## **🔍 Overview**

When installing OTTO via Cloudflare, it is essential to use an **account-level API token** — not a personal API token. Using a personal token may show a **"Connected"** status in Search Atlas, but OTTO will not complete installation on your site. This article walks you through creating the correct token so your OTTO installation works immediately.

## **⚠️ Why Personal API Tokens Do Not Work**

Cloudflare offers two types of API tokens:

- **Personal API tokens** — scoped to individual user profiles and found at **dash.cloudflare.com/profile/api-tokens**. These do not grant the account-level permissions required for OTTO to deploy its worker scripts.
- **Account-level API tokens** — created from within your Cloudflare account dashboard. These provide the necessary permissions for worker creation and script deployment, which OTTO requires to install correctly.

Even though Search Atlas may display **"Connected"** with a personal token, the underlying worker deployment will silently fail. Always use an account-level token to ensure full functionality.

## **🛠️ How to Create a Cloudflare Account-Level API Token**

1. Log in to your Cloudflare account at **dash.cloudflare.com**.
2. From the top navigation, select the **account** you want to connect to OTTO (not your user profile).
3. In the left sidebar, click **Manage Account**, then select **API Tokens**.
4. Click **Create Token**.
5. Choose **Create Custom Token** to configure the required permissions manually.
6. Under **Permissions**, add the following:
   - **Account** — Workers Scripts — **Edit**
   - **Account** — Workers Routes — **Edit**
   - **Zone** — Zone — **Read**
   - **Zone** — DNS — **Edit**
7. Under **Account Resources**, set the token to apply to your specific account.
8. Under **Zone Resources**, select **All zones** or the specific zone (domain) where OTTO will be installed.
9. Click **Continue to Summary**, review your settings, then click **Create Token**.
10. Copy the generated token immediately — Cloudflare will only display it once.

## **🚀 How to Connect the Token in Search Atlas**

1. In Search Atlas, navigate to **Left sidebar → OTTO SEO**.
2. Open or create the OTTO project for your domain.
3. When prompted for your Cloudflare credentials, paste the **account-level API token** you just created.
4. Complete the connection flow. Search Atlas should display **"Connected"** and OTTO should begin installing on your site immediately.

## **✅ How to Confirm OTTO Installed Successfully**

After connecting with the correct token, verify the installation was successful by checking the following:

- The OTTO status in your project shows as **Active** (visible under Left sidebar → OTTO SEO).
- The Cloudflare Workers section of your account shows a new worker script deployed by OTTO.
- Your website loads correctly with no disruption to DNS or page performance.

## **💡 Common Mistakes to Avoid**

- **Using a personal API token** — always create the token from the account dashboard, not your user profile page.
- **Missing permissions** — ensure all four permission sets (Workers Scripts, Workers Routes, Zone Read, DNS Edit) are included. Missing any one of them can prevent deployment.
- **Wrong zone scope** — if the token is scoped to the wrong zone, OTTO cannot access your domain. Double-check the zone resources during token creation.
- **Token copied incorrectly** — the token is shown only once. If you missed copying it, delete it and generate a new one.

## **💬 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 instantly connected with a member of our team.