User Metering

content/en/docs/deployment/general/licensing-apps/contract-management.md → content/en/docs/deployment/general/contract-management/_index.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: "Contract Management"
 url: /developerportal/deploy/contract-management/
-weight: 20
+weight: 10
 description: "Understand your Mendix subscription lifecycle, contract statuses, renewal timelines, and critical actions to ensure continuous service and prevent data loss."
 ---
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ This document provides detailed information about the status of your Mendix appl
 Your Mendix subscription is categorized into three main statuses: Active, Expiring, and Expired, based on your contract's expiry date.
 
 | Account Status | Timeline | Impact |
-|---------------|----------|--------------------|
+| --------------- | ---------- | -------------------- |
 | **Active (Green)** | Until 30 days before contract expiry | Your account is fully active, with all services available and application runtimes functioning normally. This is the optimal state for uninterrupted Mendix usage. |
 | **Expiring (Orange)** | From 30 days before contract expiry until contract end date | All services continue to function normally. You receive email reminders, notifications, and banner alerts on Mendix Platform about your upcoming renewal. |
 | **Expired (Red)** | From the day after contract expiry up to 60 days | Your account and applications are downgraded to **Unlicensed** mode. You can manually restart apps, but they will automatically shut down after 2-4 hours and are limited to 6 concurrent users. Platform features are not disabled.|
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ This is your final opportunity to renew your contract and avoid service disrupti
 #### Pre-Expiry Timeline Summary{#pre-expiry-timeline-summary}
 
 | **Days Before Expiry** | **Key Actions** | **Status** |
-|------------------------|-----------------|------------|
+| ------------------------ | ----------------- | ------------ |
 | **90 days** | Contact Account Team for renewal | Active |
 | **30 days** | Finalize renewal discussions | Expiring |
 | **15 days** | Download data if not renewing | Expiring |
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Application data deletion is irreversible. Make sure to download all necessary a
 #### Post-Expiry Timeline Summary{#post-expiry-timeline-summary}
 
 | **Days After Expiry** | **Key Actions** | **Status** |
-|------------------------|-----------------|------------|
+| ------------------------ | ----------------- | ------------ |
 | **0 days (Expired)** | Contract expires | Expired |
 | **+1 day** | Limited access | Expired |
 | **+60 days** | Data permanently deleted | Expired |

content/en/docs/deployment/general/licensing-apps/_index.md → content/en/docs/deployment/general/contract-management/licensing-apps.md

@@ -31,6 +31,25 @@ For each environment for which you want to remove the restrictions placed on an
 
 The app checks for a license each time it is started. If the license expires while the app is running, it will continue to run until the next time it is started, when the license will be checked again.
 
+## User Types and Definitions
+
+Mendix licenses follow user-based pricing plans. This means customers pay based on how many users need access and what type of access they require for their Mendix applications.
+Customers can purchase user licenses in the following categories:
+
+### Multi-App Internal User
+
+These are internal users (employee or contractor of the customer or affiliated company or group) who can access any number of applications, and are licensed under the  Multi-app internal user pack. Each internal user is counted as one unique user, regardless of how many apps they access.
+
+### Single-App Internal User
+
+An internal user (employee or contractor) licensed for only one specific application and counted as one user limited to a single designated app. They are licensed under the Single-app internal user pack.
+
+### External User
+
+A user who is not an employee or contractor of the customer or its affiliates, and is explicitly marked “External” within your Mendix application data. This is one unique user across all apps designated for external use and licensed under the External user pack.
+
+For more information on legal definitions, refer to [Order Form Definitions](https://www.mendix.com/legal/platform-usage/order-form-definitions/).
+
 ## Obtaining a Mendix License{#get-license}
 
