🔍 Overview
When a client cancels their SEO services, you usually want two things: to free up a project slot in your Search Atlas plan, and to make sure the client doesn't lose the optimizations you've already built. OTTO Deep Freeze is designed for this situation. This article explains how to plan an offboarding, what to check first, and what to expect afterward.
❄️ What Deep Freeze Does
Deep Freeze preserves the OTTO optimizations already deployed on a client's website, so the work stays in place after the project is no longer actively managed. Think of it as taking a snapshot of the current state and keeping it live.
- Preserved: the optimizations already deployed to the site.
- Not active: new OTTO recommendations, ongoing updates and fresh optimizations for that site.
- Quota-based: frozen sites count against a separate Deep Freeze quota, not your regular active project limit. That's why freezing a site can free up a regular project slot.
Your Deep Freeze quota depends on your plan. If you're unsure how many frozen sites your plan includes, check your plan details or ask our team in chat (see the last section).
✅ Before You Offboard
A little preparation prevents most problems. Go through this checklist first:
- Confirm the cancellation. Make sure the client has agreed to end the engagement and understands that active optimization will stop.
- Check your Deep Freeze quota. Make sure you have at least one open Deep Freeze spot on your plan.
- Finish pending work. Deploy or approve any OTTO recommendations you want to keep. Anything not deployed before the freeze is generally not included.
- Export your reports. Download rankings, audit and performance reports for your records or to hand over to the client.
- Tell the client what to expect. Let them know the existing work will stay in place but will no longer be updated.
🚀 How to Offboard a Client Step by Step
- Open your Search Atlas dashboard and select the client's project or site.
- Go to the OTTO section for that site and review the deployed optimizations to confirm everything you want to keep is live.
- Find the Deep Freeze option for the site. It is usually in the OTTO settings or project management options for that site.
- Choose to freeze the site and confirm. The site will use one spot from your Deep Freeze quota.
- Check that the site now shows a frozen status and that your active project count has gone down.
- Add a new client or project in the freed-up slot whenever you're ready.
Important: freeze the site before you remove or delete the project. Removing a project without freezing it first may mean the optimizations are no longer served on the client's website.
🔄 What Happens After the Freeze
- The existing optimizations should continue to appear on the client's site.
- OTTO will not create or deploy new optimizations for that site while it is frozen.
- Changes the client makes to their own website, such as a redesign, a migration or a change of platform, may affect how the preserved optimizations work.
- If the client returns, you can ask about reactivating the site so OTTO can resume active optimization. This uses one of your regular project slots again.
💡 Tips for a Smooth Handover
- Send the client a short summary of the work completed, such as pages optimized, issues fixed and results achieved.
- Let them know the optimizations are managed through your Search Atlas account, and that moving the site elsewhere may require a separate plan.
- If the client plans to redesign or migrate their website soon, tell them in advance so the preserved work isn't unexpectedly lost.
- Keep a note of which clients are frozen so you can track your Deep Freeze quota usage.
❓ Common Questions
Will the client lose their optimizations if I freeze the site?
No. The purpose of Deep Freeze is to keep the deployed work in place.
Will freezing a site free up a slot in my plan?
Yes. A frozen site uses a Deep Freeze spot instead of an active project slot, so you can use the freed slot for another client.
What if I've used all my Deep Freeze spots?
You will need to free up a spot or look at your plan options before freezing another site. Our team can walk you through the options.
Can I undo a freeze later?
In most cases a frozen site can be reactivated, provided you have an open project slot on your plan.
💬 Need Help?
If you can't find the Deep Freeze option, you're unsure about your quota, or you want a second opinion before offboarding a client, we're happy to 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.