📖 Features & How-To

🔗Integrations and Access Management

🔐 Brand Vault: The AI Intelligence Layer in Search Atlas

Brand Vault is the centralized intelligence layer that powers OTTO SEO, OTTO, Content, Smart Ads, and every autonomous workflow inside Search Atlas. This article shows you what Brand Vault controls, how to access it, and why the logo in your search and social previews comes from your website's Open Graph metadata rather than from Brand Vault. 🚨 What Changed: Knowledge Graph Is Now Brand Vault The Knowledge Graph (KG) has been fully upgraded and renamed Brand Vault. It has evolved from a structured form into a dynamic, AI-powered brand intelligence system. Access it from the header apps-grid icon → More Features → Brand Vault. Brand Vault now replaces: - Knowledge Graph business info - Locations management - Top Pages configuration - Authorship and social schema inputs - Content positioning inputs - Brand voice settings It centralizes all business intelligence used by OTTO and the AI Agents. 📍 How to Access Brand Vault Navigation path: top-right More Features menu (apps-grid icon) → Brand Vault. Once inside the project dashboard, look at the top horizontal navigation bar. You'll see these tabs: - Vault - Business Information - Locations - Content - Knowledge Graph - Style Guide Brand Vault is the parent system powering all of these sections. You can manage it through both Content Genius and the Brand Vault Knowledge interface — both edit the same underlying data, so use whichever fits your workflow. 🏛️ Brand Vault Dashboard Overview When you click Vault, you land on the Brand Vault main dashboard. Project identifier (top-left) - Project icon - Domain name (for example, searchatlas.com) This confirms which project you are editing. Horizontal navigation tabs Directly under the project name you'll see Vault (active), Business Information, Locations, Content, Knowledge Graph, and Style Guide. These sections now live inside the Brand Vault structure. 🔎 Ask Your Brand Vault (AI Query Bar) Below the header you'll find the Ask your Brand Vault semantic search bar. Use it to: - Ask about your services - Validate brand messaging - Query uploaded documents - Confirm location data AI Agents reference this layer before generating content or executing workflows. 📊 Brand Vault Overview (Training Snapshot) Under the search bar is a metrics panel labeled Brand Vault Overview. It displays: - Words indexed - Images stored - Videos stored - Pages analyzed This gives you a live snapshot of how much verified data your AI Agents can access. ➕ Add Sources to Brand Vault Below the overview cards is a full-width purple + Add Sources button. Use it to: - Upload PDFs - Add SOPs - Trigger website crawls - Expand your Vault's training data Every new source strengthens AI accuracy. You'll see the new source appear in your source list once it finishes processing. 🎯 Brand Voice Configuration Below the Add Sources button is the Brand Voice section, where you select a tone preset: - Professional & Credible - Friendly & Conversational - Bold & Energetic - Creative & Expressive - Luxury & Sophisticated - Educational & Informative Each option includes a selectable card, a short description, and a Save button in the top-right. Below the tone grid, a Preview panel lets you toggle Blog, Product, CTA, and Support to hear how AI-generated content will sound. 🖼️ Brand Vault vs. Open Graph: Why Your Search Preview Logo Hasn't Changed If you updated your logo in Brand Vault but the old logo still appears in search or social previews, the preview is not coming from Brand Vault. Search and social previews are generated from your website's Open Graph metadata — the title, description, URL, and image tags stored in your site's HTML. Here's the boundary in plain terms: - Brand Vault customizes and maintains your brand identity inside the Search Atlas platform, so AI Agents generate on-brand content. It controls the business metadata used by Search Atlas agents — for example, your company name, locations, and hours. - Open Graph metadata on your website controls how your links appear in external previews (search results, social shares), including the logo, image, title, and description. Because of this, clearing Search Atlas cache will not update a preview image — the image is served from your site, not from Brand Vault. How to fix Open Graph title, description, and URL 1. Open OTTO and go to Open Graph Issues. 2. Review and update the Title, Description, and URL fields flagged there. 3. Save your changes so OTTO can apply the corrected Open Graph tags. How to fix the Open Graph image (logo) in previews Search Atlas does not currently manage Open Graph images on behalf of your site. To change the preview logo or image, update the Open Graph image tag directly on your website. To confirm what is currently published, paste your page URL into an Open Graph validator such as opengraph.xyz. Once your website serves the new image, the validator will show the updated logo and your previews will refresh. 📜 Vault History At the bottom of the Vault tab is a history log that tracks changes and updates made to your Brand Vault over time, so you can see what verified data has been added or modified. ⚠️ Known Limitations Keep the following current limitation in mind when working with Brand Vault: - Top Pages accepts URLs from any domain. The Top Pages section does not currently validate that a URL belongs to your project's domain, so it will accept links from unrelated domains. When adding Top Pages, manually confirm that each URL points to your own site before saving, and remove any entries added by mistake. 🛠️ Troubleshooting If the data in Brand Vault looks out of date, use the following guidance: - Stale location data after removal: In some cases, domain schema can retain old location data even after a location has been removed. If a deleted location still appears, re-trigger a refresh (for example, by re-running a crawl or re-saving the affected section) and confirm the change has applied. - Vault not reflecting a fresh crawl: Brand Vault may not always sync the latest crawl data automatically. If new content is missing after a crawl completes, re-trigger the crawl or re-add the source so the Vault re-processes it. - Data still stale after a refresh: Contact support so the team can investigate the sync. - Brand Vault missing after project deletion: If your Brand Vault disappears after an OTTO project is deleted, contact support — your vault may have been orphaned and require manual delinked recovery. 🎯 You now know that Brand Vault powers your AI content inside Search Atlas, while your search-preview logo and images come from your website's Open Graph metadata. To change preview text, use OTTO → Open Graph Issues; to change the preview image, update the Open Graph image on your website, then verify it with opengraph.xyz.

🔐OTTO Security

OTTO is built with enterprise-grade security practices to ensure safe deployment of all features, including on-page modifications, automation, and authority-building tools. The system is designed to eliminate common vulnerabilities, protect sensitive data, and ensure your production environment remains secure. ▶ Key Security Risks and Prevention Strategies Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Within OTTO, no user-inputted JavaScript is executed client-side, eliminating this vector for OTTO-driven interactions. Content Manipulation Only your team can manipulate your site’s content through the OTTO dashboard. This is safeguarded by proper access control, password discipline, and corporate security practices. Insecure API Endpoints All Search Atlas and OTTO APIs run exclusively on HTTPS. Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attacks All OTTO APIs enforce SSL certificate verification via the browser. Data is transmitted only over HTTPS. Our production servers are hosted on GCP, block all incoming external requests, and operate within Kubernetes container orchestration secured via GitOps. Sensitive Data Exposure OTTO’s content creation features do not process proprietary or first-party sensitive data in LLM outputs. Guardrails prevent accidental leaks or improper use. Code Injection Client-side HTML manipulation subroutines are hardcoded in the OTTO pixel. External JS cannot be injected and executed. Custom HTML content submitted through the OTTO Agent is validated before deployment. Validation guardrails restrict content to a safelist of allowed tags and attributes, strip executable script and event-handler attributes, and sanitize URLs to prevent injection of malicious payloads. OTTO’s HTML manipulation layer is actively maintained and regression-tested. For example, a recent fix addressed double HTML encoding of special characters (such as & and ') in injected content—an issue that was identified, resolved, and validated rapidly, reflecting our continuous improvement process for the injection pipeline. Note: OTTO’s pixel operates client-side, so pixel-applied modifications are visible to JS-rendering clients and crawlers (e.g., Googlebot). A separate edge-level deployment mechanism is available to serve OTTO modifications to non-JS crawlers (such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude) and edge-cached raw HTML. Both pathways are secured using the same authentication, transport encryption, and validation controls described elsewhere in this article. Third-Party Dependency Risks The OTTO pixel is written in vanilla JS with no external libraries. This eliminates dependency risks and reduces latency. Inadequate Content Security Policy (CSP) OTTO does not override or affect your domain’s CSP settings. ▶ Infrastructure and Operational Security ✅ Each OTTO pixel is tied to a unique hash that links only to your OTTO project. ✅ All communication is encrypted with SSL and HTTPS. ✅ Daily database snapshots ensure recovery readiness. ✅ Databases are hosted on GCP, inaccessible outside internal infrastructure, and fully encrypted. ✅ Corporate VPN, issued keys, and strict access control govern entry into cloud infrastructure. ✅ DNS-level DDoS protection is managed via Cloudflare. ✅ All OTTO editing APIs require authenticated sessions; unauthenticated requests return 403. APIs rely on your site’s unique hash ID for validation. ✅ Production and staging environments are handled as separate OTTO projects. ✅ Stripe is used as the payment gateway and is fully PCI compliant. ✅ Static code analysis is integrated into the CI/CD pipeline for continuous security validation. 💡 Final Note Security is at the core of OTTO’s design. With enterprise-grade protection built into every layer—from pixel deployment to API authentication—you can confidently use OTTO to optimize your site without risking performance or data integrity.

⚙️ Settings & Account Management in Search Atlas

Path: Avatar (👤) → Settings Search Atlas gives you full control over how your account works, from who can access it to how insights are delivered to clients and teams. Inside Settings, you can manage your profile, configure email alerts, connect platforms, control CMS access, and secure integrations through API keys, all from one centralized place. Whether you’re an agency managing multiple clients or a solo marketer optimizing your workflow, the Settings area ensures everything runs smoothly, securely, and at scale. 📩 Email Settings Path:Avatar (👤) → Settings → Email Settings Universal Email Alerts help you stay informed without manual reporting. Instead of logging in daily, Search Atlas delivers structured SEO insights directly to your inbox, branded, configurable, and actionable. 👥 Team Members & Access Control Path: Top-right corner (avatar) → Team Members As your account grows, managing access becomes critical. The Team Members section lets you invite collaborators, assign roles, and control permissions, without risking billing or data integrity. 🔗 Integrations & Data Connections Path:Avatar (👤) → Settings → Integrations Search Atlas connects with your core marketing and analytics platforms to create a single source of truth for performance data. 🧩 CMS Connectors Path:Avatar (👤) → Settings → CMS Connectors CMS Connectors allow Search Atlas to work directly with your websites, enabling automation through OTTO and content deployment via Content Genius. 🔐 API Keys Path:Avatar (👤) → Settings → API Keys API Keys allow Search Atlas to integrate securely with external tools, including the WordPress plugin and custom workflows. 🧪 Experimental Features Path:Avatar (👤) → Settings → Experimental Experimental settings give you early access to interface and feature tests, with instant activation and no data risk. The Settings section is the operational backbone of your Search Atlas account. By configuring it correctly, you reduce friction, improve visibility, and create a scalable foundation for growth, whether that means clearer client communication, tighter team control, or deeper integrations. Take a few minutes to review your Settings, fine-tune what matters most, and let Search Atlas do the heavy lifting in the background.

🔐 Mandatory WordPress Support Flow: Secure Token-Based Access

To improve security, accountability, and compliance, Search Atlas no longer supports accessing customer WordPress environments via shared usernames or passwords. All WordPress support access must be granted via temporary Support Access Tokens, generated directly by the customer inside their WordPress admin. This flow is mandatory and replaces all previous credential-sharing practices. ✅ What’s Changing (High Level) 1. No more WordPress usernames or passwords shared, stored, or requested 2. Temporary, revocable access via secure token links 3. Admin-only access, controlled by the customer 4. Time-limited access with automatic expiration 5. Full visibility and accountability of who accessed what, and when 🧩 Prerequisites (Required) Before support access can be granted, all of the following must be true: 1. Plugin version must be 2.5.16 or higher. Any version below 2.5.16 is not supported and cannot use token-based access. 2. The customer must be logged in as a WordPress ADMIN. Only Admin users can generate support tokens. 🛠️ The Mandatory Support Flow (Step by Step) 1. Customer updates to the latest plugin version. Minimum supported version: v2.5.16. Without this version, support access cannot be granted. 2. Customer generates a Support Access Token. Path inside WordPress: WordPress Admin → Settings → Support Access. From here, the customer can choose an expiration time (for example, 4 hours), add a short description (bug, issue, investigation context), and generate a secure, temporary access link. 3. Customer shares the secure link. The generated link is shared with Customer Support, Product Specialists, and the WordPress Team if needed. No usernames or passwords should ever be sent. 4. Search Atlas team accesses WordPress via the link. Using the link, team members are automatically logged in as ADMIN, and access uses the same User ID that generated the token. Full admin-level debugging and investigation is allowed. 5. Access is revoked after work is completed. Once the issue is fixed, tested, or fully investigated, the Search Atlas team must revoke the support token and inform the customer that access has been terminated. This is a required step, not optional. 6. If the token expires before work is finished. Tokens may expire based on the timeframe chosen by the customer. If this happens, politely request a new Support Access Link, clearly explain why additional access is needed, and never attempt to reuse or bypass expired tokens. 🚫 Critical Rules (Non-Negotiable) Do not ask for, store, or accept WordPress usernames or passwords. 👑 Admin Role Required Only WordPress Admins can generate tokens and grant support access. 📁 Exception: FTP Access This flow applies only to WordPress admin access. If FTP access is required, the existing FTP request process remains unchanged, coordinate via CS/PS as usual. 🧠 Why This Matters This flow protects customer security, reduces liability, improves trust, and creates a clear, auditable support process. Following this process is mandatory for all WP-related support cases. 📌 Summary 1. Token-based access is now the only approved method 2. Credentials are no longer allowed 3. Access is temporary, revocable, and customer-controlled 4. Expired access means requesting a new token 5. Security first, always This WordPress Support Access flow marks a fundamental shift in how we provide secure, reliable, and compliant support to our customers. By fully eliminating credential sharing and moving to a controlled, token-based access model, we protect both our customers’ environments and our own teams while maintaining the level of support quality they expect from Search Atlas. 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.

🔑 How to Reset Your API Key After a Security Exposure

📋 Overview If your Search Atlas API key has been exposed—for example, committed to a public code repository, shared in a message, or pasted into an unsecured location—you should treat it as compromised. Anyone with your key can make requests on your behalf and consume your account resources. This article explains how to delete the exposed key, generate a new one, and update your integrations safely. ⚠️ When You Should Reset Your API Key Reset your key right away if any of the following apply: - The key was accidentally published in a public GitHub or GitLab repository. - The key was shared in an email, chat, screenshot, or support ticket. - The key appears in client-side code, logs, or a browser network tab. - You notice unexpected API activity or usage you cannot explain. - A team member with access has left your organization. 🤔 Why Resetting Matters An exposed key cannot be "un-shared." Even if you delete the post or file that contained it, automated bots routinely scan public sources for credentials. Deleting the old key is the only reliable way to stop unauthorized use. 🚫 Step 1: Revoke (Delete) the Exposed Key Deleting the key immediately blocks any further requests made with it. 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open Settings and select the API or API Keys section. 3. Locate the key that was exposed. If you have several keys, match it by name, creation date, or the last few visible characters. 4. Click the Delete (or Revoke) option next to that key. 5. Confirm the deletion when prompted. Once deleted, the key is permanently disabled and can no longer be used to authenticate. 🆕 Step 2: Generate a New API Key 1. In the same API Keys section, click Generate New Key (or Create API Key). 2. Give the key a clear, descriptive name so you can identify where it is used—for example, "Production Server" or "Reporting Script." 3. Copy the new key and store it immediately in a secure location, such as a password manager or your application's secrets store. ❗ Important For security, the full key is usually shown only once at creation. If you lose it, you will need to delete it and generate another. Never store API keys in plain text files, shared documents, or source code. 🔄 Step 3: Update Your Integrations After deleting the old key, any application or workflow that relied on it will stop working until you add the new key. There is no grace period—the old key is invalidated immediately. To restore service: - Replace the old key wherever it was stored—environment variables, configuration files, automation tools, or third-party connections. - Restart any services or scripts that load the key at startup. - Run a quick test request to confirm the new key authenticates successfully. 🔒 How to Keep Your API Key Secure Follow these best practices to prevent future exposures: - Use environment variables or a secrets manager. Never hard-code keys directly into your application. - Keep keys out of version control. Add configuration and secrets files to your .gitignore. - Avoid sharing keys. Do not send keys over email or chat. If a teammate needs access, have them generate their own key where possible. - Rotate keys periodically. Regularly replacing keys limits the impact of an exposure you may not be aware of. - Use separate keys per integration. This makes it easy to revoke one key without disrupting everything else. - Remove keys you no longer use. Fewer active keys means a smaller risk surface. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Will deleting my key affect my data or account? No. Deleting an API key only disables that credential. Your account, settings, and data remain intact. Can I recover a deleted key? No. Deleted keys cannot be restored. You will need to generate a new key and update your integrations. How do I know if my key was misused? Review your API usage and activity within your account. If you see requests you did not make or unexpected spikes in usage, delete the key right away and generate a new one. How can I tell which type of API key I have? Search Atlas is migrating to API Key V2. Legacy (V1) keys are a 32-character hexadecimal string, while V2 keys begin with the sa_ prefix and are noticeably longer (around 100 characters). Use the prefix or the last few visible characters to tell your keys apart when you have more than one. What happens to my old key when I create a new one? With API Key V2 you can hold multiple named keys at once and revoke them individually. However, generating your first V2 key automatically revokes your existing legacy V1 key, so any integration still using the V1 key will stop working until you update it. V1 keys are being deprecated and will be phased out after a migration window. What if I don't see a Delete, Revoke, or Generate option in my account? Self-service key management and rotation are part of the API Key V2 rollout and may not yet be enabled on every account. If you cannot find the controls to revoke or regenerate your key, contact support and ask us to reset it for you. Please do not include the exposed key in your message—just let us know a reset is needed. 💬 Still Need Help? If you cannot locate the API Keys section, suspect ongoing unauthorized activity, or need help confirming that a key has been fully revoked, contact our support team. Please do not include the exposed key in your message—just let us know that a reset is needed.

