Home πŸš€ Getting Started

πŸš€ Getting Started

Camilo Aponte
By Camilo Aponte
β€’ 37 articles

πŸ› οΈ OTTO Setup and Cloudflare Whitelisting Requirements

πŸ” Overview When setting up OTTO, Search Atlas's AI-powered SEO automation tool, some websites are protected by Cloudflare β€” a popular security and content delivery network. This article explains whether access to a client's Cloudflare account is required and what steps may be needed to ensure OTTO can work properly on Cloudflare-protected sites. βš™οΈ Is Cloudflare Access Required to Set Up OTTO? In most cases, you do not need direct access to a client's Cloudflare account to set up and activate OTTO. OTTO deploys optimizations directly through the connected website, so the standard setup process works independently of Cloudflare. However, if a client's Cloudflare security settings are configured to block or challenge automated requests, OTTO's ability to crawl, deploy changes, or verify implementations may be affected. In these situations, a Cloudflare whitelisting step becomes necessary. 🚦 When Whitelisting Is Needed You may need to whitelist Search Atlas in Cloudflare if you notice any of the following: - OTTO fails to crawl or index the site during setup - Deployments are not applying correctly to the live website - The site returns security challenge pages (e.g., CAPTCHA or "Checking your browser") when OTTO attempts to access it - Cloudflare's Bot Fight Mode or Super Bot Fight Mode is enabled on the client's account - Custom WAF (Web Application Firewall) rules are blocking automated traffic βœ… How to Whitelist Search Atlas in Cloudflare To allow OTTO to function without interference, ask your client (or log in if you have access) to complete the following steps in their Cloudflare dashboard: 1. Log in to the Cloudflare dashboard and select the relevant domain. 2. Navigate to Security β†’ WAF β†’ Tools. 3. Under IP Access Rules, add Search Atlas IP addresses with the action set to Allow. Contact our support team via the chat widget for the current list of IP addresses to whitelist. 4. If Bot Fight Mode is enabled, go to Security β†’ Bots and consider temporarily disabling it during the initial OTTO setup, or create a bypass rule for Search Atlas traffic. 5. Save all changes and re-attempt the OTTO setup or crawl. πŸ“‹ Best Practices When Working With Client Sites - Ask about Cloudflare upfront: During onboarding, confirm whether the client's site uses Cloudflare and whether any strict bot protection rules are in place. - Request limited access if needed: You do not need full admin access β€” read access to security settings and the ability to add IP allowlist rules is sufficient. - Document the changes: Keep a record of any whitelisting rules added so they can be reviewed or removed if the client's security requirements change. - Re-enable security rules after setup: If Bot Fight Mode was disabled temporarily, remind the client to re-enable it once OTTO is fully configured and verified. πŸš€ Accessing OTTO in Search Atlas To get started with OTTO, navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar of your Search Atlas dashboard, then open SEO Automation inside it, or go directly to /seo-automation-v3. From there you can connect a website, run the initial site audit, and begin deploying OTTO optimizations. πŸ’‘ Summary Cloudflare access is not always required to set up OTTO, but it becomes necessary when a client's security configuration actively blocks automated traffic. Whitelisting Search Atlas IPs and adjusting bot protection rules are the most common solutions. When in doubt, check Cloudflare settings early in the onboarding process to avoid delays. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

⏱️ Website Engagement Timeline After Configuration

πŸ” Overview After you complete the initial configuration for a website in Search Atlas, the platform runs a multi-step engagement process before your site is marked as fully active. This process is automatic, but it does take time. Understanding each stage will help you know what to expect and how to confirm everything is working correctly. πŸ“‹ The Engagement Workflow Website engagement happens in a sequence of stages. Each stage must complete before the next one begins. 1. Pixel Installation β€” You install the Search Atlas tracking pixel on your website. This is the trigger that tells the platform to begin monitoring your site. 2. Site Auditor Crawl β€” Once the pixel is detected, the Site Auditor tool automatically initiates a full crawl of your website. This crawl collects technical SEO data, indexability signals, and page-level information that OTTO needs to operate effectively. 3. OTTO Crawling and Activation β€” After the Site Auditor crawl is complete, OTTO (the OTTO SEO automation engine) performs its own crawl using the collected data. Once OTTO finishes, your site becomes fully active and automation is enabled. ⏳ How Long Does the Process Take? The full engagement process β€” from pixel installation to active status β€” can take a significant amount of time depending on the size of your website and current crawl queue volume on the platform. This is expected and normal. If your websites are showing as not yet engaged shortly after configuration, they are most likely still working through the crawl stages of the workflow described above. No action is required on your part during this time. πŸ‘€ How to Monitor Engagement Progress You can check the current status of your websites at any time by navigating to the OTTO SEO section of the platform. Locate each website in your project list and review its current status to see whether it is still crawling or has become active. If a site appears to have been stuck in the same status for an extended period without progressing, review the steps below. βœ… What to Check If Engagement Is Delayed If your websites have not become active after an extended period, verify the following before reaching out to support: - Pixel is correctly installed β€” The tracking pixel must be present in the <head> section of every page on your site. Confirm the snippet was saved and published on your website. - No crawl blockers are in place β€” Check that your robots.txt file and any firewall or bot-protection settings are not blocking Search Atlas crawlers. πŸ“ž Need Help? If you have verified the above and your site is still not progressing, please be ready to share your project name, the domain(s) affected, and approximately when the configuration was completed. This will help our team investigate efficiently. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ› οΈ Install OTTO Tracking Pixel on Any Website

πŸ” Overview If your website is self-hosted β€” for example, on a provider like home.pl, a custom VPS, or any shared hosting environment β€” you can still connect it to OTTO SEO in Search Atlas. Instead of relying on Cloudflare, a WordPress plugin, or other third-party integrations, you simply add the OTTO tracking pixel directly to your HTML. This method works on any website where you can edit the source code. βš™οΈ Before You Begin Make sure you have the following ready before starting: - Access to your website's HTML files (via FTP, SFTP, your hosting control panel's file manager, or a code editor) - The ability to edit your site's main template file or every page's <head> section - Your OTTO project already created inside Search Atlas (see the OTTO SEO section) πŸš€ Step 1 β€” Find Your OTTO Pixel Code 1. Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to OTTO SEO using the left sidebar. 2. Open your OTTO project or create a new one for your website. 3. Within your OTTO project, find the pixel code snippet provided for your project. 4. Copy the pixel code snippet. πŸ“„ Step 2 β€” Add the Pixel to Your HTML The pixel must be placed inside the <head> section of every page you want OTTO to monitor. The most reliable way to do this on a self-hosted site is to edit your global template or layout file β€” the single file that wraps all pages on your site. 1. Connect to your hosting via FTP/SFTP or open the File Manager in your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel, DirectAdmin, or your provider's custom panel). 2. Locate your main template file. This is commonly the file that contains the shared <head> section rendered on every page of your site. 3. Open the file in a text editor. 4. Paste the OTTO pixel code snippet immediately before the closing </head> tag. 5. Save the file and upload it back to your server if you edited it locally. βœ… Step 3 β€” Verify the Connection 1. Return to Search Atlas and go to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar. 2. Open your OTTO project and follow the on-screen instructions to confirm the pixel has been detected on your site. 3. If the connection is confirmed, your website is now connected and OTTO will begin crawl monitoring. If the connection is not confirmed immediately, wait 1–2 minutes and try again. Browser caches or server propagation delays can sometimes cause a brief lag. πŸ’‘ Tips for Common Issues - If your site uses a PHP-based custom build, add the pixel snippet to the PHP file that outputs the shared <head> section. - Make sure the pixel code is pasted in the <head> section and not in the <body> section, as placement in the body may prevent proper detection. - If you manage multiple pages without a shared template, you will need to add the pixel code to each page's <head> section individually. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

⚑ OTTO Installation Methods Compared: Plugin vs. Script

Overview OTTO can be installed on your website using three methods: the WordPress plugin, a script placed in your header or footer, or via Google Tag Manager (GTM). A common question is whether these methods perform identically and whether the WordPress plugin is mandatory for certain features like automatic updates. This article outlines the general differences between each method and when each may be the right choice for your site. Are All Installation Methods Equivalent? For core OTTO functionality β€” including on-page SEO automation, schema deployment, and real-time optimizations β€” the three installation methods are designed to get OTTO active on your site. The method used to load the script may affect certain aspects of how OTTO is managed, so it is worth understanding the differences before choosing one. - WordPress Plugin: Installs and manages the OTTO script automatically within your WordPress environment. - Header/Footer Script: A manually placed JavaScript snippet added directly to your site's <head> or before the closing </body> tag. - Google Tag Manager (GTM): The OTTO script is deployed as a custom HTML tag through your GTM container. Once the script is active on your site and your OTTO session is enabled in Search Atlas, OTTO will begin working on your pages. If you are unsure which method is best suited to your site's setup, our support team can help you determine the right approach. Automatic Updates: Plugin vs. Script One frequently asked question concerns how updates are handled across installation methods. - WordPress Plugin: The plugin receives updates through the standard WordPress update mechanism, just like any other WordPress plugin β€” automatically or with a single click in your WordPress dashboard. - Header/Footer Script: The JavaScript snippet references an externally hosted script. How and when updates to that script are applied may vary β€” contact our support team to confirm the current update behavior for this method. - GTM: Similar to the header/footer script method, the tag in GTM references an externally hosted script. Please confirm with our support team how updates are handled for GTM-deployed instances. If you have questions about whether you need to take any manual action to keep your OTTO installation current, reach out to our team for confirmation specific to your setup. When to Use Each Method - WordPress Plugin β€” Recommended for WordPress sites where you want the simplest setup experience, built-in script management, and compatibility checks handled automatically. - Header/Footer Script β€” A flexible option for non-WordPress sites or situations where you have direct access to your site's theme or template files. - GTM β€” Useful when your team manages multiple tags through GTM and prefers a centralized deployment workflow. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ” OTTO Loop Setup Offer Scope Explained

🎯 What This Article Covers If you purchased or are considering a promotional plan that includes OTTO SEO loop setup, you may be wondering whether sites you add to your account after the purchase date are also covered. This article clarifies exactly how the loop setup benefit works so you can plan your onboarding with confidence. πŸ“‹ What the Loop Setup Promotion Includes When a promotional offer advertises OTTO loop setup as a included benefit, the scope of that benefit is defined at the time of purchase. Here is what you need to know: - Sites active at purchase: Any site already added to your Search Atlas account when you complete the purchase is eligible for the promotional loop setup. - Sites added after purchase: Sites you connect to your account after the promotional purchase date are not automatically covered by the original offer. The promotion applies to the account state at the time of the transaction, not to future additions. - Offer expiry matters: Once a limited-time promotion expires, its terms are locked in. Adding new sites later does not extend or reapply those terms retroactively. βš™οΈ Why the Scope Is Limited to Existing Sites Promotional loop setup offers involve dedicated time from our onboarding team to configure OTTO SEO for your domains. Because this is a hands-on service, the number of sites covered must be defined and agreed upon at the point of sale. Allowing open-ended additions after the fact would make it impossible to resource and deliver the service reliably for all customers. πŸš€ What to Do If You Plan to Add More Sites Soon If you know you will be adding two or three more sites within the next one to two months and want loop setup for all of them, here are your options before the promotion expires: 1. Add your sites now: If the domains are decided, add them to your Search Atlas account before completing the promotional purchase. Go to Left sidebar β†’ Site Metrics β†’ All Sites and use the Analyze action to register each domain. Sites present in your account at purchase time will be in scope. 2. Discuss a custom arrangement: In some cases, our team may be able to agree on a defined list of upcoming sites at the time of purchase. This must be confirmed in writing before the transaction is finalised β€” it cannot be applied retroactively. 3. Purchase additional setup separately: Loop setup for sites added after your promotional purchase can be arranged as a separate service. Reach out via the chat widget to ask about current options and pricing. πŸ“Š How to Check Which Sites Are on Your Account To review the sites currently registered under your account before purchasing, navigate to Left sidebar β†’ Site Metrics β†’ All Sites. This view lists every domain you have analyzed or saved. Make sure all intended sites appear here prior to completing your purchase if you want them covered under the promotion. πŸ’‘ Key Takeaways - The promotional loop setup covers sites present in your account at the time of purchase. - Sites added after the purchase date are not included in the original promotional scope. - To maximise your benefit, add all intended domains to your account before buying the promotional plan. - Custom arrangements for future sites must be agreed upon before the transaction β€” not after. - Additional loop setup for post-purchase sites can be arranged as a separate service. πŸ› οΈ Need Help Before You Buy? If you are unsure whether your planned sites will be covered, or you would like to confirm the exact terms of a current promotion before it expires, do not wait. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

