Home 🤖 OTTO SEO 🛠️ How to Add a New OTTO Project

🛠️ How to Add a New OTTO Project

Last updated on Oct 29, 2026

🔍 Overview

If you try to add a new client site and the platform keeps showing your previous project, you are not alone. This is a common point of confusion. OTTO and Site Audit each open the site you last worked on in that tool, so starting in the wrong place can look as if you are still on the old client.

This article explains the difference between the three places customers usually try, and walks you through adding a new project the right way.

🧭 Why the Old Project Keeps Appearing

Search Atlas remembers the last project you worked on. When you open a tool such as OTTO or Site Audit, it loads that project automatically. This saves time, but it can look as if the platform is blocking you from setting up a new site.

In most cases, nothing is broken. You just need to create a new project first, or switch the active project, before you continue.

📌 OTTO Project vs Site Audit vs Project Button

These three areas look similar, but each does something different: the Home project picker, an OTTO project, and Site Audit.

  • OTTO project: The workspace where OTTO analyzes one website and applies optimizations. Each website or client needs its own OTTO project.
  • Site Audit: A tool that scans the site of the selected project and reports technical issues. Running a Site Audit does not create a new OTTO project. It only audits the project that is already active.
  • Home project picker: the control on the Home tab that shows "All Projects" or the selected project name. Open it to switch projects, or choose Create project at the bottom to add a client.

Tip: If you start from Site Audit while your old project is selected, the audit will run on the old site. Always check the project name first.

🚀 How to Add a New Client Project

  1. On Home, open the project picker and check which project is active. It shows All Projects when none is selected, or the selected project name.
  2. Choose the option to add or create a new project, rather than selecting an existing one from the list.
  3. Enter the new client's domain, such as yoursite.com. The form already shows https:// in front of the field. Do not include a page path.
  4. Choose a primary goal and market location. If you continue with guided setup, you can also choose a language. Then select Create project, or Create project & continue.
  5. After the project is created, confirm that its name appears as the selected project in the Home project picker.
  6. Open OTTO and follow the on-screen steps to connect and install OTTO on the new website.
  7. Optionally, open Site Audit and run a scan to get a technical baseline for the new site.

🔄 How to Switch Between Projects

Once you manage several clients, you will switch often. Use these steps each time:

  1. On Home, open the project picker.
  2. Select the client project you want to work on.
  3. The page updates without a full refresh. On Home, confirm the project name in the project picker. In OTTO, confirm the site name and domain in the project header. In Site Audit, confirm the domain in the site selector.
  4. Open the tool you need, such as OTTO or Site Audit.

Always confirm the active project before making changes. This prevents optimizations or audits from being applied to the wrong site.

⚠️ Troubleshooting

  • The new project is not saved: Check the domain for typos and make sure the required fields are filled in. Then try again.
  • The platform says the site already exists: The domain may already be in a project on your account. Open the project selector and look for it before creating a duplicate.
  • Site Audit shows the wrong website: The old project is still active. Switch to the correct project and run the audit again.
  • OTTO does not show the new site: Refresh the page, then confirm the new project is selected. Make sure you have finished the OTTO installation steps for that site.
  • You cannot add more projects: Your plan may have a limit on the number of projects. Check your plan details in your account settings.

💡 Best Practices

  • Create one project per website so reports and optimizations stay organized.
  • Use clear project names, such as the client or business name.
  • Check the active project before you run any audit or approve any OTTO changes.
  • Finish the OTTO setup for each new project before moving on to the next client.

💬 Need More 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.