🔑 Understanding OAuth Credential Health Status in Search Atlas

The OAuth Credential Health Status panel in Search Atlas shows whether each connected provider (Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter) is active, invalid, or expired so you can fix broken connections before they interrupt your data. 📋 What OAuth Credential Health Status Shows The OAuth Credential Health Status panel lives in your Search Atlas dashboard and reports the live connection state for each OAuth provider you've linked to your workspace. Each connected provider shows one of three statuses: - Active — The credential is valid and Search Atlas can pull data from the provider. - Invalid — The credential exists but the provider rejected it (for example, permissions were revoked or the account was disconnected on the provider's side). - Expired — The credential's token is no longer accepted because its lifetime has elapsed and it needs to be refreshed. Supported OAuth providers in Search Atlas: - Google (Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Business Profile) - Facebook - LinkedIn - TikTok - Twitter A clear status label appears next to each provider so you know exactly which connections need attention. 🟢 What an Active Status Means An Active status confirms that Search Atlas is successfully authenticated with the provider and can continue pulling reports, metrics, and audience data. No action is needed when a provider shows Active. Your dashboards, rank tracking, and reports will update on their normal schedule. ⚠️ What an Invalid Status Means and How to Fix It An Invalid status means the provider rejected your stored credential. Common causes include: - You revoked Search Atlas access from the provider's security settings. - The connected account's password was changed or the account was deleted. - Required permissions or scopes were removed. - Two-factor authentication was added and the original consent is no longer valid. Reconnect an Invalid provider 1. Go to Settings → Integrations in your Search Atlas dashboard. 2. Locate the provider showing the Invalid status. 3. Click Reconnect. 4. Sign in to the provider and approve all requested permissions. 5. Return to Search Atlas — the status will update to Active once the new credential is accepted. Your data sync will resume on the next scheduled refresh. ⏰ What an Expired Status Means and How to Fix It An Expired status means the OAuth token issued by the provider has reached the end of its lifetime and can no longer be refreshed automatically. This is normal — providers expire tokens on a fixed schedule for security. Refresh an Expired provider 1. Open Settings → Integrations in your Search Atlas dashboard. 2. Find the provider marked Expired. 3. Click Reconnect to re-authenticate. 4. Sign in to the provider and grant the requested permissions. 5. Confirm the status changes to Active. Once reconnected, Search Atlas will resume collecting data from that provider. 🛠️ Troubleshooting Reconnection Issues If a provider still shows Invalid or Expired after you reconnect, try these steps: - Use the correct account — Sign in with the same provider account that owns the data you want to sync. - Approve all permissions — If the provider's consent screen lists optional scopes, accept all requested permissions so Search Atlas can read the data it needs. - Clear browser sessions — Sign out of the provider in your browser, then start the reconnection again to avoid using a stale session. - Check provider-side access — Confirm Search Atlas still appears in your provider's connected apps list and hasn't been removed by an admin. If the status remains incorrect after reconnecting, contact Search Atlas support with the provider name and the time you attempted to reconnect. 🎯 You now know how to read OAuth Credential Health Status in Search Atlas and how to bring any Invalid or Expired provider back to Active. Visit Settings → Integrations whenever a status changes to keep your data flowing without interruption.

🔒 How Search Atlas Coworker Handles Your Data & Permissions

This article explains what data Search Atlas Coworker can access, how your credentials are stored, and what controls are available for your team. What Data Search Atlas Coworker Can See Search Atlas Coworker only accesses data from services you have explicitly connected: - Search Atlas — your account's SEO data, projects, keywords, reports, and connected GSC properties - Connected third-party apps — only the data within the permissions you granted during the OAuth flow Search Atlas Coworker does not have access to Slack message history, other team members' DMs, or any service you have not authorized. How Credentials Are Stored OAuth tokens for connected apps are stored securely and are never visible in Slack conversations. Search Atlas Coworker will never display your credentials, API keys, or tokens in chat. If you need to rotate credentials, disconnect and reconnect the app. Conversation Data Messages you send to Search Atlas Coworker are used to fulfill your request and may be retained temporarily to maintain context within an active conversation. Search Atlas Coworker does not use your conversations to train AI models. User Controls vs. Admin Controls - Individual users — can connect and disconnect their own accounts and apps, create and manage their own routines, and control which data Search Atlas Coworker accesses on their behalf - Workspace admins — can configure which channels Search Atlas Coworker can post in, pre-authorize certain connector actions for all users, and revoke access at the workspace level See Managing Search Atlas Coworker Permissions (for Workspace Admins) for the full admin configuration guide. Revoking Access To fully disconnect Search Atlas Coworker from your Search Atlas account, ask it: "Disconnect my Search Atlas account" or revoke access in your Search Atlas Avatar Menu (👤) (avatar) under Settings → Integrations. Revoking access stops all data access immediately, including active routines.

👥 User Seats vs Client Project Access Explained

🔍 Overview As a Search Atlas agency user, you may notice a difference between user seats and client project access. These are two separate concepts, and understanding how they work together will help you manage dozens of client sites without needing to purchase a seat for every client. 👤 What Is a User Seat? A user seat is a login credential that allows a person to sign into your Search Atlas account. User seats are designed for the internal members of your team — for example, your SEO managers, account managers, or strategists who actively work inside the platform day-to-day. - Each team member who needs to log in and use the platform requires one user seat. - The number of available user seats depends on your subscription plan. - User seats are not required for your clients to view their own project data. 📁 What Is Client Project Access? Client project access lets you share a specific project's data with a client without giving them a full platform login. This means your clients can view their own SEO stats, reports, and progress without consuming one of your user seats. - You can grant client-facing access to as many projects as your plan allows. - Each client only sees the data belonging to their own project — they cannot access other clients' data or your agency-wide settings. - Client access is read-only and scoped to their project, keeping your account secure. 🚀 How to Manage 24 Client Sites with Only 5 User Seats If your plan includes 5 user seats, those seats cover your internal team. Your clients do not each need a seat. Here is how to set things up efficiently: 1. Add your internal team members (up to 5) via the Avatar Menu (👤) (avatar) → Settings → Team Members page in your account. 2. Create a separate project for each of your 24 client sites inside Search Atlas. 3. For each project, use the client sharing or report sharing feature to generate a shareable link or grant client-level access to that specific project. 4. Send each client their unique access link or login so they can view only their own project's stats and reports. This approach means your 5 internal team members can manage all 24 client projects, while each client gets a tailored view of their own data — no extra seats needed. 📊 Sharing Reports with Clients Search Atlas also lets you share polished, branded reports directly with clients. To access this feature, navigate to the Left sidebar → Reports (URL: /report-builder/projects-list). From here you can: - Build a custom report for a specific client project. - Generate a shareable link that the client can open without a platform login. - Schedule automated report delivery so clients receive updates on a regular cadence. Shared reports are a great way to demonstrate value to clients while keeping your internal account secure and organised. 💡 Quick Reference: Seats vs Access - User Seats: For your internal agency team members who log in and work inside the platform. - Client Project Access: For your clients to view their own project data — does not use a seat. - Shareable Report Links: For sending read-only, branded reports to clients with no login required. 🛠️ Frequently Asked Questions Do my clients need their own Search Atlas account? No. Clients can view their project data through a shared link or client-level access that you generate from within your agency account. Can a client accidentally see another client's data? No. Client-level access is scoped strictly to the project you share with them. No cross-client data is visible. What happens if I exceed my project limit? Project limits are separate from user seat limits and depend on your plan. If you need to add more projects, consider upgrading your subscription. Can I revoke client access at any time? Yes. You can remove or update client access for any project at any time from within your account settings or the project's sharing options. 💬 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.

🔄 Separate Accounts and Migrate Your OTTO Project

🔍 Overview If your email is linked to someone else's Search Atlas account and you need your own independent account — along with an OTTO project transferred to it — this article walks you through what to expect and how to get it done quickly. Because account separation and OTTO project migrations involve backend changes by our team, this process cannot be completed entirely through the platform UI. However, understanding the steps will help you move through it efficiently. ⚙️ Step 1: Request Removal from the Shared Account You cannot remove yourself from another user's account on your own — this requires action from our support team. To get started: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 2. Type human teammate to connect with a member of our team. 3. Let the agent know that your email address is currently associated with another user's account and that you need to be removed from it. 4. Provide your email address and, if possible, the account owner's email or domain so the team can locate the correct account. Our team will process the removal from the shared account on your behalf. You do not need to take any action inside the platform for this step. 🆕 Step 2: Create Your Own Search Atlas Account Once your email has been removed from the shared account, our support team will enable account creation for your email address. After that: 1. Go to the Search Atlas sign-up page. 2. Register using your email address. 3. If you do not receive a confirmation or encounter any issues during sign-up, return to the chat and let the agent know — they can confirm that your email has been cleared and is ready for registration. Do not attempt to create a new account before the removal from the previous account has been confirmed, as this may cause a conflict. 🚀 Step 3: Request Your OTTO Project Migration After your new account is active, our team can migrate your existing OTTO project — including all associated data — from the old account to your new one. This is a backend operation handled by our specialists. 1. Open the chat widget and type human teammate. 2. Tell the agent you need an OTTO project migrated to your new account. 3. Provide the following details: - The domain of the OTTO project you want transferred (for example, yoursite.com) - The email address of the old account the project currently lives under - The email address of your new account where it should be moved 4. Our team will log a formal migration request and process the transfer. Important: Do not make changes to the OTTO project in the old account while the migration is in progress. Wait for confirmation from the support team before taking any action on the project in either account. ✅ Step 4: Confirm the Migration Was Successful Once our team confirms the migration is complete, log in to your new account and navigate to Left sidebar → OTTO SEO → Overview to verify that your OTTO project appears and is active. If the project does not appear or you notice any issues with the domain after migration, let the support team know right away so they can investigate. 💡 Tips to Avoid Issues - Complete the steps in order — account removal first, then new account creation, then project migration. - Use a single email address throughout the process to avoid confusion. - Keep a note of both the old account's email and the domain of the OTTO project before reaching out to support. - Do not create a duplicate OTTO project for the same domain in your new account before the migration is confirmed — this can cause conflicts. 🛠️ 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.

🔒 How Golden Loops Keep Your Account Safe: The Approval Model

🔒 Every Loop Is Routed by an Authority Level Before It Can Act Golden Loops don't make changes to your account without your say. Every loop runs under one of three oversight levels: - Read-only / proposer (most loops): fetches data, analyzes it, and writes a report. It cannot make changes to your account, CRM, website, or listings. - Human-gated write (every action loop): prepares a plan and stops there. A human confirms before anything executes, and a readback afterward verifies the change actually landed as intended. - Bounded autonomy (narrow cases only): a small set of pre-agreed, low-risk actions with explicit thresholds you've defined in advance — this level is never assumed, only used when it's been written down ahead of time. No recommendation is sent automatically until your approval channel is configured. 🚀 The Activation Process Turning on Golden Loops for your account happens in one live session, in five steps: 1. Scope the projects. Confirm exactly which sites, brands, or business units are in scope. 2. Choose the surfaces. Pick which of the 10 Golden Loop surfaces to turn on. Each one is checked for connector readiness first — already connected, needs a login, or needs setup — before it's added. 3. Define the outcomes. You tell your team what "working" looks like for you — pipeline growth, AI-search visibility, approval speed, or whatever matters most. 4. Connect Slack. This is the approval-and-audit layer — every human-gated recommendation lands here for you to approve or decline, and the decision is logged. 5. Leave with a written record. Every project, surface, connector status, outcome, and note gets documented on both sides. ❓ Common Questions Can I pick which surfaces I want, or is it all-or-nothing? You choose. The activation process walks through scoping your projects, then choosing which of the 10 surfaces to turn on — never all-or-nothing. What if I don't have a connector (like HubSpot, GBP, or Slack) connected yet? Each surface is checked for connector readiness first. You can still select it — your team will follow up on getting that connector set up before that specific loop goes live. Will this make changes without me knowing? No. Every loop is routed through the authority levels above — most are read-only, every action loop is human-gated and stops for your approval, and nothing ships until your approval channel is configured. 🧭 Related Reading For what a Golden Loop is and the cycle it runs, see our overview article. For the full list of surfaces and what each one delivers, see our article on Golden Loop surfaces. 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.

🪪 Tax ID Field: Purpose and Usage Explained

🔍 Overview The Tax ID field in Search Atlas is used to capture your business's tax identification number for billing and compliance purposes. Providing this information ensures your invoices are accurate and meet the legal requirements of your region or country. 📋 What Is the Tax ID Field? A Tax ID (also called a VAT number, EIN, ABN, or similar depending on your country) is a unique identifier issued by a government authority to individuals or businesses for tax purposes. In Search Atlas, this field allows you to attach your official tax number to your account so it appears correctly on all billing documents and invoices generated by the platform. Common examples include: - VAT Number — used in the European Union, United Kingdom, and other regions - EIN (Employer Identification Number) — used by businesses in the United States - ABN (Australian Business Number) — used in Australia - GST/HST Number — used in Canada 📍 Where to Find the Tax ID Field The Tax ID field is located in your account's billing settings. To access it: 1. Click your account avatar or Avatar Menu (👤) in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Select Billing (or Settings) from the dropdown menu. 3. Navigate to the Invoices tab. 4. Locate the Tax ID field and enter your number. 5. Click Save to apply the changes. Once saved, your Tax ID will automatically appear on all future invoices issued by Search Atlas. ✅ When Should You Fill In the Tax ID Field? You should populate the Tax ID field if any of the following apply to your situation: - Your business is VAT-registered and you need VAT-compliant invoices for accounting or tax reclaim purposes. - Your company's finance or accounting team requires a tax number on all vendor invoices. - You are operating as a registered business entity (rather than an individual) and local regulations require your tax number on commercial documents. - You want to ensure invoices reflect your business details accurately for audit or reporting purposes. If you are an individual user or freelancer without a formal tax registration, you may leave this field blank — it is not mandatory for all account types. 💳 Billing and Compliance Implications Filling in your Tax ID has the following effects on your account: - Invoice accuracy: Your Tax ID is printed on every invoice, making it easier for your finance team to process payments and reconcile accounts. - VAT handling: In regions where reverse-charge VAT applies (such as within the EU for B2B transactions), providing a valid VAT number may affect how tax is calculated on your subscription. - Compliance: Many businesses are legally required to include their tax number on invoices received from vendors. Adding yours ensures Search Atlas invoices meet those requirements. - No impact on features: Adding or omitting a Tax ID does not affect your access to any Search Atlas tools or features — it is purely a billing detail. ✏️ Editing or Updating Your Tax ID You can update your Tax ID at any time by returning to the Billing Information section of your account settings and entering the new number. Changes take effect on your next invoice. Previously issued invoices will not be retroactively updated, so ensure your Tax ID is correct before your next billing cycle. 💬 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.

[UI Map] Settings

Settings Navigation path: Settings URL pattern: /settings Allows users to manage their account preferences including profile details, email settings, team members, integrations, CMS connectors, and API keys. Primary actions: - Save Changes - Update Password - Copy link Key UI elements: - Profile settings form - Password update form - Left sidebar navigation with settings sections - Avatar Menu (👤) with App Ecosystem, My Orders, Billing, Order Builder, and Logout options - Copy link button for referral or sharing - Save My Seat button (likely for a webinar or event) Settings tabs: - Profile - Email Settings - Team Members - Integrations - CMS Connectors - API Keys Sub-pages - Profile — Navigation path: Top-right avatar (Avatar Menu (👤)) > Settings > Profile View and update personal profile information and account password. - Email Settings — Navigation path: Settings > Email Settings Configure email notification preferences and communication settings. - Team Members — Navigation path: Settings > Team Members Manage team members, invite collaborators, and control user access. - Integrations — Navigation path: Settings > Integrations Connect and manage third-party integrations with the platform. - CMS Connectors — Navigation path: Settings > CMS Connectors Set up and manage content management system connectors for publishing. - API Keys — Navigation path: Settings > API Keys Generate, view, and manage API keys for programmatic access to Search Atlas. Auto-generated by SA UI Mapper. Last updated: 2026-06-22.

🏢 Setting Up Subaccounts and Client Access via Agency Hub

What This Article Covers Agency Hub lets you create individual subaccounts for each client, assign them to specific projects, and control exactly what they can see and do inside Search Atlas. This article walks you through how to complete that setup. Plan Eligibility Agency Hub subaccount features are available on plans that include Agency Hub access. If you do not see Agency Hub in your dashboard, your current plan may not include it. To explore upgrade options, navigate to your account billing or plan settings. How to Set Up Subaccounts and Client Access Follow these steps to create and configure a client subaccount inside Agency Hub: 1. Open Agency Hub: From your Search Atlas dashboard, click the apps-grid icon in the header, then select More Features → Agency Hub. 2. Create a new subaccount: Inside Agency Hub, look for the option to add or create a new client subaccount. Enter the client's name and any required details to create the subaccount. 3. Assign projects to the subaccount: Once the subaccount is created, select it and use the project assignment option to choose which projects or websites that client should have access to. Clients will only see the projects assigned to them. 4. Configure access settings: Review the access or permissions settings within the subaccount to adjust what the client can view or do. Save your changes when complete. 5. Invite the client: Use the invite option within the subaccount to send the client their login credentials or an invitation link so they can access their dedicated subaccount. If You Run Into Issues If Agency Hub is not visible in your dashboard, confirm that your plan includes Agency Hub access and check your billing or plan settings for upgrade options. If you encounter an unexpected error or a specific step does not behave as expected, please have the following ready when contacting support: - Your account email and plan type. - The name of the client or project you are trying to set up. - A description of the specific step where you are stuck (for example: creating the subaccount, assigning a project, or adjusting access settings). - Any error messages or unexpected behavior you have encountered, including approximate timestamps. 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.

📧 Email Address Management and Google Ads Integration

🔍 Overview Your primary email address in Search Atlas is locked to the account you created at sign-up. This is a security measure that protects your account from unauthorized changes. However, if you use a different Google account for your Google Business Profile or Google Ads, Search Atlas provides a straightforward way to connect those accounts through the Integrations workflow — no need to change your primary email. ❓ Why Can't I Change My Primary Email Address? Search Atlas ties your primary email address to your account identity at the time of registration. This lock exists for two key reasons: - Account security: Preventing email changes stops bad actors from hijacking accounts by swapping the login credential. - Billing and subscription integrity: Your primary email is linked to your subscription record. Changing it could disrupt invoices, renewal notices, and payment verification. Because of these constraints, the primary email field is not editable from within the platform settings. If your organization has rebranded or you are using a different email for day-to-day work, the solution is to connect additional Google accounts rather than replace the primary address. ✅ How to Add an Alternate Google Account via Integrations If your Google Business Profile or Google Ads account is managed under a different email address, you can link that Google account to Search Atlas through the Integrations section. Follow these steps: 1. Log in to Search Atlas using your primary account credentials. 2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner (Avatar Menu (👤)) to open the Avatar Menu (👤). 3. Navigate to Site Metrics → GSC Performance (Your connected GSC Accounts). 4. Locate the Connect GSC Account and Connect GA Account buttons and click the appropriate one. 5. A Google OAuth window will open. Sign in with the Google account that is associated with your Google Business Profile or Google Ads — this can be a completely different email from your Search Atlas login. 6. Grant the requested permissions and click Allow. 7. Once connected, the alternate Google account will appear as an active integration in your Integrations list. You can repeat this process to connect more than one Google account if your Google Ads and Google Business Profile are managed under separate emails. 📢 How This Affects the Google Ads Feature The Google Ads features inside Search Atlas pull data directly from the Google account connected through your Integrations, not from your Search Atlas primary email. This means: - If your Google Ads account is managed under a different email than your Search Atlas login, you must connect that Google account via Integrations for the Google Ads features to work correctly. - Updating your Google Business Profile to use a new or different email address will not break the Google Ads integration as long as the Google account you connected through Integrations still has manager or owner access to the relevant Google Ads account. - If you transfer ownership of your Google Ads account to a new Google email, you will need to disconnect the old Google integration and reconnect using the new account owner's credentials. In short: Search Atlas reads Google Ads data through the OAuth token of the connected Google account. Keep that connected account active and correctly permissioned, and the feature will work regardless of what email appears on your Google Business Profile. 🔄 Managing and Reconnecting Google Integrations If your Google Ads data stops syncing or you see an authentication error, your OAuth token may have expired or been revoked. To fix this: 1. Go to Site Metrics → GSC Performance (Your connected GSC Accounts). 2. Find the affected Google account and click Disconnect. 3. Click Connect GSC Account or Connect GA Account and complete the Google sign-in flow again with the correct account. 4. Allow up to 24 hours for data to refresh after reconnecting. ⚠️ Key Limitations to Keep in Mind - Your Search Atlas primary email cannot be changed under any circumstance from within the platform. - Connecting a Google account does not merge it with your Search Atlas login — it only grants Search Atlas read access to that Google account's data. - Removing a connected Google account will immediately pause any Google Ads data syncing tied to that account. - Only users with Admin or Owner roles in Search Atlas can add or remove integrations. 💬 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.

