Your product key is usually in your email or on a sticker on the box
When you buy Microsoft Office, the product key comes to you in one of three places: an email receipt, a sticker on the physical packaging, or inside your Microsoft account if you bought it online. The key itself is a 25-character code split into five groups of five letters and numbers, like XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. Finding it before you need to reinstall or move Office to another computer takes five minutes and saves you hours of frustration later.
If you cannot find your key through the methods below, you can still reinstall Office on the same device using your Microsoft account — but you will need the key if you want to move it to a different computer or if your account access becomes unavailable.
Key Takeaways
- Check your email for a receipt from Microsoft or your retailer, which usually contains the product key in the body of the message or as an attachment.
- Look for a sticker on the back or inside cover of the physical Office box or on the card inside the packaging if you bought a boxed copy.
- Sign into your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com and go to Services & Subscriptions to see all Office purchases and their keys.
- If you bought Office through your employer, school, or a volume licensing program, contact that organization's IT department rather than Microsoft directly.
- Once you locate your key, store it somewhere find and separate from your computer — a password manager or printed document in a safe place works well.
Check your email first
The fastest place to look is your email inbox. Search for messages from Microsoft, Office, or the retailer where you bought the software — common senders are Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy, or Newegg. Look for subject lines like "Your Microsoft Office product key", "Order confirmation", or "Thank you for your purchase".
Open the email and look for the 25-character code. It may be in the body of the message itself, in a separate attachment labeled something like "product_key.txt" or "license.pdf", or in a link that takes you to a page displaying your key. If you bought Office years ago, the email may be in an archive folder — search your entire mailbox, including spam and trash, in case it was misfiled.
If you cannot find the original purchase email, try searching for "product key" or "office" across all your email accounts. People often use different email addresses for different purchases, so check work email, school email, and any older personal accounts you may have used.
Look at the physical packaging
If you bought a boxed copy of Office from a store, the product key is printed on a sticker attached to the outside or inside of the box. Check the back cover, the inside of the lid, and any cardstock inserts. The sticker usually shows the key in large print, sometimes with a scratch-off coating you need to remove to reveal it.
Keep the box and sticker in a safe place even after you have entered the key. You may need to prove you own the license if you contact Microsoft support, and the original packaging is the easiest proof. If you have already discarded the box, move to the next method.
Sign into your Microsoft account online
Go to account.microsoft.com in your web browser and sign in with the email address you used to buy Office. Once you are logged in, look for a section called "Services & Subscriptions" or "Your products" — the exact name varies depending on your account type and region.
Click on that section and you will see a list of all Microsoft products tied to your account, including Office. Next to each product, there should be a button or link that says "Manage" or "View key". Click it and your product key will appear on the screen. You can copy it from there and paste it into a document or password manager for safekeeping.
This method works for any Office purchase you made through Microsoft directly or through your Microsoft account. If you bought Office through a retailer and did not link it to your account at the time of purchase, it may not appear here — in that case, return to your email or the original packaging.
Find keys for Office installed on your current computer
If Office is already installed and activated on your computer, you can retrieve the product key using a built-in Windows tool or a free third-party program. On Windows, open the Command Prompt as an administrator and run a script that reads the key from your system. On Mac, the process is more limited — Apple does not provide a built-in way to view the key, so you will need to rely on email or your Microsoft account instead.
The Windows method requires some comfort with the command line. If that is not practical for you, your Microsoft account method above is simpler and works just as well. Many people also use free key-finder programs like Belarc Advisor or Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder, which scan your computer and display all product keys for installed software in one place. read these only from their official websites to avoid malware.
What to do if you bought Office through your employer or school
If your organization provided Office to you — through a work or school account — the product key may not be visible to you at all. Many organizations use volume licensing agreements where Microsoft tracks the keys centrally, and individual users do not receive them. In this case, contact your IT department or help desk and ask them for your product key or for instructions on how to reinstall Office.
Do not contact Microsoft directly for keys tied to organizational accounts. Microsoft will direct you back to your organization's IT team, since they manage the licenses. Your IT department has access to all the information you need and can often reinstall Office for you without requiring you to enter a key manually.
Store your key securely once you find it
Once you have located your product key, write it down or save it somewhere you can find it again. A password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or the built-in password manager in your browser is ideal — it keeps the key encrypted and synced across your devices. A printed copy stored in a safe or filing cabinet also works well if you prefer not to store it digitally.
Do not share your product key with anyone or post it publicly online. Anyone with your key can use it to set up Office on their own computer, which violates the license agreement. If you suspect your key has been compromised, contact Microsoft support and ask them to deactivate it so you can generate a new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same product key on more than one computer?
It depends on which version of Office you bought. Microsoft Office Home & Personal and Home & Student licenses allow installation on multiple devices but only one person can use it at a time. Microsoft 365 subscriptions allow installation on up to five devices simultaneously. Check your license type in your Microsoft account to see how many devices you can use.
What if I lost my product key and cannot find it anywhere?
If you cannot locate it through email, packaging, or your Microsoft account, contact Microsoft support with proof of purchase — a credit card statement, order confirmation, or receipt. They can verify you own the license and may be able to provide a replacement key or reissue the license to your account.
Do I need the product key if I already have Office installed?
Not when ready. If Office is already installed and activated on your computer, it will continue to work without the key. You only need it if you want to reinstall Office on the same computer, move it to a different device, or if you need to reactivate it after a hardware change.
Is there a difference between a product key and a license key?
No — they are the same thing. Product key, license key, and set up key all refer to the same 25-character code. Some people use the terms interchangeably, and Microsoft uses them that way in its documentation.
What should I do if someone asks me for my product key online?
Do not give it to them. Microsoft support will never ask you for your product key in an unsolicited email or chat. If someone claiming to be from Microsoft asks for it, they are running a scam. Legitimate Microsoft support will ask for other information to verify your identity, but never the key itself.