Activate Office 2021 Professional Plus
Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook: in just a few steps you'll download, install and activate Office 2021 with your own product key. We'll guide you through it calmly.
Office 2021 Professional Plus is a one-time purchase: you pay once and use it indefinitely on one PC, with no subscription. You link your product key to a free Microsoft account, so your licence stays safely stored and you can reinstall Office later whenever you like.
Have this ready
- Your 25-digit product key from your Liceon confirmation email.
- A free Microsoft account (you can create one at account.microsoft.com if you don't have one yet).
- First remove any trial version or older Office from your PC to avoid conflicts.
- A stable internet connection for the download and activation.
How to install and activate Office 2021
Follow method 1 for the simplest route. The Command Prompt is there as a backup for when activation in the app plays up.
Via your Microsoft account
This keeps your licence linked so you can always download again.
- 1Go to setup.office.com and sign in with your Microsoft account (or create one for free).
- 2Enter your 25-digit product key and choose your country and language.
- 3Click Next; your key is now linked to your account and you'll arrive at your download page.
- 4Click Install and run the downloaded installer file. Office will be installed.
- 5Open Word or Excel; thanks to your account, Office is already activated. If you do see a sign-in screen, sign in with the same Microsoft account.
Enter the key in the app
For when Office is already on your PC but not yet activated.
- 1Open an Office app, for example Word.
- 2Click File at the top left, then Account.
- 3Choose 'Activate Product' or 'Change product key'.
- 4Enter your 25-digit product key and follow the on-screen prompts.
- 5Restart the app after activation; your Office is now fully unlocked.
Activation stuck? Activate by phone
If Office can't connect online, you can activate for free by phone. Microsoft guides you through the whole thing via an automated system.
- 1Open an Office app and start activation; if an error appears, choose 'I want to use other activation methods' or 'Activate by phone'.
- 2Select your country or region; a free phone number will appear.
- 3Call the number and read out the Installation ID from your screen to the automated system.
- 4Type in the Confirmation ID you're given and finish the activation.
Getting an error message?
The most common messages with Office 2021 and how to fix them.
An Office 2021 licence is for one PC. Moving Office to a new PC? Then remove it from the old machine first. If that's done and the message stays, let us know with a screenshot and we'll make sure you can get going.
Nearly always a typo. Check your entry carefully (0 versus O, 1 versus I) and, ideally, copy the key straight from your confirmation email. Don't add spaces between the groups.
Usually you're signed in with the wrong account. In Word, go to File › Account and check that you're signed in with the same Microsoft account you linked the key to. Sign out and back in if needed.
Then Office is probably already activated via your account, or there's still a trial version on your PC. Remove any trial version via Settings › Apps, reinstall Office through setup.office.com and the button will appear where needed.
Didn't work? We'll put it right
If Office keeps snagging, we won't leave you to sink. Send us the error message and we'll look into it personally until Word and Excel simply open. Works-guarantee on every licence.