If you want to be sure OTTO is not making live changes to your website, you can check this yourself in a few minutes. This article explains how OTTO connects to a site, how to check whether your domain is connected, and what to do if you want to stop any changes.
💡 How OTTO Makes Changes to a Website
OTTO can only change a live website if that site has been deliberately connected to it. A connection normally requires one of the following:
- A domain added as an OTTO project inside a Search Atlas account.
- An OTTO script (code snippet) installed on the website, or added through a tag manager or a similar tool.
- A plugin or integration set up on your website platform, such as WordPress.
If none of these are in place, OTTO has no way to publish changes to your site. Simply having a domain name mentioned somewhere in Search Atlas, such as in a report or a competitor list, does not mean OTTO is editing it.
📋 Step 1: Check Your Search Atlas Account
First, confirm whether the domain has been added as an OTTO project.
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- Open the OTTO section of the platform.
- Look through your list of projects or domains and check whether your domain appears.
- If you manage more than one workspace or account, repeat the check in each one.
If your domain is not listed in any account you have access to, it has not been set up as an OTTO project from your side.
🔎 Step 2: Check Your Website for the OTTO Script
Next, confirm that nothing on the website itself connects it to OTTO.
- Open your website in a browser.
- Right-click the page and choose View Page Source.
- Press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) and search for OTTO or searchatlas.
- If no results appear, no OTTO script is loading on that page.
Check a few different pages, such as the homepage and an inner page, to be thorough.
🛠️ Step 3: Check Your Website Platform and Tools
Some connections are made through tools outside the page code. Ask whoever manages your website to check these places:
- Plugins: Look through your installed plugins for any related to Search Atlas or OTTO.
- Tag managers: Check tools like Google Tag Manager for any tag that loads a Search Atlas script.
- Theme or header settings: Look for custom code added to your site header or footer.
- CDN or hosting tools: If your site uses a service such as Cloudflare, check for any rules or apps linked to Search Atlas.
✅ What Your Results Mean
- Not listed in the account, and no script or plugin found: OTTO is not connected to your domain and is not making changes.
- Listed in the account, but no script or plugin found: The domain has been added as a project, but nothing is installed on the site, so changes are not being published.
- Script or plugin found: OTTO may be able to publish changes. Follow the steps below to disconnect it.
🚫 How to Disconnect OTTO From a Domain
If you find a connection that you do not want, take these steps:
- Remove or deactivate the OTTO script, plugin, or tag from your website.
- Clear your website cache, and your CDN cache if you use one.
- In Search Atlas, pause or remove the domain from your OTTO projects if it is listed.
- Reload your website and search the page source again to confirm the OTTO reference is gone.
Once the script or plugin is removed, OTTO can no longer apply changes to your pages. Pages return to the content stored on your own website.
⚠️ If the Domain Is Not Yours or You Are Unsure
If you do not recognize a connection, or you manage a site on behalf of someone else, check with your team or website developer first. They may have set up OTTO without your knowledge. Do not delete code you are not sure about without confirming what it does.
💬 Need Help Confirming?
If you would like us to confirm whether a specific domain is connected to OTTO, our team can check for you. Have the exact domain name ready, for example yourdomain.com, and tell us what you have already checked.
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.