🧭 Overview
If you cannot add topics to monitor AI search performance or the Search Atlas LLM tool appears locked or non-functional, the cause is almost always one of four things: your subscription tier does not include the feature, the feature has not been enabled on your account, your user role lacks the required permissions, or a setup step was missed during onboarding. This article walks you through each scenario so you can identify and fix the issue quickly.
📋 Before You Begin
Gather the following information before running through the steps below. This will save time if you need to escalate:
- Your current plan name and monthly cost
- The email address on the account
- The exact error message or behavior you see (screenshot recommended)
- Whether other users on the same account have the same problem
✅ Step 1: Confirm Your Subscription Includes These Features
The Search Atlas LLM tool and AI search topic monitoring are not available on all plans. These are advanced AI features included in mid-tier and above subscriptions.
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the platform.
- Select Billing from the dropdown (Plans & Top-ups tab).
- Review the features listed under your active plan.
If the LLM tool and topic monitoring are not listed, your current plan does not include them. You will need to upgrade to gain access. If you believe your plan should include these features based on what you were told at sign-up, proceed to Step 5 to escalate.
🔍 Step 2: Check Whether the Features Are Enabled on Your Account
Even on eligible plans, features sometimes need to be manually enabled by the Search Atlas team after account creation. A feature can appear greyed out or return an access error even when your plan covers it.
- Navigate to OTTO SEO → SEO Automation using the left sidebar (URL:
/seo-automation-v3). - Look for the LLM tool and topic monitoring sections within this area.
- If you see a message such as "Feature not available", "Upgrade to access", or the section is completely missing, the feature may not be toggled on for your account.
This is a common cause of access issues for customers on newer accounts or accounts migrated from a previous plan. It requires account-side activation by the Search Atlas team — see Step 5.
👤 Step 3: Verify Your User Role and Permissions
If you are a team member on a shared account, your user role may restrict access to certain features. Only account owners and administrators can access all platform features by default.
- Ask your account owner or administrator to log in and check whether they can access the LLM tool and topic monitoring.
- If the account owner can access the features but you cannot, your role needs to be updated.
- The account owner should navigate to Settings → Team Members, locate your user profile, and adjust your permissions to grant access to AI features.
If you are the account owner and still cannot access the features, your issue is not permissions-related — continue to Step 4.
⚙️ Step 4: Check for Common Setup Errors
Run through this checklist to rule out configuration issues that frequently block access to these specific features:
- No project or domain connected: Topic monitoring requires an active project with a connected domain. Go to Site Metrics → Site Explorer in the left sidebar and confirm at least one property is listed and verified.
- Browser cache or extension conflict: Hard-refresh the platform (Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows, Cmd + Shift + R on Mac) or try an incognito window. Some ad-blockers and browser extensions interfere with AI feature rendering.
- Incomplete onboarding: If your account was recently created, some features unlock only after completing the initial setup wizard. Check for any pending onboarding prompts on your dashboard.
- Workspace mismatch: If your account has multiple workspaces, confirm you are in the correct workspace where your plan and features are active. Switch workspaces using the dropdown at the top of the left sidebar.
🚨 Step 5: When to Escalate to the Billing or Account Team
Escalate immediately — do not continue troubleshooting on your own — if any of the following are true:
- Your plan billing page shows a charge consistent with a plan that should include these features, but the features are locked.
- You were explicitly told at sign-up or by a sales representative that your plan includes the LLM tool and topic monitoring.
- You completed Steps 1–4 and the features are still inaccessible.
- You see a billing discrepancy or your plan details do not match what you agreed to at purchase.
In these cases, our team needs to review your account configuration directly and can resolve feature activation issues or billing mismatches on the spot.
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.