⏱️ OTTO Pixel Installation Timeline and Cloudflare Setup

πŸ” Overview After you connect your Cloudflare token and install the OTTO pixel, there is a short waiting period before Search Atlas can confirm the pixel is live on your site. This article explains the expected timeline, what each status means, and the steps to take if OTTO has not been detected after the waiting period has passed. ⏳ How Long Does Detection Take? Once your Cloudflare token is connected and the OTTO pixel has been deployed, allow up to 2 hours for the system to verify the pixel on your site. This delay is normal and is caused by the time Cloudflare needs to propagate changes across its global network. - 0–30 minutes: Token is being validated and the pixel deployment is queued. - 30 minutes–2 hours: Cloudflare is propagating the worker script. The OTTO status may still show as Not Found during this window. - After 2 hours: Detection should be complete. If OTTO still shows as Not Found, follow the troubleshooting steps below. βš™οΈ How to Connect Your Cloudflare Token 1. In the left sidebar, navigate to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation Projects) (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 2. Select your website from the All Sites list. 3. Choose Cloudflare as your installation method and click Connect Cloudflare Token. 4. Log in to your Cloudflare account and generate an API token using the Edit Cloudflare Workers template plus a Zone:DNS:Edit row, which includes Zone:DNS:Edit, Zone:Zone:Read, Workers Scripts:Edit, Workers Routes:Edit, and Workers KV Storage:Edit permissions scoped to the correct zone (domain). 5. Paste the token into Search Atlas and click Save & Deploy. 6. Note the time of connection and wait up to 2 hours before checking the pixel status. πŸ› οΈ Troubleshooting: OTTO Not Found After 2 Hours If more than 2 hours have passed and OTTO still shows as Not Found, work through the following checks in order. 1. Confirm the token has the correct permissions. Return to your Cloudflare dashboard, open API Tokens, and verify the token includes Zone:DNS:Edit, Zone:Zone:Read, Workers Scripts:Edit, Workers Routes:Edit, and Workers KV Storage:Edit for the correct zone. A token with missing or wrong-zone permissions will silently fail to deploy the worker. 2. Check the correct zone is selected. If your site uses multiple Cloudflare zones (for example, a subdomain on a separate zone), ensure the token is scoped to the exact zone where your site lives. 3. Verify the worker is live in Cloudflare. In your Cloudflare dashboard, go to Workers & Pages and confirm a worker named by Search Atlas appears in the list. If it is absent, the deployment did not complete. 4. Re-save your token in Search Atlas. In the left sidebar, navigate to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation Projects), open your site, disconnect the existing token, and reconnect it. This triggers a fresh deployment attempt. 5. Check for a Cloudflare route conflict. If another worker is already assigned to a route that covers your domain, the OTTO worker may be blocked. In Cloudflare, go to Workers & Pages β†’ Routes and look for overlapping route patterns. 6. Disable Cloudflare caching temporarily for a test. Open your Cloudflare dashboard, go to Caching β†’ Configuration, and set Development Mode to On for 3 minutes, then recheck the OTTO status in Search Atlas. This forces Cloudflare to serve the latest version of your pages without cache. βœ… Confirming Successful Detection When OTTO has been successfully detected, the status indicator in OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation Projects) will change from Not Found to Active. You will also see a green check mark next to your domain. At this point OTTO is live and will begin applying your SEO automations. πŸ’‘ Tips to Avoid Detection Delays - Always generate a new, dedicated API token for Search Atlas rather than reusing a token created for another tool. Shared tokens can have conflicting permission scopes. - Make sure your Cloudflare account plan supports Workers. Workers are available on the Free plan, but very high-traffic sites may require a paid plan for consistent execution. - Do not rotate or delete the Cloudflare token after connecting it. Search Atlas uses the token continuously to manage the worker. Deleting it will cause OTTO to go offline. πŸ†˜ Still Need Help? If you have completed all the steps above and OTTO is still not detected, If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ” Set Up OTTO SEO Pixel on Lovable Websites

🌐 Overview Lovable is a no-code website builder. If you are trying to install the Search Atlas OTTO SEO pixel on a Lovable site or migrate your setup to a custom domain, this article explains the general approach and what to have ready when contacting support. βš™οΈ Step 1 β€” Confirm Your OTTO SEO Project in Search Atlas Before working on your Lovable site, confirm you have an active OTTO SEO project in Search Atlas associated with the correct domain. - Log in to Search Atlas and locate your OTTO SEO project. - Confirm the UUID associated with that project β€” you will need this when adding the pixel to your site. - Each website should have its own UUID. Do not reuse a UUID from a different domain, as this can cause SEO data to be attributed to the wrong property. πŸ› οΈ Step 2 β€” Add the OTTO Pixel to Your Lovable Site Lovable sites support custom code injection, which is how the OTTO pixel is installed. The exact location of this setting may vary depending on your version of the Lovable editor. - Open your project in the Lovable editor and look for a section that allows you to add custom code or scripts to the head of your site. - Paste the OTTO pixel snippet provided inside your Search Atlas OTTO SEO project. The snippet will contain your unique UUID. - Save and publish your Lovable site, then verify the pixel is active by returning to your OTTO SEO project in Search Atlas and checking the connection status. Note: If you are unsure where to find the custom code injection area in Lovable, refer to Lovable's official documentation or contact their support team directly. 🌍 Step 3 β€” Migrating to a Custom Domain If you are moving your Lovable site from a default subdomain to a custom domain, keep the following in mind: - The OTTO pixel snippet and UUID do not change when you switch domains, as long as you are moving the same website to a new domain β€” not splitting it into a separate property. - After your custom domain is live, return to your OTTO SEO project in Search Atlas and confirm the tracked domain reflects your new custom domain. - If your project is not picking up the new domain correctly, contact Search Atlas support with your project name, UUID, old domain, and new domain ready. πŸ†˜ When to Contact Support Because the exact steps for pixel installation on Lovable can vary and the resolution for your specific situation may differ, we recommend reaching out to our team directly if you encounter any of the following: - The pixel is not showing as connected in Search Atlas after installation. - You are unsure which UUID to use or whether to create a new project. - Your domain migration has completed but OTTO is not tracking the new domain. When contacting support, please have the following ready: your project name, your UUID, your Lovable site URL, your custom domain (if applicable), and a description of the issue or any error messages 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸͺ Set Up OTTO SEO for Multi-Location Businesses

πŸ—ΊοΈ Understanding the Multi-Location Shared-Domain Scenario If your business has two physical locations that share a single website, the same Google Search Console (GSC) property, and the same social media pages, but each location has its own Google Business Profile (GBP), you may need a specific setup in OTTO SEO. Standard project duplication may not account for the local signals tied to each GBP. This article explains the general approach and what to have ready when contacting support. πŸ€” Should You Use One OTTO Project or Two? Use this decision guide before you begin: - Two separate OTTO projects are generally recommended when each location has its own GBP, targets different local keywords, or serves a distinct service area. - One OTTO project may be sufficient when both locations share identical services, keywords, and content, and the goal is only to monitor rank differences by city β€” not to build separate local authority for each GBP listing. Because separate GBPs create independent local entity signals in Google's knowledge graph, two projects give you the control needed to optimise each location independently. βš™οΈ General Setup Approach The confirmed approach for this scenario is to create two separate OTTO SEO projects β€” one for each location β€” even when both share the same domain, GSC property, and social profiles. OTTO supports linking the same domain and data sources to multiple projects. Here is what to prepare for each project: - The specific Google Business Profile that belongs to that location (e.g., your New York branch for Project 1, your Los Angeles branch for Project 2). - The target city, region, and primary address matching that location's GBP details exactly. - That location's unique name, address, and phone number (NAP) data. Each project must reflect only its own location's entity data β€” do not copy NAP details from one project to the other. - Your shared domain and GSC property, which can be connected to both projects. Because the exact field names, navigation paths, and configuration steps inside OTTO SEO may vary depending on your account and platform version, the Support team can walk you through the precise steps for your setup. 🧠 Why NAP Consistency Matters Each project's location data should match the corresponding GBP listing exactly. Mismatches between the information entered in OTTO and the live GBP listing can weaken local entity signals in Google's knowledge graph, reducing local search visibility for that branch. πŸ“‹ What to Have Ready Before Contacting Support To get the fastest help configuring your multi-location OTTO setup, please have the following ready: - Your shared domain name. - The names and URLs of both Google Business Profile listings. - Confirmation of which GSC property covers the shared domain. - The NAP details for each location. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ” OTTO Indexing Setup: Google Cloud vs IndexNow

πŸ—ΊοΈ Overview: How OTTO Indexing Works OTTO offers two separate indexing methods to help search engines discover and process your pages faster. Understanding the difference between them helps you choose the right setup β€” or use both together for maximum coverage. - Google Cloud Indexing (via JSON key): Uses the Google Indexing API to submit URLs directly to Google. This method requires you to upload a service account JSON key. - IndexNow: A protocol supported by Bing, Yandex, and other search engines (and increasingly used for AI search indices) that instantly notifies participating engines when a page is added or updated. No JSON key is required. Both methods are available inside OTTO under the Instant Indexing section. You can enable one or both depending on your goals. βš™οΈ Setting Up Google Cloud Indexing To use the Google Indexing API with OTTO, you need to create a Google Cloud service account and upload its JSON key. Follow the steps below. 1. Go to the Google Cloud Console and sign in with the Google account that owns your Google Search Console property. 2. Create a new project (or select an existing one), then navigate to APIs & Services β†’ Library and enable the Web Search Indexing API. 3. Go to APIs & Services β†’ Credentials and click Create Credentials β†’ Service Account. Fill in a name and click Done. 4. Open the service account you just created, go to the Keys tab, click Add Key β†’ Create new key, select JSON, and download the file. 5. In Google Search Console, go to Settings β†’ Users and permissions and add the service account email address (found in the JSON file as "client_email") as an Owner. 6. In Search Atlas, navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, open your OTTO session, and locate the Instant Indexing section. 7. Click the Google Cloud option, then upload your downloaded JSON key file when prompted. 8. Once uploaded, OTTO will validate the key and begin submitting URLs to the Google Indexing API automatically when fixes are deployed. Important: The service account must be added as an Owner in Google Search Console β€” Editor access is not sufficient for the Indexing API to work. ⚑ Setting Up IndexNow IndexNow requires no credentials or JSON file. OTTO generates and manages your IndexNow key automatically. 1. In Search Atlas, navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar and open your OTTO session. 2. Locate the Instant Indexing section and click the IndexNow toggle to enable it. 3. OTTO will handle key generation and URL submissions automatically whenever changes are deployed on your site. IndexNow submissions reach Bing, Yandex, and other participating engines, and also support faster discovery by AI search indices. It works alongside Google Cloud indexing β€” enabling both is recommended for the broadest coverage. πŸ—‚οΈ How Sitemap Indexing Fits In Your sitemap does not need to be changed or re-uploaded to use OTTO's indexing features. OTTO reads your existing sitemap to identify URLs but submits pages directly via the Indexing API or IndexNow β€” not by re-submitting your sitemap. You should keep your sitemap up to date in Google Search Console as usual, but no special sitemap changes are required for OTTO indexing to work. If your sitemap is missing pages you want indexed, fix those gaps in your CMS or sitemap plugin first, then let OTTO handle direct submission once the pages appear. πŸ› οΈ Troubleshooting Common Issues - JSON key upload fails or shows an error: Confirm the Web Search Indexing API is enabled in your Google Cloud project and that the service account is listed as an Owner (not just an Editor) in Search Console. - URLs are not being submitted: Make sure at least one indexing method (Google Cloud or IndexNow) is toggled on in the Instant Indexing section of your OTTO session. - IndexNow toggle is greyed out: Ensure your OTTO session is fully activated and your site is verified. Refresh the page and try again. - Google API quota errors: The Google Indexing API has a default daily limit of 200 URL submissions. If you hit this limit, submissions will resume the following day. Contact Google Cloud Support to request a quota increase for large sites. πŸ’‘ Best Practices - Enable both Google Cloud and IndexNow for the widest engine coverage. - Keep your Google service account JSON key secure β€” do not share it publicly. - Monitor your OTTO SEO dashboard regularly to track how many pages have been submitted and whether Googlebot has crawled your recent fixes. - Re-deploy OTTO fixes after major site changes so new URLs are submitted automatically. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ›‘οΈ Book Onboarding and Protect Existing SEO with OTTO