 {{% alert color="info" %}}

content/en/docs/deployment/general/contract-management/user-metering/_index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+---
+title: "User Metering"
+url: /developerportal/deploy/user-metering/
+weight: 20
+description: "This document describes how user metering works."
+---
+
+## Introduction
+
+End-user metering is the process Mendix uses to determine the number and type of users accessing applications in accordance with license agreements. Proper user classification ensures accurate reporting, optimal licensing costs, and transparency for both customers and Mendix. Customers can access Usage Report through the Control Center application on the Mendix Platform. <!-- Link Usage Report from the Control Center doc -->
+
+{{% alert color="info" %}}
+End-user metering is currently available for applications deployed to Mendix Cloud and Mendix Cloud Dedicated environments.
+{{% /alert %}}
+
+Mendix licenses include user-based pricing plans. With user-based pricing, customers purchase licenses based on the number of users who need access to their Mendix applications. Customers can purchase user licenses in the following categories:
+
+* Multi-App Internal User
+* Single-App Internal User
+* External User
+
+For more information, refer to the [User Types and Definitions](/developerportal/deploy/licensing-apps-outside-mxcloud/#user-types-and-definitions) section of the *Licensing apps*.
+
+### Key Features
+
+* Automatic tracking – User consumption is automatically tracked from the moment your app is deployed to production and becomes functional, ensuring real-time tracking. 
+* Monthly reporting – Usage data is collected regularly, processed monthly, and is available in the Control Center.
+* Application-level visibility – you get the detailed insights into named user counts for each application, helping you to identify optimization opportunities
+* License type classification – Users are classified by license type as External, Multi-App Internal, or Single-App Internal. This classification gives you accurate license tracking and helps optimize licensing costs. 
+* Historical data – User metering provides you with access to usage data for all months since user metering was enabled.
+
+## How User Metering Works
+
+User metering in the Mendix cloud operates through a three-stage automated process, and it is enabled by default for apps deployed in Mendix cloud environments. 
+
+### Data Collection
+
+Once users are classified as `internal` or `external`, all applications on the Mendix Cloud and Mendix Cloud Dedicated automatically send user data back to the Mendix platform. The data is collected throughout the month only from the production environment. PII information (username and other user identifiers) is hashed at source before transmission to ensure data privacy.
+
+### Data Aggregation and Deduplication
+
+At the end of each month, the Mendix Platform aggregates the collected data. Users are counted and rolled up to the app portfolio level. This process is detailed in the [User Aggregation and Deduplication](/developerportal/deploy/user-metering/#how-user-aggregation-and-deduplication-work) section below.
+
+### User Classification and Reporting
+
+Users are thereafter automatically classified in the following sequence:
+
+1. External Users
+2. Single-App Users
+3. Multi-App Internal Users (default)
+
+End-of-month usage reports are generated at the beginning of every month and made available via the Control Center dashboard. Reports are generally available on the 1st of each month for the previous month's usage.
+
+## How User Aggregation and Deduplication Work
+
+The user aggregation and deduplication process determines which user pack is consumed when a user accesses one or more of your applications. The process evaluates users in a sequence so that each user is counted according to the correct license pack without duplication. The classification follows the steps below:
+
+### Classifying External Users
+
+The first step is to determine whether a user is an external user:
+
+* If the customer has a valid External User Pack subscription, and
+* The user is explicitly marked as "External" within the application
+
+Then the User is classified as an External User.
+
+Once classified, the user is licensed under the External User Pack and excluded from further classification steps. For more information, see the [User classification](/developerportal/deploy/implementing-user-metering/#user-classification) section of *Implementing Metering*.
+
+All remaining users are classified as internal Users and further classified as described in the sections below.
+
+### Classifying Single-App Internal Users
+
+After external users are classified, the classification process further classifies the single-app internal users.
+
+If the application is associated with a Single-App Internal User Pack, the user of the app will be classified as a single-app internal user. This user will be counted against the single-app internal user pack for that application.
+
+For more details on how to assign single-app user packs to your apps, refer to the [Assigning Single-App Internal User Packs](to be linked) section of the Control Center.
+
+### Classifying Multi-App Internal Users
+
+After external users and single-app internal users have been identified, any remaining internal users are classified as multi-app internal users.
+These users are licensed under the multi-app internal user pack, and no further action is required from your side.

