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The Setup Wizard is Flex Forms’ short onboarding screen for a brand-new (or not-yet-activated) install. It exists so you do not have to hunt for the License tab on day one: paste your Public API key, optionally set a couple of brand defaults, save, and land in the Forms Hub. It is not a second license system. Whatever you enter here is the same Public API key stored under Global Settings → License. Completing the wizard once is enough; you can always change the key later from Global Settings.
The wizard only appears when Flex Forms does not already have a Public API key saved in your app. After a valid pk_forms_… key is stored, you will not see the wizard again on normal visits — use Global Settings if you need to update the key or brand defaults.

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When the wizard appears

Flex Forms checks whether a Public API key is already saved for this installation. Typical moments you meet the wizard:
  1. Right after Installation, the first time you open Flex Forms in Filament.
  2. On a fresh database / new environment where Global Settings never received a pk_forms_… key.
  3. After someone cleared license settings (rare) so the saved Public API key is empty again.
You do not need the wizard if you prefer to go straight to Global Settings → License and paste the key there. Both paths write the same field.

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What you need before you start

Complete these before relying on the wizard (or you will save a key and still see a locked Studio):
  1. Package installed — Composer require, migrate, panel plugin — see Installation.
  2. License Portal account — register with email, password, and your Lemon Squeezy license key. The portal then generates cmp_… and pk_forms_… — see The License Portal.
  3. Hostname registered — the exact host in your browser address bar is on your portal domain list — see Activate license.
  4. Public API key copied — the portal-generated value starting with pk_forms_… (not the Lemon key).
Paste Public API key (pk_forms_…) only. Never paste the Composer token (cmp_…) and never paste the Lemon Squeezy license key into the wizard or into Global Settings. The Lemon key is only for portal registration; Composer auth uses cmp_….

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Exact fields in the wizard

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Public API key (required)

This is the only credential the wizard needs to activate Flex Forms inside Filament. One Public API key covers all domains on your portal account — you do not get a different pk_forms_… per hostname.

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Optional brand defaults

These are shortcuts so new installs look intentional on day one. You can skip them and set everything later in Global Settings.
Changing the public URL prefix after forms are already shared can break live links. Prefer setting the prefix early, or leave it empty until you know the path you want. Details: Global Settings.

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Step-by-step

1

Install the package first

Finish Installation so the Flex Forms plugin is registered on your Filament panel and migrations have run. The wizard cannot activate a package that is not installed.
2

Prepare the License Portal

Sign in at license.bjanczak.com/flex-forms/panel. Copy Your Public API Key (pk_forms_…). Add the exact hostname staff will open (production, staging, or local .test). Portal walkthrough: The License Portal. Domain rules: Activate license.
3

Open the wizard

Open the Flex Forms area in Filament. If no Public API key is saved yet, the Setup Wizard appears (or a prompt leads you into it).If you somehow land in Forms without the wizard and Studio is still locked, open Global Settings → License instead — that is the same Public API key field.
4

Paste Public API key

In the field labeled Public API key, paste the full pk_forms_… value from the portal. Do not trim characters. Do not add spaces. Confirm the prefix is pk_forms_, not cmp_.
5

Optionally set brand defaults

Set a public URL prefix and/or Studio color if you already know your branding. Skip if you are unsure — you can configure Appearance and Public URLs anytime under Global Settings.
6

Save and continue

Save. You should land in the Forms Hub. Next: Create your first form.If Studio or publish still looks locked after save, the key may be wrong or the browser hostname is not on the portal list — see Troubleshooting below and Activate license.

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Relationship to Global Settings → License

Think of the Setup Wizard as a first-run shortcut to one tab of Global Settings. Updating the key in Global Settings → License overwrites what the wizard saved. There is no separate “wizard-only” key.

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Domain registration still required

Saving pk_forms_… in the wizard (or in Global Settings) only stores the key in your application. The License Portal must still list the exact hostname where Filament is open. If the key is correct but the host is missing or mistyped, license checks fail and Studio / publish stay locked. Examples of exact hosts (each is its own seat):
  • Production: admin.example.com or example.com
  • Staging: staging.example.com
  • Local: my-app.test
www.example.com and example.com are different seats. Prefer the hostname staff actually type into the browser. Register it in the portal before or immediately after you paste the Public API key.

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Troubleshooting

Confirm you used a Public API key (pk_forms_…), not:
  • Composer token (cmp_…) from Install via Composer
  • Lemon Squeezy license key from your receipt / My Orders
Re-copy from the portal’s Your Public API Key section. The expected shape is pk_forms_ + 32 hex characters. Avoid trailing spaces or a truncated clipboard paste.
Look at the hostname in the browser address bar and compare it character-for-character with the portal domain list. Add the missing host, or remove a typo and re-add. Then reload Filament.The wizard does not register domains for you — only the License Portal does. Full steps: Activate license.
Once a Public API key is stored, the Setup Wizard usually does not show again. Open the Flex Forms left rail → Global Settings → License tab → paste or replace License public key → save → reload.Global Settings remains available even when the license is invalid, so you can always recover.
Yes. URL prefix and Studio color are optional. Set them later under Global Settings → Public URLs and Appearance. They do not affect whether the license is valid.
Yes. After install, go to Global Settings → License, paste pk_forms_…, save, and ensure the hostname is registered. Then continue to Create your first form.
Paste the new pk_forms_… into Global Settings → License (the wizard will not automatically reappear). Update every environment that stores the old key.

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What success looks like

After a correct Public API key and a matching registered hostname:
  • You can open Forms, create and edit forms in Studio
  • Publish / share / embed paths work according to your plan
  • Brand defaults (if you set them) show up in Studio color and public fill URLs
If anything is still locked, treat it as an activation problem, not an install problem — return to Activate license and The License Portal.
Last modified on September 7, 2026