πŸ“… How to Book Your Onboarding Call Getting started with Search Atlas is easy. Follow these steps to schedule your onboarding session with our team: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 3. Type onboarding to trigger the booking flow and select a time that works for you. During your onboarding call, a specialist will walk you through your account setup, explain how OTTO works, and help you configure deployment settings that protect your existing SEO work. πŸ€– What OTTO Does β€” and What It Does Not Do Automatically OTTO is an AI-powered SEO assistant that analyses your site and surfaces recommendations for technical SEO improvements, including schema markup, meta data, and on-page optimisations. By default, OTTO does not automatically apply changes to your site. Every suggestion goes through a review-and-approve workflow before anything is deployed, giving you full control at every step. Automatic deployment only happens if you explicitly turn on OTTO's auto-deploy setting. πŸ” Review Before You Deploy Before accepting any OTTO recommendation, use the built-in review workflow to evaluate each suggestion individually: 1. Go to Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ SEO Automation (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 2. Open the Recommendations tab to see all pending suggestions organised by category β€” Content, Authority, and Technical. 3. Click any recommendation to expand the full details, including a before and after preview of the proposed change. 4. Choose Approve to queue the change for deployment, or Dismiss to ignore it permanently. Never approve a recommendation without reading the preview. This single habit prevents unintended overwrites of your existing work. β˜‘οΈ Selective Deployment β€” Apply Only What You Choose OTTO lets you deploy recommendations individually or in bulk, so you never have to accept a full batch of changes at once. To deploy selectively: - Use the checkboxes next to each recommendation to select only the items you want to apply. - Filter recommendations by category (for example, Schema only) to focus your review on a specific area. - Use the Dismiss option on any recommendation you want OTTO to stop suggesting β€” dismissed items will not reappear. If you have schemas that are already optimised and should never be touched, dismiss all related schema recommendations for those pages. OTTO will treat those pages as excluded going forward. πŸ“Š Schema Comparison Best Practices Before deploying any schema recommendation from OTTO, compare it against your existing implementation to confirm the new version is genuinely better: - Copy your current schema from the live page source and paste it into a text editor or schema validator before making any changes. - In the OTTO recommendation preview, read the proposed schema carefully. Check that it does not remove properties your current schema already includes. - Use Google's Rich Results Test on your live URL first to confirm your existing schema is valid and passing. If it already passes, consider dismissing OTTO's suggestion unless there is a clear improvement. - After any schema deployment, re-run the Rich Results Test to verify the new markup is still valid and has not lost structured data coverage. Keeping a saved copy of your original schemas means you can always restore them if a change does not perform as expected. πŸ’‘ Treat OTTO as an Advisory Tool, Not an Automatic Optimizer The most important mindset shift is this: OTTO surfaces opportunities β€” you make the decisions. Think of OTTO as a senior SEO analyst who flags issues and proposes fixes, but always asks you before touching anything. - High-quality, validated schemas you have built manually should be reviewed against OTTO's suggestions, not replaced by them automatically. - If OTTO recommends a change that conflicts with a deliberate SEO decision you have made, dismiss it. Your expertise takes priority. - Use OTTO most aggressively on pages that have no existing schema or have known technical issues. Use it conservatively on pages that are already performing well. - Dismissed recommendations are skipped by OTTO in later crawls and will not be suggested again. πŸš€ Recommended Workflow for Safe OTTO Deployment 1. Run OTTO's site scan from Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation). 2. Filter recommendations by category and start with the lowest-risk items (for example, missing meta descriptions before schema changes). 3. For any schema recommendation, run the Rich Results Test on the live page first and save the current schema output. 4. Review the before/after preview in OTTO and approve only if the proposed version is clearly superior. 5. Deploy approved changes and re-validate with the Rich Results Test within 24 hours. 6. Dismiss any recommendation that conflicts with deliberate, high-performing SEO decisions. Following this workflow ensures OTTO adds value without putting your existing technical SEO at risk. πŸ’¬ Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ€– OTTO Activation: Understanding Initial Crawl Status and Timeline

πŸš€ What Happens After You Activate OTTO? When you activate OTTO for a website, the platform immediately begins an initial crawl of that site. This crawl collects the data OTTO needs to start identifying and deploying SEO optimizations. Understanding this process helps you know exactly where things stand and what to expect next. Activation is a two-part process: confirming OTTO is active and waiting for the initial crawl to complete. Both steps are visible directly inside the platform. βœ… How to Confirm OTTO Is Successfully Activated 1. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO. This opens the OTTO dashboard at /seo-automation-v3. 2. At the top of the page, locate the website selector and choose the domain you want to check (for example, herculesmovingsolutions.com or a1appliance-home-services.com). 3. Look for the OTTO Status indicator near the top of the dashboard. A green Active badge confirms that OTTO has been successfully enabled for that domain. 4. If the badge shows Inactive or Pending, OTTO has not yet completed activation. See the troubleshooting section below. πŸ” How to Check Your Initial Crawl Status 1. With your domain selected in the OTTO dashboard, scroll down to the Site Crawl or Crawl Status section. 2. You will see one of the following states: - Crawl In Progress β€” OTTO is actively scanning your site. No action is needed; simply wait for it to finish. - Crawl Complete β€” The crawl has finished and OTTO is ready to generate and deploy optimizations. - Crawl Queued β€” Your site is in line to be crawled. This is normal immediately after activation. - Crawl Failed β€” An issue prevented the crawl from completing. See the troubleshooting section below. 3. A progress indicator or percentage may appear while the crawl is running. You do not need to keep the page open; OTTO continues crawling in the background. ⏱️ How Long Does the Initial Crawl Take? Crawl duration depends on the size and complexity of the website being scanned. - Small sites (under 50 pages): typically 5–20 minutes. - Medium sites (50–500 pages): typically 20–60 minutes. - Large sites (500+ pages): can take 1–3 hours or longer. These are estimated ranges. Factors such as server response time, page load speed, and platform queue volume can extend these windows. If your crawl has been running for significantly longer than the range above for your site size, see the troubleshooting section. πŸ“‹ What to Do After the Crawl Completes 1. Return to the OTTO dashboard via OTTO SEO in the left sidebar. 2. Select your domain and confirm the crawl status shows Crawl Complete. 3. OTTO will now display a list of identified SEO opportunities and recommended optimizations across categories such as on-page content, schema markup, internal linking, and more. 4. Review the suggested optimizations. You can choose to approve individual items or enable auto-deploy to let OTTO apply changes automatically. 5. Monitor the OTTO SEO β†’ Site Audit β†’ Overview (Website Overview) page over the following days β€” the Site Health Changes, All Page Changes, and Total Issue Changes sections β€” to track what OTTO has deployed and the resulting impact on your SEO performance. πŸ› οΈ Troubleshooting Common Activation Issues - Status shows Inactive after activation: Refresh the page and wait two to three minutes. If the status does not update, try deactivating and reactivating OTTO for that domain. - Crawl has been queued for more than 30 minutes: This can occur during periods of high platform demand. Wait an additional 15–30 minutes before taking action. - Crawl Failed status: This is often caused by a misconfigured robots.txt file blocking the crawler, or the site being temporarily unavailable. Verify your site is live and accessible, then restart the crawl from the dashboard. - Cannot find your domain in the dashboard: Confirm the site has been added to your Search Atlas account under the correct workspace before attempting OTTO activation. πŸ’¬ 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ›‘οΈ OTTO Onboarding Resources and Deployment Safety Controls

🎯 Overview Search Atlas offers a guided onboarding experience to help you get the most out of OTTO. Before OTTO makes any changes to your site, you can configure safety controls to protect your existing high-quality technical SEO, structured data, and schemas. This article explains how to book an onboarding call and how to use OTTO's pre-deployment controls to keep your best work intact. πŸ“… How to Book an Onboarding Call All Search Atlas plans include access to a live onboarding session with our team. To schedule yours: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 3. Type onboarding call to connect with our team and select a time that works for you. During the call, a specialist will walk you through your account setup, OTTO configuration, and any site-specific requirements β€” including how to protect existing SEO elements. βš™οΈ Understanding OTTO Deployment Safety Controls OTTO is designed to improve your site's SEO automatically, but it gives you full control over what it can and cannot change. Safety controls let you define boundaries before any deployment happens, so OTTO never overwrites work you want to preserve. To access OTTO and its settings, go to Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation) (URL: /seo-automation-v3). πŸ”’ How to Protect Existing Technical SEO and Schemas Follow these steps to prevent OTTO from overriding your existing high-quality technical SEO elements, structured data, or schemas: 1. Navigate to Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation). 2. Select your connected site and open the OTTO Settings panel. 3. Review the list of deployable SEO categories (e.g., meta tags, schema markup, canonical tags, structured data). 4. For any category you want to protect, toggle the deployment switch to Off before activating OTTO. 5. For schema and structured data specifically, enable the Preserve Existing Schema option if shown β€” this instructs OTTO to skip pages or elements that already have valid structured data in place. 6. Review the pre-deployment summary to confirm which changes OTTO will and will not apply. 7. When you are satisfied with the configuration, click Deploy. OTTO will only act within the boundaries you have set. You can update these settings at any time before or after deployment. βœ… Pre-Deployment Checklist Before you deploy OTTO on a live site, we recommend completing the following: - Attend your onboarding call β€” a specialist can review your site's existing SEO and help you configure safety controls correctly. - Audit your current schemas β€” identify pages with structured data, rich snippets, or custom technical SEO that you want to preserve. - Disable categories you own β€” turn off any OTTO deployment categories that overlap with your existing optimisations. - Test on staging first β€” if possible, connect a staging domain to validate OTTO's changes before pushing to production. Note: subdomain and staging domain deployments are on our product roadmap and coming soon. - Review the deployment summary β€” always check what OTTO plans to change before confirming. πŸ’‘ Tips for Getting the Best Results - OTTO works best when given clear scope. The more precisely you define what it can and cannot touch, the more confident you can be in its output. - If you have pages with manually crafted schema markup (e.g., FAQ, HowTo, Product schemas), disable schema deployment for those page types to keep your custom work intact. - Use OTTO's deployment categories to introduce changes gradually β€” start with lower-risk elements like title tags and meta descriptions before expanding to technical SEO. - After deployment, monitor the OTTO SEO β†’ Site Audit β†’ Live Monitoring (Alerts Detected) to review what was applied and flag anything you want to roll back. πŸ†˜ Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ”Ž Where’s My OTTO SEO Pixel?

How to Locate Your OTTO Pixel UUID and Script in Search Atlas Before installing OTTO on your website, you need to retrieve your unique OTTO Pixel identifier. This Pixel connects your website to the OTTO engine so Search Atlas can begin scanning, validating, and optimizing your SEO automatically. πŸ› οΈ Step-by-Step Instructions 1. πŸ” Log In to Search Atlas Go to searchatlas.com and sign in with your account credentials. ​ 2.🧭 Navigate to OTTO SEO Automation From the left-hand sidebar, click: OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation) This is where all your OTTO-connected projects live. 3.πŸ—οΈ First-Time Setup: How to Create Your OTTO Project and Retrieve Your Pixel 1. Click the blue**+ Create** button 2**. Enter** your full website URL (e.g., https://yourdomain.com) 3. Wait for the green verification checkmark 4. Click****Continue. 5. Setup Fields (Optional) Complete Business Info, GSC, GBP, or use Autofill with AI. This step is not necessary to access the Pixel Script. 6. Click****Continue. 🧬 Access Your Pixel Code In the Installation Guide: 1. Select your CMS from the CMS Grid 2. Select****Video Guide and find the Pixel Code located right under the Video Guide**.** 3. Copy the Pixel Code. 5. βœ… How to Locate Your OTTO Pixel (for Users With an Existing Site Added) Go to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation) 1. From the left-hand navigation panel, click: OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation) This opens your full list of OTTO-connected projects. 2. Click on the Site You Already Added Find your domain in the list and click its name. 3. This takes you into the OTTO Overview for that specific site. 3. Open β€œOTTO Settings” At the top right of the site overview, locate the control section and click: OTTO Settings 4. Open the β€œPixel & Integrations” Section Inside OTTO Settings, you’ll see several modules. Click: OTTO Installation This is where the Pixel lives. 5. Copy Your Pixel Script and UUID Scroll down, then you’ll see the Pixel Script: Inside the script, you can also find your UUID if you need it. It’s the value that appears after data-uuid="..." and before src=. ⚠️ Your Pixel is unique to your domain and must not be reused across different sites. ❌ Common mistakes to avoid - Installing multiple methods at once (Pixel + Plugin + Cloudflare) β†’ This can cause duplicated scripts or tracking inconsistencies. - Placing the script outside of <head> when doing a manual install. - Using the wrong UUID when configuring WordPress. - Embedding the Pixel into template areas that get cached incorrectly (e.g., footer injection, outdated builders). - Not validating installation after adding the Pixel. Always run a Scan from the project’s main dashboard to confirm OTTO is detected and active. By installing the OTTO Pixel correctly and validating it across your platform, you’ve unlocked the foundation for AI-powered SEO with Search Atlas. Whether you're using WordPress, GTM, GHL, Shopify, or another CMS, you now have a diagnostic-ready site capable of real-time audits, technical fixes, and automated optimizations. Remember, precision in placement and avoiding duplicate methods is key. If you ever encounter problems, our troubleshooting guide is here to walk you through platform-specific solutions step by step. From this point forward, OTTO can begin learning from your site structure, enhancing your visibility, and automatically powering insights that drive search performance. πŸ“š Useful Official Resources How Do I Install the OTTO Pixel on My Website? (Search Atlas Help Center)

