🧠 Overview: Why Are DKN and OTTO Quota Connected?
This is a common and understandable question — and the short answer is: this is intentional by design, not a bug.
When you generate content using the Done-for-You Knowledge Network (DKN), Search Atlas automatically creates and activates an OTTO site as part of the process. Because each DKN generation spins up a new OTTO-managed site, it consumes one slot from your OTTO Sites quota. The two features are architecturally linked — DKN cannot function without an underlying OTTO site to manage the deployment.
This means that even if you are not actively thinking about OTTO when you work with DKN, your available OTTO Sites slots directly control how many DKN generations you can create.
📊 How the Quota Dependency Works
Here is a simple breakdown of the relationship:
- Each DKN generation = 1 OTTO Site consumed. When you initiate a DKN generation, the platform reserves one OTTO Sites slot for that project.
- Your OTTO Sites limit is set by your plan. Your current plan determines how many OTTO Sites — and therefore how many DKN generations — you can have active at one time.
- Reaching your Sites limit blocks new DKN generations. If all your OTTO Sites slots are in use, the platform will prompt you to increase your quota before you can create a new DKN project. This prompt is expected behaviour, not an error.
🔍 Why You Might See the Quota Warning
You will see a message asking you to increase your OTTO quota when either of the following is true:
- You have used all available OTTO Sites slots on your current plan.
- You have existing OTTO sites (created manually or via previous DKN generations) that are still active and occupying slots.
The platform does not distinguish between manually created OTTO sites and DKN-generated ones when counting against your limit — all active sites share the same pool.
✅ What You Can Do to Create More DKN Projects
You have two options to free up capacity for new DKN generations:
- Delete sites you no longer need. If you have active OTTO sites — whether created manually or through previous DKN generations — that you no longer use, removing them will free up slots and allow new DKN generations without upgrading your plan.
- Upgrade your OTTO Sites quota. If you need more active DKN projects simultaneously, you can increase your Sites limit by upgrading your plan or purchasing an OTTO Sites add-on. This is the right path if you want to keep all existing sites active and still create new DKN projects.
🚫 Is This a Bug?
No — the quota dependency between DKN and OTTO Sites is intentional design. DKN generation is built on top of the OTTO infrastructure, so every DKN project requires an OTTO site to exist. The quota prompt you see is the platform correctly enforcing your plan's site limit, not a malfunction.
If you believe your site count shown in the platform does not accurately reflect the sites you actually have active, or if you are seeing the quota warning even though you appear to have available slots, that would indicate an unexpected issue worth investigating. In that case, please reach out to our team using the instructions below.
💬 Need 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.