🔍 Overview
Wildfire is Search Atlas's link-building feature that places Niche Edits (backlinks pointing to your site) and Outbound Links (links placed on your site pointing outward) across a network of publisher pages. This article explains exactly where to find and review both link types for any domain you manage.
🧭 How to Access Wildfire in Search Atlas
Wildfire is managed through the OTTO SEO dashboard. Follow these steps to get there:
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- From the left sidebar, select OTTO SEO.
- Open or select the OTTO project associated with your domain (for example, peters-creek.com).
- Inside the project dashboard, locate the Wildfire section.
📋 Locating Deployed Wildfire Niche Edits
Niche Edits are backlinks that have been placed on third-party publisher pages and point back to your domain. To find them:
- Open the Wildfire section within your OTTO project.
- Click the Niche Edits tab (sometimes labelled Backlinks depending on your account view).
- Use the Status filter and select Deployed to display only live, active placements.
- Review the list — each row shows the publisher page URL, the anchor text used, the target URL on your domain, and the deployment date.
Tip: If a link shows as deployed but does not appear in third-party backlink tools immediately, allow 2–4 weeks for crawlers to index the new placement.
🔗 Locating Approved Outbound Links
Outbound Links are links placed on your own site as part of a Wildfire exchange — your site links out to a publisher page in return for receiving a Niche Edit. To review them:
- Inside the Wildfire section, click the Outbound Links tab.
- Filter by Status: Approved to see all outbound placements that have been confirmed and are currently active on your site.
- Each row displays the outbound URL, the page on your site where the link lives, the anchor text, and approval date.
Important: Outbound Links are distinct from Niche Edits. They are links leaving your site, not pointing to it. Do not confuse an approved outbound link with a received backlink in your reporting.
🔎 Filtering by Domain
If you manage multiple sites and need to isolate data for a specific domain such as peters-creek.com:
- Ensure you have selected the correct OTTO project for that domain before opening Wildfire.
- Use the Search or Filter bar within the Niche Edits or Outbound Links tabs to type the domain name and narrow results.
- The Target URL column in Niche Edits and the Source Page column in Outbound Links both display the domain, making it easy to confirm you are reviewing the right site.
⚠️ Known Limitations to Be Aware Of
Our engineering team has recently resolved several Wildfire reporting issues. Here is what to keep in mind:
- Link update delays: Wildfire link statuses may take up to 24 hours to refresh after a deployment or approval event.
- Outbound links mistaken for backlinks: A previous bug caused some outbound links to appear in backlink counts. This has been fixed, but if you notice unusual backlink numbers, compare your Niche Edits and Outbound Links tabs carefully.
- Referring page visibility: In some cases the referring page for an active backlink may not display immediately. Refreshing the Wildfire section or waiting for the next data sync typically resolves this.
💡 Quick Reference Summary
- Deployed Niche Edits → OTTO SEO → Your Project → Wildfire → Niche Edits tab → Filter: Deployed
- Approved Outbound Links → OTTO SEO → Your Project → Wildfire → Outbound Links tab → Filter: Approved
🆘 Need More Help?
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.
Additional Notes
Use exact domain formatting: When filtering by domain, enter the domain without https:// or a trailing slash to get the most accurate results.