# **🧩 Overview**

If the OTTO pixel shows **Not Installed** even after reinstalling the plugin and clearing your cache, the most common root cause is a missing or incorrectly entered API key in your WordPress plugin settings. This article walks you through the complete setup so your OTTO pixel verifies successfully.

# **🔍 Step 1: Locate Your OTTO API Key in Search Atlas**

1. Log in to your Search Atlas account.
2. In the left sidebar, click **OTTO SEO**, then open **SEO Automation**. The URL will change to **/seo-automation-v3**.
3. Open the OTTO dashboard for the website you are connecting.
4. Click **Settings** or the **pixel/installation** section within OTTO.
5. Copy the unique API key displayed for your site. Keep this tab open — you will paste the key into WordPress in the next steps.

# **⚙️ Step 2: Enter the API Key in Your WordPress Plugin Settings**

1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel (**yoursite.com/wp-admin**).
2. In the left menu, go to **Search Atlas → Settings**.
3. Locate the **API Key** field. This field is required and must not be left blank.
4. Paste the Search Atlas API key you copied into this field.
5. Paste the **OTTO Pixel UUID**.
6. Click **Save Changes**.

**Important:** The API key is unique to each website. If you manage multiple sites, make sure you are using the correct key for the domain you are configuring.

# **🗑️ Step 3: Clear All Caches After Saving**

Caching layers can prevent the pixel from being detected even when the plugin is configured correctly. After saving your API key, clear caches in this order:

1. **WordPress caching plugins** — Go to your caching plugin (such as WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache) and purge all caches.
2. **Hosting-level cache** — Log in to your hosting control panel and clear any server-side or CDN cache. Refer to your host's documentation if needed.
3. **Browser cache** — In your browser, press **Ctrl + Shift + Delete** (Windows) or **Cmd + Shift + Delete** (Mac), select cached images and files, and clear them.

# **🔄 Step 4: Trigger a Sync and Verify the Pixel**

1. Return to the OTTO dashboard in Search Atlas (click **OTTO SEO** in the left sidebar, then open **SEO Automation**).
2. Click **Verify Installation** or **Check Pixel Status** for your site.
3. Wait up to **2 minutes** for the verification to complete. The status should change from **Not Installed** to **Installed**.
4. If the status does not update after 2 minutes, click **Re-check** or refresh the page.

# **⚠️ Common Reasons the Pixel Still Shows Not Installed After Setup**

- **Wrong API key used** — Double-check that the key in WordPress matches exactly what is shown in the OTTO dashboard for that specific domain.
- **Plugin not activated** — Confirm the MetaSync (SearchAtlas) plugin status shows **Active** in WordPress, not **Inactive** or **Deactivated**.
- **Conflicting plugins** — Security or firewall plugins (such as Wordfence) can block pixel scripts. Temporarily disable them to test, then whitelist the OTTO script if needed.
- **Cache not fully cleared** — If you use a CDN such as Cloudflare, purge the CDN cache in addition to your WordPress and hosting caches.
- **API key field saved with extra spaces** — When pasting your API key, ensure there are no leading or trailing spaces in the field before saving.

# **✅ Quick Checklist Before Contacting Support**

- API key copied from the correct OTTO site dashboard and pasted into WordPress plugin settings
- Changes saved in WordPress
- WordPress caching plugin cache cleared
- Hosting and CDN cache cleared
- Browser cache cleared
- Pixel verification re-run in Search Atlas
- Plugin shows as Active in WordPress

If you have completed every step above and the pixel still shows **Not Installed**, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.