📧 Change Your Main Account Email Address

📋 Overview Your main account email address is used for billing, login, and all platform communications. Because this change must be applied across multiple systems simultaneously, it cannot be completed self-serve — you must contact the Search Atlas support team to make the update on your behalf. 🛠️ How to Request an Email Address Change 1. Prepare your request. Have both your current account email address and the new email address you want to use ready before contacting support. 2. Verify your identity. The support team will ask you to confirm details tied to your account before making any changes. This is a required security step. 3. Wait for confirmation. Once your identity is verified, the team will update your email address across billing, your account profile, and contact records. You will receive confirmation when the change is complete. 🔑 What to Do If You Cannot Log In After the Change After your email is updated, your saved password may no longer work with the new email address. If you experience a login mismatch, follow these steps: 1. Go to the Search Atlas login page. 2. Select the option to reset your password. 3. Check the inbox of your new email address for the password reset link. 4. Follow the link to set a new password and complete your login. This resolves the mismatch and restores full access to your account. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Can I change my email address myself in the platform settings? No. Main account email changes must be processed by the support team to ensure your billing, login, and contact records all stay in sync. - Will my subscription or billing history be affected? No. Your subscription and billing history remain intact after the email update. - How long does the change take? In most cases, the update is completed during the same support conversation once your identity is confirmed. 💬 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. Additional Notes Self-service path: add new email as a Team Member (avatar > Team Members), accept invite, confirm access, then remove old email. Requires at least one open seat. Complete the invite acceptance BEFORE removing the old email to avoid losing access.

🔑 Grant Shopify Backend Access Without Sharing Passwords

🎯 What This Article Covers If you manage SEO for clients on Shopify, you may need backend access to install the OTTO SEO script without asking your client to share their username and password. This article explains the correct way to delegate Shopify admin access and complete the OTTO installation — no credentials sharing required. 🔐 How Shopify Access Delegation Works Shopify provides a built-in feature called Collaborator Access (for Shopify Partners) and Staff Account Invitations (for direct team members). Both methods let a store owner grant backend access to a third party without ever sharing their login credentials. - Collaborator Access (Shopify Partners): Best for agencies and freelancers. The store owner approves access through a request link — no password is exchanged. - Staff Account Invitation: Best for direct team members. The store owner sends an email invite with specific permission scopes. There is no white-label link that Search Atlas or OTTO generates on your behalf. Shopify controls this access delegation entirely within their own platform. 🛠️ Option 1 — Request Collaborator Access via Shopify Partners Use this method if you or your agency has a Shopify Partner account. 1. Log in to your Shopify Partners dashboard at partners.shopify.com. 2. Go to Stores and click Add store. 3. Select Request access to an existing store. 4. Enter your client's store URL and choose the permissions you need (Themes and Online Store access is required for OTTO script installation). 5. Submit the request. Your client will receive a notification in their Shopify admin and can approve it with one click — no password sharing needed. 6. Once approved, you will see the store listed in your Partners dashboard and can access the Shopify admin directly. 👥 Option 2 — Staff Account Invitation Use this method if you do not have a Shopify Partner account. 1. Ask your client to log in to their Shopify admin. 2. Go to Settings → Users and permissions → Add staff. 3. Enter your email address and select the required permissions. At minimum, enable Online Store access so you can install the OTTO script. 4. Click Send invite. You will receive an email to accept the invitation and set your own password. 5. Once accepted, you can log in independently without ever needing the store owner's credentials. 🚀 Installing the OTTO SEO Script on Shopify Once you have backend access to the Shopify store, follow these steps to install the OTTO script. 1. In Search Atlas, go to OTTO SEO using the left sidebar. 2. Select the site you want to activate OTTO on, or create a new one. 3. Follow the on-screen installation guide for Shopify. You will be given a unique OTTO script snippet tied to your site. 4. In the Shopify admin, navigate to Online Store → Themes → Edit code. 5. Open the theme.liquid file and paste the OTTO script snippet just before the closing </head> tag. 6. Save the file. OTTO will verify the installation automatically within a few minutes. You can also find your installation snippet at any time by going to the top-right Avatar Menu (👤) → Settings → CMS Connectors inside Search Atlas. ✅ Permissions Checklist Before You Start - Collaborator or staff access approved by the store owner - Online Store permission enabled (required to edit theme code) - OTTO site created and active in Search Atlas - OTTO script snippet copied from the Search Atlas installation guide ⚠️ Common Issues to Avoid - Do not ask clients to share their Shopify username and password — use delegation methods above instead. - If your client is on a Shopify Basic plan, staff account slots may be limited. Ask your client to check their plan limits before sending an invite. - Make sure you paste the OTTO script in theme.liquid and not in a section or page template — otherwise it will not load site-wide. - If the store uses a headless or custom Shopify setup, the script placement may differ. Contact support for guidance specific to your setup. 💬 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.

🔐 Access Control: Team Members vs. Account Owners

🧭 Overview Search Atlas uses a role-based access system to protect sensitive account data. Not all users have the same level of access — and certain information, such as billing details, is restricted to authorized users. Understanding these boundaries helps you manage your workspace securely and share the right level of access with the right people. 👤 Account Owner vs. Team Member: Key Differences Every Search Atlas account has one account owner — the person who created the account and holds full administrative rights. Team members are additional users invited into the workspace, but their access is intentionally limited to protect sensitive data. - Account Owner: Full access to billing information, subscription management, account settings, payment methods, and invoices. - Team Members: Access to platform features such as tools, reports, and projects as configured by the account owner. Team members cannot view, request, or modify billing or subscription data. This distinction exists to protect the security and financial integrity of every account. Support agents — both human and AI — will not share billing or account ownership information with users who cannot be verified as the account owner. 🔒 Information Restricted to Account Owners Only The following data will only be discussed with or shared with a verified account owner: - Billing details, invoices, and payment history - Subscription plan changes, upgrades, or cancellations - Payment method information - Account ownership transfers - Security settings and two-factor authentication configuration If a team member contacts support requesting any of the above, they will be directed to have the account owner reach out directly. ✅ How Account Ownership Is Verified Before any billing or sensitive account information is shared, our support team verifies account ownership. Verification typically requires the user to be logged in as the account owner and may include confirming account-specific details. This process is in place to prevent unauthorised access and protect all customers on the platform. Important: If you believe a support interaction shared sensitive information without proper verification, please report it immediately so our team can investigate. 🏷️ The Correct Way to Give Clients Limited Access: White Label If you are an agency or consultant and need to share Search Atlas access with a client or a team member in a controlled way, the White Label feature is the correct and secure method. White Label allows you to create a branded, restricted experience for clients without exposing your account settings, billing information, or other sensitive data. 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.

👥 Understanding Search Atlas User Roles and Permissions

🔑 Overview of User Roles in Search Atlas Search Atlas has two user roles for team members: Admin and Member. There is no Editor role in Search Atlas. This applies to all plans, including Pro. If you have seen a reference to an Editor role anywhere, that information is incorrect. When you invite a team member, you will see only two options in the role dropdown: Admin and Member. This is expected behaviour and is not a bug or a plan limitation. 🛠️ What Each Role Can Do Admin - Full access to all features and tools across the platform - Can invite, manage, and remove team members - Can change team member roles - Can manage billing and subscription settings - Can create, edit, and delete all projects and content Member - Access to platform tools and features based on the workspace they are added to - Cannot manage team members or change roles - Cannot access billing or subscription settings - Can create and edit content within their permitted workspace 🌐 Can I Limit a Team Member to Specific Sites or Projects? No. Team member access applies to your whole account. There is no option to restrict a team member to specific projects, sites or domains. The only choice you make is the role: Admin or Member. 🚫 There Is No Editor Role To be completely clear: Search Atlas does not have an Editor role. The only roles available are Admin and Member, regardless of which plan you are on. This includes the Free, Starter, Pro, and any other current plan tier. You will never see a third role option in the team member dropdown because it does not exist in the product. If you were told by a support interaction or another source that an Editor role exists or should be unlocked on the Pro plan, that information was incorrect. No update or plan upgrade will add an Editor role to your account. 📨 How to Invite a Team Member 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your account avatar or workspace name in the top-right corner of the platform. 3. Select Team Members or Manage Team from the dropdown menu. 4. Click Add member. 5. Enter the team member's email address. 6. Select either Admin or Member from the role dropdown — these are the only two available options. 7. Click Send Invite. Your team member will receive an email to join your workspace. 🔄 How to Change a Team Member's Role 1. Navigate to your Team Members settings page. 2. Find the team member whose role you want to update. 3. Click the role label or the edit icon next to their name. 4. Select the new role — Admin or Member. 5. Confirm the change. The update takes effect immediately. Note: Only Admins can change team member roles. If you do not see the option to edit a role, check that your own account has the Admin role. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Why can I only see Admin and Member in the dropdown? Because those are the only two roles Search Atlas offers. There is no additional role hidden behind a plan upgrade or a feature flag. Will Search Atlas add more roles in the future? Role and permissions features are on the product roadmap and may evolve over time. Any new roles will be announced in the product changelog and release notes. As of the last update to this article, only Admin and Member exist. Can I customise what a Member can see or access? Granular custom permissions are not currently available. Role capabilities are fixed as described above. If you need a team member to have restricted access, assign them the Member role. Access can't be limited to specific projects, sites or domains: every team member works across the whole account. I was told an Editor role exists on the Pro plan. Is that true? No. There is no Editor role in Search Atlas on any plan. If you received that information from a support interaction, we apologise for the confusion. This article reflects the accurate and verified state of the product. 💬 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.

🗑️ How to Request Complete Account Deletion

🔍 What This Article Covers This article explains how to request a full account deletion from Search Atlas. This is different from simply cancelling your subscription — a full deletion means your profile and all associated personal data are permanently removed from our systems. ⚠️ Before You Request Deletion Please be aware of the following before submitting your request: - Permanent action: Account deletion cannot be undone. Once your data is removed, it cannot be recovered. - Subscription cancellation: Deleting your account is separate from cancelling a subscription. If you have an active subscription, you may also want to cancel it to avoid future charges. You can manage your subscription under the top-right corner (avatar) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab. - Data removal: All profile information, project data, and usage history associated with your account will be permanently erased. 📋 How to Submit a Deletion Request Account deletion cannot be completed through a self-serve option in the platform at this time. To have your account and all personal information permanently deleted, you must contact our support team directly. Here is how: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 2. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. 3. Clearly state that you are requesting a complete account and profile deletion, not just a subscription cancellation. 4. A support agent will escalate your request to the specialized team responsible for account deletion. ⏱️ What to Expect After You Submit Once your request has been received and escalated: - Our specialized team will process the deletion of your account and all associated personal data. - You will receive a confirmation once your information has been fully removed from our systems. - Processing time may vary, but our team will keep you informed of the status through the chat. 💡 Frequently Asked Questions Can I delete my account myself from the platform settings? Full account and data deletion currently requires manual processing by our specialized team. Please use the chat widget to submit your request. Will my data be completely removed? Yes. Upon confirmation, all profile information and personal data associated with your account will be permanently deleted from Search Atlas systems. What if I only want to cancel my subscription and not delete my account? Subscription management is handled separately. You can cancel or change your plan by navigating to the top-right corner (avatar) → Billing → Plans & Top-ups tab and managing your subscription from there. 🆘 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.

🔒 Using Search Atlas With Agency-Managed Websites

🧭 Overview If your website is managed by a third-party marketing agency, you may be concerned about Search Atlas tools automatically making permanent changes without your approval. This article clarifies exactly which tools are diagnostic and read-only, which tools can execute changes, and how to safely review everything before your agency touches a single line of code. 📋 Understanding Tool Modes in Search Atlas Search Atlas tools fall into two categories: diagnostic (read-only) tools that only collect and display data, and execution tools that can apply changes to your site. Neither category makes changes automatically — execution tools always require a deliberate action from you first. - Diagnostic tools analyse your site and surface recommendations. They never modify your website. - Execution tools (such as OTTO SEO) can apply optimisations, but only after you review and explicitly approve them. No Search Atlas tool will silently push permanent changes to a live website. Every action that affects your site requires a manual trigger from an authenticated user inside the platform. 🔍 Diagnostic and Read-Only Tools The following tools are entirely read-only and safe to use on any website, including those managed by a third party. They surface data and recommendations but never write to your site. - Site Metrics — Access via Left sidebar → Site Explorer. Analyses your domain's SEO performance, backlinks, and traffic estimates. No changes are made to your site. - Keyword Magic — Access via Left sidebar → Keywords → Keyword Magic. Discovers keyword opportunities. Read-only. - Rank Tracker — Access via Left sidebar → Keywords → Rank Tracker. Monitors keyword ranking positions over time. Read-only. - Keyword Gap — Access via Left sidebar → Keywords → Keyword Gap. Compares your keyword coverage against competitors. Read-only. - Local tools — Access via Left sidebar → Local → GBP Projects. Sections including Overview, Media Library, My Tasks, Posts, Reviews, and Local Citations provide data and task management for your Google Business Profile. Changes to your GBP listing only occur when you explicitly publish or submit content within these sections. ⚙️ OTTO SEO: How Execution Works OTTO SEO is Search Atlas's AI-powered SEO automation tool. It is important to understand how OTTO applies changes before connecting it to any website managed by a third party. - OTTO generates a list of recommended SEO fixes based on a site audit. These appear as pending recommendations in your OTTO dashboard. - Recommendations are not applied automatically. You must review each one and choose to deploy it. - When you do deploy a recommendation, OTTO applies it through your connected CMS (for example, WordPress via a plugin). OTTO does not inject persistent JavaScript onto your site by itself — changes go through your CMS integration and are stored in your CMS database, just like a manual edit would be. - You can revert individual changes from the OTTO dashboard if you need to undo something after deployment. Important: Search Atlas does not use a JavaScript snippet to silently override your live site's content. Any claim that changes are applied via a temporary front-end JavaScript layer should be disregarded — changes made through OTTO are real CMS edits and should be treated as such. ✅ Recommended Workflow for Agency-Managed Sites Follow these steps to safely use Search Atlas alongside a third-party marketing agency. 1. Start with diagnostic tools only. Run a full site audit and review keyword and rank data using Site Metrics, Keyword Magic, Rank Tracker, and Keyword Gap. None of these require CMS access or affect your live site. 2. Review OTTO recommendations before connecting your CMS. You can connect your site to OTTO and let it generate recommendations without deploying anything. Review the full list of suggested fixes in the OTTO dashboard. 3. Export or share recommendations with your agency. Share the recommended fixes with your marketing agency for their review before any deployment. This keeps your agency informed and in control of their own workflow. 4. Agree on a deployment plan. Decide with your agency which recommendations they will implement manually and which, if any, you will deploy through OTTO. Avoid duplicate work. 5. Deploy in stages. If you choose to deploy through OTTO, apply changes in small batches so your agency can verify each update on the live site before the next batch is applied. 6. Use the revert option if needed. If any deployed change conflicts with your agency's work, revert it from the OTTO dashboard and notify your agency so they can implement the fix their preferred way. 💬 Key Points to Share With Your Agency - Search Atlas tools do not automatically modify a live website. - All execution actions require a logged-in user to manually approve and trigger them. - OTTO changes are applied through the CMS, not through an invisible front-end layer, so they are fully visible in your CMS edit history. - Your agency retains full control of the CMS and can review, edit, or revert any change OTTO has made directly in WordPress or whichever CMS you use. 🆘 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.

🔒 Add an SSL Certificate to Your Landing Page

🌐 Overview SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates encrypt the connection between your landing page and your visitors' browsers. When SSL is active, your page loads over https:// and displays a padlock icon in the browser — building trust and improving SEO signals. This article walks you through adding an SSL certificate to a landing page hosted through Search Atlas. ✅ Before You Begin Make sure you have the following ready before starting: - A custom domain that you own and can manage DNS records for. - Access to your domain registrar or DNS provider (for example, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Cloudflare). - Your landing page already created inside Search Atlas. - Admin-level access to your Search Atlas account. 🗺️ Step 1: Navigate to Agency Hub Settings SSL configuration for landing pages is managed through the Agency Hub section of the platform. 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. In the header, click the apps-grid icon. 3. Select More Features, then click Agency Hub. You will land on the /agency-settings page. 4. Locate the White Label Setup section at the top of the page. 🔗 Step 2: Connect Your Custom Domain Your SSL certificate is tied to your custom domain. If you have not already connected a domain to your landing page, complete this step first. 1. Inside White Label Setup, find the field labelled Custom Domain. 2. Enter the full domain or subdomain you want to use (for example, pages.yourdomain.com). 3. Save your changes. Once your domain is saved, Search Atlas will display the DNS records you need to add at your domain registrar. Copy these values carefully — you will need them in the next step. ⚙️ Step 3: Add DNS Records at Your Domain Registrar Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider and add the records provided by Search Atlas. Typically, you will need to add one or more of the following record types: - CNAME record — points your subdomain to the Search Atlas hosting address. - A record — points your root domain to the Search Atlas IP address (if applicable). After adding the records, save them in your DNS provider. DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate globally, though most updates complete within 1–2 hours. 🔒 Step 4: Enable SSL on Your Landing Page Once your DNS records have propagated and Search Atlas detects your connected domain, SSL provisioning begins automatically. 1. Return to Header apps-grid icon → More Features → Agency Hub (/agency-settings) in Search Atlas. 2. Under White Label Setup, check the status of your domain. When the domain is verified, you will see a confirmation indicator. 3. Search Atlas will automatically provision a free SSL certificate for your connected domain using a trusted certificate authority. 4. Once issued, your landing page will be accessible over https:// with a valid padlock in the browser. No manual certificate upload is required — the process is fully automated once your domain is verified. 🔍 Step 5: Verify Your SSL Certificate Is Active After provisioning is complete, confirm SSL is working correctly: - Open your landing page URL in a browser using https:// at the start of the address. - Check that the browser shows a padlock icon in the address bar. - Click the padlock to view certificate details and confirm the certificate is valid and issued for your domain. - If the browser shows a security warning, DNS propagation may still be in progress — wait an additional hour and try again. ⚠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues - SSL not provisioned after 24 hours: Double-check that your DNS records match exactly the values shown in Search Atlas. Extra spaces or incorrect record types are common causes of failure. - Browser still shows http://: Clear your browser cache and try again, or test in an incognito window. - Domain not verified: Use a free DNS lookup tool (such as dnschecker.org) to confirm your CNAME or A record is resolving correctly before contacting support. - Mixed content warnings: Ensure all images, scripts, and links on your landing page also use https:// URLs. 💬 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.

