Overview
If you keep seeing an OTTO Pixel Not Installed Correctly error after installing or reinstalling the plugin on WordPress, the problem is rarely the plugin itself. Two root causes account for almost every case: the Site Audit crawl has not completed, or a security or cache service is blocking the OTTO bot before it can verify the connection. Follow the steps below in order to resolve the error.
Step 1: Confirm the OTTO Pixel Plugin Is Installed
- Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
- Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and confirm the OTTO Pixel plugin is listed and active.
- If it is deactivated, activate it and wait 30 seconds before proceeding.
- Avoid reinstalling the plugin repeatedly — multiple reinstalls do not fix connection issues caused by crawl or bot-blocking problems.
Step 2: Run and Complete a Site Audit Crawl
OTTO cannot verify the pixel connection until a Site Audit crawl has finished successfully for the connected domain. This is the most common cause of the error and is often overlooked.
- Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to OTTO SEO → Site Audit for your connected website.
- Check the crawl status. If no crawl has run, or the last crawl did not complete, start a new crawl and wait for it to finish. Crawl time varies by site size — do not close the tab.
- Once the crawl shows a completed status, return to the OTTO dashboard and check whether the pixel connection error has cleared.
Important: A crawl that was interrupted or that returned errors may not satisfy the connection requirement. Confirm the crawl has fully completed before moving on.
Step 3: Whitelist the OTTO Bot in Security and Cache Services
Firewalls, CDNs, and caching plugins frequently block automated bots — including the OTTO crawler — which prevents OTTO from reaching your site to confirm pixel installation. You must whitelist the OTTO bot in every active security or cache layer.
Cloudflare (most common)
- Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain.
- Locate your firewall or WAF settings and add an allow rule for the OTTO bot. Contact our support team (see below) to obtain the exact IP range or user agent string to allowlist.
- Alternatively, temporarily lower your security level, trigger a new Site Audit crawl to confirm the pixel connection clears, then restore your original security settings.
- Once verified, add a permanent allow rule so the OTTO bot can reach your site going forward.
Sucuri, Wordfence, or other security plugins
- Open the settings for your active security plugin inside WordPress.
- Find the IP allowlist or bot whitelist option and add the OTTO bot. Contact our support team (see below) to obtain the exact IP range or user agent string to allowlist.
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.