📋 Overview
Your Search Atlas plan includes a set number of OTTO Sites by default. If you need more, you can purchase additional sites through a top-up. However, it is easy to end up with a top-up that covers more sites than you actually need — resulting in unexpected charges. This article explains how OTTO Sites billing works, why you may see an error when trying to reduce your top-up, and how to get a billing adjustment.
🔢 How OTTO Sites Top-Up Pricing Works
Your base plan includes a fixed number of OTTO Sites at no extra cost. Any sites beyond that number require a paid top-up. A few important things to know:
- Your plan's included sites count toward your total. For example, if your plan includes 4 OTTO Sites and you have 8 live sites, you only need a top-up for the 4 additional sites — not all 8.
- Per-site price decreases with larger top-ups. Purchasing a larger block of additional sites lowers the unit price, but you only pay less per site, not less in total — so over-provisioning still costs more overall.
- Top-up quantity and active sites are separate. You can have a top-up quantity that is higher than the number of sites you actually have live. This is a common source of overcharging.
⚠️ Why You May See a Reduction Error
If you try to reduce your OTTO Sites top-up and see an error similar to "You cannot reduce your OTTO sites below the minimum included in your current plan," this does not always mean your requested reduction is invalid. In some cases, this error appears even when your requested number is correct and the reduction should be technically allowed. This is a known billing system limitation that requires the support team to resolve manually.
✅ What to Do If You Are Over-Provisioned
- Confirm how many OTTO Sites your plan includes. Check your plan details to find the number of OTTO Sites bundled at no extra cost.
- Count your active OTTO Sites. Review the sites currently active under your account in your Search Atlas dashboard.
- Calculate the top-up you actually need. Subtract your plan's included sites from the total number of active sites. The result is the top-up quantity you should be paying for.
- Attempt to adjust your top-up. Try to reduce the top-up to the correct number. If the change goes through without an error, you are done.
- If you see an error, contact support immediately. Do not try to work around the error yourself. The billing team can manually adjust your top-up quantity and issue a partial refund for any amount you were overcharged.
💰 Partial Refunds for Overcharges
If your top-up was set higher than needed and you were charged accordingly, you may be eligible for a partial refund covering the difference. The billin