## **📌 Overview**

After purchasing a citation package, your order will appear in the **To-Do** stage inside **Local → Local Citations** (Local Citations). This is completely normal. Citation orders can remain in the **To-Do** stage for **up to 55 days** while they are being actively processed behind the scenes. This article explains what to expect at each stage, why your order may not have moved yet, and when you should reach out for help.

## **🗺️ How to Find Your Citation Orders**

1. Navigate to **Local → Local Citations** (Local Citations) in your Search Atlas dashboard.
2. Locate your order and review its current stage label.

## **⏱️ Understanding the Processing Timeline**

Citation orders go through a multi-step fulfillment process that involves submitting your business information to a network of directories and data aggregators. Because each directory has its own acceptance schedule, the full process takes time.

- **Expected processing window:** Up to 55 days from the purchase date.
- **To-Do stage:** Your order has been received and is queued for submission. No action is required from you.
- **Submitting stage:** Your order has entered active outreach to individual directories. Not all orders move to this stage at the same pace.

It is normal for an order purchased on a specific date — for example, September 17 — to still show **To-Do** for several weeks. This does not mean the order is delayed, failed, or forgotten. It means the order is in the processing queue.

## **📅 How Data Aggregator Date References Work**

Some citations are distributed through **data aggregators**, which are large data networks that push your business information to hundreds of directories at once. These aggregators operate on their own internal publishing schedules, which Search Atlas does not control. As a result:

- The date shown on your order may reflect when the aggregator **received** the data, not when it was published.
- Individual directories within the aggregator network may show your listing at different times.
- You may see some citations go live well before others, even within the same order.

This staggered behavior is expected and does not indicate a problem with your order.

## **🔄 Why Your Order Stays in 'To-Do' Longer Than Others**

Different citation orders can move through stages at different speeds depending on several factors:

- **Directory queue volume:** High-demand periods mean more orders are in the pipeline at the same time.
- **Business information verification:** Some directories require additional checks before accepting a listing.
- **Aggregator publishing cycles:** Data aggregators publish on scheduled cycles, not in real time.
- **Order size:** Larger citation packages involve more directories and naturally take longer to process.

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.