The ArcGIS Developer Subscription (ADS) Renewal Process

The ArcGIS Developer Subscription (ADS) renewal process can sometimes be confusing. Which account do I use when renewing? Do I have to create a new Dev & Test Sandbox Organization each year? Why does my subscription have two usernames? This blog post will answer these questions and guide you on how to renew your developer subscription in just a few minutes.

It’s that time of year. Your ADS is about to expire and you’ve been sent a new code to renew it. It has been so long since you originally activated or renewed that you can’t remember the process, or the users involved in the renewal process.  How do you get started? Let’s jump in.
 

Watch this tutorial video that outlines the ADS renewal process. It includes a summary on which user account to use, and a demo of the renewal process. The instructions shown in the video are described in detail below.

Where should I start?

First, you’ll need to sign into my.esri.com with a specific user account to start the renewal process.

Which user account should I use to renew?

Each developer subscription includes two unique accounts.  First user is your MyEsri/developer account, and the second user is your Dev & Test Sandbox ArcGIS Online administrator account.

Why are these two users necessary, and what are their differences? 

Note: An ADS can be used without the Sandbox ArcGIS Online Organization if there is no need for the Web GIS component and named user licenses. It does not impact the renewal steps.

Come renewal time, you’ll want to use your MyEsri/Developer account to renew in my.esri.com.
 

How do I know I’ve signed in with the correct user account?

In most cases, MyEsri users who have subscribed to an ADS in the past will have a Developer section within their My Organizations tab.

The developer section found within MyEsri accounts subscribed to an ADS.

Within this developer section, you should find your current subscription status in the left hand menu, under Developer Subscription.

In addition to this, when renewing your developer subscription via https://my.esri.com/#/developer-subscription/subscribe, you should see a blue note, indicating the expiry date of your subscription.

Note to ADS users of their expiry date for the current subscription.

If you see both a developer section and the blue warning with your ADS expiry date, you can proceed with entering your new code to renew your subscription.

If you do not see either the developer section or the blue warning with your ADS expiry date, then you’ve not signed in with the correct user account. Do not continue with the activation process, and instead try another user account.
 

How do I recover my lost usernames?

If you do not see the above indicators that you’ve signed in with the correct user account, and you can’t remember any other usernames you’ve leveraged in the past, try using the Forgot Username option when prompted to sign in.

ArcGIS sign-in page used to recover lost usernames and passwords.

Once you’ve entered your email, all usernames associated with that email will be sent to you. Try going through each of them, if you have multiple ones, until you see either of the two indicators above in MyEsri.

If you still cannot recall which username you’ve used in the past, contact Esri Canada Technical Support to assist you further.
 

I’ve signed in with the correct user account and subscribed, now what?

You’re finished! Your single use licenses will be available for renewing your desktop and enterprise products in MyEsri through your developer section; and within a few minutes, your Dev & Test Sandbox ArcGIS Online organization should be renewed. You can log in to the site using arcgis.com, and also leverage your ArcGIS Pro and AppStudio developer named user licenses.

I hope this helped you understand the accounts used in each ADS. Next time you’re renewing your developer subscription, make sure to keep this guide handy.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below.

This post was translated to French and can be viewed here.