Find your Office product key

When you install or activate Office 365, Office 2016, or Office 2013, you might be prompted to enter a 25-character product key that uses a combination of letters and numbers in this format:

XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

If you bought an Office product key card, the product key might be concealed with silver foil that you scratch off to reveal the product key.

I found my product key. Where do I enter it?

I don't have my product key, but I know my Microsoft account that's associated with Office

My product key stopped working

How to find your product key

The way you can find your product key depends on how you got Office 365, Office 2016, or Office 2013. Select how you got Office from the options below.

Tip: For older versions of Office, see Office 2010 product keys, Office 2007 product keys, or Office for Mac 2011 product keys.

I already installed Office and want to view my product key

For security reasons, the full product key isn't displayed within Office. Instead, you can do one of the following:

• View the Microsoft account that's associated with your Office install by opening Word 2016, PowerPoint 2016, or Excel 2016 and going to File > Account. Look for the email address after Belongs to below the product name. You can use this account to reinstall Office from My Office Account without a product key. If you can't remember the password to your Microsoft account, see I can't remember the Microsoft account I use with Office.

• View the last 5 characters of the product key by using the command-line method described in Manage multiple one-time-purchase Office installs that use the same Microsoft account.

• View the full product key on the My Office Account page.

Viewing your product key on My Office Account works only for the 2013 and 2016 versions of the following products:

• Office Home & Student

• Office Home & Business

• Office Professional

Here's how to view your product key on the My Office Account page:

1. Go to My Office Account, and then select Install from a disc.

   

2. Select I have a disc, and then select View your product key.

   

Do you manage several installations of Office that are all tied to one Microsoft account? Did you lose track of which product key was used to install Office on which PC? If you answered yes to these questions, see Manage multiple one-time-purchase Office installs that use the same Microsoft account to learn how to identify which Office product key was used to install Office on each PC.

If you have already installed multiple one-time purchases of Office and activation is failing on subsequent installs, see Change your Office product key.

Office came pre-installed on a new PC or device

If you didn't receive a product key with your new PC, and you see options Try, Buy, or Activate when you start Office, this likely means that your new PC shipped with an Office 365 Home trial that's good for one month. You don't need a product key to start a free trial.

If you only see the option to Activate and the text Office is included with this PC when you start Office, this means an Office product or Office 365 subscription was included with your new PC. You don't need a product key to activate Office in this case.

If you paid for a product key card but didn't receive one, or if your PC was supposed to include a free offer for Office but didn't, please try following the steps under I bought Office or received an offer for Office with my new PC, but I'm seeing the Try, Buy, and Activate screen. If the problem persists, contact your PC manufacturer or the store where you bought your PC.

If you need help activating Office that's pre-installed on your new PC or device, see Try, buy, or activate Office that's pre-installed on a new computer.

I bought an Office box or product key card from a retailer

If you bought a physical box or product key card, look for the 25-character product key. It uses a combination of numbers, letters, and hyphens in this format:

XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Here is an example of where to locate your Office product key in an Office box or Office product key card:

A product box or product key card might also contain bar codes and other groups of letters and numbers, but the product key will always be shown in the format described above. If you don't see the product key in this format, it might be obscured by a silver foil coating. Carefully scratch off any coating to reveal the product key.

Next step: I found my product key. Where do I enter it?

I bought Office from an online store

If you purchased and downloaded Office from an online store, the product key might be in your email receipt.

Try the following to find this confirmation email:

• Check your spam, bulk, or junk mail folders for the email.

• Try searching your email for the word "Microsoft" or the name of the company where you bought Office.

• If you have multiple email accounts, check the email account that you provided when you purchased Office.

Note: Product keys aren't emailed for online purchases of Office 365 because you don't need a product key when buying Office 365 online.

If the product key isn't in the email receipt or if you can't find the email receipt, you may be able to retrieve the product key by using the Order History link for the store you made the purchase from:

• Microsoft Store: Go to www.microsoftstore.com and sign in with the user ID and password you used to purchase and download Office. After you sign in, click Digital content to view the product keys.

  

Next step: I found my product key. Where do I enter it?

I bought Office through the Home Use Program (HUP)

Here's how to find your product key through the Home Use Program. If you need more help, see Install or reinstall Office through the Home Use Program (HUP).