content/en/docs/deployment/general/contract-management/user-metering/faq.md

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+---
+title: "Frequently Asked Questions on User Metering"
+linktitle: FAQs on User Metering
+url: /developerportal/deploy/faq/
+weight: 40
+description: "This document contains a list of frequently asked questions on user metering."
+---
+
+## Introduction
+
+This document answers common questions about user metering, outlining user classification and users.
+
+## General Questions
+
+### Is User Metering Automatically Enabled?
+
+User metering is automatically enabled for all Mendix Cloud and Mendix Cloud Dedicated applications without requiring any configuration or setup for usage data collection. Data collection begins as soon as your application is deployed to a production environment. 
+
+### Where Can I View My User Consumption Data?
+
+Navigate to the **Control Center** > **Entitlements** > **End-Users** > **Usage Report**.
+For more information, refer to the Usage Report Tab section of *End-Users*. <!-- Link from the Control Center doc -->
+
+### When Can I See My Monthly Usage Data?
+
+User pack utilization is extracted regularly from the apps and available as a daily snapshot on the Control Center. 
+The daily snapshots are processed and deduplicated across all your apps at the end of each month and become available on the 1st of the following month as monthly usage data. Monthly reports show aggregated license usage over the month.
+
+### What Happens if I Exceed My Entitlement?
+
+If you exceed your licensed entitlements:
+
+* No immediate service disruption: Your applications continue to run normally.
+* Alert displayed: A warning icon appears in the end-of-month Usage Report on the Control Center.
+* Compliance discussion: Your Customer Success Manager (CSM) will contact you to discuss:
+
+    * Purchasing additional user packs
+    * Optimizing user classification
+    * Adjusting your license agreement
+
+Mendix recommends that you monitor your usage regularly and purchase additional capacity before reaching your limit.
+
+### Can I View Usage Data From Previous Months?
+
+Apps across Mendix Cloud began collecting user metering data starting in November 2025. Based on when your app was onboarded on user metering, you may have access to historical usage data. Navigate to the **Usage Report** and select the desired month to see the usage data.
+
+## Questions on User Classification
+
+### How Are Users Classified If I Do Not Configure User Classification?
+
+If no action is taken, all users are classified as Multi-App Internal Users by default.
+This means all users in your apps are aggregated together and classified as multi-app internal users. 
+
+### I Have External Users in My Applications. How Do I Ensure They Are Counted Correctly?
+
+Explicitly mark users as `External` in your application to ensure they are counted correctly under your External User pack. If you do not have an External User pack, these users will be classified as `Internal`, even if they are marked as `External` users.
+
+For more information, refer to [User Classification](/developerportal/deploy/implementing-user-metering/#user-classification).
+
+### I Purchased a Single-App User Pack for My Application. How Do I Set It Up?
+
+Assign the Single-App User Pack to your application in the Control Center. For more information, refer to Assigning Single-App Internal User Packs. <!-- Link from the Control Center doc -->
+
+### How Do I Assign Single-App User Packs to Multiple Applications With Unique User Bases?
+
+You must purchase a separate Single-App User Pack for each application and assign them individually. Contact your CSM or account team to purchase additional packs.
+
+## User-Specific Questions
+
+### How Are Users Counted If They Log In Only Once Per Year?
+
+Users are counted based on their active status, not login frequency. If they are marked as `Active` in your application, they are counted every month, regardless of whether they log in.
+
+Note that if the user has active status during any moment in a month, they are counted as active user for that calendar month.
+
+### What Is the Best Practice for Deactivating Users Who Left the Organization?
+
+Deactivate users as soon as they no longer need access. This ensures that they are not counted in future usage reports and helps maintain security. Deactivate leavers before month-end to optimize license consumption.
+
+### Should I Delete or Deactivate Users To Save on License Costs?
+
+Technically, you can deactivate or remove users to optimize license costs.
+
+To optimise license cost, you may choose to delete records in the `system.user` object, while maintaining data in custom user objects.
+
+{{% alert color="info" %}}
+Check your organization's data retention policies before purging any user data. Deactivation usually satisfies both license optimization and compliance requirements.
+{{% /alert %}}
+
+### Are Anonymous Users Counted in User Metering?
+
+Anonymous Users are users who access your application without logging in or authenticating. Anonymous Users are not counted in user metering. Only Named Users (users with unique login credentials) are counted.
+
+### Are API Users and Service Accounts Counted in User Metering?
+
+API Users (also called Service Accounts or System Users) are non-human accounts used for:
+
+* System-to-system integrations
+* Automated processes
+* Background jobs
+* External system access via web services
+
+API users with authentication count as Named Users and are included in user metering.
+
+## Read More
+
+* [User Metering](/developerportal/deploy/user-metering/)
+* [Implementing User Metering](/developerportal/deploy/implementing-user-metering/)