Meaning of AE, AE1, and AE2 suffixes in Office MAK key descriptions (VAMT)

Question

Meaning of AE, AE1, and AE2 suffixes in Office MAK key descriptions (VAMT)

Toun 0

Hello,

When inspecting Office Volume License MAK keys in VAMT, I see different description strings depending on the product version:

Office 2021 ProPlus: Office21ProPlus2021VL_MAK_AE

Office 2024 ProPlus: Office24ProPlus2024VL_MAK_AE1

Office 2024 ProPlus: Office24ProPlus2024VL_MAK_AE2

Could someone clarify the exact technical definitions of these suffixes?

What AE stand for ?

What do the numeric digits 1 and 2 represent ?

Thank you.

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Answer 1

Chris-D 2,620 Independent Advisor

Hi Toun,

Thank you for sharing your concern.

The descriptions shown in VAMT, such as Office21ProPlus2021VL_MAK_AE, Office24ProPlus2024VL_MAK_AE1, and Office24ProPlus2024VL_MAK_AE2, appear to be internal identifiers associated with the product key configuration and activation SKU.

Microsoft’s public documentation for VAMT and Office volume activation does not provide an official definition of what AE stands for or a published mapping explaining the numeric suffixes 1 and 2. Therefore, these suffixes alone should not be interpreted as indicating different Office features, editions, or levels of licensing entitlement.

For an authoritative explanation tied to your specific MAK keys and volume licensing agreement, I recommend contacting Microsoft Volume Licensing Support. When requesting assistance, you can provide the agreement details and the last five characters of each MAK key for identification.

You may also find the following Microsoft documentation helpful:

I hope this clarifies what can be determined from the VAMT descriptions. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to share them in the comment below. I'm very happy to help.

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Toun 0 Reputation points

2026-11-06T18:50:14.28+00:00

Thank you for the response.

I already understand that these descriptions are generated internally by Microsoft

VL stands for Volume Licensing and MAK stands for Multiple Activation Key.

Since VL and MAK are standard Microsoft acronyms, AE must also stand for a specific channel or licensing designation within Microsoft's taxonomy.

My question is specifically: what does the acronym AE stand for in Microsoft's activation schema, and what do the numeric digits 1 and 2 represent?
Chris-D 2,620 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-11-06T19:45:23.1333333+00:00
Hi Toun,

Thank you for clarifying your question. You are correct that VL and MAK are established Microsoft acronyms, and I understand that you are specifically requesting the official expansion of AE and the exact definitions of AE1 and AE2 within Microsoft’s activation taxonomy.

I have not been able to locate any publicly available Microsoft documentation that defines AE or maps the numeric suffixes 1 and 2 to a specific activation channel, licensing program, or SKU designation. Therefore, I cannot reliably confirm their meanings without speculating.

This information appears to require access to Microsoft’s internal product-key configuration or licensing taxonomy. For an authoritative answer, the appropriate next step is to contact Microsoft Volume Licensing Support and ask them to identify the exact definitions associated with the relevant Product Key IDs or activation SKUs.

When contacting them, provide:

The full VAMT description strings

Your volume licensing agreement or enrollment details

The last five characters of each MAK key

A screenshot of the VAMT Product Keys view, with the complete keys and any sensitive agreement information concealed

I hope this can be revolved for you soon.