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸš€ OTTO IndexNow Setup and Automatic Indexing

πŸ” What Is IndexNow and How Does OTTO Use It? IndexNow is an open protocol that lets you instantly notify search engines β€” including Bing and other participating engines β€” whenever your content is created, updated, or removed. Instead of waiting for search engine crawlers to discover changes on their own, IndexNow pushes notifications directly, speeding up the time it takes for your pages to appear in search results. OTTO handles the entire IndexNow setup for you automatically. You do not need to create a Google Cloud Console service account, generate a JSON key, or configure any external credentials to enable indexing through OTTO. βš™οΈ How OTTO Sets Up IndexNow Automatically When OTTO is activated for your site, it takes care of the following steps without any manual configuration on your part: 1. Generates a unique IndexNow API key β€” OTTO creates a site-specific key and inserts it into your homepage automatically. 2. Serves the key verification file β€” OTTO uses an edge route to auto-serve the key file at the required URL path, so search engines can verify ownership instantly. 3. Activates Bing IndexNow β€” Once the key is verified, Bing IndexNow is enabled and your site begins receiving automatic indexing notifications. 4. Tracks installation state β€” OTTO monitors whether the setup completed successfully and surfaces any issues in the dashboard so you can act quickly. πŸ—ΊοΈ How Sitemap Indexing Works in OTTO OTTO does not require you to submit sitemaps manually through Google Search Console or any third-party tool. Here is how automatic sitemap indexing works: - When new pages are published or existing pages are updated, OTTO detects the change and sends an IndexNow ping to participating search engines on your behalf. - The ping includes the URL of the changed page, prompting search engines to recrawl and reindex it promptly. - OTTO continuously monitors your site's indexing coverage so you can see which pages have been successfully submitted. Important: IndexNow currently notifies Bing and other IndexNow-compatible search engines. Google operates its own separate indexing pipeline and does not yet participate in the IndexNow protocol. For Google-specific indexing, continue using Google Search Console as normal alongside OTTO. πŸ› οΈ Troubleshooting: Key Not Found Errors Some WordPress sites have reported a "key not found" error during IndexNow activation, even after OTTO appears to be connected. If you encounter this: - Confirm that the OTTO plugin or integration is fully activated and not in a pending state. - Check that no caching layer, firewall rule, or redirect is blocking access to the key file URL on your domain. - If you recently connected a WordPress site, allow a few minutes for the edge route to propagate before retesting. - Reload the OTTO dashboard and look for a status indicator showing whether IndexNow verification completed successfully. If the error persists after following these steps, the issue is usually related to a server-level block or a plugin conflict on the WordPress side. Clearing your site cache and temporarily disabling security plugins that restrict file access can resolve the problem in most cases. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Do I need a Google Cloud Console service account or JSON key? No. OTTO manages IndexNow independently. No Google Cloud credentials are needed for OTTO's automatic indexing feature. - Does IndexNow replace Google Search Console? No. Use both together. IndexNow speeds up indexing on Bing and compatible engines; Google Search Console remains your tool for managing Google-specific indexing. - Will OTTO notify search engines every time I update a page? Yes. OTTO is designed to send automatic pings whenever content changes are detected on your connected site. - Can I see which URLs have been submitted? Yes. OTTO tracks indexing coverage and submission status in the dashboard so you have full visibility. πŸ’¬ 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ”Œ Install and Set Up the OTTO WordPress Plugin

🧩 What Is the OTTO WordPress Plugin? OTTO is Search Atlas's AI-powered SEO automation tool. The OTTO WordPress plugin connects your WordPress site directly to the Search Atlas platform, allowing OTTO to deploy on-page SEO optimizations β€” such as title tags, meta descriptions, schema markup, and more β€” automatically, without manual edits inside WordPress. πŸ“‹ Before You Begin - You have an active Search Atlas account with OTTO enabled. - You have admin access to your WordPress site. - Your WordPress site is publicly accessible (not in maintenance mode or behind a login wall). βš™οΈ Step 1: Activate OTTO for Your Site in Search Atlas 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. In the left sidebar, navigate to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation). 3. Click Create or select an existing site. 4. Enter your website URL and follow the on-screen prompts to create an OTTO session for your site. 5. Once the session is created, you will see a unique OTTO Connection Key on the setup screen. Copy this key β€” you will need it in Step 3. πŸ”½ Step 2: Install the Search Atlas Plugin on WordPress 1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. 2. In the left menu, go to Plugins β†’ Add New. 3. In the search bar, type Search Atlas. 4. Locate the official Search Atlas plugin in the WordPress admin plugin list and click Install Now. 5. Once installation is complete, click Activate. Alternatively, you can download the plugin file directly from Search Atlas and upload it via Plugins β†’ Add New β†’ Upload Plugin. πŸ”— Step 3: Connect the Plugin to Your Search Atlas Account 1. After activating the plugin, go to Search Atlas β†’ Settings in your WordPress left menu. 2. Paste the OTTO Connection Key you copied from Search Atlas into the connection field. 3. Click Connect. 4. A confirmation message will appear indicating that your site is successfully linked to your Search Atlas account. βœ… Step 4: Verify the Connection in Search Atlas 1. Return to your Search Atlas account, go to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, and open SEO Automation. 2. Your site's status should now show as Connected. 3. OTTO is now ready to deploy SEO optimizations to your WordPress site. πŸš€ Step 5: Deploy OTTO Optimizations With the plugin connected, you can return to the OTTO SEO section in Search Atlas at any time to review and deploy OTTO's recommended SEO tasks. When you approve and deploy a task, OTTO will automatically apply the changes to your live WordPress site through the plugin β€” no manual edits required. πŸ› οΈ Troubleshooting Common Issues - Plugin not found in WordPress: Try searching for "Search Atlas" in the WordPress admin plugin list. If it still does not appear, contact support to get the direct plugin download link. - Connection Key not working: Make sure you copied the full key without extra spaces. Keys are session-specific β€” if you created a new OTTO session, generate a fresh key. - Site shows as Disconnected: Deactivate and reactivate the plugin in WordPress, then re-enter your connection key. - Changes not appearing on the live site: Clear your WordPress cache and any CDN cache after deploying optimizations. πŸ’¬ 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

How to Set up OTTO SEO

OTTO SEO is Search Atlas's on-page SEO automation engine that crawls your site, surfaces technical issues, and deploys fixes directly through an injected pixel β€” no developer access or source-code changes required. You can find OTTO under Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites in your Search Atlas dashboard. πŸ“‹ What OTTO SEO Does OTTO scans your site for issues such as missing meta titles, schema gaps, and indexing problems. Once activated, it deploys fixes live through its pixel while your codebase stays completely untouched. Two status flags control its behavior: - Engaged β€” OTTO is actively monitoring and deploying fixes to your site. - Frozen β€” All deployments are paused. No fixes are applied until the freeze is lifted. πŸš€ How to Set Up OTTO SEO 1. Create a project. Go to Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites in your Search Atlas dashboard and click Create. Enter your site's hostname to get started. 2. Install the OTTO pixel. Choose the installation method that matches your platform (see below). The pixel must be verified as installed before OTTO can deploy any fixes. Platform-specific video guides and step-by-step instructions are available within the in-app installation guide. 3. Connect Google Search Console. Link a GSC property to your project. Without GSC, keyword and indexing data will be unavailable β€” this step is required, not optional. 4. Wait for the initial crawl to complete. OTTO performs a full crawl of your site before generating issue reports. Issues will not appear until the crawl finishes β€” this is not an instant process. 5. Review issues and click Engage. Once the crawl is done, review detected issues in your dashboard, then click Engage to activate automated deployments. πŸ”§ Supported Installation Methods OTTO supports a wide range of platforms and hosting environments: - WordPress plugin β€” includes a dedicated video installation guide - Cloudflare Worker (has its own verification status, separate from the standard pixel) - Manual script - Google Tag Manager β€” multi-step installation; follow every step in the in-app guide carefully - Shopify (dedicated step-by-step installation guide available), Webflow, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, GoHighLevel, and ClickFunnels Each platform has a dedicated installation guide available under Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ Installation Guide. ⚠️ Common Setup Issues - If your pixel shows as Pending, OTTO cannot deploy any fixes. Confirm the pixel is correctly installed and verified before clicking Engage. - Connecting GSC alone is not enough to start deployments β€” the pixel must also be installed and verified first. - If your project is in a Frozen state, clicking Engage has no effect until the freeze is lifted from your project settings. πŸ’¬ 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ› οΈ Install the OTTO Script on Static HTML Sites

πŸ” What This Guide Covers If your website is built with plain HTML files β€” no WordPress, no Shopify, no page builder β€” you'll need to manually paste the OTTO script into your HTML code. This guide walks you through exactly how to do that, what to watch out for, and how to verify the installation worked. βš™οΈ Before You Begin Make sure you have the following ready before starting: - Access to your HTML source files β€” via a code editor (VS Code, Notepad++, etc.) or your hosting file manager (e.g., cPanel File Manager, FTP client like FileZilla). - Your OTTO script snippet β€” retrieved from inside the Search Atlas platform (see step below). - Ability to save and re-upload files to your web server or hosting account. πŸ“‹ Step 1: Copy Your OTTO Script Snippet 1. Log in to Search Atlas. 2. Navigate to the OTTO SEO section of the platform. 3. Locate the site you want to activate and open it. 4. Follow the on-screen setup until you reach the Install Script step. 5. Copy your unique OTTO script snippet to your clipboard. It will look similar to this: <script src="..." async></script>. πŸ“ Step 2: Open Your HTML File 1. Open your website's root HTML file. For most static sites this is index.html. If your site has multiple pages, you will need to add the script to every page where you want OTTO to run. 2. Use your preferred code editor or your hosting control panel's built-in file manager to open the file for editing. βœ‚οΈ Step 3: Paste the Script in the <head> Section 1. Inside your HTML file, locate the opening <head> tag near the top of the document. 2. Paste the OTTO script snippet just before the closing </head> tag. Placing it here ensures the script loads on every page visit without blocking your visible content. 3. Your code should look like this when done correctly: the </head> closing tag should appear immediately after your pasted OTTO script. 4. Save the file. ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid - Do not paste the script inside the <body> tag. The script must live in the <head> section to function correctly. - Do not add the script more than once per page. Duplicate script tags can cause tracking conflicts and may interfere with OTTO's optimisation engine. - Do not alter the script contents. Copy and paste the snippet exactly as provided β€” do not modify any URLs, IDs, or attributes inside it. - Multi-page sites: If your static site has multiple HTML files (about.html, contact.html, etc.), each file needs the script added individually. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

βš™οΈ Set Up Otto Across Multiple Shopify Stores

Overview If you operate separate Shopify stores for different regions β€” for example, a UK store and a US store β€” you need to create and configure a distinct Search Atlas project for each store. Because each store has its own domain, script installation, and regional traffic rules, treating them as separate projects prevents geo-routing conflicts and ensures accurate data collection for both properties. Before You Begin Gather the following before starting: - Admin access to both Shopify stores - Search Atlas account with permissions to create multiple projects - Knowledge of whether either store uses a CDN such as Cloudflare, or a geo-redirect/routing rule that forwards visitors based on location - The primary domain for each store (e.g., example.co.uk and example.com) Step 1 β€” Create a Separate Project for Each Store Each Shopify store must have its own project inside Search Atlas. Do not attempt to track two stores under one project, as this causes domain mismatches and corrupts keyword and traffic data. 1. Log in to Search Atlas and locate the area where projects are listed or created. 2. Create a new project and enter the primary domain of your first store (e.g., example.co.uk). 3. Complete the setup process and save the project. 4. Repeat the process to create a second project for your second store (e.g., example.com). Once both projects exist, confirm each project dashboard shows the correct domain before proceeding to script installation. Step 2 β€” Install the Search Atlas Tracking Script on Each Shopify Store You must install the tracking script separately in each Shopify store's theme. The script tied to each project is unique β€” do not copy the same script across both stores. 1. Inside Search Atlas, open your first project (UK store) and locate the tracking script provided for that project in the project settings. 2. Copy the script snippet shown for that project. 3. In your UK Shopify admin, navigate to your theme's code editor and open your main theme layout file. 4. Paste the script into the appropriate location in the <head> section of your theme and save the file. 5. Return to Search Atlas, open your second project (US store), and copy its unique tracking script. 6. Repeat the installation steps inside your US Shopify admin. After saving both files, allow some time for Search Atlas to confirm script detection on each domain. If detection is not confirmed after a reasonable period, contact our support team for help troubleshooting. Step 3 β€” Manage Project Visibility for Each Region Each project in Search Atlas should be scoped to its own store domain. Keeping projects separate prevents cross-contamination of UK and US reporting data. Review each project's settings to e If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

