Overview
Atlas Brain is Search Atlas's AI-powered automation layer that executes multi-step research and optimization workflows through playbooks. When building playbooks specifically for competitor research, users sometimes encounter stalls, incomplete outputs, or unexpected behavior. This article explains common causes of these issues and the steps you can take to resolve them.
Common Reasons a Competitor Research Playbook Stalls or Produces Incomplete Results
- Prompt is too broad or ambiguous: If the playbook prompt does not clearly define the target competitor, the specific data to collect (e.g., keyword gaps, SERP positions, content topics), or the expected output format, Atlas Brain may not complete the task as intended.
- Missing or unclear input variables: Playbooks that rely on variable inputs (such as a competitor domain or target keyword list) will stall or produce generic results if those variables are empty or inconsistently formatted.
- Too many steps in a single playbook: Chaining too many research actions in one playbook without intermediate checkpoints can cause the workflow to time out or return partial data.
- Conflicting instructions: If the playbook prompt contains contradictory instructions (e.g., asking for both a broad overview and highly specific keyword-level data in the same step), Atlas Brain may only address part of the request.
Steps to Troubleshoot Your Competitor Research Playbook
- Review and sharpen your prompt. Open the playbook and reread the prompt instructions. Make sure the competitor domain or entity is explicitly named, the research goal is specific (e.g., "identify top 20 keywords where competitor ranks in positions 1–10 but my site does not"), and the desired output format is described.
- Check your input variables. Confirm that all required variables are filled in and formatted correctly before running the playbook. For example, competitor domains should be entered without extra spaces or protocol prefixes if the field does not expect them.
- Break the playbook into smaller steps. If your playbook attempts to cover keyword gap analysis, SERP analysis, and content strategy recommendations in a single run, try splitting these into separate, focused playbooks and running them in sequence.
- Remove conflicting instructions. Read through the prompt for any statements that contradict each other or ask Atlas Brain to do two different things at once. Simplify to one clear goal per step.
- Re-run the playbook after making changes. After adjusting the prompt or variables, save the playbook and run it again to see whether the output improves.
What to Have Ready If You Need Support
If you have worked through the steps above and your playbook is still stalling, producing incomplete results, or behaving unexpectedly, our support team can investigate your specific configuration. Before reaching out, have the following information ready:
- Your project or workspace name
- The name or description of the playbook that is not working
- A description of what the playbook is supposed to do versus what it is actually doing
- Any error messages or unusual outputs you have observed, including approximate timestamps
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.