🔍 Quick Answer
If OTTO SEO scans keep failing, open the installation diagnostics to identify the problem. OTTO supports Cloudflare and JavaScript pixel installation, among other methods. If diagnostics confirms multiple independent installations, keep one and remove the unwanted installation. Clear relevant site and browser caches after making changes, then scan again. Duplicate installations are one possible cause, not a verified most-common cause.
⚠️ Why Scans Fail When Both Methods Are Active
OTTO reads your pages and applies SEO improvements on top of them. With two methods active, the following can happen:
- Multiple independent OTTO installations can trigger a Duplicate Installation warning. Use diagnostics to identify the installations before removing anything; multiple OTTO markers in a page do not necessarily mean changes are being applied twice.
- Cached pages can show outdated installation information. OTTO’s installation and deployment checks also inspect JavaScript-rendered pages, where OTTO modifications are expected; seeing modified content does not itself indicate a scan failure.
- Cloudflare security features, such as bot protection or firewall rules, can block the scanner while the pixel still loads for regular visitors, or the other way around.
- Old cached pages can keep showing the previous setup after you change methods, so the scan looks like it is still failing.
🧭 Which Installation Mode Should I Use?
Choose the method that matches how your site is managed:
- JavaScript pixel: Best if you can edit your site's header or use a tag manager and do not want to change DNS or Cloudflare settings. It is usually the simplest option.
- Cloudflare: Best if your domain already runs through Cloudflare and you are comfortable managing it there. It needs the right access and settings in your Cloudflare account.
If you are unsure, follow the installation guide’s recommendation for your website. It may recommend an automatic CMS integration or Manual Installation using a Code Snippet. Manual installation does not require connecting a Cloudflare account, although Cloudflare security on your site can still affect scanning. Keep one intended installation and investigate any Duplicate Installation warning.
✅ The Smallest Safe Fix
- Open your OTTO project in Search Atlas and check which installation method it is set up to use.
- Decide on a single method (see the section above).
- Remove only the independent installation you no longer intend to use. If keeping Cloudflare, remove any separately installed OTTO snippet from the header, tag manager, or snippet-injection plugin without removing unrelated functionality. If keeping the JavaScript pixel, use the Cloudflare integration’s uninstall flow in Search Atlas to remove OTTO’s Cloudflare deployment. Then verify the remaining installation.
- Clear your caches (see the cache section below).
- Go back to OTTO and run a new scan.
- Wait for the scan’s progress and results to update automatically. Review whether the check completed successfully or reported an installation or deployment problem. If it times out or fails, follow the displayed instructions; refreshing the page alone does not guarantee completion.
Avoid making other changes at the same time, such as changing DNS or switching hosts. A single change is easier to verify and undo.
👀 How to Tell Whether OTTO Is Active
If you cannot see an active status in your dashboard, try these checks:
- Open the OTTO project for your domain and review its installation status and diagnostics. A successful result can identify the detected installation method. If you see a warning or error, read the specific finding: an unreachable page, disabled integration, incorrect UUID, or duplicate installation requires different troubleshooting. A missing result alone does not prove an incorrect installation.
- Open your live homepage and inspect both View Page Source and the rendered page in browser developer tools. Look for the OTTO script identifier sa-dynamic-optimization and confirm that its data-uuid matches your project. Multiple text matches do not by themselves prove duplicate installation, and no match in raw page source does not rule out a tag-manager or client-side installation. Use OTTO diagnostics to verify the detected installation and investigate any duplicate warning.
- Test in a private window: Load the page while logged out and in a private browser window to avoid cached or admin-only versions of the page.
🧹 What If I Cannot Find the Purge Option?
Many customers get stuck here. The purge option is not inside Search Atlas. It lives in the tool that caches your site. Here is where to look:
- Cloudflare: Log in to Cloudflare, select your domain, and open the Caching section. Look for Configuration and then Purge Cache. Menu names can vary slightly by account and plan.
- WordPress or other caching plugins: Open your caching plugin's settings and look for a Clear Cache or Purge All button.
- Hosting provider cache: Many hosts have their own cache. Look in your hosting control panel for a cache or performance section.
If you do not see these options, one of these is usually the reason:
- You have not selected the correct domain inside Cloudflare.
- Your Cloudflare user role does not include cache permissions. Ask the account owner to purge the cache or upgrade your access.
- Your domain does not run through Cloudflare at all, in which case there is nothing to purge there. Use the pixel method and clear your site or host cache instead.
🔒 Check for Blocking Rules
If scans still fail after you have only one method active, security settings may be blocking the scanner. Check these in Cloudflare or your hosting firewall:
- Bot fight mode or similar bot protection settings that challenge automated visitors.
- Custom firewall or rate-limiting rules that block unknown traffic.
- Password protection, maintenance mode, or login walls that stop the scanner from reaching public pages.
- Redirect loops, for example between http and https or between www and non-www versions of your domain.
Make small adjustments one at a time and re-scan after each change so you know which one made the difference.
📌 Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Installing the pixel while Cloudflare is already deployed for OTTO, then assuming both are needed.
- Removing the pixel from the site but forgetting to disable the Cloudflare connection, or the reverse.
- Re-running scans before clearing the cache, which shows old results.
- Adding the pixel in several places, such as the theme, a plugin, and a tag manager.
🛡️ How to Prevent This in the Future
- Note which installation method you chose and where it is installed.
- Before changing hosts, themes, or Cloudflare settings, check whether the OTTO setup will be affected.
- After any site change, run a new OTTO scan to confirm everything still works.
💬 Still Need Help?
If scans still fail after you have used a single method and cleared your cache, have these details ready: your domain, the installation method you chose, and any error message you see. 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.