🏒 Enterprise Multi-Website Architecture: Projects, Knowledge Graphs, OTTO

πŸ—‚οΈ Overview: How Enterprise Handles Multiple Websites On the Search Atlas Enterprise plan, each website you manage must have its own dedicated project. Projects are the top-level containers that house everything related to a single website β€” including its knowledge graph, OTTO slots, keyword tracking, and site audit data. There is a strict one-to-one relationship: one website = one project. You cannot combine multiple websites under a single project. πŸ“ What Is a Project? A project in Search Atlas is a workspace tied to a single root domain (for example, yourbrand.com). When you create a project, you configure it around one website and all tools within that project operate on that domain's data exclusively. Projects keep your websites cleanly separated so that data, reports, and automations never mix between domains. - Each project has its own settings, including target country, language, and tracked keywords. - Users and team members can be granted access at the project level, giving you granular permission control across clients or business units. - Reporting and analytics are scoped per project, so you always see clean, domain-specific insights. 🧠 Knowledge Graphs: One Per Project Every project on the Enterprise plan comes with its own knowledge graph. The knowledge graph is Search Atlas's AI-powered topical map of your website β€” it analyses your existing content, identifies topic clusters, and surfaces content gaps and opportunities. Because the knowledge graph is built from a single domain's content and structure, it must remain isolated per project. - Each website gets a separate knowledge graph that reflects only that domain's topical authority and content landscape. - Knowledge graphs are not shared between projects. Running OTTO or content planning on one project will never affect the knowledge graph of another. - As you publish new content or make site changes, the knowledge graph for that specific project updates to reflect your growing topical coverage. This isolation is intentional β€” it ensures that the AI recommendations and content strategies generated for one website are always accurate and relevant to that domain alone. πŸ€– OTTO Slots: Allocated Per Project OTTO is Search Atlas's OTTO SEO automation agent. OTTO slots determine how many websites can have OTTO actively running optimisations at the same time. On the Enterprise plan, OTTO slots are allocated at the account level and then assigned individually to each project. - Each website (project) that you want OTTO to manage requires one dedicated OTTO slot. - If your Enterprise plan includes, for example, five OTTO slots, you can have OTTO actively running on up to five separate projects simultaneously. - You can reassign OTTO slots between projects at any time β€” for example, deactivating OTTO on one project to free up a slot for a different website. - Projects without an assigned OTTO slot retain all their data and settings but will not receive automated on-page optimisations until a slot is assigned. When planning your Enterprise rollout, count the number of websites you want OTTO to actively manage and ensure your plan includes a matching number of OTTO slots. Speak with your account manager before upgrading if you are unsure how many slots your use case requires. πŸš€ Setting Up Multiple Websites on Enterprise 1. Upgrade to Enterprise β€” confirm your plan tier and the number of projects and OTTO slots included with your account manager or via the billing section of your dashboard. 2. Create a new project for each website β€” from the Home page ("Hi, CSM. What will we get done today?"), click the Create Project button. Enter the root domain for that website and complete the setup wizard. 3. Let the knowledge graph build β€” after a project is created, Search Atlas will crawl the domain and populate the knowledge graph automatically. This typically completes within a few hours depending on site size. 4. Assign an OTTO slot β€” once the knowledge graph is ready, navigate to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation) and activate OTTO by assigning one of your available slots. 5. Repeat for each website β€” follow the same steps for every additional domain you are managing under your Enterprise account. πŸ“ Quick Reference: Enterprise Architecture at a Glance - 1 website β†’ 1 project (mandatory, no exceptions) - 1 project β†’ 1 knowledge graph (built and maintained automatically) - 1 active OTTO website β†’ 1 OTTO slot (slots are account-level and assignable) - Projects are independent β€” data, graphs, and automations do not cross between them - Team members and permissions are configurable per project ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Can I view all my websites in one dashboard? Yes β€” the project selector in the top of the left sidebar lets you switch between projects instantly. A consolidated multi-project overview is available depending on your Enterprise tier. - What happens to my knowledge graph if I add a subdomain? Subdomains are treated as separate entities. If you want to track a subdomain independently, create a separate project for it and it will receive its own knowledge graph. - Can I transfer a knowledge graph between projects? No β€” knowledge graphs are domain-specific and cannot be moved or merged. Each project builds its own from scratch based on the assigned domain. - Do unused OTTO slots expire? No β€” unassigned OTTO slots remain available within your account for as long as your Enterprise plan is active. πŸ’¬ Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ“ž Schedule a Pre-Trial Consultation and Understand OTTO Limits

πŸ“‹ Overview Before starting your Search Atlas trial, you may want to speak with someone on our team to make sure the platform fits your needs. This article explains how to request a presales consultation call and clarifies what the 1 OTTO SEO project limit on the Starter plan actually means for your workflow. πŸ“… How to Request a Pre-Trial 1-on-1 Consultation If you would like to speak with a member of our team before committing to a trial or paid plan, follow these steps: 1. Open the Search Atlas platform or visit the pricing page. 2. Click the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the screen. 3. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. 4. Let the team member know you are interested in a presales consultation and would like to schedule a 1-on-1 call. 5. Our team will confirm your availability and send you a calendar link to book the call at a time that works for you. During the consultation, you can ask questions about plan features, OTTO SEO limits, onboarding, use cases, or anything else that will help you make a confident decision. 🀝 Want to Be Referred Directly to Sales? If you prefer to skip self-service and speak directly with our sales team, you can request that too. Simply open the chat widget, type human teammate, and tell the agent you would like to be referred to the sales team. A team member will connect you or arrange the right conversation for your needs. You do not need to browse documentation or figure this out on your own β€” we are happy to route you directly. πŸ€– What Does '1 OTTO SEO Project' Mean on the Starter Plan? The Starter plan includes 1 OTTO SEO project. Here is what that means in plain terms: - An OTTO SEO project is a connected website that OTTO actively manages β€” running audits, generating recommendations, and applying on-page SEO optimizations. - With 1 project on the Starter plan, you can connect and fully manage one website inside OTTO at a time. - This is ideal for freelancers, in-house marketers, or small business owners who are focused on optimizing a single domain. This limit applies specifically to active OTTO projects. You can still use other Search Atlas tools β€” such as keyword research, content creation, and backlink analysis β€” across multiple sites regardless of your OTTO project limit. ❓ Can I Only Audit One Site on the Starter Plan? The short answer is: it depends on which tool you are using. - OTTO SEO automation: Limited to 1 active project on the Starter plan. This means OTTO will monitor, audit, and apply fixes for one connected website. - Site Auditor and other research tools: You may be able to run audits or research on additional domains depending on your plan's usage limits. These tools are separate from your OTTO project count. - Backlink analysis tools: Features like Backlink Profile Analysis and Link Gap Analysis (found under More Features β†’ Backlinks β†’ Link Gap Analysis) can be used to research any domain and are not restricted to your OTTO project. If you manage multiple websites and need more than one active OTTO project, you would need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan. Our team can walk you through which plan fits your site count and goals during a consultation call. πŸ” Where to Find OTTO SEO in the Platform Once you start your trial or activate your plan, you can access OTTO SEO by navigating to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation) in the left sidebar. The direct URL is /seo-automation-v3. From there you can create your OTTO project, connect your website, and begin the automated audit and optimization process. πŸ’‘ Summary - To book a presales call, open the chat widget and type human teammate β€” our team will schedule a 1-on-1 with you. - To be connected to sales directly, request it in the same chat and we will route you immediately. - The 1 OTTO SEO project limit means OTTO actively manages one connected website on the Starter plan. - Other research and audit tools are available beyond that single OTTO project. - If you need more active OTTO projects, upgrading your plan is the right path β€” our team can help you choose. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ€– Otto Plans, Slots, and Onboarding Explained

πŸ—‚οΈ Overview Otto is Search Atlas's OTTO SEO automation assistant. This article answers the most common questions about Otto pricing, what an Otto slot is, how plans differ, and when you can access onboarding support. πŸ’³ Which Plans Include Otto? Otto is available across all paid Search Atlas plans, but the number of Otto slots (seats) varies by tier: - Starter Plan ($99/mo): 1 Otto seat - Growth Plan ($199/mo): 3 Otto seats - Pro Plan ($399/mo): 5 Otto seats - Agency Plan: 10 Otto seats Otto is not available on free trials by default. Access to Otto is unlocked once you activate a paid plan. πŸ”² What Is an Otto Slot? An Otto slot represents one active website project that Otto is managing and automating SEO tasks for. Think of each slot as a dedicated AI workspace for a single domain. Here is how slots work in practice: - Each slot is assigned to one website at a time. - Otto continuously monitors, optimises, and automates SEO actions for that site within its slot. - If you want Otto to manage a second website, you need a second slot. - You can reassign a slot to a different website at any time β€” freeing a slot does not delete your historical data. - Slots do not roll over or stack; unused slots simply remain available for you to assign. To assign or manage your Otto slots, navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, then open SEO Automation (or go to /seo-automation-v3). πŸ“Š Key Feature Differences Between Plans Beyond Otto seat counts, higher plans unlock progressively more of the platform's keyword, content, and backlink tools, higher report and export limits, and more responsive support. For the full feature-by-feature breakdown for your plan, use the in-platform plan comparison page before you upgrade β€” exact feature gating (for example, which tier unlocks White Label or backlink analysis tools) can change, so the live comparison page is the accurate source. πŸŽ“ When Is Onboarding Assistance Available? Search Atlas offers onboarding resources such as in-app tooltips, this Knowledge Base, and guided walkthroughs. The exact onboarding experience (self-serve vs. a scheduled session with an account manager) depends on your plan tier. If you are not sure what onboarding support is included with your plan, ask in the chat widget and our team will confirm what's available to you. If you have just upgraded and are ready to start onboarding, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform to request your session. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Can I use Otto during a free trial? Otto access is unlocked on paid plans only. Trial accounts do not include Otto slots. - What happens if I downgrade and have more active slots than my new plan allows? You will be prompted to deactivate the excess slots before the downgrade takes effect. Your data is retained. - Can I purchase additional Otto slots without upgrading my plan? Yes. Add-on slots are available for purchase on Starter and Growth plans. Open the chat widget and ask about Otto slot add-ons for current pricing. - Is onboarding available in languages other than English? Currently, live onboarding sessions are conducted in English. Knowledge Base articles are available in English only. πŸ’¬ Still Have Questions? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ”— Share OTTO Installation Link With Your Developer

🧭 Overview If you want a developer or team member to install OTTO SEO on your website, you don't need to walk them through the platform yourself. Search Atlas gives you a direct installation link and the credentials they need β€” all in one place. This guide shows you exactly where to find and share that information. πŸ› οΈ What Your Developer Will Need To install OTTO SEO, your developer needs two things: - The OTTO installation link β€” a unique URL that connects your website to OTTO SEO - Your site credentials β€” such as your WordPress login or FTP/hosting access, which you manage and share securely outside the platform Search Atlas provides the installation link directly inside the OTTO SEO section. You are responsible for sharing your site credentials with your developer through a secure channel of your choice (for example, a password manager or encrypted message). πŸ“‹ How to Find and Copy Your OTTO Installation Link 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO, then All Sites (SEO Automation). You can also navigate directly to /seo-automation-v3. 3. Select the website project you want to install OTTO on. 4. Look for the installation link or setup instructions displayed on the OTTO dashboard. This is your unique link tied to that specific site project. 5. Click the copy icon or highlight the link and copy it manually. 6. Paste the link into an email, message, or shared document and send it to your developer. πŸ“¨ How to Share the Link Securely Once you have copied the installation link, you can share it through any channel you normally use to communicate with your developer β€” such as email, Slack, or a project management tool. Keep the following best practices in mind: - Share the OTTO installation link only with trusted individuals who are working on your site. - Send your site login credentials (WordPress username and password, for example) separately and through a secure method such as a password manager sharing feature. - Avoid sharing sensitive credentials in plain text over unencrypted channels. βœ… What Happens After Your Developer Uses the Link Once your developer visits the installation link and completes the setup steps on your website, OTTO SEO will be connected to your Search Atlas project. You can then return to the OTTO SEO section in the left sidebar to confirm the connection is active and begin running automations. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Can I generate a new installation link? The installation link is tied to your specific site project. If you need a fresh link or suspect the link was shared with the wrong person, contact support using the chat widget below. - Does my developer need a Search Atlas account? No. Your developer only needs the installation link and access to your website backend (such as WordPress) to complete the setup. - Can I install OTTO on multiple sites? Yes. Each site project in Search Atlas has its own unique installation link. Repeat the steps above for each site. πŸ’¬ Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

