🧩 Why the OTTO Pixel May Not Appear in View Source
After pasting the OTTO pixel code in Shopify, many customers check their live site using Ctrl+U (View Page Source) and cannot find the code. This is expected behaviour and does not mean the installation failed.
Shopify's storefront rendering pipeline can modify, defer, or inject scripts in ways that make them invisible in the raw HTML returned by View Source. The pixel is typically loaded asynchronously or injected by Shopify's script engine after the initial HTML is parsed, so it will not appear in a static source view.
✅ How to Correctly Verify Your OTTO Pixel Is Active
Use one of the following methods to confirm the pixel is firing correctly on your Shopify store:
- Browser DevTools (Recommended): Open your store in Chrome or Firefox. Press F12 to open DevTools, go to the Network tab, reload the page, and search for otto in the filter bar. If you see a network request related to the OTTO pixel, it is active.
- DevTools Console check: In the same DevTools panel, open the Console tab and type window.otto or the pixel's global variable name. A returned object (not undefined) confirms the script has loaded.
- Search Atlas Dashboard: Navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, then open SEO Automation inside it (or go to /seo-automation-v3). If your site shows as connected and OTTO is receiving data, the pixel is working correctly.
- Tag Assistant or PixelMe extensions: Third-party browser extensions designed to detect tracking pixels will scan the rendered DOM — not just the raw source — and will surface your OTTO pixel if it is present.
Important: Never rely solely on Ctrl+U / View Page Source to verify JavaScript-based pixels on Shopify. This method only shows the initial HTML document, not dynamically injected scripts.
🛠️ Troubleshooting: Pixel Still Not Detected
If none of the methods above confirm the pixel is active, work through these steps:
- Confirm the pixel code was saved in the correct Shopify location: Online Store → Themes → Edit Code → theme.liquid, placed just before the closing tag.
- Check that your Shopify theme uses theme.liquid as its base layout. Some headless or custom themes use a different layout file.
- Disable any active browser extensions (ad blockers, privacy shields) that may suppress pixel requests during your test.
- Clear your browser cache and reload the page before re-testing.
- Ensure your Shopify store is published and not password-protected during verification.
📊 OTTO Plan Comparison: $99 vs $199
Search Atlas offers two popular OTTO subscription tiers. Here is a side-by-side summary of what each plan includes:
- Starter plan: Includes OTTO SEO automation, core OTTO SEO V3 features, on-page optimisation, and schema automation, with a site-slot allocation set by your tier. Suited for individual site owners or small businesses.
- Growth plan: Includes everything in the Starter plan plus a larger site-slot allocation, making it ideal for agencies or businesses running multiple domains.
Management level included in both plans: Both plans provide full OTTO SEO management capabilities — automated technical fixes, content optimisation suggestions, and real-time SEO monitoring — for each site slot included in your plan. Check your Billing page (top-right avatar menu → Billing) for the exact number of site slots your tier includes.
To view your current plan details or upgrade, go to the top-right avatar menu → Billing (Plans & Top-ups) in the Search Atlas platform.
💡 Quick Reference Summary
- View Source (Ctrl+U) cannot detect asynchronously loaded pixels — use DevTools Network tab instead.
- The Search Atlas dashboard at /seo-automation-v3 is your most reliable confirmation that OTTO is connected.
- Site-slot allocation varies by plan tier — check your Billing page (top-right avatar menu → Billing) for your exact allocation.
- Full OTTO management features are included at both plan levels.
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.