🔍 Overview: Creation vs. Generation
When you build Cloud Stacks through OTTO or directly in the Authority section, each stack passes through two distinct states: Created and Generated. These are not the same thing, and understanding the difference is the most common reason stacks appear to be "stuck" or failing.
- Created — The stack record exists and your Knowledge Graph data is attached, but no AI content has been produced yet.
- Generated — The AI generation button has been manually triggered, a target site has been selected, and content has been produced and accepted.
A fully populated Knowledge Graph does not automatically start generation. You must manually trigger each stage of the workflow described below.
🗺️ The Full Cloud Stack Generation Workflow
Follow these steps in order. Skipping any step will leave your stacks in a pending state.
- Navigate to Cloud Stacks. Go to Left sidebar → Authority → Cloud Stacks. You will see a list of all stacks, each showing its current status.
- Confirm your stacks are in Created status. Stacks that have not yet been generated display a status of Created or Pending Generation. This is expected and not a technical error.
- Open the stack you want to generate. Click the stack name or its row to open the detail view.
- Select your target site. Before generation can begin, you must choose which website this stack will be built around. Use the site selector inside the stack detail view to assign the correct domain. Generation cannot proceed without a site selection.
- Click the AI Generation button. Once a site is selected, the Generate button becomes active. Click it to start the AI content creation process. This step must be performed manually for every stack — there is no bulk auto-trigger.
- Review and accept the generated content. When generation completes, the platform presents the content for your review. Read through each section and click Accept to confirm the output. Stacks that are not accepted will not proceed to publishing.
- Publish the stack. After acceptance, click Publish to make the stack live. Only published stacks contribute to your authority-building campaign.
⚡ Why Stacks Created in OTTO Require Manual Action
When OTTO creates Cloud Stacks as part of an automated SEO workflow, it handles the creation stage — it populates the stack with Knowledge Graph data and queues the records. OTTO does not automatically trigger AI generation. This is intentional: the manual trigger gives you an opportunity to verify site selection and review content before HDC credits are consumed.
If you see a batch of stacks in your Cloud Stacks dashboard that were created by OTTO but show no generated content, this is the expected workflow state — not a failure. Simply follow the generation steps above for each stack.
💳 Understanding HDC Credit Usage and Billing
HDC (Hyperdrive Credits) are consumed at the point of generation, not at creation. This means:
- Creating a stack through OTTO or manually does not deduct HDC credits.
- Clicking the Generate button for a stack deducts the applicable HDC credits for that stack.
- If you triggered generation for stacks beyond your plan's included HDC allocation, overage charges apply at the standard rate.
If you believe your charges do not match your usage, here is how to reconcile them:
- Go to Left sidebar → Authority → Cloud Stacks and review the status of all stacks.
- Count the stacks showing a Generated or Published status — these are the stacks for which HDC credits were consumed.
- Compare that number to the HDC allocation on your current Authority Plan.
- Any stacks generated beyond your plan's included HDC count will appear as overage on your invoice.
For example: if your Authority Plan includes a set HDC allocation and generation was triggered for a total that exceeds that amount, the difference is billed as overage. Review your generation history inside the Cloud Stacks dashboard to identify exactly which stacks consumed credits beyond your allocation.
✅ Quick Checklist Before Triggering Generation
- Knowledge Graph is fully populated with accurate business information.
- Target site is selected inside the stack detail view.
- You have confirmed your remaining HDC credit balance to avoid unexpected overage charges.
- You are ready to review and accept content immediately after generation completes.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Generate button is greyed out: A target site has not been selected. Assign a site in the stack detail view first.
- Stack shows Created but no content: Generation has not been triggered. This is a workflow step, not a technical error. Click Generate.
- Content is generated but stack is not live: The content review and Accept step has not been completed, or the Publish step was skipped.
- Unexpected charge on invoice: Check how many stacks reached Generated status. Overage is charged per HDC consumed beyond your plan limit.
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.