🌍 Scheduling Onboarding Sessions Across Time Zones

🌍 Understanding Time Zone Options Search Atlas offers flexible 1:1 onboarding sessions through our HubSpot calendar. Sessions are available across multiple global time zones including Brisbane Australia Time so you can connect at a reasonable hour. πŸ“… How to Book Your Session Navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar then select Explore Training Calls. Choose a slot that aligns with your local time and confirm the booking. The system automatically displays available times based on your browser settings. ⏰ Requesting Adjusted Hours If no suitable slots appear for your time zone open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. Our team can help identify alternative options or adjust availability for Pro and Growth users. βœ… What to Expect During the Call Your session covers OTTO SEO setup site scanning Brand Vault features and ROI tracking. Sessions typically last 30 minutes and include live demonstrations tailored to your workflow. πŸ”„ Rescheduling or Blackout Periods Check the calendar regularly for updates during company events. If you need to reschedule simply return to the training calls section and select a new time that works for you. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ“‹ OTTO Project Prerequisites for Content Authority and UX Data

πŸ” Why Is There No Data for Content Authority and UX? Content Authority and UX metrics in OTTO do not populate automatically when you first create a project. These sections require you to complete specific prerequisite steps before any data appears. The most common reason for empty Content Authority and UX panels is that the required OTTO project setup has not yet been fully completed. This article explains what you need to confirm and what information to have ready so that your Content Authority and UX data can begin to populate correctly. βœ… Prerequisites Checklist Before Data Populates Before Content Authority and UX metrics become available, confirm that all of the following conditions are met: - An OTTO project has been created β€” The project must be fully set up and connected to your target domain. - Your website is connected β€” Your domain must be verified and actively linked to the OTTO project. - Required OTTO project setup steps have been completed β€” OTTO projects require certain setup actions to be finished before data sections become active. Review your project for any incomplete or pending setup tasks. - OTTO content has been created and deployed β€” At least one piece of OTTO-generated content must be live on your site. Content Authority and UX data cannot generate without live deployed content to analyse. πŸ› οΈ What to Do If Data Is Still Missing 1. Open your OTTO project. Navigate to your existing OTTO project in the platform, or create a new one if you have not done so already. 2. Connect and verify your domain. Ensure your website is fully connected inside the project settings. OTTO must have access to your live site to gather the signals needed for Content Authority and UX scoring. 3. Review and complete all pending setup tasks. Inside your OTTO project, check for any setup steps that are incomplete. Work through each one as directed. Content Authority and UX data will not populate until the required project prerequisites are addressed. 4. Create and deploy OTTO content. Once setup steps are complete, proceed to create content using OTTO's recommendations and deploy it to your live site. 5. Allow time for data processing. Once content is deployed, OTTO will begin analysing your pages. Depending on your site size and crawl speed, it may take some time for the Content Authority and UX panels to fully populate. 6. If data still does not appear, escalate to support. Have the following ready when you reach out: your project name, the domain connected to the project, a description of which setup steps you have completed, and any error messages or empty-panel screenshots you can share. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸš€ OTTO SEO Installation Walkthrough

🌟 Introduction This live training session covers everything you need to know to successfully install and configure OTTO SEO, the walkthrough explains how OTTO works, how to set it up, and how to begin optimizing your site using its automation features. The session is designed for both SEO beginners and advanced usersβ€”whether you’re managing your own website or working with clients, this guide will help you get started. πŸ“ Agenda Here’s what the session covers: 1️⃣ Intro to OTTO SEO – Why it matters for technical SEO & organic growth. 2️⃣ Configuring an OTTO Project – Creating and setting up a new project. 3️⃣ Running a Site Audit – How audits power OTTO’s optimization flow. 4️⃣ Installing the OTTO Pixel – Adding the JavaScript code to your CMS or site. 5️⃣ Knowledge Graph Setup – Supplying OTTO with business info & top pages. 6️⃣ Autopilot Settings – Enabling hands-free SEO optimization. 7️⃣ Deploying Fixes – Reviewing, enabling, or regenerating OTTO’s suggestions. 8️⃣ Managing Projects – Deep Freeze, exports, and leaving SearchAtlas. 9️⃣ Q&A Highlights – Common questions about plugins, results, and pixel behavior. πŸ’‘ Key Takeaways - πŸ”Ž The site audit is OTTO’s backboneβ€”it flags issues so OTTO knows where to start. - 🟒 The OTTO Pixel must stay installed for optimizations to appear. - πŸ“š Accurate Knowledge Graph inputs (business info, top pages, authors) improve AI recommendations. - ⚑ You can run OTTO in manual or autopilot mode, depending on control level. - ❄️ Use Deep Freeze to lock in changes even if leaving SearchAtlas. πŸ‘‰ Watch the full training video for the complete walkthrough.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

OTTO SEO: Section Guide - Where to Find Everything

Overview OTTO SEO has 24 subcategories covering installation, deployment, features, and troubleshooting. Use this guide to go directly to the right section without searching. Getting Started with OTTO | Section | What is Inside | |---|---| | Onboarding | Initial account setup, connecting your first site, first deployments, dashboard orientation | | Features & How-To | Step-by-step how-to guides for every OTTO feature | | Schema & Structured Data | Schema injection, structured data types, testing schema | | WordPress | OTTO on WordPress sites: plugin setup, sync, and WordPress-specific behaviors | | Deployment & Rendering | How OTTO pushes changes live, CDN rendering, JavaScript rendering | | Content Injection & Cleanup | Title tags, meta, headings, internal links, injection and removal | OTTO Pixel Installation Guide There is one Installation Guide inside OTTO SEO (menu: Overview > Installation Guide). The guide detects the site CMS automatically and branches by platform. For step-by-step articles by platform, use the sections below. | Platform | Section | |---|---| | General setup, UUID verification | Pixel Installation: General Setup & Verification | | Google Tag Manager (GTM) or Cloudflare | Pixel Installation: Google Tag Manager & Cloudflare | | Shopify | Pixel Installation: Shopify | | Webflow, GoDaddy, or other builders | Pixel Installation: Webflow, GoDaddy & Other Builders | | Wix or Squarespace | Pixel Installation: Wix & Squarespace | WordPress uses the native plugin. All other platforms paste the pixel into the site header. GTM and Cloudflare are available as alternatives on any platform. After installing, the customer verifies the pixel is detected inside OTTO. If it shows Pending after 24 hours, go to: Troubleshooting: Pixel Pending, UUID & Verification Errors. Troubleshooting by Problem Type | Problem | Section | |---|---| | Audits not running, crawl stuck, zero results | Troubleshooting: Audits, Crawl & Indexing | | OTTO changes not going live or rendering incorrectly | Troubleshooting: Deployment & Live Changes | | Pixel shows Pending, UUID missing, not verified | Troubleshooting: Pixel Pending, UUID & Verification Errors | | Pixel issues on GoHighLevel or other builders | Troubleshooting: Pixel on GoHighLevel & Other Builders | | Pixel issues on Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace | Troubleshooting: Pixel on Shopify, Wix & Squarespace | | Pixel issues on WordPress | Troubleshooting: Pixel on WordPress | | Pixel blocked by Cloudflare, GTM, or caching | Troubleshooting: Pixel, Cloudflare, GTM & Caching | | Conflicts with theme, page builder, or CDN | Troubleshooting: Platform Conflicts & Caching | | Knowledge Graph not updating, scanning stuck | Troubleshooting: Scanning, Reprocessing & Knowledge Graph | | Schema errors, invalid markup | Troubleshooting: Schema Errors | | Titles, meta descriptions, H1/H2 wrong | Troubleshooting: Titles, Meta & Headings | | Duplicate content or wrong content injected | Troubleshooting: Wrong or Duplicate Content | | OTTO billing, sites quota, top-up issues | Troubleshooting: Billing, Sites & Top-Ups | Quick Escalation Path 1. Pixel not installed > Find the customer CMS > go to the matching installation section above. 2. Pixel installed but not detecting > Troubleshooting: Pixel Pending, UUID & Verification Errors. 3. Changes deployed but not on site > Troubleshooting: Deployment & Live Changes. 4. Schema errors in Google Search Console > Troubleshooting: Schema Errors. 5. Titles or meta reverting > Troubleshooting: Titles, Meta & Headings. Also check the WordPress section if on WP. Contact Support If an issue is not resolved after checking the relevant section, use the live chat widget inside Search Atlas. Reference the specific article you already tried so the next agent can continue without repeating steps.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

⚑ Set Up OTTO IndexNow

⚑ What IndexNow does IndexNow notifies search engines, including Bing, when your pages are added, updated, or removed. This can help them discover changes faster, but it does not guarantee indexing or ranking. πŸ”— Connect Bing to Search Atlas 1. Open your project in Search Atlas and go to the OTTO SEO settings. 2. Open the IndexNow or instant indexing setup area. 3. Choose Bing and follow the connection instructions shown in the platform. 4. If prompted, sign in to Bing Webmaster Tools and select the website that matches your Search Atlas project. 5. Complete any ownership verification requested by Bing. The verified website and project URL must use the same domain and protocol where applicable. If Bing asks you to verify ownership, use one of its available verification methods, such as an HTML file, meta tag, or DNS record. Complete verification in Bing Webmaster Tools before returning to the Search Atlas setup. πŸ”‘ Create the IndexNow key file 1. Copy the IndexNow API key provided during the OTTO setup. 2. Create a plain-text file using that exact key as the file name, followed by .txt. For example, if the key is abc123, the file name is abc123.txt. 3. Save the file as UTF-8 text. Do not add formatting, quotation marks, spaces, or extra text. The file should contain the key itself. 4. Upload the file to the root directory of your website. πŸ“ Where to upload the file The root directory is the top-level public folder that serves your domain. The file must be reachable at a URL like https://www.example.com/abc123.txt or https://example.com/abc123.txt, depending on the version of your domain used in Search Atlas. Do not place the file inside /wp-content/, /uploads/, a theme folder, or another subfolder. The file must be alongside files such as index.html or the main public website files. πŸ› οΈ Upload options by website type - WordPress: Use your hosting control panel, hosting file manager, SFTP, or a file-management plugin approved by your site administrator. Upload the file to the WordPress installation's public root, usually the folder containing wp-admin and wp-content. - Other hosted platforms: Use the platform's file manager or custom-code/file-upload area. Look for an option that publishes a static file at the domain root, not a page editor or media library. - Git-based or developer-managed sites: Add the file to the repository's public root and deploy the change. - Sites without file access: Ask your hosting provider, developer, or website administrator to upload the UTF-8 file to the public root and confirm its live URL. βœ… Verify the setup 1. Open the key file URL in a browser, such as https://example.com/abc123.txt. 2. Confirm the page displays only the exact key. 3. Check that the URL does not redirect to a login page, 404 page, homepage, or file-download error. 4. Return to the OTTO IndexNow setup and use the verification or test option. 5. Save the configuration and allow time for the first notification to process. πŸ” Common setup problems - The file name does not match the API key exactly. - The key was saved with a hidden extension such as .txt.txt. - The file includes a blank line, spaces, quotation marks, or rich-text formatting. - The file was uploaded to a subfolder instead of the domain root. - The file is available on www, but the project uses the non-www version, or the reverse. - The website blocks crawlers, requires authentication, or redirects the key URL. - Bing ownership verification is incomplete or was completed for a different domain variation. 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.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ› οΈ Install OTTO Pixel on Your GoDaddy Website

