## **🔍 What Is the otto-community-backlink Link?**

If you see a link labeled or tagged **otto-community-backlink** on your website, it was added by OTTO as part of the **Wildfire** community backlink feature. Wildfire connects sites in the Search Atlas community so they can reference each other with relevant links. The goal is to help the sites involved build link authority.

The link is not malware, and it does not mean your site was hacked. It appears because OTTO is active on your site and the community backlink feature was applied to it.

## **❓ Why Is It on My Site?**

Common reasons include:

- OTTO is installed or deployed on your website, and Wildfire community linking is enabled for your project.
- The link was added automatically after your project was enrolled in Wildfire. A partner site approved a link request, or the request was auto-approved after 3 days with no answer, and OTTO then inserted the link into that partner's page.
- Your project may have been enrolled in Wildfire by default when it was created, or someone on your team turned Wildfire on in the project settings, and you may not have realized that included the community link exchange.

If you did not expect this link, you are not required to keep it. You can opt out.

## **🚫 How to Opt Out of Wildfire Community Backlinks**

Follow these steps to stop OTTO from placing community backlinks on your site:

1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and open the **OTTO SEO** project for the affected website.
2. Look in the project settings for any option related to **Wildfire** or **community backlinks**.
3. Turn the option off, or choose to opt out, and save your changes.
4. You do not need to re-deploy or refresh OTTO. After you confirm, removal starts right away and your pages update automatically.

The option is in each project's Settings under "WILDFIRE link exchange", and it applies to that project only. If you cannot find the option, or you want help opting out several projects, contact our support team.

## **🧹 How to Confirm the Link Is Gone**

After you opt out, it can take a little time for the change to show on your live pages. To check:

1. Clear your website cache. This includes any caching plugin, your hosting cache, and any CDN such as Cloudflare.
2. Open the affected page in a private or incognito browser window.
3. View the page source (or use your browser's inspect tool) and search for `otto-community-backlink`. The link is injected into the page footer and may be hidden from view.
4. If it is still there after the cache is cleared, wait a short while and check again.

## **⚠️ Should I Delete the Link Manually?**

We recommend opting out first rather than deleting the link by hand. OTTO may add the link back the next time it syncs with your site if you only remove it manually. Once you have opted out, the link should not return. If a leftover copy remains in your page content, you can safely remove it from your CMS.

## **💡 Tips to Avoid Surprises**

- Review OTTO settings after initial setup so you know which features are on.
- Share this setting with anyone on your team who manages OTTO, so everyone knows your preference.
- Check your site after major OTTO deployments to confirm only the changes you want are live.

## **💬 Still Need Help?**

If the link is still showing, or you cannot find the opt-out setting, our team can remove it and opt your account out of Wildfire community backlinks. Please have these details ready:

- Your website domain
- The URL of the page where you see the link
- A short note that you want to opt out of Wildfire community backlinks

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.