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Bentley Application

CONNECTION Client

Use this guide when Bentley CONNECTION Client will not sign in, will not refresh entitlement, or keeps the rest of the Bentley stack from opening correctly.

Reviewed April 2026

Application Guide

Overview

CONNECTION Client is the Bentley sign-in and entitlement helper used by many Bentley applications.

Most CONNECTION Client issues come from out of date sign-in state, wrong Bentley identity, update state, or network access to Bentley services.

Plain English

What this app is usually used for

Sign-in and entitlement component required by many Bentley CONNECT Edition applications.

It is part of the Bentley family covered in our app help.

Common problems

Common problems

Bentley sign-in loops or does not refresh

CONNECTION Client keeps prompting for sign-in or does not appear to refresh entitlement.

Likely fix

Sign out and back in with the correct Bentley account, then test one Bentley app before reinstalling.

What to collect

Send the Bentley account shown, the CONNECTION Client version if available, and the exact message.

Bentley apps still show trial or unlicensed

A Bentley app opens, but licensing still looks wrong after CONNECTION Client sign-in.

Likely fix

Capture the app name, version, and message so support can compare entitlement and product access.

What to collect

Send the affected app name, the Bentley account shown, and a screenshot of the licensing message.

First things to try

First things to try

Quick checks before you change anything

  • Can you sign in with the Bentley account your company expects?
  • Are other Bentley apps saying unlicensed, trial, or sign-in required?
  • Did the issue begin after a password change, new computer, update, or network change?

Try these fixes first

  • Compare the CONNECTION Client account with the account shown in the affected Bentley app.
  • If only one Bentley app fails, keep that app name and version ready.
  • Avoid removing CONNECTION Client while other Bentley products still rely on it.

Slow down

Do not do this yet / warnings

Avoid these until support says it is safe

  • Do not clear ProjectWise saved local data or local work areas until checked-out file ownership is confirmed.
  • Avoid removing it before other Bentley products are retired if the computer still needs entitlement refresh.

What support needs

What details support needs

Send these details

  • A screenshot of the CONNECTION Client sign-in or status screen.
  • The Bentley account shown.
  • The affected Bentley app name and version.
  • The exact trial, license, or entitlement message.

Licensing & access

Licensing / access notes

Licensing / access checks

  • CONNECTION Client is not usually the product license by itself, but it often controls whether Bentley apps can confirm the entitlement you already have.
  • If a Bentley app says trial or unlicensed, capture both the app message and the CONNECTION Client account shown.
  • If you use more than one Bentley account, confirm which one your company expects before clearing sign-in state.

More checks

More setup checks

Install / update basics

  • Install or update CONNECTION Client using the company-approved Bentley setup path.
  • Restart the computer if prompted, then sign in with the expected Bentley account.
  • Open one Bentley app after sign-in so you can confirm entitlement refresh works.

More things to check

  • Confirm current CONNECTION Client version and that the computer clock is correct.
  • Test sign-in, token refresh, and whether the client can reach Bentley services.
  • Compare the behavior to a working Bentley computer on the same network path.
  • Collect version, sign-in result, Bentley email, clock state, and which downstream apps are affected.
  • Escalate when a widespread Bentley sign-in or entitlement event is suspected.