πŸ” What This Guide Covers The OTTO pixel connects your GoDaddy website to Search Atlas so OTTO can track performance and apply SEO improvements automatically. This guide walks you through the full installation process using GoDaddy's built-in tools β€” no coding experience required. πŸ“‹ Before You Begin Make sure you have the following ready before you start: - Access to your Search Atlas account - Your GoDaddy account login credentials - Your GoDaddy website open in a separate browser tab πŸ”‘ Step 1: Copy Your OTTO Pixel Code 1. Log in to Search Atlas. 2. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation). 3. Select your website project from the list, or create a new one if you have not added your site yet. 4. Inside the project, locate the OTTO Pixel section. You will see a short snippet of code. 5. Click the Copy button next to the pixel code. Keep this tab open β€” you will need the code in a later step. 🌐 Step 2: Log In to GoDaddy and Open Your Website Editor 1. Open a new browser tab and go to godaddy.com. 2. Click Sign In in the top-right corner and enter your GoDaddy credentials. 3. From your GoDaddy dashboard, click My Products. 4. Find your website and click Manage next to it. 5. Click Edit Website to open the GoDaddy website builder. πŸ“ Step 3: Add the Pixel Code Using GoDaddy's Header Settings GoDaddy's website builder lets you paste code into a global header section. This is the easiest and recommended method for beginners because it automatically applies the pixel to every page on your site. 1. Inside the GoDaddy website editor, click the Settings icon. This is usually represented by a gear icon in the left or top menu. 2. Look for an option called Website Settings, SEO, or Advanced. The exact label depends on your GoDaddy plan and template. 3. Find the field labelled Header Code, Custom Code, or Tracking Code. 4. Click inside that field and paste the OTTO pixel code you copied in Step 1. 5. Click Save or Apply to confirm your changes. 6. Publish your website by clicking the Publish button so the pixel goes live. πŸ›’ Step 3 (Alternative): GoDaddy Managed WordPress Sites If your GoDaddy website runs on WordPress, follow these steps instead of the instructions above: 1. From your GoDaddy dashboard, open your WordPress Admin panel. 2. In the WordPress left sidebar, go to Appearance β†’ Theme File Editor. 3. On the right side of the screen, find and click the file named header.php. 4. Locate the closing </head> tag in the file. It will look exactly like that. 5. Paste your OTTO pixel code on the line directly above the </head> tag. 6. Click Update File to save. The pixel is now live on your site. Not sure which version you have? If you see a WordPress dashboard after clicking Manage, you have a WordPress site. If you see a drag-and-drop visual editor, use the standard steps in Step 3 above. βœ… Step 4: Verify the Pixel Is Working 1. Return to Search Atlas and navigate back to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation) in the left sidebar. 2. Open your website project and go to the OTTO Pixel section. 3. Click Verify Pixel or Check Connection. Search Atlas will confirm whether the pixel is detected on your site. 4. If the pixel is detected, you will see a green confirmation message. OTTO is now connected and will begin tracking your site. 5. If verification fails, double-check that you published your GoDaddy site after saving the code, then try verifying again after a few minutes. ⚠️ Common Issues and Quick Fixes - Pixel not detected after verification: Make sure you clicked Publish in GoDaddy after saving the code. Unpublished changes are invisible to external tools. - Cannot find the Header Code field in GoDaddy: The field name varies by template. Try checking under Settings β†’ SEO, Settings β†’ Advanced, or Pages β†’ Website Header. - Code disappeared after saving: Some GoDaddy templates strip certain characters. Paste the code again, then immediately click Save and Publish without making other edits first. - GoDaddy Managed WordPress β€” cannot find Theme File Editor: Your WordPress theme or user role may restrict access. Contact GoDaddy support to enable theme editing for your account. πŸ’¬ 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ€– Activate OTTO SEO and Track Crawl Progress

πŸ€– What Is OTTO SEO Activation? OTTO SEO is Search Atlas's AI-powered SEO automation engine. Before OTTO can begin optimizing your site, it must complete an initial crawl of your domain to gather data about your pages, structure, and existing SEO signals. Activation is the process of connecting your domain to OTTO and allowing it to complete this crawl. πŸš€ How to Activate OTTO for Your Domain 1. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO, then open SEO Automation (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 2. In the top area of the page, locate the domain selector or click Add Site if your domain has not been added yet. 3. Enter your domain (for example, herculesmovingsolutions.com or a1appliance-home-services.com) and confirm. 4. Click the Activate OTTO button next to your domain. 5. Follow any on-screen prompts to authorise the connection, such as installing the Search Atlas WordPress plugin or verifying site ownership. 6. Once authorisation is confirmed, OTTO will begin the initial crawl automatically. ⏳ Understanding the Initial Crawl The initial crawl is the first step OTTO takes after activation. During this phase, OTTO scans every accessible page on your domain to build a complete SEO baseline. Here is what to expect: - Duration: The crawl typically takes between 15 minutes and several hours, depending on the size of your site. Larger sites with thousands of pages may take longer. - Status indicator: You will see a progress bar or status label such as Crawling, Processing, or Ready next to your domain on the OTTO SEO page. - No action needed: You do not need to stay on the page. The crawl continues in the background and you will be able to see results once it completes. - Multiple domains: Each domain you activate goes through its own independent crawl. Activating two domains (for example, herculesmovingsolutions.com and a1appliance-home-services.com) means both will crawl simultaneously without affecting each other. βœ… What Happens After the Crawl Completes Once the initial crawl finishes, OTTO's activation status changes to Active or Ready. At this point: - OTTO will display a full list of SEO recommendations, optimisations, and automation opportunities for your domain. - You can review and approve individual changes or enable automatic deployments. - OTTO will continue to monitor your site and re-crawl pages as content changes over time. πŸ› οΈ Troubleshooting Activation Issues If OTTO does not activate or the crawl appears stuck, work through the following checks: - Plugin or verification not completed: Return to the OTTO SEO page and confirm that the connection step is fully completed. An incomplete authorisation will prevent the crawl from starting. - Domain entered incorrectly: Make sure you entered the domain without a trailing slash and with the correct protocol (use the root domain, not a subfolder URL). - Crawl stuck for more than 24 hours: If the status has not changed after a full day, try removing the domain and re-adding it. Then repeat the activation steps. - Site is blocking crawlers: Check that your robots.txt file is not blocking Search Atlas or common crawl bots. Temporary blocks will prevent OTTO from completing the crawl. - Activating multiple domains: Each domain must be activated separately. Confirm that both domains show an Active or Crawling status on the OTTO SEO page. πŸ’‘ Tips for a Smooth Activation - Make sure your site is publicly accessible before activating. Domains behind a password or maintenance mode cannot be crawled. - For WordPress sites, installing the Search Atlas plugin is the fastest way to complete authorisation and begin the crawl. - If you are activating several domains at once, check back on the OTTO SEO page after a few hours to confirm all crawls have completed successfully. πŸ’¬ 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ”Œ Connect OTTO to Your Webflow Site Successfully

🧭 Overview Connecting OTTO to a Webflow site is different from a WordPress setup. Webflow does not support plugins, so you must add the OTTO tracking code manually β€” either through Google Tag Manager (GTM) or a JavaScript Pixel embedded directly in your site settings. Using both methods at the same time is the most common cause of connection failures on Webflow. This article walks you through the correct setup, explains how to identify and fix the GTM vs. JavaScript Pixel conflict, and covers Google Search Console (GSC) connection troubleshooting specific to Webflow. βš™οΈ How to Access OTTO In Search Atlas, open the left sidebar and click OTTO SEO. From the OTTO SEO dashboard, select or create the project you want to connect, then follow the steps below. 🚦 Choose One Connection Method Only Before you add any code to Webflow, decide which method you will use. Installing both causes a conflict that prevents OTTO from verifying your site. - Google Tag Manager (GTM): Best if you already use GTM on your site or manage multiple tracking scripts. You add one GTM container snippet to Webflow and fire the OTTO pixel as a tag inside GTM. - JavaScript Pixel (direct embed): Best if you do not use GTM. You paste the OTTO script directly into your Webflow site settings under the custom code section. Pick one method and make sure the other is completely removed before testing the connection. πŸ“‹ Method 1 β€” Connect via JavaScript Pixel (Direct Embed) 1. In Search Atlas, go to OTTO SEO and open your project's OTTO connection settings. Copy the OTTO JavaScript Pixel snippet provided. 2. In Webflow, open your project and go to Site Settings β†’ Custom Code. 3. Paste the OTTO snippet into the Head Code field. 4. Click Save Changes, then publish your Webflow site. 5. Return to Search Atlas and click Verify Connection in the OTTO setup panel. Important: If you previously added OTTO through GTM, remove that GTM tag before publishing. Having the pixel fire from both GTM and the direct embed will cause a duplicate-signal conflict and the verification will fail. πŸ“‹ Method 2 β€” Connect via Google Tag Manager 1. In Search Atlas, go to OTTO SEO and open your project's OTTO connection settings. Copy the OTTO JavaScript Pixel snippet. 2. In your GTM workspace, create a new tag. Set the tag type to Custom HTML and paste the OTTO snippet into the HTML field. 3. Set the trigger to All Pages and save the tag. 4. In Webflow, go to Site Settings β†’ Custom Code and confirm the GTM container snippet (the one starting with GTM-) is present in the Head Code field. This is your GTM container only β€” do not add the OTTO pixel snippet here as well. 5. Publish your Webflow site, then submit and publish your GTM container. 6. Return to Search Atlas and click Verify Connection in the OTTO setup panel. πŸ” Diagnosing the GTM vs. JavaScript Pixel Conflict If OTTO still shows as unverified after following either method, a dual-installation conflict is likely the cause. Check for it by following these steps: 1. In Webflow, go to Site Settings β†’ Custom Code and review the Head Code and Footer Code fields. If you see both a GTM container snippet and a standalone OTTO JavaScript snippet, you have a conflict. 2. Inside GTM, open your container and search for any existing OTTO or Search Atlas tags. If you find one there while also having the pixel in Webflow's custom code, that confirms the conflict. 3. Remove the version you are not using, publish your Webflow site (and your GTM container if applicable), then click Verify Connection again in Search Atlas. πŸ”— Fixing the GSC Connection on Webflow If your Google Search Console property is not connecting, this is usually a separate verification issue unrelated to the OTTO pixel conflict. Follow these steps: 1. In Google Search Console, confirm you have added a property for your Webflow domain and that verification is complete. Webflow users most commonly verify via the HTML tag method or the Google Analytics integration. 2. In Search Atlas, go to your project settings and reconnect GSC by selecting your verified property from the dropdown. If your property does not appear, click Reconnect Google Account and re-authorise access. 3. Make sure the Google account you used to connect GSC in Search Atlas is the same account that owns the GSC property. A mismatch here will prevent the property from appearing. 4. After confirming the property is visible and selected, save your project settings and allow up to 15 minutes for data to populate. βœ… Quick Checklist Before Contacting Support - Only one OTTO connection method (GTM or JavaScript Pixel) is active β€” not both. - Your Webflow site has been published after any code changes. - Your GTM container has been submitted and published if using the GTM method. - Your GSC property is fully verified in Google Search Console. - The Google account connected in Search Atlas matches the GSC property owner. - You clicked Verify Connection in the OTTO panel after completing all changes. πŸ’¬ Still Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ” Otto Setup Audit, Pixels, Citations & Rankings

🧭 Overview This article walks you through four key areas of a healthy Otto setup: confirming your pixel is installed correctly in Webflow, removing duplicate pixels, checking that your target keywords are ranking, and understanding how Hyperdrive credits connect to citation building. βœ… Step 1 β€” Audit Your Otto Pixel Installation Before troubleshooting rankings or citations, confirm that the Otto pixel is installed exactly once on your site. 1. In Search Atlas, go to Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ SEO Automation. 2. Locate your Otto project and open its Settings. 3. Copy your unique Otto Pixel UUID (a long alphanumeric string shown in the pixel snippet). 4. In Webflow, open your project and navigate to Site Settings β†’ Custom Code. 5. Use your browser's Find function (Ctrl/Cmd + F) and paste your UUID into the search bar. 6. Check both the Head Code and Footer Code fields. 7. The UUID should appear exactly once across all code fields. If it appears more than once, proceed to Step 2. You can also verify live installation by visiting your website, opening browser DevTools (F12), clicking the Network tab, and filtering by your UUID. A single successful request confirms correct installation. πŸ—‘οΈ Step 2 β€” Remove Duplicate Otto Pixels in Webflow A duplicate pixel causes tracking conflicts, inflates data, and can interfere with Otto's ability to process your site correctly. Follow these steps to remove it. 1. In Webflow, open your project and go to Site Settings β†’ Custom Code. 2. Review the Head Code field. If your Otto pixel snippet appears more than once, delete all copies and paste a single, clean version. 3. Repeat the same check in the Footer Code field. 4. Next, open the Pages panel and check any pages that have page-level custom code applied. Remove any Otto pixel snippets found there β€” your snippet should only live in the site-wide Head Code field. 5. Save your changes and publish your Webflow site. 6. Return to your browser DevTools, reload your site, and re-run the UUID search in the Network tab. Confirm only one pixel request fires. Important: Always keep the pixel in the Head Code field only. Placing it in the footer or on individual pages is a common cause of duplication. πŸ“ˆ Step 3 β€” Verify and Improve Keyword Rankings in Otto Once your pixel is clean, you can accurately measure and improve keyword performance. 1. Go to Left sidebar β†’ OTTO SEO β†’ SEO Automation and open your Otto project. 2. Navigate to the Keywords or Rankings section within your project dashboard. 3. Search for your target keyword. Review its current position, the page Otto has associated with it, and any optimization recommendations shown. 4. If the keyword is not yet tracked, add it by clicking Add Keyword and entering the exact phrase you want to rank for. 5. Open the page Otto has linked to that keyword and review the On-Page Recommendations panel. Apply all high-priority suggestions such as title tag updates, heading structure, and content additions. 6. After publishing your changes, allow 48–72 hours for search engines to recrawl the page before checking for ranking movement. For the most accurate ranking data, ensure your pixel has been live and duplicate-free for at least 7 days before drawing conclusions from the dashboard. πŸ“ Step 4 β€” Set Up Citations with Hyperdrive Credits Citations are online listings of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across directories. Otto uses Hyperdrive credits to build and distribute these citations. 1. Go to Left sidebar β†’ Local β†’ Local Citations. 2. Review your current citation count and any listings flagged as incomplete or inconsistent. 3. To build new citations, click Confirm & Continue and confirm your NAP information is accurate before proceeding. 4. Each citation submission consumes Hyperdrive credits. Your available credit balance is displayed at the top of the Local Citations page. 5. If your credit balance is low, go to your Account Settings to review your plan or purchase additional Hyperdrive credits. 6. Once submitted, new citations typically appear in the dashboard within 3–5 business days. You can monitor their status under Left sidebar β†’ Local β†’ Local Citations. Tip: Consistent NAP information across all citations directly supports local keyword rankings. Before building citations, double-check that your business name, address, and phone number in Search Atlas exactly match what appears on your website and Google Business Profile. πŸ” Quick-Reference Audit Checklist - Pixel installed? UUID found in Webflow Head Code field. - No duplicates? UUID appears only once site-wide and on zero individual pages. - Pixel firing live? Single network request confirmed in DevTools. - Target keyword tracked? Added to Otto and linked to the correct page. - On-page recommendations applied? All high-priority items resolved. - NAP consistent? Business details match across site, GBP, and citations. - Hyperdrive credits available? Balance checked before building new citations. πŸ’¬ 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

