# **🧭 Overview** When installing OTTO on your website, you may encounter two common errors: **OTTO pixel not detected** or a warning about **multiple/duplicate installations**. These errors prevent OTTO from activating SEO automation on your site. This guide walks you through diagnosing the root cause and resolving both issues step by step. # **🔍 Understanding the Two Error Types** Before troubleshooting, identify which error you are seeing: - **OTTO pixel not detected:** The Search Atlas scanner cannot find the OTTO JavaScript snippet on your website. This usually means the snippet was not saved correctly, is blocked, or was placed in a location that does not load on every page. - **Multiple installations / duplicate deployment detected:** The scanner found more than one instance of the OTTO pixel on the same page. This can happen when the snippet is added via two different methods simultaneously — for example, manually in a theme header AND through a plugin or tag manager at the same time. # **🛠️ Step 1 — Retrieve Your Unique OTTO Pixel Snippet** 1. Log in to Search Atlas and go to **OTTO SEO** in the left sidebar, then open **SEO Automation** (URL: `/seo-automation-v3`). 2. Select your website property (e.g., **brandalltarps.com**). 3. Click **Connect OTTO** or open your OTTO settings and locate the **Install Pixel** section. 4. Copy your unique pixel snippet exactly as shown. Do not modify any characters. Your snippet is unique to your account and domain. Using a snippet from a different property will cause a detection failure. # **🚫 Step 2 — Remove All Existing OTTO Installations** Before re-installing, you must remove every existing instance of the pixel to eliminate duplicates. Check each of the following locations: - **Theme header/footer files:** In your CMS (WordPress, Shopify, etc.), open your theme editor and search for any code containing `otto` or your Search Atlas pixel ID. Delete it. - **Header/footer plugins:** If you used a plugin such as Insert Headers and Footers, WPCode, or a similar tool, open that plugin and delete the OTTO snippet from every field. - **Google Tag Manager:** Log in to GTM, open your container, and check all tags for any OTTO or Search Atlas pixel tag. Pause or delete any you find, then **publish** the container to apply the change. - **Other tag managers or site scripts:** Check Cloudflare Workers, Segment, or any custom scripts in your hosting control panel. After removing all instances, **clear your website cache entirely** (hosting cache, CDN cache, and any caching plugins) before proceeding. # **✅ Step 3 — Reinstall the OTTO Pixel Correctly** Choose **one installation method only** and do not repeat the snippet in a second location. - **Recommended — WordPress plugin or CMS integration:** Use the Search Atlas OTTO plugin or the built-in integration if your CMS supports it. This is the most reliable method and avoids manual code errors. - **Manual theme installation:** Paste the snippet once inside the `` tag of your theme's global header file (`header.php` in WordPress). Confirm it appears on every page by checking your homepage, a blog post, and a product or category page. - **Google Tag Manager:** Create a new **Custom HTML** tag, paste the snippet, set the trigger to **All Pages**, and publish the container. Do not also add the snippet to your theme — use GTM exclusively. # **🔎 Step 4 — Trigger and Interpret the Scanner Validation** 1. Return to **OTTO SEO** in the left sidebar, open **SEO Automation** in Search Atlas, and open your OTTO settings. 2. Click **Verify Installation** or **Re-scan** to trigger a fresh pixel check. 3. Wait up to **2–3 minutes** for the scanner to complete. Interpret the scanner result as follows: - **Pixel detected — Active:** Installation is successful. OTTO will begin processing your site. - **Pixel not detected:** The snippet is missing or blocked. Re-check Step 2 and Step 3, confirm your cache is cleared, and verify the snippet is in the `` section (not the footer only). - **Multiple instances detected:** More than one copy of the snippet is loading. Repeat Step 2 to find and remove the extra instance, clear cache, then re-scan. # **⚠️ Common Causes of Pixel Detection Failure** - **Caching:** A cached version of your site may serve old code. Always purge all caches after any change. - **Conditional loading:** Some themes or plugins load header scripts only on certain page types. Confirm the snippet fires on all page types. - **Security or firewall plugins:** Tools like Wordfence or Sucuri may block external scripts. Add the OTTO script domain to your allowlist. - **Script deferral:** Avoid wrapping the OTTO snippet in `defer` or `async` attributes that may prevent proper detection by the scanner. - **Subdomain vs. root domain mismatch:** Ensure the domain in your OTTO settings exactly matches the domain where the pixel is installed, including or excluding `www`. # **💬 Still Seeing an Error?** If you have followed every step and the error persists, if you need further assistance, 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.