OTTO will only display as active in your Search Atlas dashboard if it is properly installed and enabled. If it does not show as active, there are only two possible causes:
Improper Installation – The OTTO script was not installed correctly on the website.
Not Enabled in the Dashboard – The OTTO Enabled toggle has not been turned on inside the Search Atlas dashboard.
🧑💻 Important Notes from Product Specialists
🧑💻 Important Notes from Product Specialists
This issue is not related to crawling. If OTTO is correctly installed and enabled, it will show as active even if the crawl has not yet finished.
If the crawl hasn’t completed, OTTO will still show as active, but you won’t see data or suggested fixes until the crawl finishes.
If a crawl is blocked or doesn’t finish properly, OTTO may appear active but remain in a loop without showing any suggestions.
📌 Additional Factors to Check
📌 Additional Factors to Check
While OTTO activation itself only depends on installation and enabling, you may still encounter issues related to crawling that affect data visibility and diagnostics:
Bot Access Restrictions: If the Search Atlas bot cannot crawl your website (due to firewalls, plugins, or services like Cloudflare), data will not populate correctly. Ensure the bot is whitelisted.
Crawl Timeline: Crawling can take up to 24 hours. Even though OTTO will show as active, no insights or fixes will appear until the crawl completes.
Diagnostics: If the OTTO Pixel diagnostic fails, re-check installation steps and security settings.
✅ Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
✅ Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
Confirm the OTTO script is installed correctly.
Verify the OTTO Enabled toggle is switched on in the Search Atlas dashboard.
Check that the Search Atlas bot is not blocked by your hosting or security settings.
Monitor crawl progress in the dashboard to know when data and suggestions will populate.
OTTO’s activation depends on just two factors—correct installation and enabling it in your dashboard. Once those are in place, any remaining visibility issues usually come down to crawl restrictions or delays. By following the quick checklist and ensuring your site is open to the Search Atlas bot, you’ll not only see OTTO as active but also unlock the diagnostics and AI fixes that make it powerful. With these steps, you can move from confusion to clarity and keep your optimization workflow running smoothly.