βš™οΈ Install and Update OTTO

πŸ› οΈ Why the OTTO script may cause slowdowns OTTO can affect site performance when an older installation script is still active or when the script points to a white-label domain that is no longer configured correctly. This can happen even when the script was originally copied from the installation instructions. Use the latest installation code shown in your Search Atlas account. Do not manually edit the script or reuse code from another project. πŸ“‹ Get the current OTTO installation script 1. Sign in to Search Atlas. 2. Open AI SEO β†’ OTTO SEO from the left sidebar. 3. Open the relevant project. 4. Find the OTTO installation or connection instructions. 5. Copy the complete, current script provided for that project. πŸ”„ Replace the script on your website 1. Remove the previous OTTO script from your website, tag manager, theme, or plugin. 2. Paste the newly copied script in the same location recommended by the instructions. 3. Make sure the script is added only once. Duplicate installations can create extra requests and slow down page loading. 4. Publish the website or tag manager changes. If your site uses a content management system, caching plugin, CDN, or tag manager, publish and clear the relevant cache after replacing the script. 🌐 Check for white-label configuration issues The installation script must point to the domain and configuration provided in your current OTTO instructions. Do not replace its destination with a custom or white-label URL unless that URL is actively configured for your account. If the script contains an outdated white-label reference, remove it and copy the latest script from the OTTO installation instructions. This ensures the connection uses the correct Search Atlas configuration. βœ… Verify the installation 1. Open your website in a private browser window. 2. Confirm that the page loads normally and that OTTO is still active in the Search Atlas project. 3. Use your browser’s developer tools to confirm that the OTTO script loads successfully without repeated errors. 4. Test several pages, especially pages using different templates. 5. Monitor page speed after publishing the change. 🧹 If performance issues continue - Confirm that only one OTTO script is installed. - Check your theme, tag manager, plugins, and CDN for an older copy. - Clear website, CDN, and browser caches. - Confirm that the script was copied from the correct OTTO project. - Check whether other scripts are contributing to the slowdown. 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.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ” Verify OTTO Installation and Deployment Status

🧭 Overview OTTO is Search Atlas's AI-powered SEO automation tool. For it to work properly, it must be installed on your website and actively deployed to your pages. If you see a message saying OTTO is not installed properly β€” or you're unsure whether it's running β€” this article will walk you through how to verify and resolve the issue. βš™οΈ Step 1: Open the OTTO Dashboard 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO, then open SEO Automation inside it. This will take you to the OTTO dashboard at /seo-automation-v3. 3. Select the website project you want to check from the project list. πŸ”Ž Step 2: Check the Installation Status Once you're inside your project, OTTO will display an installation status indicator near the top of the dashboard. Look for one of the following statuses: - Installed & Active β€” OTTO is correctly connected to your site and is running. - Not Installed β€” OTTO has not been connected to your site yet. - Installation Error β€” OTTO was set up but something went wrong with the connection. If your status shows Not Installed or Installation Error, continue to Step 3. πŸ› οΈ Step 3: Install or Reinstall OTTO OTTO connects to your website using either a JavaScript snippet or a WordPress plugin. Follow the method that applies to your site: Option A β€” JavaScript Snippet 1. In the OTTO dashboard, click Get Installation Code. 2. Copy the JavaScript snippet provided. 3. Paste the snippet into the <head> section of every page on your website, or add it through your tag manager (such as Google Tag Manager). 4. Save and publish the changes on your site. 5. Return to the OTTO dashboard and click Verify Installation. Option B β€” WordPress Plugin 1. In your WordPress admin panel, go to Plugins β†’ Add New. 2. Search for the Search Atlas plugin and install it. 3. Activate the plugin, then open its settings. 4. Enter your Search Atlas API key, which you can find in your account settings. 5. Save the settings, then return to the OTTO dashboard and click Verify Installation. πŸ“Š Step 4: Check Deployment Status Across Pages Being installed is only the first step. OTTO also needs to be deployed to specific pages to apply SEO optimisations. To review which pages OTTO is active on: 1. From the left sidebar, navigate to OTTO SEO β†’ All Sites (SEO Automation). 2. Review the list of URLs. Each page will show one of these statuses: - Deployed β€” OTTO's recommendations are live on this page. - Pending β€” Changes have been queued but not yet applied. - Not Deployed β€” OTTO has not applied any changes to this page. If important pages show Not Deployed, select them and click Deploy to push OTTO's optimisations live. βœ… Step 5: Confirm OTTO Is Running on Your Live Site You can do a quick manual check to confirm OTTO is active on a specific page: 1. Open the page in a web browser. 2. Right-click anywhere on the page and select View Page Source (or press Ctrl+U on Windows / Cmd+U on Mac). 3. Press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to search within the source code. 4. Type searchatlas or otto in the search box. 5. If the script appears in the results, OTTO is successfully installed on that page. πŸ’‘ Common Reasons for Installation Issues - The snippet was placed in the <body> instead of the <head> section. - A caching plugin is serving an old version of the page β€” clear your site cache after installation. - The snippet was only added to the homepage and not to other pages or templates. - The WordPress plugin API key was entered incorrectly β€” double-check for spaces or typos. - A Content Security Policy (CSP) on your server is blocking the OTTO script β€” ask your developer to whitelist the Search Atlas domain. πŸ’¬ Still Need Help? If you have followed all the steps above and OTTO still shows as not installed, or if deployment is not working as expected, we are here 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 connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ” OTTO Audit Timing, Connection Status, and Onboarding

🧭 Overview When you first connect OTTO and trigger an audit, you may notice the Installation Guide still shows OTTO as not connected β€” even while the audit is actively running. This is expected behavior, not an error. This article explains the audit timeline, what each status means, and the steps OTTO follows to complete onboarding. ⏱️ Why the Audit Takes Time After you connect OTTO to your website, it immediately begins crawling and analyzing your site. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the size and complexity of your site. During this window: - The audit is running in the background. - OTTO is collecting data on technical issues, on-page factors, and site structure. - No action is required from you β€” the process is fully automated. Larger sites with thousands of pages naturally take longer. Avoid disconnecting or re-connecting OTTO while an audit is in progress, as this will restart the process. ❓ Why the Installation Guide Shows OTTO as Not Connected The Installation Guide is a checklist that tracks whether each onboarding step has been fully verified and confirmed. The connection status shown there reflects a completed verification β€” not simply whether OTTO has started running. Here is what happens step by step: 1. You add the OTTO code snippet or connect via plugin. 2. OTTO begins the audit immediately. 3. The Installation Guide waits for OTTO to complete its first full audit before marking the connection as verified. 4. Once the audit finishes and OTTO confirms a successful data exchange with your site, the status updates to Connected. This means it is completely normal to see a pending or disconnected status in the Installation Guide while an audit is still running. The two indicators serve different purposes. πŸ› οΈ How to Check Your Audit Progress To monitor the current state of your OTTO audit: 1. Go to OTTO SEO β†’ Site Audit β†’ All Audits. 2. Select the project you connected OTTO to. 3. Look for the audit progress indicator on the project dashboard. A spinning icon or percentage bar confirms the audit is actively running. 4. Once the audit completes, OTTO will surface recommendations and the Installation Guide will update its connection status automatically. βœ… What a Fully Onboarded OTTO Looks Like You will know OTTO onboarding is complete when all of the following are true: - The Installation Guide marks OTTO as Connected. - SEO recommendations and fixes are visible in the OTTO SEO V3 dashboard. - OTTO is actively deploying or queuing approved optimizations on your site. If any of these are missing after a reasonable wait time, there may be an installation issue worth investigating. 🚨 When to Be Concerned Most audits complete without any issues. However, contact support if: - The audit has shown no progress for more than 24 hours. - The Installation Guide still shows not connected after the audit visibly completed. - You see an explicit error message rather than a progress indicator. - OTTO recommendations never appear in your OTTO SEO V3 dashboard after the audit finishes. πŸ’‘ Tips to Avoid Common Issues - Do not disconnect and reconnect OTTO while an audit is running β€” this resets progress. - Make sure your OTTO code snippet is installed on every page of your site, not just the homepage. - If you use a caching plugin, clear your cache after installing the OTTO snippet to ensure it fires correctly. - Confirm your website is publicly accessible β€” OTTO cannot crawl password-protected or staging environments without additional configuration. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026

πŸ€– Validate Client OTTO Installation Before Activating Credits

🧭 Overview OTTO credits are a limited monthly resource. Activating OTTO on a client's site before they've installed the required code means you risk spending credits on a project that isn't live. This guide walks you through the recommended workflow: share the installation code with your client, verify it's live on their site, and only then activate OTTO β€” so every credit counts. πŸ“‹ What You'll Need Before You Start - An active Search Atlas account with OTTO credits available - A project already created for your client's website - Your client's cooperation to add a code snippet to their site πŸ” Step 1: Access Your OTTO Project 1. In the left sidebar, click OTTO SEO, then open SEO Automation (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 2. Locate your client's project from the list and open it. 3. Navigate to the OTTO Setup section within the project. πŸ“€ Step 2: Retrieve and Share the Installation Code 1. Inside the OTTO Setup section, find the installation code snippet generated for your client's site. 2. Copy the code snippet in full β€” do not modify it. 3. Send the code to your client with clear instructions to paste it into the <head> section of every page on their website, or into their tag manager (e.g., Google Tag Manager). 4. Let your client know that installation is required before you can activate their SEO automation, and ask them to confirm once it's done. Tip: Include a short explanation in your message to the client β€” for example: "Please add this snippet to your site's <head> tag or via Google Tag Manager. Once it's installed, let me know and I'll activate your SEO automation." βœ… Step 3: Verify the Code Is Live on Their Site Before activating OTTO, always confirm the code is correctly installed. You can do this in two ways: - Manual check: Visit your client's website, right-click the page, select View Page Source, and use Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F on Mac) to search for the OTTO snippet. If it appears in the source, installation was successful. - Platform verification: Return to the OTTO Setup section in OTTO SEO. The platform will indicate whether the code has been detected on the client's site. Wait for a green confirmation status before proceeding. Important: Do not activate OTTO until you see a confirmed installation status. Activating before the code is live will consume credits without delivering results. πŸš€ Step 4: Activate OTTO After Confirmation 1. Once the platform confirms the code is detected on your client's site, return to their OTTO project. 2. Click the Activate OTTO button to begin using your credits. 3. OTTO will now begin deploying SEO optimizations to the live site. πŸ’‘ Best Practices to Protect Your Credits - Never activate before verification: Always wait for the platform's green installation status or manually confirm via page source. - Set expectations with clients upfront: Let clients know installation is a prerequisite so there are no delays on their end. - Use a checklist: Before activation, confirm β€” code installed βœ“, platform status green βœ“, client notified βœ“. - Check credit availability: Review your available OTTO credits before onboarding a new client to avoid interruptions mid-project. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions What happens if I activate OTTO before the code is installed? Credits will be deducted but OTTO won't be able to deploy optimizations correctly, since the code is required for it to interact with the site. This wastes your monthly allocation. Can I pause or deactivate OTTO to save credits if a client changes their mind? Yes. You can deactivate OTTO from within the project in OTTO SEO. Credits are consumed during active periods, so deactivating promptly helps preserve your balance. How long does it take for the platform to detect the installed code? Detection is typically fast, but can take a few minutes after the client publishes their changes. Refresh the OTTO Setup page if the status hasn't updated after 5–10 minutes. πŸ› οΈ Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

Last updated on Oct 26, 2026