🎓 Recovering Access to VIP Course Memberships

🔍 Overview If you purchased a VIP course membership or premium learning package — such as the Top of Google Challenge VIP — and can no longer access it, this is typically caused by one of the following: - Your purchase email does not match your Search Atlas login email - Your course access was not linked to your account at the time of purchase - Your account was recreated or changed after the original purchase date - A billing or order confirmation issue prevented automatic provisioning In all of these cases, access cannot be restored through the self-service dashboard. A member of our team must verify your purchase and manually link your course credentials to your account. 📋 What You Will Need Before Contacting Support To speed up the recovery process, gather the following information before reaching out: - Proof of purchase: A payment confirmation email, receipt, or order number from your original transaction - Purchase date: The approximate month and year you completed the purchase (for example, May 2025) - Purchase email address: The email address used at checkout, even if it differs from your current login - Current account email: The email address you use to log in to Search Atlas today - Course or package name: For example, Top of Google Challenge VIP or the name of any all-access learning bundle 🛠️ How Our Team Restores Your Access Once you contact support, here is what happens behind the scenes: 1. Our team locates your original purchase record using your order details or payment confirmation. 2. We verify that the purchase is valid and matches a recognised VIP or premium package. 3. We link your course credentials to your active Search Atlas account. 4. We confirm that your membership tier and course content are fully accessible under your login. This process is handled entirely by our team — you do not need to repurchase, create a new account, or navigate any settings pages yourself. 👤 Confirming Your Account Email Before You Reach Out If you are unsure which email address is currently associated with your Search Atlas account, check your original sign-up confirmation email or any previous correspondence from Search Atlas. If this email does not match the one used to purchase your VIP membership, make a note of both — our team will need them to link your purchase correctly. 📦 Covered Memberships and Packages This recovery process applies to all premium course purchases made through Search Atlas, including: - Top of Google Challenge VIP - All-access learning bundles and premium course packages purchased through Search Atlas If you are unsure whether your purchase qualifies, our team can look it up on your behalf. 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.

🗑️ How to Delete or Remove a Website from Your Search Atlas Project

🔍 Overview If you need to remove a website from your Search Atlas account — whether you're reorganizing your projects, offboarding a client, or simply cleaning up unused properties — this article walks you through the exact steps to find the remove option and complete the process safely. 📋 Before You Remove a Website Keep the following in mind before deleting a website from your project: - Data is permanently deleted: Removing a website will delete all associated data, including tracked keywords, reports, and historical SEO data tied to that project. This action cannot be undone. - OTTO SEO will be deactivated: If OTTO SEO is active on the website, it will be automatically deactivated upon removal. - Billing may be affected: Removing a website may affect your subscription usage, depending on your current plan's project limits. - Team access is revoked: Any team members or clients with access to that specific project will lose access immediately upon deletion. 🗑️ How to Delete a Website from Your Search Atlas Project Follow these steps to remove a website from your Search Atlas account: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Navigate to the Home section by clicking Home in the left sidebar. 3. Locate the project containing the website you want to remove. You will see all your active projects listed on the Home dashboard. 4. Find the specific website or project card you wish to delete. 5. Look for the three-dot menu (⋮) or settings icon associated with the project card. 6. Click on it to expand the available actions for that project. 7. Select Delete Project or Remove Website from the dropdown options. 8. A confirmation dialog will appear asking you to confirm the deletion. Read the warning carefully before proceeding, as this action is irreversible. 9. Confirm the deletion by clicking the Delete or Confirm button in the dialog. Once confirmed, the website and all its associated data will be permanently removed from your Search Atlas account. ⚠️ Can't Find the Delete Option? If you are unable to locate the delete or remove option, consider the following: - Check your user permissions: Only account owners and administrators have the ability to delete projects. If you are a team member with limited access, you will not see the delete option. Contact your account administrator to request the removal. - You may be viewing a shared project: If the project was created by another user and shared with you, you cannot delete it from your account. The original project owner must perform the deletion. - Browser or cache issues: Try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache if the options are not loading correctly. 🔄 Alternatives to Deleting a Website If you are not ready to permanently delete a website but want to reduce clutter or manage your workspace, consider these alternatives: - Archive the project: Some plans support archiving projects, which hides them from your main dashboard without permanently deleting data. - Reassign the project: Transfer ownership of the project to another team member if you no longer need access but the project should remain active. - Update the website URL: If the website has moved to a new domain, you may be able to update the URL within the project settings instead of deleting and recreating the project. 💬 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.

🔑 How to Change a Team Member's Role to Admin

This article helps you change an existing team member's role from Viewer to Admin in Search Atlas. If you've tried editing a user's role and the option appeared greyed out, was missing, or the change didn't save, the steps below walk you through the exact location and process — plus how to confirm the change took effect. 📍 Where to Find It Team member role management is found by navigating to your Avatar Menu (👤) in the top-right corner of the platform (your avatar), then selecting Team Members. This opens the team management page at /settings?active_section=team, where you can view all current members and their assigned roles. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. Click your avatar or Avatar Menu (👤) in the top-right corner of the Search Atlas platform. 2. Select Team Members from the dropdown menu. You will be taken to the Team Members settings page. 3. Locate the team member whose role you want to change. Each user row displays their name, email, and current role. 4. Look for the role selector or action button next to that member's name. The available role actions listed for each member are: Viewer and Admin. 5. Click Admin to assign the admin role to that team member. If the option appears unclickable or is missing, see the note below. Important: Only existing admins can change another user's role. If you do not see the role options, confirm that your own account holds admin-level access. If you are an admin and the option is still unavailable — for example, the button is greyed out or produces no response — this may indicate a permissions issue that requires our support team to resolve directly. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked After clicking Admin, confirm the change was applied by checking the following: - The team member's role label in the Team Members list should now display Admin instead of Member. - Ask the team member to log out and log back in, then verify they can access admin-only areas such as billing or team management settings. - Refresh the Team Members page yourself and confirm the role still shows Admin — this rules out a display glitch where the UI updated temporarily but the change did not save. If the role reverts to Member after refreshing, or the team member still cannot access admin features after logging back in, the change did not persist and will need to be investigated by our support team. 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.

🗑️ How to Delete Your Account and Unsubscribe from Emails

📋 Overview If you no longer wish to use Search Atlas, you can request to have your account permanently deleted and your data removed from our system. You can also request to be unsubscribed from all marketing and notification emails. These actions are handled by our internal team upon request and cannot be completed through a self-serve button at this time. 📧 Unsubscribing from Emails If you are receiving emails from Search Atlas and want to stop all communications, follow these steps: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 2. Type human teammate to connect with a member of our support team. 3. Let the agent know you would like to be unsubscribed from all Search Atlas emails and confirm the email address you want removed. Our team will escalate your request to the appropriate internal team and confirm once your email address has been unsubscribed. Note: We are aware that some emails may not include a working unsubscribe link, and that some unsubscribe links have redirected to unintended pages. Our engineering team is actively working on improvements, including a dedicated unsubscribe page. In the meantime, contacting support directly is the fastest and most reliable way to be removed from all communications. 🗑️ Requesting Account Deletion and Data Removal If you want your account and all associated personal data permanently deleted from our system, our support team can process this on your behalf. Here is what to expect: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate. 2. Tell the agent you are requesting full account deletion and removal of all your data. 3. Confirm the email address linked to your account so the team can locate it quickly. 4. Our team will escalate your request to a specialized internal team. 5. Once your account and data have been removed, you will receive confirmation that your information is no longer in our system. Important: Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. Make sure you have saved or exported any data you need before submitting your request. ⚠️ Things to Know Before Requesting Deletion - You do not need an active paid subscription to request account deletion. Our team can process the request regardless of your billing status. - Deletion covers your account details and personal data stored in our system. - The process requires escalation to an internal team, but confirmations are typically sent promptly once the action is completed. - If you also want to unsubscribe from emails, mention this in the same support conversation to handle both requests at once. 💬 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.

⚡ Client Access & Permissions in Website Studio

Overview When a client is used to logging directly into WordPress, the idea of moving to Website Studio can feel like losing control. The good news: Website Studio supports white-label client accounts with a branded experience, permission controls, and a managed setup that many clients find easier than raw WordPress access. This article explains what is available so you can reassure your client and get them set up confidently. White-Label Client Accounts Website Studio includes white-label functionality that lets you create a branded experience for your client. Instead of seeing Search Atlas branding, your client can see your agency's identity. To explore how to configure this for your specific project, navigate to your project within Website Studio and look for the client access or sharing settings available there. Once access is granted, your client will receive an invitation to log in to their branded dashboard. From their perspective it can look like your agency's own platform rather than a third-party tool. Permission Settings for Client Accounts Website Studio allows you to control what your client can see and do inside the platform. Permission levels typically range from read-only or review access up to broader editing and publishing rights, depending on how much autonomy you want to give the client at each stage of a project. To review or adjust the permissions available for a client account, navigate to your project's settings within Website Studio and look for the client or access management options. If you are unsure which permission level is appropriate, or if the options available do not match your needs, reach out to our support team for guidance on what is currently supported. Transitioning Clients from Direct WordPress Access The most common concern is: "I won't have direct access to my own website." Here is a practical approach that keeps your client comfortable throughout the transition: 1. Keep WordPress accessible during the rebuild. Reassure your client that nothing is deleted until they have approved the new site. 2. Run a side-by-side review session. Share your screen or send a staging preview link so the client can compare both versions before going live. 3. Grant client access early. Invite the client into Website Studio before the full handoff so they can get comfortable with the interface while you are still available to guide them. 4. Walk through the editing experience together. Show the client how to make common updates such as changing text or swapping images so they feel confident managing the site independently. 5. Confirm the client is satisfied before deprecating WordPress. Only retire the old setup once the client has signed off on the new site and feels comfortable with their level of access. 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.

🗑️ How to Delete Your Search Atlas Account

📋 Overview If you no longer need your Search Atlas account, you can request permanent deletion. This action removes your account data and stops all communications from our platform. The process is handled by our specialized team and typically completes within 24–48 hours. 🚀 Request Account Deletion 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 2. Type human teammate to connect with a support agent. 3. Provide the email address associated with the account you want deleted. 4. Confirm you understand this action is irreversible and includes removal of all account data. ⏱️ What Happens Next After you submit the request, our specialized team processes it within 24–48 hours. You will receive an email confirmation once the deletion is complete. During this window, your account remains accessible but will be permanently removed upon completion. ⚠️ Important Notes - Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. - All project data, keywords, reports, and settings will be erased. - Any active subscriptions are canceled as part of the deletion. - Deletion scope includes explicit suppression of all future marketing and transactional emails from Search Atlas. - If you have billing-related items that prevent deletion, our team will notify you and resolve the issue. - You cannot remove your payment card independently while a paid plan is active. Search Atlas requires an active payment method on file for any active paid plan, and the platform will not allow card removal without a replacement. When requesting deletion, the team handles payment method removal and billing record cleanup on your behalf — you do not need to add a new card first. 📧 Still Receiving Emails After Closing Your Account? If you closed your account but continue to receive emails from Search Atlas, your account may not have been fully purged from all systems. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to submit a GDPR deletion request so the team can complete the purge process and ensure all future communications are suppressed. 💬 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.

📧 Email Changes and Google Ads Integration Explained

🔍 Overview Two common questions come up together: Can I change the email address on my Search Atlas account? and Will a different email on my Google Business Profile (GBP) break the Google Ads feature? This article answers both clearly so you know exactly what to expect. 📧 Changing Your Email Address in Search Atlas Your email address is your primary login credential and account identifier in Search Atlas. At this time, email addresses cannot be self-served changed directly from within your account settings. This restriction exists to protect account security and prevent unauthorised access. If you need to update the email address on your account, here is what to do: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 2. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. 3. Provide your current registered email and the new email address you want to use. 4. Our team will verify your identity and process the change securely on your behalf. Once the change is made, you will receive a confirmation and will need to log in using your new email address going forward. 🔗 How Google Ads Integration Works in Search Atlas The Google Ads integration in Search Atlas connects to your Google Ads account directly — it does not rely on the email address stored in your Google Business Profile. The connection is established through OAuth authorisation, which means you grant Search Atlas permission to access your Google Ads data by signing in with the Google account that manages your Ads campaigns. Key points to understand about this integration: - The authorised Google account and the email on your GBP are independent of each other. Changing one does not affect the other. - The integration reads your Google Ads performance data to surface insights inside Search Atlas. - If your Google Ads account is managed by a specific Google login, that is the account you must use when authorising the integration — regardless of what email appears on your GBP. 📍 Does Updating My Google Business Profile Email Break Anything? No. Updating the email address shown in your Google Business Profile will not affect the Google Ads integration or any other Search Atlas feature. Your GBP email is a public-facing contact detail for your business listing and is separate from the authentication credentials used to connect Google Ads to Search Atlas. Your Local features inside Search Atlas — accessible via Left sidebar → Local → GBP Projects — connect to your GBP through your Google account authorisation, not through the contact email displayed on the profile itself. You can safely update your GBP contact email without disrupting your Search Atlas data or integrations. ⚠️ When You Might Need to Reauthorise Google Ads There are specific situations where your Google Ads connection may need to be refreshed or reauthorised: - You change the Google account that manages your Ads campaigns. - You revoke Search Atlas access from your Google account permissions. - Your Google account password is changed or a security event triggers a session reset. - The OAuth token expires due to an extended period of inactivity. If your Google Ads data stops updating or you see a connection error inside Search Atlas, reauthorising the integration through your account settings will typically resolve the issue. ✅ Quick Reference Summary - Changing your Search Atlas email: Not self-serve — contact support via the chat widget. - Changing your GBP contact email: Safe to do; does not affect Google Ads integration. - Google Ads integration: Based on OAuth with your Google Ads account, not your GBP email. - Integration breaks: Only if the authorised Google Ads account changes or access is revoked. 💬 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.

🗑️ Delete Your Account and Stop Notification Emails

🔍 Overview If your account is locked behind a Choose Plan prompt, you cannot reach Settings to manage notifications or close your account on your own. In this situation, our support team can delete your account and stop all associated emails on your behalf. This article explains what to expect and how to make the request. ⚠️ Why You Cannot Access Settings When a subscription has lapsed or a plan has not been selected, the platform redirects you to a plan selection page before allowing access to any other section, including account settings. This means you cannot independently: - Unsubscribe from saved keyword list update emails - Navigate to billing or account preferences - Initiate account deletion through the UI Because self-service options are blocked in this state, account deletion and email opt-out must be handled by our support team. 📋 What Our Team Will Do When you contact support, a member of our team will: 1. Verify your identity and account ownership 2. Disable all notification emails linked to your account, including saved keyword list update emails 3. Permanently delete your account from the platform This process is handled by a specialized internal team and is typically confirmed once complete. 💬 How to Request Account Deletion Because you cannot access Settings, you will need to reach out to our support team directly. When contacting support, please be ready to: 1. Confirm that you want your account permanently deleted and that you would like all notification emails stopped. 2. Provide any details needed to verify your identity so the team can locate your account quickly. Once the deletion is processed, you will receive confirmation from the agent and no further emails will be sent to your address. 📌 Important Notes Before You Request Deletion - Account deletion is permanent. All your projects, keyword lists, reports, and data will be removed and cannot be recovered. - Email notifications will stop as part of the deletion process — you do not need to unsubscribe separately. - If you only want to stop receiving emails without deleting your account, mention this clearly to the agent so they can advise on the best option for your situation. 🛠️ Need Further 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.

🔐 Managing Team Member Access and Project Restrictions

🧭 Overview Search Atlas uses a straightforward team access model. When you invite a team member to your account, they receive access to all projects within that account. It is not possible to restrict a team member's access to a single project or a subset of projects. There are no project-level permission settings for team members in the platform. This article explains how team member access works and what options are available if you need to give someone access to only specific projects. 👥 How Team Member Access Works When you invite a team member through Settings > Team Members, they are added at the account level. This means: - They can view and interact with all projects in your account. - There is no option to select individual projects during the invitation process. - There are no project-specific roles or permission toggles in the Team Members settings. This design is intentional and applies to all team member roles available in the platform. If you previously read or were told that project-level restrictions exist inside Settings > Team Members, that information is incorrect. 🏷️ The Right Solution: White-Label Client Access If you need to give someone — such as a client, contractor, or external collaborator — access to only one specific project, the correct tool is the white-label feature. This feature is designed precisely for this use case and keeps your other projects fully private. White-label access allows you to provide a separate portal scoped to a specific project, so the invited user does not see any other projects in your account. This is the recommended approach for granting limited, project-specific access to external parties. To get started with the white-label feature, click the apps-grid icon in the header, then go to More Features > Agency Hub (Set up your Agency's White Label). If you need guidance on the specific configuration steps for your account, our support team can walk you through the process. 📋 Choosing the Right Access Method - Team Members (Settings > Team Members): Use this for internal colleagues or staff who need full access to all projects in your account. - White-Label Portal (Header apps-grid icon > More Features > Agency Hub): Use this for clients, contractors, or external collaborators who should only see a specific project. 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.

🔄 How to Deactivate and Replace a Team Member

This article explains how to deactivate a team member who no longer needs access to your Search Atlas account and how to invite a new user to take their place. Follow the steps below to complete both actions safely, and use the confirmation checks at the end to make sure everything went through correctly. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and open your account or workspace settings. This is typically accessible from your Avatar Menu (👤) or a settings icon in the main navigation. 2. Locate the Team or Team Members section within settings. 3. Find the team member you want to remove. Click their name or row to open their profile or options menu. 4. Select the option to Deactivate or Remove the user. You may be prompted to confirm this action — confirm to proceed. Deactivating a user revokes their login access without permanently deleting their historical activity. 5. Once the user is deactivated, return to the Team or Team Members section and look for an Invite or Add Team Member button. 6. Enter the new team member's email address, assign them the appropriate role or permission level, and send the invitation. 7. Notify the new team member to check their inbox for the invitation email and complete their account setup by following the link provided. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked 1. Deactivation confirmed: Return to the Team Members list and verify that the removed user's status shows as Inactive, Deactivated, or that their name no longer appears in the active members list. If you attempt to have them log in, their credentials should be rejected. 2. Invitation confirmed: The new team member should appear in the Team Members list with an Invited status immediately after the invitation is sent. Once they accept and complete setup, their status will update to Active. 3. Access confirmed: Ask the new team member to log in and verify they can access the areas of the platform appropriate to their assigned role. 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.

