Licensing & Activation

TableCrafter core (v3.5.6) is 100% free and GPL-licensed with no key to enter and no activation step. The "Pro" upgrade is a separate companion plugin, Advanced Data Tables for Gravity Forms (formerly Gravity Tables), sold and activated through Freemius.

TL;DR

• TableCrafter (this plugin) is free, GPLv2-or-later. Install it, activate it, and every feature documented here works immediately. There is no license key, serial, or activation screen.
• Pro = a different plugin. Frontend editing, bulk actions, conditional formatting and OAuth/header-auth APIs live in Advanced Data Tables for Gravity Forms, a separate paid product distributed through Freemius.
• The Freemius license/activation flow described below applies to that companion plugin, not to TableCrafter core.

How TableCrafter Core Is Licensed

The plugin header and readme.txt both declare the license explicitly:

# From tablecrafter.php and readme.txt
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
Stable tag: 3.5.6

Because it is GPLv2-or-later, you are free to use TableCrafter on unlimited sites, modify it, and redistribute it under the same license. There are no per-site seats, no usage caps, and no expiry.

What Happens on Activation

Activating TableCrafter does not validate a license. The activation hook performs a single, local action: it sets a one-time flag so WordPress can redirect you to the onboarding screen.

// tablecrafter.php — activation hook
public static function activate(): void
{
    add_option('tc_do_activation_redirect', true);
}

On the next admin page load, welcome_redirect() consumes that flag, deletes it, and sends you to the Welcome page. After that, the redirect never fires again.

1. You click Activate on the Plugins screen.
2. tc_do_activation_redirect is added with value true.
3. On the next non-AJAX, non-network admin request, you are redirected to admin.php?page=tablecrafter-welcome.
4. The flag is deleted; normal admin browsing resumes.

Where to Find TableCrafter in wp-admin

TableCrafter registers a top-level menu and one submenu. Both require the manage_options capability (typically an Administrator).

Notice there is no "License" or "Activation" submenu. That absence is intentional: the free plugin has nothing to license.

Using TableCrafter Without Any Activation

Every core capability is available the moment the plugin is active. Drop the shortcode into any post, page, or widget:

[tablecrafter source="https://api.example.com/data.json"]

A live-dashboard example using only free, real attributes:

[tablecrafter source="https://api.example.com/stocks.json"
             auto_refresh="true"
             refresh_interval="60000"
             refresh_indicator="true"
             refresh_last_updated="true"]

None of these attributes are gated behind a license. The shortcode tag tablecrafter is registered unconditionally in the plugin constructor via add_shortcode('tablecrafter', ...).

The Pro Upgrade: Advanced Data Tables for Gravity Forms

When the documentation or the in-plugin Welcome screen mentions "Pro," it refers to a separate premium plugin, not a paid tier of TableCrafter. It is distributed through Freemius and unlocks Gravity Forms-centric features:

• Frontend editing — let users update their own entries directly from the table.
• Role-based permissions — control who can view, edit, or delete data.
• Bulk actions — delete, approve, or modify hundreds of entries at once.
• Advanced filtering — logic-based filters, date ranges, multi-select dropdowns.
• Conditional formatting — highlight rows or cells based on their values.
• Pro export — export filtered views to Excel, CSV, or PDF.
• Unlimited tables, columns, and rows.
• OAuth / header-based API auth — beyond the free version's public and key-in-URL APIs.

Freemius Licensing & Activation Flow (Companion Plugin)

The "Learn More" button on the TableCrafter Welcome screen, and the upgrade section of the readme, link to the Freemius checkout for the Pro plugin:

# Welcome screen "Learn More" button
https://checkout.freemius.com/plugin/20996/plan/35031/

# readme.txt upgrade link (starts the paid trial)
https://checkout.freemius.com/plugin/20996/plan/35031/?trial=paid

Because the Pro product ships with the Freemius SDK, its licensing follows the standard Freemius lifecycle:

1. Start the trial. Click the checkout link to begin a 7-day free trial. You can cancel anytime before it ends to avoid being charged, and Freemius emails a reminder 2 days before the trial expires.
2. Receive a license. After checkout (or trial start), Freemius issues a license key tied to your account and emails it to you.
3. Install the Pro plugin. Upload and activate Advanced Data Tables for Gravity Forms on your site.
4. Activate the license. Use the Freemius opt-in/activation prompt that the Pro plugin presents on activation, entering your license key or signing in to your Freemius account.
5. Manage from the account. Deactivate the license to move it to another site, view invoices, or manage the subscription from your Freemius user dashboard.

Custom Work Instead of a License

If you need a capability that neither the free plugin nor the Pro companion covers — a bespoke API integration, a custom layout, or a one-off feature — the author offers paid custom development. There is no license tier for this; it is arranged directly by emailing info@fahdmurtaza.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need a license key to use TableCrafter? No. The free plugin has no key and no activation screen.
• Will my tables stop working if a "license expires"? No. TableCrafter has no expiring license. Only the separate Freemius-powered Pro plugin has a subscription.
• Can I use the free version on client sites? Yes, on unlimited sites, under GPLv2-or-later.
• How do I get OAuth/header-based API auth? That is a Pro (Gravity Forms companion) capability, or available through custom development.

Next, see shortcode-reference.html for the full list of free [tablecrafter] attributes, or export-excel-pdf.html to learn how the built-in XLSX and PDF export works without any license.