🧊 What Is Deep Freeze?
Deep Freeze is a feature in Search Atlas that lets you pause all OTTO AI activity on a connected site without permanently removing it from your account. When you Deep Freeze a site, OTTO stops consuming active resources for that site, but the site remains in your account in a suspended state.
📊 How Deep Freeze Affects Your OTTO Sites Quota
A common question is whether Deep Freezing a site immediately frees up a quota slot so you can add a new site. Here is how it actually works:
- Deep Freezing a site does not instantly release your quota. The slot used by the frozen site enters a 14-day hold period before it is returned to your available quota.
- During those 14 days, the frozen site still counts against your total OTTO Sites quota.
- Once the 14-day hold period expires, the quota slot is automatically released and you can use it to add a new site.
This hold period exists to protect account integrity and prevent quota from being cycled rapidly between sites.
⏳ Why Is There a 14-Day Hold?
The 14-day hold is a system-level rule applied to all accounts equally. It ensures that OTTO's underlying site data, configurations, and automation history are properly archived before the slot is made available again. This protects both the stability of your remaining sites and the accuracy of your historical data.
🚫 Can I Get an Exemption to Release the Quota Early?
No. The 14-day quota hold after a Deep Freeze is hardcoded into the platform and cannot be overridden, waived, or expedited for any account, regardless of circumstance. Our support team does not have the ability to manually release a frozen quota slot before the 14-day period concludes.
There are no exceptions to this rule, so please plan your site additions accordingly when you intend to use Deep Freeze.
📋 What to Expect: Step-by-Step Timeline
- You Deep Freeze a site inside Search Atlas.
- The site enters a frozen state — OTTO activity stops immediately.
- The quota slot for that site enters a 14-day hold. You cannot add a new site using that slot during this time.
- After 14 days, the quota slot is automatically returned to your account.
- You can now add a new site using the freed slot.
💡 Tips for Managing Your OTTO Sites Quota
- Plan ahead. If you know you will want to swap a site, Deep Freeze the outgoing site at least 14 days before you need the new slot.
- Check your quota status anytime within your Search Atlas account to see your current site count and quota limit.
- Do not Deep Freeze a site expecting an immediate swap.