhook`
+
+### Future admin endpoints
+- `GET /api/admin/licenses/:code`
+- `POST /api/admin/licenses/:code/override`
+- `POST /api/admin/licenses/:code/reset-activation`
+
+## Data model
+
+### customers
+- id
+- email
+- stripe_customer_id
+- created_at
+- updated_at
+
+### subscriptions
+- id
+- customer_id
+- stripe_subscription_id
+- stripe_price_id
+- plan_code
+- status
+- current_period_start
+- current_period_end
+- cancel_at_period_end
+- grace_until
+- created_at
+- updated_at
+
+### licenses
+- id
+- customer_id
+- subscription_id
+- license_code
+- tier
+- features_json
+- status
+- expires_at
+- last_validated_at
+- created_at
+- updated_at
+
+### activations
+- id
+- license_id
+- machine_fingerprint
+- hostname
+- platform
+- arch
+- cpu
+- mac_hash
+- activated_at
+- deactivated_at
+- status
+
+### stripe_events
+- id
+- stripe_event_id
+- type
+- processed_at
+- payload_json
+
+## Stripe plan mapping
+
+One Premium product, four recurring prices:
+- `premium_monthly`
+- `premium_3month`
+- `premium_6month`
+- `premium_12month`
+
+All plans unlock the same Premium features. Only the billing interval differs.
+
+## Activation logic
+
+### Validation request from DashCaddy
+Expected inputs:
+- license code
+- machine fingerprint
+- machine metadata
+
+Validation rules:
+1. license exists and is active
+2. subscription is active or in grace period
+3. license not expired
+4. no active activation on a different machine
+5. if first activation, bind to this machine
+6. if same machine, refresh validation
+7. if different machine while old activation still active, reject
+
+### Deactivation request
+1. find active activation for license
+2. mark activation deactivated
+3. free license for reuse on another machine
+
+## Renewal logic
+
+On successful Stripe renewal:
+- keep same customer/license relationship
+- extend effective entitlement through subscription period
+- license remains active continuously
+
+On payment failure:
+- mark subscription past_due-like state
+- set `grace_until = current time + 7 days`
+
+On cancellation:
+- keep access until current_period_end
+- then expire
+
+## Website integration plan
+
+The `dashcaddy.net` marketing site should be updated to:
+- add Premium pricing section buttons
+- each button POSTs to `/api/checkout/session` with a plan code
+- redirect to returned Stripe Checkout URL
+- success page explains license delivery/activation flow
+- cancellation page returns user to pricing
+
+## Deployment target
+
+Deploy `dashcaddy-license-server` on Contabo.
+
+Initial env expected:
+- `STRIPE_SECRET_KEY`
+- `STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET`
+- `STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY`
+- `APP_BASE_URL`
+- `DASHCADDY_WEBSITE_URL`
+- `DATABASE_URL`
+- `LICENSE_SIGNING_SECRET` or reused DashCaddy-compatible secret path
+
+## Immediate next build steps
+
+1. Scaffold Node service for `dashcaddy-license-server`
+2. Add Stripe SDK, Express, and SQLite/Postgres adapter layer
+3. Build `/api/public/plans`
+4. Build `/api/checkout/session`
+5. Build `/api/stripe/webhook`
+6. Port/reuse DashCaddy-compatible license generation/validation helpers
+7. Build `/api/license/validate`
+8. Build `/api/license/deactivate`
+9. Wire pricing CTA buttons into `dashcaddy.net`
+10. Test with Stripe test mode flow before flipping deployed env to live operation