How to Find Microsoft Office Product Keys and Serial Numbers
Question details
The user needs to locate Microsoft Office product keys and serial numbers for tracking purposes during a company hardware and software audit.
- Product
- Microsoft Office
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Conducting a company hardware and software audit to verify software licensing and manage IT assets.
- Observed behavior
- The full product key is hidden or unavailable locally on modern Office versions, making it difficult to audit local installations without accessing centralized management portals.
Identify which versions of Microsoft Office your organization has deployed (e.g., Office 2013, Office 2019, or Microsoft 365) and ensure you have administrator credentials for your company's Microsoft portal.
Retrieve License Details via the Microsoft Admin or Volume Licensing Portal
Use this method for organizations running Office 2013 or newer, as product keys are tied to organizational digital accounts rather than local hardware.
Starting with Office 2013, Microsoft changed how it stores product keys. The full 25-character product key is no longer stored locally on the computer's registry for security reasons. Instead, installations are linked to a Microsoft account or managed centrally.
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using your global administrator credentials.
Navigate to 'Billing' and select 'Your products' to view the total number of assigned and available licenses for your organization.
For perpetual enterprise licenses, log into the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). Click on 'Downloads and Keys' to view your Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) or Key Management Service (KMS) keys.
Locate Original Purchase Records for Individual Licenses
Use this method if your company purchased individual retail copies of Microsoft Office outside of a volume licensing agreement.
Simplify Your Software Audits with WPS Office
Struggling to track down missing product keys and navigate complex Microsoft licensing portals? WPS Office is a free, lightweight, and powerful alternative. It removes the hassle of complicated volume licensing, making deployment and audits incredibly straightforward for your organization.
- 1. Visit the WPS Office Website: Go to the official WPS Office website to access the enterprise or free versions.
- 2. Download the Installer: Choose the correct installer for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
- 3. Deploy Easily: Install WPS Office across your company devices without needing to track individual 25-character product keys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I only see the last five characters of my Office product key?
For security reasons, Office 2013 and later versions do not store the full 25-character product key locally on the hard drive. They only store the last five characters, which administrators can use to match a local installation against their central purchase records.
Can third-party key finder software recover my full Microsoft Office product key?
Key finder programs generally cannot retrieve the full product key for Office 2013, 2016, 2019, or Microsoft 365 because the full key simply does not exist in the Windows Registry. These tools are typically only effective for Office 2010 and older versions.
Where is the product key if Office came pre-installed on my company computers?
If Office was pre-installed (OEM), the product key is often digitally injected into the computer's motherboard or linked to the first Microsoft account used to activate it. You can check the 'Services & subscriptions' page of that Microsoft account for activation details.
How do I audit licenses for Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 uses a subscription model tied to user accounts rather than traditional product keys. To audit these, you must log into the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, where you can view how many licenses your company has purchased and which users they are assigned to.
