How to Find Your Windows 11 Product Key

Your Windows 11 product key is about as important as your social security number. Well, at least as far as your PC’s operating system is concerned. It’s a random combination of numbers, letters, and dashes that you’ll rarely need, but when you do, you’ll need to know where to find it. There are multiple ways for Windows 11 users to access this vital code, but we highly recommend writing it down and keeping it somewhere safe.

Here's everything you need to know about finding your product key in Windows 11.

Using Command Prompt

While it may sound tricky, the easiest way to get your product key in Windows 11 is through the Command Prompt. All you need to do is open the Start menu and then search for “command prompt.” Once you see the app, open it and type the following command:

wmic path SoftwareLicensingService OA3xOriginalProductKey Get

After you type (or paste) that command, you can press ENter key on your keyboard. You will see the product key on the next line of the command prompt. Make a note of this if you want to activate Windows 11 in the future.

Check receipts and emails

Another way to find a product key on Windows 11 is to check the receipts from when you purchased your copy of Windows. If you purchased through Microsoft or Best Buy, you can find the product key in the Orders or Purchases part of the online version of the store.

If you purchased through Amazon, please check the Your games and software library part of Amazon. You may also want to check your email, as the email may contain instructions on how to find the product key. Or the email may list the product key itself.

Search for physical stickers on your PC

Finally, you can look for physical stickers on your PC with the product key listed. These stickers usually have a version of Windows listed and a product key. Note that you can only use this listed code for that respected version of Windows. So if the sticker has a code for Windows 11 Home, you can only activate it for Windows 11 Home. If the sticker has a key for Windows 11 Pro, then you can only activate Windows 11 Pro.