## **Overview** OTTO can be installed on your website using three methods: the **WordPress plugin**, a **script placed in your header or footer**, or via **Google Tag Manager (GTM)**. A common question is whether these methods perform identically and whether the WordPress plugin is mandatory for certain features like automatic updates. This article outlines the general differences between each method and when each may be the right choice for your site. ## **Are All Installation Methods Equivalent?** For core OTTO functionality — including on-page SEO automation, schema deployment, and real-time optimizations — the three installation methods are designed to get OTTO active on your site. The method used to load the script may affect certain aspects of how OTTO is managed, so it is worth understanding the differences before choosing one. - **WordPress Plugin:** Installs and manages the OTTO script automatically within your WordPress environment. - **Header/Footer Script:** A manually placed JavaScript snippet added directly to your site's `` or before the closing `` tag. - **Google Tag Manager (GTM):** The OTTO script is deployed as a custom HTML tag through your GTM container. Once the script is active on your site and your OTTO session is enabled in Search Atlas, OTTO will begin working on your pages. If you are unsure which method is best suited to your site's setup, our support team can help you determine the right approach. ## **Automatic Updates: Plugin vs. Script** One frequently asked question concerns how updates are handled across installation methods. - **WordPress Plugin:** The plugin receives updates through the standard WordPress update mechanism, just like any other WordPress plugin — automatically or with a single click in your WordPress dashboard. - **Header/Footer Script:** The JavaScript snippet references an externally hosted script. How and when updates to that script are applied may vary — contact our support team to confirm the current update behavior for this method. - **GTM:** Similar to the header/footer script method, the tag in GTM references an externally hosted script. Please confirm with our support team how updates are handled for GTM-deployed instances. If you have questions about whether you need to take any manual action to keep your OTTO installation current, reach out to our team for confirmation specific to your setup. ## **When to Use Each Method** - **WordPress Plugin** — Recommended for WordPress sites where you want the simplest setup experience, built-in script management, and compatibility checks handled automatically. - **Header/Footer Script** — A flexible option for non-WordPress sites or situations where you have direct access to your site's theme or template files. - **GTM** — Useful when your team manages multiple tags through GTM and prefers a centralized deployment workflow. 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.