🧭 Overview
OTTO projects in Search Atlas are tied to a specific domain at the time of creation. If your site uses www.example.com but your OTTO project was created with example.com (or vice versa), OTTO will not apply optimisations to the correct version of your site. Updating a canonical tag or adjusting plugin settings will not fix this — the only correct resolution is to delete the existing project and recreate it with the right domain.
This article walks you through that process safely and clearly.
⚠️ Before You Begin
Take note of the following before making any changes:
- Deleting a project removes all OTTO settings and deployed optimisations linked to that project. OTTO will stop managing your site until the new project is active.
- Make a note of any custom configurations, priorities, or rules you have set inside the existing project so you can restore them after recreation.
- Confirm which domain version your site actually resolves to. Open your site in a browser and check the address bar — it will show either www or non-www. Use that version when recreating the project.
- Ensure your Google Search Console property matches the domain version you plan to use, as OTTO uses this connection to validate and deploy changes.
🗑️ Step 1 — Delete the Existing OTTO Project
Navigate to OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) in your Search Atlas account and locate the project associated with the incorrect domain. Use the available project management options to delete that project and confirm the deletion when prompted.
The project and all its deployed configurations will be removed. Your site content is not affected — only the OTTO management layer is deleted.
➕ Step 2 — Recreate the Project with the Correct Domain
From OTTO SEO → All Sites (OTTO SEO Projects), create a new project. When entering the domain, type the correct version — include or omit www to match exactly how your site resolves in a browser.
During setup, reconnect your Google Search Console property and select the property that corresponds to the correct domain version. If you use the OTTO WordPress plugin, verify that the site URL inside the plugin matches the new domain you entered and confirm the connected domain is consistent. Allow OTTO to re-crawl and re-analyse your site once setup is complete.
🔁 Step 3 — Restore Your Previous Settings
Once the new project is active, reapply any custom configurations you noted before deleting the original project. Verify that OTTO is actively managing the correct domain version by checking that optimisations are being applied as expected.
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.