🧩 Overview

After installing the Otto pixel UUID code on a WordPress site, the project dashboard may continue to show a Not Installed status for a short period. This is expected behavior. Search Atlas needs time to detect and verify the pixel on your site before the status updates. This article explains the sync timeline, what causes delays, and the steps to take if the status does not update.

⏱️ Expected Sync Timeline

Once the Otto pixel UUID code has been correctly added to your WordPress site, the status in Search Atlas should update automatically. Here is what to expect:

• Typical sync time: 5–15 minutes after installation.
• Maximum wait time: Up to 60 minutes in some cases, depending on server response times and caching configurations.
• Status location: Navigate to OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) in the left sidebar (URL: /seo-automation-v3), then open your project to view the current pixel status.

If the status updates to Installed within this window, no further action is needed. If the status still shows Not Installed after 60 minutes, proceed to the troubleshooting steps below.

📋 How to Verify Your Otto Pixel Installation

Before waiting for the status to sync, confirm that the pixel was added correctly by following these steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to the theme or plugin where you placed the Otto pixel UUID code. Common locations include your theme's header.php file, a header script plugin, or a tag manager integration.
3. Confirm the full UUID code is present and has not been altered, truncated, or wrapped in extra characters.
4. Ensure the code is placed inside the section of every page, not just the homepage.
5. Save your changes and clear any caching plugins or server-side cache (see the caching section below).
6. Visit your live website and use your browser's View Page Source function (right-click → View Page Source) to search for your UUID. If it appears in the source code, the pixel is present on the page.

⚠️ Common Reasons the Status Stays 'Not Installed'

Several factors can prevent the status from updating even when the pixel code appears to be in place:

• Caching plugins: WordPress caching plugins such as WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache can serve old versions of your pages that do not yet include the pixel. Clear all caches immediately after installation.
• Server-level caching: Hosting providers may cache pages at the server level. Contact your host or flush the server cache from your hosting control panel.
• CDN caching: If your site uses a CDN such as Cloudflare, cached edge copies of your pages may not reflect the new code. Purge the CDN cache after installation.
• Incorrect code placement: The UUID must be in the section. Placing it in the footer or body can cause detection failures.
• Code modified or incomplete: Copy the UUID code directly from Search Atlas without reformatting. Extra spaces, missing characters, or HTML encoding errors will break detection.
• New project delay: Newly created projects may take slightly longer for the first status check to complete. Allow up to 60 minutes before escalating.

🔄 Steps to Take If Status Does Not Update After 60 Minutes

1. Confirm the pixel is visible in your page source as described above.
2. Clear all caches — WordPress plugins, server cache, and CDN — then wait an additional 10 minutes.
3. Return to OTTO SEO → All Sites (SEO Automation) in the left sidebar and refresh your project page to trigger a new status check.
4. Double-check that the UUID code in WordPress exactly matches the code shown in Search Atlas. Do not retype it manually; copy and paste directly from the platform.
5. If your site uses a security plugin such as Wordfence or iThemes Security, verify that outbound requests from Search Atlas are not being blocked.
6. Temporarily disable caching and security plugins, visit your site, then recheck the status in Search Atlas.

✅ Confirming a Successful Installation

The project status will change from Not Installed to Installed once Search Atlas successfully detects the pixel. You do not need to take any manual action to trigger this — the platform checks automatically. Once installed, Otto can begin crawling and optimizing your site. Keep caching plugins configured to exclude or delay caching on newly updated pages to avoid similar delays in the future.

💬 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.