🔍 Overview
When creating a topical map in Search Atlas, you may run into two common issues: a URL validation error that greys out the input field, or OTTO only returning results for one page even though your site has many more. Both issues are usually caused by incorrect URL formatting or misconfigured crawl settings. This article walks you through how to fix each problem.
⚠️ Issue 1: URL Field Shows a Validation Error and Is Greyed Out
This error appears when the URL entered does not match the expected format. The field becomes uneditable until the issue is resolved.
Common causes:
- Missing or incorrect protocol (e.g., typing www.example.com instead of https://www.example.com)
- A trailing space before or after the URL
- Special characters or unsupported symbols in the URL
- Entering a URL path instead of the root domain (e.g., https://example.com/blog instead of https://example.com)
How to fix it:
- Go to Left sidebar → Content → Topical Maps.
- Click to create a new topical map.
- Clear the URL field completely.
- Re-enter your URL in the correct format: https://www.yourdomain.com — include the protocol and avoid any trailing slashes or spaces.
- Wait for the validation indicator to confirm the URL is accepted before proceeding.
📄 Issue 2: OTTO Only Shows Results for One Page
If OTTO is crawling your site but only returning data for a single page, your crawl depth or crawl scope settings are likely limiting the number of pages analysed.
Common causes:
- Crawl depth is set to 1, meaning only the root URL is crawled
- Crawl scope is restricted to a single page or subdirectory
- The sitemap has not been submitted or is not accessible
- The website blocks crawlers via robots.txt rules
How to fix it:
- Navigate to Left sidebar → OTTO SEO → SEO Automation (URL: /seo-automation-v3).
- Locate your project and open its crawl settings.
- Increase the crawl depth to cover the number of page levels your site contains. For most sites, a depth of 3 to 5 is recommended.
- Ensure the crawl scope is set to your full root domain, not a specific subfolder or page.
- If you have a sitemap, confirm the URL is entered correctly in the sitemap field (e.g., https://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml).
- Save your settings and re-run the crawl.
Once the crawl completes, return to Left sidebar → Content → Topical Maps and generate or refresh your topical map. You should now see data across all crawled pages.
✅ Best Practices for Topical Map Setup
- Always use the full root domain with https:// when entering your URL.
- Set crawl depth to at least 3 for small sites and 5+ for larger sites.
- Submit an XML sitemap to help OTTO discover all pages faster.
- Check your robots.txt file to make sure it does not block Search Atlas crawlers.
- Re-run the crawl after any major site changes before generating a new topical map.
💬 Still 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.