👥 How to Remove and Add Team Members

This article explains how to deactivate a current team member and add a new one to your Search Atlas workspace. Whether you are offboarding a colleague or onboarding a replacement, both actions are completed from the same location in your account settings. 📍 Where to Find It Navigate to Top-right corner (avatar) → Team Members. This opens the Team Members panel where you can view all current users, change their roles, and control their access status. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. Open Team Members: Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform, then select Team Members from the dropdown menu. 2. Deactivate the existing member: Locate the team member you want to remove from the list. Click the Deactivate action next to their name. This revokes their access to the workspace without permanently deleting their account history. 3. Add a new member: Click the Add member button at the top of the Team Members panel. 4. Enter their details: Fill in the new member's email address and select their role — either Viewer or Admin — then confirm to send the invitation. 5. Notify the new member: Let them know to check their inbox for the invitation email so they can complete account setup and log in. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked After completing both actions, return to Top-right corner (avatar) → Team Members and check the following: - The deactivated member's status should display as Deactivated (or they may no longer appear as an active user in the list). - The newly invited member should appear in the list with an Invited or active status once they have accepted the invitation. - If the new member does not appear, confirm the email address was entered correctly and ask them to check their spam folder for the invitation. 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.

⚙️ Vendasta Account Settings Access Explained

🔍 Overview If you access Search Atlas through a Vendasta-integrated account, you may notice that certain settings options — typically found in the top-right corner of the platform — appear restricted, grayed out, or are not accessible in the usual way. This is expected behavior and is tied to how Vendasta manages account permissions for its partner ecosystem. This article explains why this happens and walks you through the options available to you. ⚙️ Why Settings Are Restricted When Search Atlas is accessed via a Vendasta reseller or partner account, Vendasta controls certain account-level settings on behalf of the agency or reseller who provisioned your account. This means: - The top-right Avatar Menu (👤) may have limited or no access to the standard Settings page. - Profile and account configuration options may not appear as they would in a standalone Search Atlas account. - Some features, such as billing details or team member management, are managed directly within the Vendasta platform rather than inside Search Atlas. This restriction is a deliberate part of the Vendasta integration and is not a bug or an error with your account. 🗺️ How to Navigate Your Available Settings Even within a Vendasta-integrated account, there are still settings you can access. Follow these steps to find what is available to you: 1. Click your avatar or Avatar Menu (👤) in the top-right corner of the Search Atlas platform. 2. Review the menu options that appear. Depending on your permission level, you may see options such as Team Members or account-related links. 3. If Team Members is visible, you can access it from the top-right Avatar Menu (👤) → Team Members (Settings) to manage users associated with your account. 4. For settings that are not visible or accessible here — such as billing, profile layout, or subscription details — you will need to log in to the Vendasta platform directly and manage those settings from your Vendasta dashboard. 💡 What to Do If You Cannot Access a Specific Setting If you are trying to reach a specific setting and it is not available inside Search Atlas, follow this approach: - Contact your agency or reseller: If your account was set up by an agency or Vendasta partner, they have administrative access and can update settings on your behalf from the Vendasta platform. - Check the Vendasta dashboard: Log in to your Vendasta account directly and look for the relevant configuration options under your profile or business settings. - Confirm your permission level: Your access level within the Search Atlas account may also affect what you can see. Ask your account administrator to review and update your role if needed. 👥 Managing Team Members If your goal is to add or manage team members within Search Atlas, this is one area that may still be accessible depending on your role. To check: 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner. 2. Select Team Members from the dropdown menu if it is available. 3. From this page, you can invite new users, adjust roles, or remove existing team members. If Team Members is not visible in your menu, your account role may not include admin-level permissions. Contact your agency or Vendasta reseller to request elevated access. 🛠️ Quick Troubleshooting Checklist - Settings icon is missing or grayed out: This is expected for Vendasta-integrated accounts. Manage account-level settings via the Vendasta platform. - Cannot find profile layout options: Profile and branding settings are typically controlled by the Vendasta partner. Reach out to your reseller. - Team Members option is not showing: Your current role may not have admin permissions. Request an upgrade from your account administrator. - Unsure who your Vendasta reseller is: Check your original account setup email or contact the agency that onboarded you to Search Atlas. 💬 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.

🔄 Transfer Project Ownership Between Search Atlas Accounts

🔍 Overview If you need to move a project from your Search Atlas account to a colleague's or client's account — for example, handing a project off to an SEO manager who has set up their own account — this guide explains your options and the steps to take. ⚙️ How Project Ownership Transfer Works Search Atlas does not currently support an automated one-click transfer of a project between two separate accounts. However, there is a straightforward workaround that allows your SEO manager (or any other account holder) to recreate the project in their account and pick up right where you left off. 🛠️ Option 1: Add the New Owner as a Team Member First The quickest way to give another account holder full access to your project is to invite them as a team member on your account. This lets them view and work on all project data without needing a separate account. To do this: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Navigate to your account settings and open the Team Members section. 3. Invite the new owner using their email address and assign them an appropriate role. 4. Once they accept the invitation, they can access the project immediately. If the goal is for them to eventually manage the project entirely under their own account, this step also gives them time to review all existing settings and data before the transition. 📋 Option 2: Recreate the Project in the New Account If the project must live exclusively in the new owner's account, the most reliable approach is to document your current project setup and rebuild it there. Follow these steps: 1. Export or note your current project data. Before making any changes, record your tracked keywords, rank tracking settings, and any configurations saved in your project. 2. Document your Rank Tracker keywords. Go to Left sidebar → Keywords → Rank Tracker and export or copy your keyword list so nothing is lost. 3. Note your Site Explorer setup. Go to Left sidebar → Site Metrics (Site Explorer) and record the domains or URLs you have been monitoring. 4. Check any Local project settings. If your project includes local SEO work, go to Left sidebar → Local → GBP Projects and review your configurations across Overview, Posts, Reviews, and Local Citations. 5. Share this information with the new account owner. Send them your exported data, keyword lists, and any notes on campaign strategy. 6. The new owner rebuilds the project in their account. Using the shared information, they create a new project, add the same domain, import the keyword list, and configure settings to match. 💡 Tips for a Smooth Handover - Export keyword lists as CSV files where available — this makes it easy to bulk-import them into the new account. - Take screenshots of dashboards before the transition so historical context is not lost. - Keep the original project active until the new account owner confirms everything is set up correctly in their account. - Historical ranking data starts fresh in the new account from the date the project is created — this is expected behaviour and not an error. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Will historical data transfer to the new account? No. Rank tracking history, site metrics snapshots, and other historical data are tied to the originating account. The new account will begin collecting fresh data from the moment the new project is created. Can I transfer Local SEO project data? Local project configurations, such as GBP connections, citations, and post history, cannot be automatically moved. The new owner will need to reconnect their Google Business Profile and reconfigure their local settings under Left sidebar → Local → GBP Projects. Is there a limit to how many team members I can add? Team member limits depend on your current subscription plan. Check your plan details in your account settings for more information. 🆘 Need Further 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.

🔐 Universal Credits Access for Shared Admin Users

Overview Universal Credits (UC) are a flexible credit balance used across Search Atlas tools. However, access to Universal Credits is not automatically granted to every user with Admin permissions on a shared account. This article explains how UC access works for shared admin users and what steps to take if access is needed. Why Can't I Use Universal Credits as a Shared Admin? Even if you have Admin access and can see a Universal Credits balance, shared Admin users may not be able to spend Universal Credits. This is a known access limitation tied to how account permissions are structured for shared users. What Is the Difference Between Admin and Subscription Owner? It is important to understand the distinction between these two roles: - Subscription Owner: The person who purchased the Search Atlas plan. They have full access to Universal Credits and related account settings. - Shared Admin: A team member invited to the account and assigned the Admin role. Admins have broad platform permissions but may not automatically have Universal Credits spending access. How to Get Universal Credits Access as a Shared Admin If you are a shared Admin who needs Universal Credits access, this requires a backend change by our support team. To request this: 1. Reach out to our support team and explain that you need Universal Credits access enabled for a shared Admin user. 2. Provide the relevant account details, such as the shared Admin user's email address, so our team can locate the correct account. 3. Our team will review the request and apply the necessary permission update. 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.

🔄 How to Request a Cross-Account Project Migration

🗺️ Overview If you need to move a project — including all associated tools and data such as OTTO SEO, Content Genius, Authority Building, Local SEO, Brand Vault, and Knowledge Graph — from one Search Atlas account to another, this is not something you can do yourself through the platform interface. Cross-account project migrations require action from the Search Atlas engineering team. This article explains what to expect, how to prepare, and how to request the migration so it is completed as smoothly and quickly as possible. ⚠️ Important: Prepare the Destination Account First Before submitting your migration request, you must take one critical step to avoid conflicts during the transfer: 1. Delete any existing version of the project from the destination account. If the same domain or project already exists in the account you are migrating into, it will cause a conflict that can block or delay the migration. Remove it first, then submit your request. If you are unsure whether a duplicate project exists, review your project list in the destination account before proceeding. 📋 What Information to Have Ready To process your migration request efficiently, the support team will need the following details. Gather these before reaching out: - The domain or project name to be migrated (for example, vancouvergranite.com) - The source account — the account ID or email address the project is currently in - The destination account — the account ID or email address you want the project moved into - A list of tools and data to include in the migration (for example: OTTO SEO, Content Genius, Authority Building, Local SEO, Brand Vault, Knowledge Graph) 🛠️ How the Migration Process Works Cross-account migrations are handled entirely by the Search Atlas engineering team. Here is what happens after you submit your request: 1. A support agent receives your request and reviews the details you have provided. 2. The request is escalated to the specialized engineering team responsible for project and OTTO migrations. 3. Engineering performs the full migration, transferring the project and all associated tool data to the destination account. 4. You are notified once the migration is complete and the fix is live in your account. Migration timelines can vary depending on the complexity of the project and the engineering team's queue. The process may take more than one business day for large or multi-tool projects. 💡 Tips to Avoid Common Issues - Delete the duplicate project first. As noted above, any existing copy of the project in the destination account must be removed before migration begins. - Be specific about what needs to move. The more clearly you list the tools and data you need migrated, the faster engineering can act. - Do not recreate the project manually in the destination account after submitting your request. Wait for engineering to confirm the migration is complete before making changes. - Check both accounts after migration is confirmed. Verify that all tool data — including OTTO settings, local SEO data, and content — has transferred correctly to the destination account. 🤝 How to Submit Your Migration Request Because this process requires engineering involvement, there is no self-serve option in the platform at this time. To get started, contact the support team directly through the platform chat. 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. When you open the chat, include all the details listed in the What Information to Have Ready section above so your request can be escalated to engineering without delays.

🗂️ Removing or Archiving a Client in Brand Vaults

Brand Vaults is where you store and manage brand assets for each of your clients. If a client relationship has ended or you need to tidy up your workspace, you can remove that client's vault from your account. This article explains what removal means, how to do it, and what to expect. ⚠️ Before You Remove a Client Removing a client vault is permanent. All brand assets, colour palettes, logos, and guidelines stored in that vault will be deleted and cannot be recovered. Before you proceed, we strongly recommend taking these steps: - Download or save any brand assets you may need in the future — logos, brand colours, typography, or guidelines. - Check whether the client is referenced in any active reports by going to Left sidebar → Reports and reviewing your projects list. Update or delete any linked reports separately. - Let any teammates who share your account know, as the removal affects your entire workspace. 🗑️ How to Remove a Client Vault 1. Go to Brand Vault: top-right More Features menu (grid icon, next to your Avatar Menu (👤)) → Brand Vault. 2. Locate the client vault you want to remove from the vault list. 3. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the client's vault card. 4. Select Delete from the dropdown options. 5. A confirmation prompt will appear — read it carefully, then click Delete to confirm. The vault and all its contents are permanently removed from your account as soon as you confirm. 📁 Is There an Archive Option? Brand Vaults does not currently offer a dedicated archive feature. Removing the vault is the only way to offboard a client from Brand Vaults. If you need to retain a copy of the client's brand data for future reference, export or save all relevant assets before deleting the vault — once it is removed, the data cannot be restored. 📊 Updating Reports After Removal Removing a client from Brand Vaults does not automatically remove them from any reports you have already built. To clean up related report projects, go to Left sidebar → Reports and update or delete the relevant report projects from there. 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.

👥 Team Member Access: What You Need to Know

🔑 How Team Member Access Works in Search Atlas When you add a team member to your Search Atlas account, they receive account-level access. This means they can view and interact with all sites and projects within your account — there is currently no way to restrict a team member's access to a single site or a specific subset of sites. This applies to all team members you invite, regardless of their role. ⚠️ What Is Not Currently Possible At this time, Search Atlas does not support: - Restricting a team member to one specific site or project - Setting site-level or project-level permissions per user - Creating read-only roles scoped to individual sites - Custom permission tiers that limit which sites a user can see If you have seen instructions describing steps to configure these settings, please disregard them — those controls do not exist in the platform. ✅ What You Can Do Instead While granular site-level permissions are not available, here are some practical options depending on your situation: - Separate accounts: If a contractor or client should only ever access one site, consider managing that site under a separate Search Atlas account dedicated to that project. - Internal access policies: Set clear internal guidelines with your team about which projects each person should work on, even if the platform does not enforce this technically. - Limit sensitive data: Avoid adding external users as team members if your account contains sites or data you do not want them to see. ➕ How to Add a Team Member If you still want to add a team member with the understanding that they will have full account access, follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner. 3. Select Team Members (Settings). 4. Click Add member. 5. Enter their email address and confirm the invitation. The invited user will receive an email with a link to join your account. Once they accept, they will have access to all sites and data in the account. 🗺️ What's on the Roadmap Granular, site-level permission controls are a commonly requested feature. While we cannot confirm a specific release date, this type of functionality is on our product team's radar. We recommend checking the Search Atlas changelog and announcements for updates as the platform continues to evolve. 💬 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.

🔗 Reconnect Your Google Search Console Account

Connecting your Google Search Console (GSC) account is essential for tracking keyword rankings and site performance. If you need to reconnect a specific property like Pulsebiohacking but are worried about interrupting your 20+ other active connections, this guide will walk you through the process safely. 🛠️ Steps to Reconnect Your Property You can easily update your GSC connection without losing your existing project data. Follow these steps to refresh your integration: 1. Navigate to Site Metrics: Open the left sidebar menu, click on Site Metrics, and view your saved projects. 2. Locate Your Project: Find the specific project you want to update from your list of saved projects. 3. Initiate Reconnection: Click on the project or select the option to analyze the domain. If the connection has dropped, you will see a prompt to re-authorize your Google account. 4. Complete the OAuth Prompt: You will be redirected to a secure Google sign-in page. Log in with the Google account associated with your Search Console. 🔒 Keeping Other Connections Intact When you reach the Google authorization screen, you do not need to worry about accidentally damaging your other active integrations. Google manages permissions at the account level, while Search Atlas organizes them by project. - Selective Authorization: If Pulsebiohacking is missing, ensure your Google account still has active administrative access to that specific property inside Google Search Console. - Session Security: Your other 20+ connections will remain secure and active in Search Atlas because they are tied to your overall authenticated Google session. - Independent Properties: Re-authenticating your session simply refreshes the token, allowing Search Atlas to pull fresh data for all permitted properties without overwriting your local settings. 💬 Scheduling a Live Walkthrough We understand that managing multiple integrations can feel overwhelming, and sometimes you just want an expert to look at your screen. While we do not schedule traditional external Zoom calls, our live support widget includes real-time screen-sharing capabilities. This allows our team to visually guide you through the exact reconnection steps for Pulsebiohacking exactly like a video conference. 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.

🏢 Managing Multiple Client Accounts in Search Atlas

🗂️ Overview: How Multi-Client Management Works Search Atlas is built for agencies and professionals managing multiple clients. Rather than connecting all client properties under one undifferentiated account, Search Atlas uses separate company profiles — each representing an individual client. Google integrations (GSC, GA4, and GBP) are connected at the company profile level, so data stays organized and isolated per client. This is an important distinction: you may use a single Google account that has access to all your clients' properties, but you still need to assign each property to the correct company profile inside Search Atlas. 🏗️ Step 1: Understand the Company Profile Structure Every client you manage lives inside its own company profile in Search Atlas. Think of each company profile as a dedicated workspace for one client. All tools, reports, and Google integrations tied to that client are scoped to their profile. - One main Search Atlas account can hold multiple company profiles. - Each company profile has its own Google integration settings. - Switching between clients means switching between company profiles — not switching Google accounts. 🔍 Step 2: Locate the Company Selector in the UI The company selector is accessible from the platform's navigation area and displays the name of the company profile you are currently viewing. 1. Log in to Search Atlas. 2. Locate the company selector — it shows the active company name and can be clicked to reveal all company profiles you manage. 3. Select the client company you want to work with. The platform will reload to show that client's data and settings. All sections of the platform will reflect the selected company profile once you switch. ➕ Step 3: Create a Company Profile for a New Client Before connecting Google integrations for a new client, you must create a company profile for them. 1. Open the company selector. 2. Choose the option to add or create a new company profile. 3. Enter the client's business name and any relevant details. 4. Save the profile. The platform will switch you into the new company's workspace. 🔗 Step 4: Connect GSC, GA4, and GBP to the Correct Company Profile Google integrations must be connected individually for each company profile. Here is how to do it correctly when managing multiple clients. 1. Use the company selector to switch into the specific client's company profile. 2. Navigate to Avatar → Settings → Integrations. 3. Connect the relevant Google property (GSC, GA4, or GBP) for that client. 4. Repeat this process for each company profile — each client's integrations must be set up separately. 🔌 WordPress Plugin Installation Search Atlas also supports a WordPress plugin that can be installed on client sites. If you need to connect a client's WordPress site as part of your Search Atlas setup, you will need to install and configure the plugin on each relevant WordPress installation. For specific guidance on plugin installation steps, please reach out to our support team directly. ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid - Connecting a Google property to the wrong company profile — always verify the active company before connecting integrations. - Assuming integrations carry over when you create a new company profile — each profile requires its own integration setup. 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.

🏢 Managing Client Access Without Using User Seats

🔍 Overview If you are running an agency with multiple client sites but only a limited number of user seats, you do not need to give every client a user seat to let them view their own project data. Search Atlas separates user seats (for your internal team members) from client project access (for external clients who only need to see their own reports). This means you can serve an unlimited number of clients without upgrading your seat count. 👥 Understanding the Two Access Models Before taking any action, it helps to understand the difference between the two access types available in Search Atlas. - User seats are for people inside your agency — team members who need to log in, edit campaigns, manage settings, and work across multiple client projects. Every internal user consumes one seat from your plan. - Client project access is for external clients who only need to view the data for their own project. Clients can be given visibility into their own project data without being added as a user, meaning they do not consume any of your plan's seat allocation. 📊 How to Share Project Data With Clients Search Atlas supports a way to give clients visibility into their project performance without assigning them a user seat. To find out exactly how client-facing access is configured for your account and plan, please reach out to our team — they can confirm the current sharing options available to you and walk you through the correct steps for your setup. When you contact support, have the following information ready: - The name of the client project(s) you want to share - Whether you need the client to have view-only access or any level of editing access - Your current plan and how many user seats you have remaining ⚙️ When Should You Use User Seats Instead? Reserve your user seats for people who need hands-on access to the platform itself. Typical examples include: - SEO managers or account managers on your internal team - Contractors or freelancers who actively build and manage campaigns - A client who specifically needs to log in and edit their own campaign settings — this is the exception, not the standard client access model If a client only needs to review rankings, traffic, or other reporting metrics, client project access is the appropriate solution and keeps your seat allocation free for your team. ❌ What Not to Do Do not add clients as regular users on your plan simply to give them read-only visibility into their own project. Doing so consumes a user seat unnecessarily and can push your account toward its seat limit, potentially requiring a plan upgrade before it is needed. 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.

