# **🔍 What Is the OTTO Pixel?**

The OTTO Pixel is a small tracking script that Search Atlas can inject into your website's **<head>** section. It helps OTTO monitor on-page changes and publishing activity in real time. However, some website configurations — particularly certain WordPress themes, page builders, or security plugins — may flag this injected script as **invalid HTML**, causing warnings in tools like Google Search Console, W3C Validator, or your hosting environment.

The good news: disabling the OTTO Pixel **does not** remove your ability to publish optimizations, deploy schema markup, or use any other OTTO automation feature. Publishing functionality remains fully intact.

# **⚙️ Two Ways to Install the OTTO Pixel**

There are two methods for adding the OTTO Pixel to your site. If you are experiencing invalid HTML warnings, switching from the **plugin method** to the **manual script method** — or disabling it entirely — is the recommended fix.

- **Plugin Installation:** OTTO installs a WordPress plugin that automatically injects the pixel script into your site's header. This is the default method and the most common source of invalid HTML conflicts.
- **Manual Script Installation:** You copy the pixel script and paste it directly into your theme's header template or a dedicated header script manager. This gives you full control over placement and formatting, reducing the risk of HTML conflicts.

# **🚀 How to Disable the OTTO Pixel**

Follow these steps to turn off the OTTO Pixel injection and stop the invalid HTML from appearing in your headers:

1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and navigate to **OTTO SEO** in the left sidebar, then open **All Sites** (SEO Automation) (or go to **/seo-automation-v3**).
2. Select the website project that is experiencing the invalid HTML issue.
3. Open the **OTTO Settings** for that project.
4. Locate the **OTTO Pixel** toggle or installation section.
5. Switch the toggle to **Off** or select **Disable Pixel** to stop the script from being injected into your site's header.
6. Save your settings.

Once disabled, revisit your site and re-run your HTML validation tool to confirm the invalid markup warning has been resolved. Your OTTO publishing features — including content deployment, schema, and on-page optimizations — will continue to work normally.

# **💡 When to Use Manual Script Installation Instead**

If you want to keep pixel tracking active but avoid plugin-related HTML conflicts, the manual script method is the better choice. Use this approach when:

- Your security plugin or firewall is blocking the auto-injected script.
- Your theme or page builder is restructuring the header and breaking the plugin's output.
- You need precise control over where the script appears in the **<head>** tag.

To switch to manual installation, navigate back to the **OTTO Pixel** settings section, select **Manual Installation**, and copy the provided script snippet. Paste it into your theme's **header.php** file just before the closing **</head>** tag, or use a trusted header script manager plugin.

# **✅ What Stays Active After Disabling the Pixel**

Disabling the OTTO Pixel only removes the tracking script from your header. The following features remain **fully operational**:

- OTTO content publishing and on-page optimization deployments
- Schema markup generation and injection
- Internal linking automation
- Meta title and description updates
- All reporting and analytics inside Search Atlas

# **🆘 Still Seeing Invalid HTML?**

If you have disabled the pixel and are still experiencing invalid HTML warnings, the issue may be caused by another plugin, theme component, or a cached version of your page. Try clearing your site cache and any CDN cache layers after making the change, then re-validate.

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.