Search Atlas applies a deep freeze policy to sites that reach certain quota thresholds. When triggered, a 14-day hold is placed on the affected site, and in some cases an exemption may be available. This article explains what each term means and how to get support if your site is affected.
📋 What Is the Deep Freeze Quota?
The deep freeze quota is a usage or resource limit applied to a site in your Search Atlas account. When a site's activity reaches or exceeds this threshold, Search Atlas places the site in a restricted state — referred to as a deep freeze — to protect system stability and fair usage across all accounts.
- The freeze affects the specific site, not your entire account.
- Other sites in your workspace continue operating normally while one site is frozen.
- The exact quota threshold varies by plan and site configuration.
- Each site in your account occupies a plan slot. A deep-frozen site continues to hold its slot for the duration of the 14-day hold — the freeze itself does not immediately free that slot for a new site to be added.
⏱️ The 14-Day Hold Period
Once a deep freeze is triggered, a 14-day hold is applied to the site. During this period, certain features or data refresh cycles for that site may be paused or limited. The hold is a standard cooling-off window designed to reset usage before normal activity resumes automatically.
- The hold period begins on the date the freeze is triggered.
- You will still have access to your account and all other sites during this time.
- At the end of the 14-day period, the site's quota resets and normal operations resume, unless the exemption process applies.
- Once the hold expires, the frozen site's plan slot is released — this is the point at which adding a new site to your account becomes possible if you were waiting for that slot.
🔓 Requesting an Exemption
An exemption may allow a site to bypass or shorten the standard 14-day hold under qualifying circumstances. Exemptions are not automatic — they require review by the Search Atlas support team.
- Exemption eligibility depends on your account plan and the reason for the freeze.
- To request an exemption, contact our team via live chat with your site URL and a brief description of your situation.
- Our team will review the request and respond with next steps, typically within one business day.
- Note: deleting a deep-frozen project to immediately free its plan slot is not currently supported. If you need to release a slot before the hold period expires, please reach out to support to discuss your options.
💬 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.