🔒 Search Atlas Security Disclosure Program Explained

🛡️ Overview of Our Security Program Search Atlas takes the security of our platform and customer data seriously. We welcome reports from security researchers, customers, and the broader community who discover potential vulnerabilities in our systems. This article outlines our current policy for responsible disclosure and answers common questions about our security program. 🐛 Do We Have a Bug Bounty Program? At this time, Search Atlas does not operate a formal, public bug bounty program with monetary rewards. We do not currently partner with third-party bug bounty platforms such as HackerOne or Bugcrowd. However, we do have a responsible disclosure policy that allows security researchers and users to report vulnerabilities directly to our team for review and remediation. 📋 What Is Responsible Disclosure? Responsible disclosure is a process where a researcher or user who discovers a security vulnerability privately reports it to the affected organization before making it public. This gives the organization time to investigate and fix the issue, protecting users from potential exploitation during the remediation window. We ask that anyone who discovers a potential security issue in Search Atlas: - Report the issue privately and promptly rather than disclosing it publicly. - Provide enough detail for our team to reproduce and understand the vulnerability. - Avoid accessing, modifying, or deleting data that does not belong to you. - Refrain from performing denial-of-service attacks, social engineering, or phishing against our team or users. - Allow our team reasonable time to investigate and address the issue before any public disclosure. 📬 How to Report a Security Vulnerability To report a security vulnerability, please contact our support team directly through the Search Atlas platform. Include the following details in your report: 1. Description: A clear summary of the vulnerability and the potential impact. 2. Steps to reproduce: A step-by-step walkthrough that allows our team to replicate the issue. 3. Environment details: The browser, device, or account type involved, if relevant. 4. Supporting evidence: Screenshots, screen recordings, or logs that illustrate the issue. Our team will review your report and follow up with you as the investigation progresses. 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.

🔄 How to Transfer Golden Loops Access

If your Golden Loops benefit was accidentally added to the wrong account or you no longer have access to your original login email, you may need to transfer your access. Because Golden Loops is a premium VIP benefit, moving it between accounts requires our team to verify ownership on the backend. ⚠️ Why Transfers Require Backend Intervention Currently, there is no self-serve toggle to move Golden Loops or VIP benefits from one account to another. This security measure protects your purchase and prevents unauthorized transfers. If you are seeing an upgrade prompt on your new account, or if your original access link was deleted along with an old support thread, our team can easily fix this for you. 📋 Information Needed for a Transfer To speed up the transfer process, please have the following details ready before reaching out: - Old Account Email: The email address where the Golden Loops benefit is currently sitting. - New Account Email: The email address where you want the benefit moved. - Order or Billing ID: If available, this helps us quickly locate your purchase. 💬 How to Request Your Benefit Transfer To initiate the transfer, you will need to connect with our support team. We will verify your accounts and manually migrate your Golden Loops access. 1. Log into your active Search Atlas account. 2. Look for the chat icon located in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 3. Open the chat widget and provide your old and new account emails. 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. 🔄 Accessing Golden Loops After Transfer Once the transfer is complete, you will be able to view your benefits directly within your Social projects. Navigate to the left sidebar, select Coworker, and click on Golden Loops to verify your access has been restored. You can also check your Pending Approvals and Calendar View to ensure everything is working correctly.

Permanently Delete a Deactivated Team Member

🔍 Overview If you have already deactivated a team member but cannot find an option to permanently delete their account, you are not alone. Currently, the Search Atlas platform allows account admins to deactivate users directly, but the option to fully delete a deactivated user is not available through the user interface. Permanent deletion must be handled by the Search Atlas support team on the backend. ⚙️ What You Can Do in the Platform Before contacting support, confirm that the user has already been deactivated. Here is how to check: 1. Navigate to the Team Members section of your account settings. 2. Locate the user you want to remove and confirm their status shows as deactivated. If they are still active, use the available action to deactivate them first. Once the user is deactivated, you will not see a delete option on this page — this is expected behaviour at this time. Proceed to the next step to request full removal. 🛠️ How to Request Permanent Deletion Because permanent deletion is performed by our backend team, you will need to contact support directly. Follow these steps: 1. Reach out to the Search Atlas support team through the support chat in the platform. 2. Provide the email address of the deactivated user you want permanently deleted. 3. Confirm that the user has already been deactivated in your account. 4. Our team will escalate the request to the specialised backend team, who will perform the deletion. 5. Once the deletion is complete, you will receive confirmation. Check your Team Members section to verify the user no longer appears. 💡 What to Expect - Deletion is performed on the backend and is not instant — allow some time for the change to be processed and reflected in your account. - After deletion, the user will no longer appear in your Team Members list. - Permanent deletion cannot be undone. Make sure you want to fully remove the user before submitting the request. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Why is there no delete button in the platform? The ability to permanently delete a deactivated user is not yet available through the Search Atlas interface. This is a known limitation, and our engineering team is actively working on improvements to user management. Can a deactivated user still access the platform? A deactivated user should not have active access to the platform. Our team has made backend improvements to ensure deactivated users are properly restricted. If you believe a deactivated user is still able to log in or take actions, please report this through the support chat immediately. Will the deactivate

🔒 Manage User Access and Site Visibility Restrictions

Overview Search Atlas allows you to invite team members or clients to your account. This article covers what is currently known about per-site (project-level) visibility restrictions for users, and explains what to do if you need this capability or cannot find the relevant controls. About Per-Site Visibility Restrictions Per-site (project-level) user access control — the ability to limit a specific user's visibility to only certain sites within your account — is a capability that some customers have requested. If you are looking for controls to restrict a user to specific sites and cannot locate them in your account settings, this feature may not yet be fully available for your account or plan. We recommend the following steps: - Check your Settings area under the Users or Team Members section to see what access options are currently available for your account. - If you do not see an option to restrict site visibility on a per-user basis, this capability may not be enabled for your plan or may still be in development. - To request this feature or ask about its availability for your account, reach out to our support team via the chat widget (see below). General User Management While per-site restrictions may be limited, you can still invite and remove users through your account settings: - To invite a user, go to Settings and navigate to the Users or Team Members section, then use the option to invite a new user by email. - If a user does not appear in the user list, they may have a pending invitation that was not yet accepted. Check within the Users section for any pending invitations and revoke or resend as needed. - To remove a user, locate them in the Users section of Settings and use the available removal option. How to Escalate or Request This Feature If you need per-site visibility restrictions and cannot find this functionality in your account, please contact our team. When reaching out, have the following ready: - Your account or workspace name - The specific sites you want to restrict access to - The email address(es) of the users whose access you want to limit - A description of what you are trying to accomplish 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.

🛠️ Remove a Team Member and Free a Seat

🔍 Overview If your account shows all seats as used and you need to invite a new team member, simply deactivating an existing member may not always release the seat. This article explains what to try first and how to get the seat fully removed so you can add someone new. ⚙️ Step 1: Check Your Current Team Members 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Select Team Members from the menu. 3. Review the list of members and confirm which account you want to remove. 🚫 Step 2: Deactivate the Team Member 1. In the Team Members section, locate the member you want to remove. 2. Use the available action to Deactivate that member. 3. After deactivating, check whether your used seat count has decreased (for example, from 3/3 to 2/3). Important: In some cases, deactivating a member does not immediately free the seat. This is a known issue that requires additional action from our team. 💡 Step 3: If the Seat Is Still Showing as Used If your seat count does not update after deactivating the member, this means the account needs to be fully removed by our admin team — deactivation alone is not enough in these situations. You will need to contact our support team with the following information ready: - The email address of the team member you want removed - Your account email or username so we can verify your identity - Confirmation that you want the member fully removed (not just deactivated) Our team will escalate the request to the appropriate admin team, who can remove the member and release the seat on your behalf. ✅ What to Expect After the Seat Is Released Once the member is fully removed by our team, your seat count will update and you will be able to invite a new team member straight away from the Team Members section. 💬 Contact Support 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.

➕ Add Otto Projects to Your Search Atlas Account

🤔 Otto Projects vs. User Seats — What's the Difference? These two things are easy to confuse, so here's a quick distinction before you get started: - Otto projects — The number of websites or domains you can manage and automate with Otto, Search Atlas's OTTO SEO tool. Each project corresponds to one site you want to optimise. - User seats — The number of people (team members or clients) you can invite to access your Search Atlas account. Adding a user seat does not add an Otto project. If you want to run Otto on an additional website, you need to add an Otto project, not a user seat. 📋 Before You Begin - You must be the account owner or have admin permissions to manage billing and subscriptions. - Adding Otto projects may affect your current plan. Have your billing details ready if an upgrade is required. 🚀 How to Add Otto Projects to Your Account Because the exact steps to add an Otto project depend on your current plan and account configuration, the most reliable way to complete this is to contact our support team directly. When you reach out, please have the following ready so we can assist you as quickly as possible: - The domain or website you want to add as a new Otto project. - Your current Search Atlas plan name. - Whether you have reached your plan's project limit or are unsure of your current usage. - Any error messages or on-screen prompts you have encountered while trying to add the project. Our team will confirm whether an upgrade or additional project slot purchase is needed and guide you through the process. ⚠️ Common Mistake: Adding a User Instead of a Project If you searched for how to add "Otto seats" and landed here, you are in the right place. The word seats in the context of Otto refers to project slots — not user invitations. To invite a team member to your account, navigate to your account settings and look for the Team or Users section instead. That process is completely separate from managing Otto projects. 💡 Tips for Managing Otto Projects - Each Otto project is tied to one domain. Subdomains or separate regional sites may each count as individual projects depending on your plan. - You may be able to remove a project to free up a slot for a different domain — confirm this with the support team based on your plan's terms. - Check your Otto dashboard regularly to monitor the status and progress of all active Otto projects. 🆘 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.

🌙 Managing Dark Mode and Display Theme Settings

🖥️ Overview Some Search Atlas pages support both a dark mode and a light mode display. This article explains where the in-app toggle is and how to stop your browser from forcing a dark appearance. ⚙️ Changing Your Theme Inside Search Atlas There is no single light/dark switch for the whole dashboard. A light/dark toggle appears on these pages only: - Site Audit (new version) — the toggle in the top header, just before your Avatar Menu (👤). - Google Business Profile (new version) — the toggle in the top header while you are on those pages. - Authority Building pages (Press Release, Cloud Stacks, URL Indexer, Digital PR, and QUEST) — one shared toggle in the top header; switching it on one of these pages applies to all of them. Other pages do not have their own theme toggle. 🌐 Controlling the Theme via Your OS or Browser When Search Atlas follows your system preference, it mirrors the dark or light setting configured on your device. Here is how to update that setting on the most common platforms: - Windows 11/10: Go to Settings → Personalisation → Colours and choose Light or Dark under "Choose your mode." - macOS: Go to System Settings → Appearance and select Light or Dark. - iOS / iPadOS: Go to Settings → Display & Brightness and choose Light. - Android: Go to Settings → Display and toggle Dark theme off. After changing your OS setting, refresh the Search Atlas tab in your browser and the interface will update to match. 🔧 Overriding the Theme in Your Browser Some browsers let you force a light or dark appearance independently of your OS. If you prefer not to change your system-wide setting, you can override it at the browser level: - Google Chrome: In the address bar, go to chrome://flags, search for Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents, and set it to Disabled. Relaunch the browser. - Microsoft Edge: Go to Settings → Appearance and set the theme to Light. - Firefox: Go to Settings → General → Language and Appearance and choose the Light theme under "Website appearance." - Safari (macOS): Theme follows the macOS system preference — update it in System Settings → Appearance as described above. After applying any browser-level change, reload the Search Atlas tab to see the updated appearance. Still Not Seeing the Right Theme? If you have updated both your OS and browser settings but Search Atlas is still displaying the wrong theme, please reach out so our team can take a look. Have the following ready to speed up the process: your project or workspace name, the browser and OS version you are using, and a brief description of the theme behaviour you are experiencing. 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.

🔑 How to Grant Admin Access to a Team Member

This article explains how to promote an existing team member to Admin in your Search Atlas organization. If you've tried editing a member's role and found the option unavailable or unresponsive, the steps below cover the confirmed location, the correct action sequence, and how to verify the change took effect. 📍 Where to Find It Team member role management is located in your account settings: 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Select Team Members from the dropdown menu. This opens the Team Members page at /settings?active_section=team. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Team Members. 2. Locate the team member you want to promote in the list. If she does not appear, confirm she has already accepted her invitation to your organization — only active members can be edited. 3. Find the role control next to her name. You will see options labeled Member and Admin. 4. Select Admin to change her role. The selection should register immediately — there is typically no separate Save button for this action. 5. If the role control appears greyed out or clicking it has no effect, check that your own account holds the Admin role, as only Admins can promote other members. If you are listed as a Member yourself, you will need an existing Admin in your organization to complete this step on your behalf. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked After selecting the Admin role, confirm the change took effect by checking the following: - The label displayed next to the team member's name in the Team Members list should now read Admin rather than Member. - Ask the team member to log out and log back in to Search Atlas. After refreshing her session, she should have access to account-level settings — including the Team Members page itself — which are not visible to Members. - If the label still shows Member after your selection, refresh the page and repeat the step. If the problem persists after a second attempt, the role control may be restricted by a plan or permission condition that requires support intervention. 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.

🔒 Fix SSL and Multi-Domain Setup in Webstudio

🔍 Overview When you publish a landing page in Search Atlas's Webstudio, connecting a custom domain and provisioning an SSL certificate requires coordination between your DNS provider and Webstudio's backend. If your site shows Not Secure, or if you are trying to host multiple landing pages under a single domain, this article explains what to expect and how to get the right help. ⚙️ What Happens During Domain and SSL Setup After you enter a custom domain in Webstudio's Publish settings, Webstudio attempts to provision an SSL certificate automatically once your DNS records are pointed correctly. SSL provisioning is a backend process — it runs on Webstudio's infrastructure and is not something you can trigger manually from within the platform UI. Common reasons a site may continue to display Not Secure include: - DNS records that have not yet propagated to all nameservers. - A mismatch between the domain entered in Webstudio and the domain configured at your DNS provider. - DNS configuration issues that prevent the SSL provisioning process from completing successfully. 🛠️ What to Prepare Before Contacting Support Because SSL provisioning and multi-domain configurations are resolved by our team on the backend, please have the following information ready when you reach out: - Your Webstudio project name — so the team can locate your specific project. - The exact custom domain you entered in Webstudio's Publish settings (e.g., landing.yourdomain.com). - Your DNS provider or domain registrar name (e.g., Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap). - A screenshot or description of the error — for example, the exact browser warning or the status shown in Webstudio after publishing. - How long ago you made the DNS changes — DNS propagation takes time, and this helps the team assess whether provisioning is still in progress or has stalled. - Whether you are trying to connect multiple landing pages to one domain, and if so, how many pages and what the intended URL structure is. ℹ️ What to Expect Our team will review your project's domain and SSL status on the backend and work with you to resolve the configuration. You do not need to attempt further changes to your DNS or Webstudio settings before speaking with support, as additional edits during an active provisioning attempt may cause further 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.

🌙 Switch Between Dark and Light Mode

🖥️ What Is Dark Mode? Some Search Atlas pages offer a dark mode option that changes the colour scheme to a darker background with lighter text. Some users prefer this for comfort during extended sessions, while others prefer the default light mode. ⚙️ How to Toggle Dark Mode On or Off There is no single light/dark switch for the whole dashboard. A light/dark toggle appears on these pages only: - Site Audit (new version) — the toggle in the top header, just before your Avatar Menu (👤). - Google Business Profile (new version) — the toggle in the top header while you are on those pages. - Authority Building pages (Press Release, Cloud Stacks, URL Indexer, Digital PR, and QUEST) — one shared toggle in the top header; switching it on one of these pages applies to all of them. Other pages do not have their own theme toggle. 💡 Tips for Managing Your Display Preference - No impact on data or features. Switching between light and dark mode only affects the visual appearance — all your reports, settings, and tools remain exactly the same. 🔍 Having Trouble Finding the Dark Mode Option? If you are unable to locate the dark mode setting, try the following: - Try a hard refresh of the page (Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows, or Cmd + Shift + R on Mac) to clear any cached layout. - Check that your browser is up to date, as older browsers may not render all interface elements correctly. 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.

📋 Business Registration Fields: ISO 6523, Tax ID, VAT ID

📋 Overview Search Atlas collects certain business registration details to support accurate billing, invoicing, and compliance. Three fields that sometimes cause confusion are the ISO 6523 Code, Tax ID, and VAT ID. This article explains where these fields are located in the platform and how to handle them. 🗺️ Where to Find These Fields The Tax ID, VAT ID, and ISO 6523 Code fields are located within your account's billing or business information settings. Log in to your Search Atlas account and navigate to your billing or account settings area to locate them. If you are having trouble finding these fields, our support team can point you to the exact location in your account. 🔍 What Each Field Is For - Tax ID: A government-issued tax identification number for your business or organisation. - VAT ID: A Value Added Tax identification number for businesses registered for VAT. - ISO 6523 Code: A standardised code used to identify organisations in electronic business transactions. ✅ Completing the Fields Enter the relevant values for your business in each field. If you do not have a value for a particular field — for example, if your business is not VAT-registered or does not use an ISO 6523 identifier — leave that field blank rather than entering a placeholder. If you are unsure what to enter for any of these fields, contact your finance or compliance team, or reach out to our support team for guidance. 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.

🔄 Update Email and Business Info on Your Account

🔎 Overview When your business rebrands — new name, new domain, new email — your Search Atlas account may need to reflect those changes. This article explains what to prepare and how to get help so our team can assist you as quickly as possible. 📋 What You May Need to Update - Primary account email — the login and billing address tied to your account - Business name — displayed across your workspace and reports - Domain — the primary domain used in your projects and tracking - Branding details — including any white-label or agency-facing settings ✅ How to Get Your Account Updated Email changes, business name updates, domain updates, and account migrations are handled by our support team. Because these changes affect your login credentials, billing, and project data, our team will guide you through the correct process for your specific situation. To get started, please have the following information ready: - Your current account email address - Your new business email address (if changing your email) - Your new business name or domain (if rebranding) - A note of any active integrations, white-label configurations, or Local projects you want preserved - The approximate date the rebrand took effect, if relevant Having these details ready when you contact our team will allow our team to locate your account and carry out the correct update or migration without unnecessary back-and-forth. ⚠️ Important Notes - Do not create a new account on your own before speaking with support — doing so may complicate a migration and could result in data loss. - If you no longer have access to your original login email, let our team know upfront so they can verify your identity through an alternative method. - Billing records and invoicing details are tied to your primary email; our team will confirm whether these need to be updated as part of the process. 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.