1. Go to microsofthup.com.

2. Select the Order History link in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

3. Enter the work email address that you used to buy Office. This will send an email to yourself that contains a link to your order history.

4. In the email you receive, select the link to view your order history.

5. On the Order History web page, select your order number.

   Your product key is listed under Microsoft Office Product Key (FPP) on the Order Details web page.

   

   If there is no product key listed, your HUP program code has expired. Please contact your Benefit Administrator to determine if the program code has been updated or if your employer is still eligible for the Home Use Program. After you have confirmed your eligibility, you can contact support for assistance.

I bought or burned an Office DVD or am using the offline installer

You'll be prompted for a product key when you install the following versions of Office from a DVD or by using the offline installer:

• Office Home & Student

• Office Home & Business

• Office Professional

To continue, you can sign in with your Microsoft account by selecting the Sign in with an active account instead link in the Enter your product key dialog box. There's no need to enter a product key, but if you want to find it, here's how:

1. Go to My Office Account, and then select Install from a disc.

   

2. Select I have a disc, and then select View your product key.

   

I use Office Professional Plus at work (volume license customers)

If you're at work and Office Professional Plus is prompting you to enter a product key, ask your administrator for a product key. To learn more, see Activate volume editions of Office.

I bought Office 365 for business through a partner

When you activate or renew a Microsoft Open subscription, you don't have to manually enter a product key because the system automatically enters it for you. To learn how, see Enter a key purchased through Microsoft Open. For help, contact your Office 365 partner.

I got Office through my school as a student

You don't need a product key to activate Office.

To get started, go to Office 365 Education and sign up with your school email address. If your school provides the full Office desktop apps, you'll see the Install button on your Office 365 home page after you sign up.

I lost my product key

Remember that if you associated your copy of Office with a Microsoft account, you don't need your product key to reinstall Office 365, Office 2016, or Office 2013. Just follow the steps in Install Office on your PC or Mac.

Expand a section below to learn how to replace a lost Office 365, Office 2016, or Office 2016 product key.

My product key is lost or damaged. How do I replace it?

If you lost your product key, but have a valid proof of purchase, see I want to talk to a human at the bottom of this page. Microsoft support may be able replace your product key or provide other options.

I lost my product key. How do I buy Office?

If you believe the product key has been lost, stolen, or misplaced and you simply would like to purchase a newer version of Office, you can click Buy Office to see your purchase options. If you are shopping for Office elsewhere, we recommend that you review our tips for safer shopping to make sure you're buying genuine Microsoft software. Be sure to read the tip called Beware of Product Keys Sold Separately if you want to buy a product key online.

If you'd like to learn more about the latest version of Office first, see What's the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016? and Why you should upgrade to Office 2016.

If you associated a Microsoft account with Office, you don't need a product key

If Office is prompting you for a product key, you can enter your Microsoft account instead. Try selecting the Sign in with an active account instead link in the Enter your product key dialog box and sign in with the Microsoft account that you associated with Office. We can help if you can't remember the Microsoft account you use with Office.

Are you trying to reinstall Office? You don't need a product key to reinstall Office 365, Office 2016, or Office 2013. Just follow the steps in Install Office on your PC or Mac.

I can't remember my Microsoft account or password

If you forgot which Microsoft account that you use with Office, see I can't remember the Microsoft account I use with Office. If you can't remember your password, you can reset it at https://account.live.com/ResetPassword.aspx.

My Office product key stopped working

If your Office product key doesn't work, or has stopped working, you should contact the seller and request a refund. If you bought a product key separate from the software, it's very possible the product key was stolen or otherwise fraudulently obtained, and subsequently blocked for use. Unfortunately, there are many dishonest sellers who offer stolen, abused, or otherwise unauthorized Microsoft product keys for sale. Sometimes these product keys are printed on counterfeit labels or cards with a download link to Microsoft software, and sometimes they're distributed with software media that is unauthorized for resale, such as promotional media, original equipment manufacturer reinstallation media, or other Microsoft program-specific media.

I want to talk to a human about my product key

If you've followed the guidance in this article and still need help, visit our Microsoft support page for assistance.

Were these steps helpful?

Let us know in the Was this information helpful? section at the bottom of this topic. If they weren't, and you're still having trouble, tell us what you were trying to do, and what problems you encountered.