🤔 What Does the 'Failed' Message Mean?
When Otto — Search Atlas's OTTO SEO automation tool — displays a Failed status next to your connected site, it means Otto encountered an interruption while crawling or processing your site's data. This does not mean your site has been disconnected or that any previously applied optimizations have been lost.
In most cases, this is a known display glitch triggered by a temporary timeout or a brief server-side interruption during the crawl process. Your site connection remains intact, and the issue is fully recoverable by initiating a fresh recrawl.
⚠️ Why Does This Happen?
The Failed status can appear for several common reasons:
- A temporary timeout occurred while Otto was crawling your site.
- A brief server interruption affected the data processing pipeline.
- Your site returned an unexpected response during the crawl (for example, a momentary slowdown or blocked request).
- The crawl session was interrupted before it could complete successfully.
None of these causes indicate a problem with your site's SEO health or your Search Atlas account. A recrawl resolves the issue in the vast majority of cases.
🛠️ How to Fix It: Step-by-Step Recrawl Instructions
Follow these steps to clear the Failed status and restart the Otto crawl for your site:
- Log in to your Search Atlas account and navigate to OTTO SEO → Site Audit → Overview (Website Overview) using the left sidebar.
- Locate the site showing the Failed status in your Otto dashboard.
- Click on the site to open its Otto settings and overview panel.
- Look for the Recrawl Site button on the Overview (Website Overview) page and click it.
- Confirm the action if prompted. Otto will immediately queue a fresh crawl for your site.
- Wait for the crawl to complete. The status will update automatically once Otto finishes processing.
You do not need to disconnect or reconnect your site. Initiating the recrawl is all that is required.
⏱️ How Long Will the Recrawl Take?
Recrawl times vary depending on the size of your site and current system load. As a general guide:
- Small sites (under 100 pages): typically 5–15 minutes.
- Medium sites (100–1,000 pages): typically 15–45 minutes.
- Large sites (1,000+ pages): may take up to a few hours.
Once the recrawl is complete, the Failed status will be replaced with an active status and your Otto data will be refreshed. You do not need to stay on the page while the crawl runs — you can navigate away and return later to check the updated status.
✅ After the Recrawl Completes
When the recrawl finishes successfully, you should see:
- The site status updated from Failed to an active crawl status.
- Refreshed site data, including updated page counts and SEO opportunity summaries.
- All previously deployed Otto optimizations still in place — a recrawl does not remove or reset any changes Otto has already applied to your site.
If the Failed status reappears after the recrawl completes, try running a second recrawl. Persistent failures after two attempts may indicate a site accessibility issue that requires further investigation.
🆘 Still Seeing the Failed Status?
If the Failed message persists after one or two recrawl attempts, it may point to a deeper connectivity issue between Otto and your site — for example, your site blocking the Otto crawler or an authentication problem. In this situation, our team can investigate directly.
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.