🔄 Restore a Deleted Project Account Easily

🗂️ What Happens When You Delete an Account? When you delete a project account in Search Atlas, it is not immediately and permanently removed. Instead, the account enters a deep-freeze state. This is a safety buffer that gives you time to reverse an accidental deletion before any data is lost. During the deep-freeze period, the account and all of its associated data — including settings, tracked keywords, reports, and configurations — are preserved exactly as they were at the moment of deletion. No data is modified, overwritten, or purged while the account remains in this state. ❄️ Understanding the Deep-Freeze State The deep-freeze state works as follows: - Duration: A deleted account remains in deep-freeze for a defined retention window before permanent deletion is triggered. - Data integrity: All project settings, keyword tracking, SEO configurations, and historical data are fully intact throughout the deep-freeze period. - No active processing: While frozen, the account does not consume active resources or run scheduled tasks, but the data is safely stored and restorable. - Access restricted: You cannot interact with or edit the account while it is in deep-freeze — it must be restored first. 🔄 How to Restore a Deleted Account If you need to recover an account that you have deleted, follow these steps: 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform to open the Avatar Menu (👤). 2. Select Team Members from the dropdown, or navigate directly to /settings. 3. Look for the Deleted Accounts or Frozen Accounts section within the settings page. 4. Locate the account you want to restore using the project name or associated details. 5. Click the Restore button next to the account entry. 6. Confirm the restoration when prompted. Once restored, the account will return to its previous active state with all settings and data preserved exactly as they were before deletion. ✅ What Is Preserved After Restoration You can expect the following to be fully restored when you recover a deep-frozen account: - All project settings and configurations - Tracked keywords and their historical ranking data - SEO audit results and saved reports - Backlink data and competitor tracking setups - Any custom tags, notes, or workspace preferences tied to the account Restoration is designed to bring the account back to the exact state it was in prior to deletion — no manual reconfiguration should be required. ⚠️ Important Limitations to Be Aware Of Before attempting a restoration, keep these points in mind: - Retention window: Restoration is only possible while the account remains within the deep-freeze retention period. Once that window expires, the account and all its data are permanently and irreversibly deleted. - Act promptly: If you suspect you have accidentally deleted an account, initiate the restoration process as soon as possible to avoid reaching the permanent deletion threshold. - Subscription seats: Restoring an account will reactivate it against your current plan's seat or project limits. Ensure you have available capacity before restoring. 💬 Need Help With Your Restoration? If you cannot locate the deleted account in your settings, if the restore option is not visible, or if you are concerned that the retention window may have already expired, 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.

🔒 GDPR Account Deletion and Email Suppression Guide

🔍 Overview If you have submitted a GDPR deletion request and are still receiving emails from Search Atlas, this article explains what to expect, why delays can occur, and how to confirm that your account and data have been fully removed. Understanding each stage will help you confirm that your data has been fully removed and that email suppression is active. 📋 What Happens When You Submit a GDPR Deletion Request When a valid GDPR account deletion request is received, Search Atlas initiates the following steps: 1. Account deactivation — Your account access is disabled immediately. 2. Data removal — Personal data, projects, and associated records are deleted from our primary systems and queued for removal from all related services. 3. Email suppression — Your email address is added to a suppression list to prevent future marketing and transactional emails. 4. Post-processing confirmation — A background process verifies that all data has been cleared across every connected service. In most cases this process completes within 30 days of your request, in line with GDPR requirements. However, some customers have experienced delays due to post-processing issues that our engineering team actively monitors and resolves. ⚠️ Why You May Still Receive Emails After a Deletion Request There are a few known reasons why emails may arrive after a deletion request has been submitted: - Post-processing delay — In rare cases, the background process that finalises data removal and email suppression can encounter an error. This does not mean your data has not been deleted; it means the suppression step needs to be re-triggered manually by our team. - Link scanner interference — Some corporate email security tools automatically follow every link in an email, including unsubscribe links, before you even open the message. This can trigger an unsubscribe or suppression action prematurely and may cause inconsistent behaviour in how your address is recorded in our suppression list, or interfere with suppression confirmation. Our engineering team has identified and addressed this known issue for a previous batch of affected users. - Processing queue timing — If your deletion request was submitted recently, the suppression update may still be propagating across all sending systems. Allow up to 72 hours before expecting all emails to stop. If you are still receiving emails several business days after your deletion request was acknowledged, it is likely that one of the above issues applies to your account and requires manual investigation. ✅ How to Confirm Your Account Has Been Deleted To verify the status of your GDPR deletion request: 1. Attempt to log in to Search Atlas. If your account has been successfully deleted, access will be denied and you will not be able to reach the platform dashboard. 2. Check whether you received a deletion confirmation email at the time of your request. This email serves as your primary record that the request was received and processed. 3. Check whether the emails you are receiving are transactional (such as system notifications) or marketing. Transactional emails tied to an active session should stop once the account is removed. 4. Note the date of your original deletion request and compare it to when the emails stopped or continued. If login fails and you are still receiving emails, this is a strong indicator that suppression post-processing did not complete correctly and needs to be resolved by our team. 5. If you are unsure whether your original request was received or completed, contact our support team directly using the live chat widget (see below) and provide the email address associated with your account. Our team can verify the deletion status and re-trigger email suppression if needed. ⏱️ Expected Timelines - Account deactivation — Immediate upon confirmed deletion request. - Data removal — Typically completed within a few business days. - Email suppression — Should take effect within 1–3 business days after the deletion is fully processed. - Confirmation — If you have not received confirmation and emails continue beyond 5 business days, please contact support. 🛠️ Steps to Take If You Are Still Receiving Emails If emails continue to arrive more than 72 hours after your deletion request was confirmed, follow these steps: 1. Note the subject line, sender address, and date of the email you received. 2. Check your email client's spam or promotions folder — some suppression updates take longer to reflect in filtered categories. 3. Contact our support team via the live chat widget and share the details above. Our team can manually verify your suppression record and escalate to our engineering team if a post-processing error occurred. 🔐 Your GDPR Rights at Search Atlas Under GDPR, you have the right to: - Erasure (Right to be Forgotten) — Request that all personal data we hold about you is permanently deleted. - Confirmation of deletion — Receive written confirmation that your data has been removed. - Cessation of communication — Stop receiving all marketing and transactional emails once your deletion request is processed. Search Atlas is committed to honouring these rights within the legally required timeframe. If you believe your rights have not been respected, our support team will treat your case as a priority. 💬 Need Further 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. Please have the following ready to speed up your request: - The email address associated with your deleted account - The approximate date you submitted your GDPR deletion request - A sample of a recent email you received (subject line and date are sufficient)

🏢 Access Two Workspaces With One Account

🔍 Overview When you accept an invitation to a new Search Atlas workspace, your original workspace — including its website audit history and subscription — may become inaccessible. This is a known challenge for agency users who need to operate across multiple client or company workspaces simultaneously. Because dual workspace access requires a backend email migration, the core fix must be completed by our support team. However, you can initiate and accelerate the process yourself by following the steps below — in many cases, our team can turn this around quickly once they have the right details from you. ⚙️ How the Resolution Works Our backend team resolves this by updating the primary email address on your account so that both workspaces can recognise you as a distinct, authorised user. Specifically, the process involves: 1. Changing the primary email address on your original account to a different address (for example, a second business email). 2. Keeping all billing information tied to your original email address so your subscription and invoices are not affected. 3. Adding your new primary email as an invited user on the relevant workspace, granting access to both environments. Once this is complete, you can log in and switch between workspaces without losing access to your audit data, subscription, or billing history. 📋 What to Do: Submit a Request With the Right Information You can unblock yourself faster by contacting support and providing all required details in your first message. Follow these steps: 1. Identify your original account email — this is the address tied to your existing subscription and website audit history. 2. Choose a new primary email address — this must be a valid address you control and that is not already associated with another Search Atlas account. This will become your new login for the original workspace. 3. Note the name or URL of both workspaces you need access to. 4. Confirm your role — specify whether you are the account owner or a team member on each workspace. 5. Contact our support team and share all of the above details. Request a primary email migration to restore dual workspace access. Our team will then update your account on the backend so that both workspaces recognise you as an authorised user, without affecting your billing or subscription. 💡 Tips for Agency Users Managing Multiple Workspaces - Use a dedicated email address for each workspace role where possible — this avoids conflicts when accepting future invitations. - Before accepting an invitation to a new workspace, check whether your current workspace admin can add you as a team member under your existing email instead. - Workspace admins can manage team members directly withi If you need help with dual workspace access or a primary email migration, please reach out to our support team and we will be happy to assist you.

🔄 Transfer or Share Projects Between Search Atlas Accounts

🧭 Overview Search Atlas does not currently support direct project transfers between accounts. If your SEO manager has opened their own Search Atlas account, you cannot move an existing project from your account into theirs with a single click. However, there is a workaround available — and this article walks you through what to expect. ⚠️ Current Platform Limitation Project ownership in Search Atlas is tied to the account that created it. At this time, the platform does not include a built-in Transfer Ownership option that moves a project directly from one account to another. This means your SEO manager cannot simply claim or import your existing project from their own dashboard. ✅ The Recommended Workaround The most effective way to hand a project over to another account requires backend assistance from the Search Atlas support team. This process preserves all the work completed on the project and allows the receiving account to continue from exactly where you left off. 📋 What to Have Ready When You Escalate 1. Complete and save all current work — Before starting the transfer process, make sure all recent changes, content, and settings inside the project are fully saved. Review any pending tasks or unsaved edits across your project tools. 2. Confirm the destination account exists — Make sure your SEO manager has already created and verified their Search Atlas account before you initiate the request, otherwise the transfer cannot be completed. 3. Gather the required details — Have the following ready when you contact support: - The exact name of the project you want to transfer - The email address associated with your own Search Atlas account - The email address associated with your SEO manager's Search Atlas account 📩 How to Request the Transfer Because transferring a project between accounts requires action on the backend, you will need to reach out to the Search Atlas support team. A support team member will assist with moving the project data and settings to the destination account. Once the process is finished, the project will be accessible inside your SEO manager's account and they can continue working without needing to recreate any of the existing setup. After the transfer is complete, ask your SEO manager to log into their account and verify that the project is visible, that all settings are intact, and that they have full access to continue the work. 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.

Fake DMCA Copyright Scam: What to Do

Some Search Atlas users have reported receiving fake DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) copyright infringement notices falsely claiming their MetaSync plugin activity has violated intellectual property law. These emails are phishing scams designed to steal your credentials or payment information — not legitimate legal notices. 🚨 How to Identify a Fake DMCA Notice Legitimate DMCA takedown requests are sent to site owners or hosting providers, not to end users of a SaaS platform. A fake notice targeting your account typically includes: - Urgent language threatening account suspension or legal action within 24–48 hours - A link to "resolve" the violation or "pay a fine" - Generic sender addresses not from an official Search Atlas domain - Requests for your Search Atlas login credentials or payment details - Attachments or forms asking you to "verify" your account - References to the MetaSync plugin by name and to specific URLs on your site, used to make the notice appear targeted and credible ✅ What to Do If You Receive This Email 1. Do not click any links in the email, even if they appear to lead to official-looking websites. 2. Do not pay any fees, fines, or charges mentioned in the notice. 3. Do not share your Search Atlas username, password, or billing information. 4. Log in to your Search Atlas dashboard directly by typing the URL manually in your browser. Any legitimate account notices will appear inside the platform. 5. Forward the suspicious email to your IT or security team, and report it as phishing in your email client. 6. Contact Search Atlas support via live chat to confirm whether any action is actually required on your account. 🔒 Why Plugin Users Are Targeted Attackers target users of plugins and integrations because these tools involve third-party permissions and API connections, making users more likely to believe a compliance notice is real. Search Atlas will never ask you to pay a DMCA fine via email or request your credentials through an external link. 🛡️ Protecting Your Account - Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Search Atlas account if available. - Use a unique, strong password not shared with other services. - Periodically review connected integrations under Settings > Integrations in your dashboard to ensure no unauthorized connections exist. 💬 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.

🔒 OTTO Plugin Security and Privacy Explained

🔍 What Is the OTTO Plugin and How Does It Work? The OTTO SEO plugin connects your WordPress site to the Search Atlas platform using your Search Atlas credentials. Once connected, it performs three core functions: injecting SEO and rendering output into your pages, enabling automated on-page optimizations, and collecting performance telemetry to improve results. You can access OTTO SEO from the left sidebar by navigating to OTTO SEO (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 🛡️ What Level of Access Does the Plugin Use? To apply site-wide SEO changes reliably, the OTTO plugin operates with elevated WordPress permissions. This level of access is required to modify page output, manage caching interactions, and ensure optimizations are applied consistently across your site. Search Atlas does not use this access for any purpose outside of the SEO and automation functions described in these terms. - SEO output injection: The plugin inserts structured data, meta tags, and rendering instructions into your pages. - Cache interaction: OTTO communicates with your caching layer to ensure fresh, optimized content is served. - Automation controls: On-page changes driven by OTTO are applied through this elevated connection. 📤 What Data Does the Plugin Send to Search Atlas? The OTTO plugin does transmit certain site data to Search Atlas servers in order to function. Customers and hosting providers should be aware of the following: - Site user list: Aggregate WordPress user data may be included in plugin telemetry. This is used for platform authentication and optimization context, not for marketing or third-party sharing. - Performance telemetry: Anonymous tracking data related to how OTTO optimizations perform on your site is collected. - Rendering data: Page structure information is sent to enable accurate SEO output injection. We do not sell, share, or expose your site data to third parties. All data transmission occurs over encrypted connections using your Search Atlas credentials as the authentication layer. 🔧 Security Improvements We Have Made Search Atlas takes plugin security seriously and has addressed several vulnerabilities identified through internal review. Completed fixes include: - Exposed debug access: A vulnerability that allowed unintended debug endpoints to be reached has been resolved. - Cache-related nonce leakage: An issue where nonces could be exposed through cache interactions has been patched. - Spoofable bot-IP detection: Logic that could be manipulated to misidentify request origins has been hardened. ⚠️ Known Limitations You Should Be Aware Of We are committed to transparency. The following limitations currently exist and are under active review by our engineering team: - No geographic suppression for OTTO tracking: At this time, it is not possible to restrict OTTO telemetry collection based on a visitor's geographic region (for example, to comply with regional privacy regulations). This limitation is being assessed. - Ongoing hardening review: Our team has identified additional areas for review including potential information disclosure, analytics-secret handling, authorization controls, and telemetry scope. These items are in our engineering backlog for selective follow-up. We recommend that customers operating in highly regulated environments or under strict hosting-provider security policies review these limitations with their compliance or legal team. 💡 What to Tell Your Hosting Provider If your hosting provider has raised concerns about the OTTO plugin, here is a plain-language summary you can share: - The plugin authenticates via Search Atlas credentials and does not store passwords on the server. - Elevated WordPress permissions are required for site-wide SEO automation to function correctly. - Data sent to Search Atlas is limited to SEO-relevant site information and performance telemetry. - Several known security issues have been patched, and a broader hardening review is in progress. - All data is transmitted over encrypted connections. 💬 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 instantly connected with a member of our team.

🔐 Grant Developer Access Without Sharing Login Credentials

🧭 Overview You don't need to share your Search Atlas login credentials to have a developer install the WordPress plugin and activate the OTTO pixel. Instead, you can provide two pieces of information — your API key and your OTTO UUID — which give the developer exactly what they need, nothing more. 🔑 What You Need to Share With Your Developer Your developer only needs the following two values to complete the installation: - Search Atlas API Key — authenticates the plugin connection to your account. - OTTO UUID — links the OTTO pixel to your specific OTTO project. Neither value gives access to your account dashboard, billing information, or login credentials. They are safe to share with a trusted third-party developer. 📋 Step 1: Find Your Search Atlas API Key 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open the Avatar Menu (👤) and select Settings. 3. Navigate to the API Keys page. 4. Copy your API Key and send it to your developer securely (for example, via an encrypted message or a password manager share link). 🧩 Step 2: Find Your OTTO UUID 1. From your Search Atlas dashboard, open the OTTO section. 2. Select the OTTO project associated with the website where the plugin will be installed. 3. Locate the OTTO UUID displayed on the project overview or settings page. 4. Copy the UUID and share it with your developer alongside the API key. Tip: If you have not yet created an OTTO project for the website, create one now before proceeding. Each website requires its own OTTO project and UUID. 🛠️ Step 3: Developer Installs the WordPress Plugin Share the following instructions with your developer. They do not need access to your Search Atlas account at any point. 1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard for the website. 2. Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin and upload the Search Atlas plugin ZIP file provided by Search Atlas. 3. Activate the plugin. 4. Open the plugin settings page inside WordPress by navigating to Search Atlas → Settings (General tab). 5. Enter the API Key you provided in the designated field. 6. Enter the OTTO UUID you provided in the OTTO Pixel UUID field. 7. Save the settings. The plugin will verify the connection and activate the OTTO pixel automatically. ✅ Step 4: Verify the Installation Once your developer confirms the plugin is configured, verify the connection from your side: 1. Return to the OTTO section in Search Atlas. 2. Open the relevant OTTO project. 3. Check that the pixel status shows as Active or Connected. 4. If the status does not update within a few minutes, ask your developer to confirm the API key and UUID were entered without extra spaces or characters. 🔒 Security Best Practices - Never share your Search Atlas account password or the email address used to log in. - Share the API key and UUID through a secure channel, such as a password manager's share feature, rather than plain email or chat. - If you believe your API key has been exposed to unintended parties, regenerate it immediately from Avatar Menu (👤) → Settings → API Keys and update the WordPress plugin settings with the new key. - Each OTTO UUID is project-specific and does not provide access to other projects or account data. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Can the developer see my Search Atlas data using the API key? The API key is used by the WordPress plugin to send data to Search Atlas, not to browse your account. However, treat it like a password — share it only with people you trust and regenerate it if needed. Do I need to create a separate Search Atlas account for my developer? No. The API key and UUID workflow is specifically designed to avoid this. Your developer needs no Search Atlas account to install and configure the plugin. What if I manage multiple websites? Each website needs its own OTTO project and UUID. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for each site. The same API key can be used across all of them. 💬 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.

