Check Updates

Check if a newer version is available for a product. This endpoint is public – no license key required.

Request

GET /api/index.php/v1/licensedock/updates/{product_id}

Parameters

Parameter	Type	In	Required	Description
product_id	integer	URL	Yes	Product ID

Example

curl "https://yoursite.com/api/index.php/v1/licensedock/updates/42"

Response

Update Available (200)

{
  "data": {
    "update_available": true,
    "name": "My Joomla Extension",
    "version": "2.1.0",
    "download_url": "/api/index.php/v1/licensedock/downloads/42",
    "changelog": "- Fixed critical bug\n- Added new feature",
    "date": "2026-04-03T10:30:00Z",
    "file_size": 5242880
  }
}

No Update (200)

{
  "data": {
    "update_available": false
  }
}

INFO

"No update available" is returned as data, not as an error – it's a valid response.

Errors

Code	Status	When
INVALID_REQUEST	400	Missing or invalid product_id

---

Joomla Update Server Integration

If you sell Joomla extensions through LicenseDock, your customers can receive updates directly in their Joomla admin panel. Here's how to set it up.

How Joomla Updates Work

Joomla's built-in updater follows this flow:

Extension manifest → Update server URL → Fetches update XML → Shows "Update Available" → Downloads package

1. Your extension's manifest declares an update server URL
2. Joomla periodically fetches that URL and expects XML describing available versions
3. If a newer version exists, Joomla shows it in System → Updates
4. When the user clicks Update, Joomla downloads the package from the downloadurl in the XML

Step 1: Create an Update XML File

LicenseDock's /updates/ endpoint returns JSON (for generic software). For Joomla's native updater, you need an XML file in Joomla's format.

Host this XML file on your website (e.g., https://licensedock.com/updates/my-extension.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<updates>
    <update>
        <name>My Joomla Extension</name>
        <description>My Joomla Extension Package</description>
        <element>pkg_myextension</element>
        <type>package</type>
        <version>2.1.0</version>
        <client>administrator</client>
        <infourl title="My Extension">https://licensedock.com/my-extension</infourl>
        <downloads>
            <downloadurl type="full" format="zip">https://yoursite.com/api/index.php/v1/licensedock/downloads/42</downloadurl>
        </downloads>
        <targetplatform name="joomla" version="5\.[0-9]+" />
        <php_minimum>8.1</php_minimum>
    </update>
</updates>

TIP

Update this XML each time you release a new version. You can automate this as part of your release process.

Step 2: Add the Update Server to Your Manifest

In your extension's manifest XML (pkg_myextension.xml or component XML), declare the update server:

<updateservers>
    <server type="extension" name="My Extension Updates">
        https://licensedock.com/updates/my-extension.xml
    </server>
</updateservers>

Step 3: License Key for Downloads (dlid)

The download endpoint requires a license key. Joomla uses a convention called Download Key (dlid) for this.

Your customers enter their license key in System → Update Sites → click on your extension → paste their key in the Download Key field.

Joomla automatically appends &dlid=LICENSE_KEY to the download URL. LicenseDock's download endpoint accepts both license_key and dlid parameters for this reason.

So the final download URL Joomla constructs looks like:

https://yoursite.com/api/index.php/v1/licensedock/downloads/42?dlid=ABCD-1234-EFGH-5678

Step 4: Tell Your Customers

In your extension's documentation, instruct customers to:

1. Install the extension
2. Go to System → Update Sites
3. Find your extension in the list and click on it
4. Paste their License Key into the Download Key field
5. Save

That's it – they'll now receive updates in their Joomla admin like any other extension.

Error Handling

When Joomla's updater hits the download endpoint with a dlid parameter, LicenseDock returns plain text error messages (not JSON) so Joomla can display them properly:

Situation	Response
Missing or empty dlid	Download ID (license key) is required
Invalid license key	License not found
Expired license	License has expired
Inactive license	License is not active
Wrong product	License does not match this product