⚡ Respond to Unauthorized Account Activity Fast

What This Means and Why It Matters If you notice projects in your Search Atlas account that you or your team did not create, this is a serious security concern. Unauthorized projects can indicate that your account credentials have been compromised, that a former team member still has access, or that account sessions are being shared unintentionally. Act quickly — the steps below will help you contain the issue and prepare the information our team needs to investigate. Step 1 — Audit Your Team Members Start by reviewing who currently has access to your account. Look through your account's user or team management settings for anyone you do not recognise, former employees, or accounts with unexpected permission levels. Remove access for any user who should not have it, and re-invite legitimate users with fresh invitations if needed. Even one unfamiliar user account can be the entry point for unauthorized activity. If in doubt, remove access and re-invite legitimate users. Step 2 — Change Your Password Immediately If you suspect your credentials have been exposed, reset your password right away through your account settings. Set a new, strong password that is unique to Search Atlas — do not reuse passwords from other services. If your organisation uses shared login credentials, ask all legitimate team members to update their passwords and switch to individual accounts where possible. Step 3 — Document the Unauthorized Projects Before removing anything, collect evidence so our team can investigate effectively. - Take screenshots of any projects you did not create, including project names, creation dates, and any associated URLs or keywords. - Note the approximate date when you first noticed the activity. - Record any other unusual behaviour, such as unexpected changes to existing projects, billing anomalies, or unfamiliar API usage. Do not delete the unauthorized projects yet — preserving them allows our security team to trace the source of the activity. Step 4 — Revoke Unrecognised API Keys and Integrations Unauthorized access can sometimes originate from an exposed API key or a connected third-party tool. Review any active API keys linked to your account and revoke any that you do not recognise or no longer use. Check connected integrations and remove any unauthorised connections. If your credentials were stored in a shared document, spreadsheet, or code repository, remove them immediately. Step 5 — Escalate to Our Security Team Because investigating unauthorized account activity requires backend access to audit logs and session data, our team will need to take action on your behalf. To help us investigate as quickly as possible, please have the following ready when you contact us: - Your account email address and the name of the affected workspace or organisation. - Screenshots and notes collected in Step 3. - The names of any users removed in Step 1 and any API keys revoked in Step 4. - The approximate date you first noticed the unauthorized activity. 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.

⚙️ Upgrade Plans, Install OTTO, Manage Access

💳 Upgrade your subscription Upgrading your plan or purchasing additional OTTO site seats increases the number of projects you can add. After payment is completed, billing systems provision your OTTO quota and related benefits, such as HDC and OTTO AI suggestions. 1. Open your account’s billing or subscription area. 2. Select the plan or OTTO site-seat add-on you need. 3. Complete checkout and return to the platform. 4. Open OTTO SEO from the left sidebar, or go directly to /seo-automation-v3. 5. Confirm that your available site quota has updated before creating another project. 🚧 Fix upgrade or quota errors If an upgrade sends you to an error page, sign out and back in, then check your plan and quota again. Billing updates are normally delivered automatically, but a synchronization delay can temporarily show an incorrect Quota Exhausted message even when your plan or dashboard shows available seats. - Verify that the payment or add-on purchase is complete. - Refresh the OTTO SEO page and check your available site count. - Wait briefly, then try creating the project again. - Do not purchase the add-on repeatedly while the status is synchronizing. If the error continues after the purchase is confirmed, include the affected site, your plan, the exact error message, and the approximate purchase time when contacting support. 🛠️ Install OTTO on a site After your quota is available, open OTTO SEO from the left sidebar. Select or create the project for your site, then choose the supported installation method that matches your setup: - WordPress: install and configure the OTTO WordPress plugin. - Cloudflare: deploy the OTTO Cloudflare Worker. - Other CMS platforms: use the available CMS integration or embed instructions. Complete the installation steps shown for your selected method, then return to OTTO SEO to confirm the site is connected. 👥 Give someone access to one site To let a teammate view only one site, invite them from the site or project’s access and permissions controls rather than granting account-wide access. Select the specific site, enter the person’s user details, and choose the most limited role available, such as Viewer or Read-only. Before sending the invitation, confirm that no additional sites or administrator permissions are selected. The recipient should then be able to view the permitted site without managing your subscription, users, or other projects. Site performance data is available under Site Metrics in the left sidebar. Use Overview, Keywords, Pages, or Site Events to review the connected site. 📊 Check site data and connections Open Site Metrics from the left sidebar, or use /site-explorer/list. From there, select the relevant site and review its available metrics. If a site is missing, confirm that it was added to the correct project and that OTTO installation has been completed. 💬 Get help with account issues 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.

🗑️ Remove All Account Information

🗑️ About Removing Your Information Search Atlas can help you request removal of information associated with your account. This may include projects, site data, reports, keywords, local data, saved settings, and other account information. Data removal may be permanent and could affect access to your account, projects, historical reports, and connected services. Review and download anything you need before submitting a request. 📋 Submit a Removal Request 1. Sign in to the Search Atlas platform. 2. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner. 3. Type human teammate to connect with a member of our team. 4. State that you want all information associated with your account removed. 5. Provide any details needed to identify the correct account, such as the account name or workspace name. Our team will review the request, confirm the scope of removal, and explain any required verification steps before proceeding. ⚠️ Before You Request Deletion - Export or save reports and other information you may need later. - Confirm that all account owners and authorized users agree with the request. - Disconnect or review connected services if you no longer want Search Atlas to access them. - Understand that deleted information may not be recoverable. 🔒 What Happens Next After verification, our team will explain which information can be removed and whether any limited information must be retained for security, legal, billing, or fraud-prevention reasons. Processing time can vary depending on the request and its scope. 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.

🔒 Secure Your Account After Unexpected Changes

🔍 What unexpected changes may mean Unfamiliar projects, saved settings, or a changed logo can have several causes. Someone may have accessed your account, a team member may have made the change, or a temporary display or account-data issue may have shown incorrect information. Do not assume that your data is permanently lost. First, secure access and collect details about what changed. 🛡️ Secure your account immediately 1. Change your password to a new, unique password that you do not use elsewhere. 2. Review team access. Open the Avatar Menu (👤) in the top-right corner, select Team Members, and check for unfamiliar users or roles. 3. Remove unknown access if your permissions allow it. If you cannot remove a user, record their name and role. 4. Sign out of other sessions if this option is available in your account security settings. 5. Secure the email account associated with Search Atlas, including its password and multi-factor authentication settings. 📋 Check what changed Record the project names, logo appearance, approximate time of each change, and the page where you noticed the issue. Take screenshots before making further edits when possible. - Check whether the unfamiliar projects appear in your normal workspace or under a different team. - Ask authorized team members whether they created or edited the projects. - Refresh the page, sign out, and sign back in to check whether the display changes. - For logo issues, check both the account dashboard and any white-label or agency-facing pages. 🖼️ If your logo was changed Confirm that the logo is incorrect across more than one page. A cached image, a white-label setting, or a temporary display problem can sometimes show an outdated or incorrect logo. After securing the account, upload the intended logo again if you have permission to manage branding. If the upload fails or the wrong logo continues to appear, keep the screenshot and page URL for investigation. ⚠️ Signs of possible unauthorized access - Projects or settings changed without approval. - Unknown team members or permission changes. - Changes that return after you correct them. - Activity occurring while your team confirms that nobody made the change. - Unexpected password-reset or login notifications. If you see these signs, avoid sharing your password and complete the security steps above before continuing to edit account settings. 💬 Contact support When contacting support, include the affected workspace or project names, screenshots, approximate timestamps, the account email domain, and the steps you already completed. Do not include passwords, authentication codes, or other sensitive credentials. 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.

🔄 Move a Domain Between Workspaces Safely

What Is Workspace Isolation? In Search Atlas, every project belongs to a workspace — either a client workspace or a private (personal) workspace. Workspace isolation means that the data, configurations, and history inside one workspace are completely separate from those in another. This protects your clients' data and keeps your own projects independent. Sometimes you may need to move a domain from a client workspace into your own private workspace (or vice versa) — for example, if a domain was added to the wrong workspace, or if a client relationship has ended and you want to retain the project under your own account. What Happens During Reassignment? When a domain is reassigned between workspaces, existing project data associated with that domain is retained as part of the transfer. Reassignment does not affect any other projects remaining in the original workspace — moving one domain out of a workspace will have no impact on other domains that remain in that same workspace. How to Request a Domain Reassignment At this time, workspace reassignments are handled by the Search Atlas support team to ensure data integrity throughout the process. Follow the steps below to submit your request. 1. Identify the domain you want to move and note the exact name of the source workspace it currently belongs to. 2. Identify the destination workspace — the private or client workspace where the domain should be reassigned. If you need a new private workspace created, mention that in your request. 3. Contact the support team and provide the following details: - Domain name to be moved - Source workspace name - Destination workspace name - Confirmation that other projects in the source workspace should remain untouched 4. The support team will confirm the reassignment details with you before executing any changes. Important Considerations Before You Request - Have your workspace details ready: Knowing the exact names of both the source and destination workspaces will help the support team process your request accurately and quickly. - Only one domain is moved at a time: If you need multiple domains reassigned, list each one clearly in your request. - No changes are made without confirmation: The support team will review your request with you before taking any action, so there is no risk of accidental changes. 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.

Stop Deactivated Users Receiving Email Notifications

🔍 Overview Some account owners have noticed that deactivated team members continue to receive notification or report emails even after being excluded from recipient settings. This article explains what to do if you are experiencing this issue. ⚙️ Why This Happens Deactivated users can continue to receive emails because scheduled reports and automated emails may have their own separate recipient configurations that are not automatically updated when a user is deactivated. As a result, a deactivated user may remain listed as a recipient inside individual report automations even after they have been removed elsewhere. 🛠️ How to Stop Emails to Deactivated Users 1. Confirm the user has been deactivated. Verify in your account settings that the user in question has been fully deactivated before proceeding. 2. Check your email notification recipient settings. Review the recipient lists in your email and notification settings and remove any deactivated users that still appear there. 3. Audit all scheduled and automated reports. Open each active report automation and review the recipient list inside each one individually. Update or remove any automation that still lists the deactivated user as a recipient. 4. Delete and recreate affected automations if needed. If a scheduled report cannot be edited to remove the deactivated recipient, delete the automation entirely and create a new one with only the correct active recipients. 5. Do a final check. Review all remaining report automations and notification recipient fields to confirm the deactivated user no longer appears anywhere. ✅ Best Practices When Deactivating a User - Before deactivating a team member, audit all scheduled reports and automations they are included in and update the recipient lists first. - Assign a replacement recipient to any report automations previously assigned to that user so no scheduled emails are lost. - After deactivating a user, confirm they have been removed from all individual report and notification recipient lists — not just top-level settings. 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.

🛠️ Prevent Google Ads Account Switches

🔍 What happened OTTO PPC is designed to keep campaign data connected to the Google Ads account selected in the account switcher. A known issue could cause Smart Ads to load campaigns from another account or cause audit links to retain a previously selected account. Fixes for these issues have been completed, although outdated deployments may still show the problem. ✅ Check the selected account 1. Open OTTO PPC and review the Google Ads account shown in the account switcher. 2. Confirm that the account name and customer ID match the account you intend to manage. 3. Before reviewing campaigns, Smart Ads, or audit links, switch to the correct account if needed. 4. Refresh the page after switching accounts and confirm that the campaign list belongs to the selected account. 💳 Verify billing and account access An account can be active without having a valid payment method. In Google Ads, confirm that the intended account has an active billing setup, a valid payment method, and no billing hold. Also verify that your Google login has the required access to manage campaigns in that account. If billing is incomplete, Google Ads may pause campaigns or limit account activity. This does not normally cause an account switch, but completing billing setup helps ensure the correct account is ready to run campaigns. 🛡️ Prevent future issues - Use the account switcher deliberately, especially when managing multiple Google Ads accounts. - Confirm the customer ID before creating, editing, or auditing campaigns. - Avoid keeping multiple OTTO PPC tabs open on different accounts. - Sign out and back in if the account name, campaigns, or audit links do not match. - Keep Search Atlas updated so you receive the latest fixes. 🚨 If the wrong account still appears Stop making changes until the correct account is displayed. Record the selected account name, customer ID, affected campaign, and the page where the mismatch occurred. Then refresh the page, sign out and back in, and check the account switcher again. If the issue continues, 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.

⚙️ Unsubscribe From Search Atlas Emails

📋 Overview If you no longer wish to receive emails from Search Atlas — including product updates, marketing newsletters, or platform notifications — you can request to be unsubscribed. This article explains how to get that done and what to expect. 🚀 How to Unsubscribe From Search Atlas Emails The primary way to unsubscribe from all Search Atlas emails is to use the unsubscribe link included in any email you have received from us. 1. Open any email you have received from Search Atlas. 2. Scroll to the bottom of the email. 3. Click the Unsubscribe link. 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm your preference. If you are still receiving emails after using the unsubscribe link, or if you need your email address removed more urgently, our support team can action this on the backend. This is a manual process handled by our team. 📋 What to Have Ready When Escalating To help our team locate your account and process your unsubscribe request as quickly as possible, please have the following information ready: - The email address you wish to unsubscribe - Your Search Atlas account email (if different from the above) - A description of the types of emails you are receiving (e.g. marketing newsletters, platform notifications) - Any recent example email subject line or sender address ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Will unsubscribing delete my account? No. Unsubscribing from emails only affects your communication preferences. Your Search Atlas account and all your data remain intact. - Will I still receive billing or security emails? Transactional emails — such as payment confirmations, invoices, and password reset emails — may still be sent as they are required to manage your account. - I unsubscribed but I'm still receiving emails. What should I do? Contact our support team using the chat widget described below, and have your account details ready so the team can process the removal manually. 💬 Need Further 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.

🔐 Understanding Marketer.Report Permissions and GBP Security

🧭 Overview When connecting your Google Business Profile (GBP) to Search Atlas, you may see a permission screen that asks you to Sign in to Marketer.Report. This can look unfamiliar and raise understandable questions about whether the request is legitimate and what access is actually being granted. This article explains exactly what Marketer.Report is, why the permission is required, and how your data is protected. ✅ What Is Marketer.Report? Marketer.Report is a component owned and operated by Search Atlas — it is not a Google product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or created by Google in any way. The name appears during the OAuth connection flow because Search Atlas uses Marketer.Report as the underlying service that handles report tracking and site performance metrics for your connected properties. Seeing this name on the permission screen is completely expected. It simply means you are authorising Search Atlas's reporting infrastructure to read the data it needs to power your GBP dashboard and reports. 🔍 Why Does This Permission Request Appear? Search Atlas integrates with Google's OAuth 2.0 system to connect your GBP account securely. During this process, Google displays a consent screen that identifies the application requesting access. Because Search Atlas routes GBP data through its Marketer.Report service, that name is shown on the consent screen rather than the Search Atlas brand name directly. This is standard OAuth behaviour. The consent screen is generated and controlled by Google, which is why it carries the appearance of an official Google prompt — but the application requesting access is Search Atlas via Marketer.Report. 📋 What Data Does Search Atlas Access? Search Atlas requests only the permissions necessary to deliver GBP reporting functionality. Specifically, the access covers: - Business Profile listing data — your business name, location, categories, and attributes used to populate your dashboard. - Performance metrics — views, search queries, direction requests, and call clicks associated with your GBP listing. - Review and post data — public-facing content used to surface insights in your reports. Search Atlas does not access personal Google account information such as Gmail, Google Drive files, payment details, passwords, or any data outside the scope of your Business Profile. The permission is scoped strictly to what is needed for report generation and monitoring. 🔒 Is My Account Information Safe? Yes. Here is how Search Atlas protects your data throughout the connection: - OAuth 2.0 standard: The connection uses Google's industry-standard authorisation protocol. Your Google password is never shared with or stored by Search Atlas. - Scoped access only: Permissions are limited to GBP-related data. No broader Google account access is requested or granted. - Revocable at any time: You can disconnect Search Atlas from your Google account at any time by visiting your Google Account security settings under Third-party apps with account access and removing the Marketer.Report connection. - Data used for reporting only: The data accessed is used solely to generate the metrics and insights displayed inside Search Atlas. It is not sold, shared with third parties, or used for any other purpose. 🔗 Why Is This Permission Necessary for GBP Functionality? Without granting this permission, Search Atlas cannot retrieve your GBP performance data from Google's API. The connection is required for the following features to work correctly: - GBP performance reports via Local → GBP Audit (Generate New Audit Report) - Local search visibility tracking tied to your business listing - Automated metric updates that keep your dashboard current If the permission is declined or the connection is removed, these features will become unavailable until the account is reconnected. 🔄 How to Reconnect Your GBP Account If you previously declined the permission or your connection has lapsed, you can reconnect at any time: 1. Navigate to Local → GBP Projects inside Search Atlas. 2. Click Connect GBP Account. 3. Sign in with the Google account that manages your GBP listing. 4. On the consent screen, review the listed permissions and click Allow. 5. Your GBP data will begin syncing within a few minutes. If the consent screen shows Sign in to Marketer.Report, this is expected. Proceed with confidence — you are authorising Search Atlas's reporting service, not an unknown third party. 💬 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.

⚙️ How to Delete Your Account and Remove Data

About Account Deletion Account deletion in Search Atlas is permanent and irreversible. Once your account is deleted, all associated data — including reports, keyword lists, and content — cannot be recovered. Because the exact process for account deletion requires verification and coordination with our team, this cannot be completed through a fully automated self-serve flow at this time. Before Requesting Account Deletion Before submitting your deletion request, please take care of the following: - Cancel your active subscription: Make sure any active subscription is cancelled before your account is removed to avoid further billing charges. - Export your data: Download any reports, keyword lists, content, or other data you want to keep, as this cannot be retrieved after deletion. - Disconnect integrations: Remove any connected integrations (e.g., Google Search Console, WordPress Plugin) to avoid disruption to those services. How to Request Account Deletion To delete your account and have your data removed, you will need to contact our support team directly. When you reach out, please have the following ready to help us process your request as quickly as possible: - The email address associated with your Search Atlas account - Confirmation that your subscription has been cancelled (or a request to cancel it as part of the process) - Any specific data-removal requirements you have Our team will verify your identity and confirm the deletion request before taking any action. You will be notified once the process is complete. Troubleshooting If you have already submitted a deletion request and have not heard back, or if you are experiencing issues related to billing after requesting deletion, please contact our support team with your account email address and the date you submitted your request so we can investigate promptly. 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.

🔒 Responding to Unauthorized Account Activity

🔍 Overview If you notice projects, users, or changes in your account that you did not initiate, treat it as a potential security incident and act quickly. This article walks you through how to identify suspicious activity, secure your account immediately, and escalate to our team for investigation. ⚠️ Signs of Unauthorized Account Activity Common indicators that your account may have been accessed without your permission include: - Projects appearing in your account that you or your team did not create - New team members or users you do not recognize - Changes to settings, integrations, or connected properties you did not make - Unexpected email notifications about account changes - Activity in connected tools (such as Google Search Console) that you did not trigger 🛠️ Step 1 — Secure Your Account Immediately Before investigating, take these steps to limit further unauthorized access: 1. Change your password immediately. Use a strong, unique password that you have not used on any other platform. 2. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) if it is not already active on your account. 3. Review active team members. Go to the top-right Avatar Menu (👤) and select Team Members (or navigate to /settings). Remove any users you do not recognize or did not invite. 4. Revoke any API keys that may have been issued without your knowledge, if accessible in your account settings. 5. Sign out of all active sessions to force any unauthorized sessions to end. 🔎 Step 2 — Identify What Changed After securing your account, document the suspicious activity so our team can investigate effectively: - Note the names and dates of any projects you did not create - Record any user accounts or email addresses that appear unfamiliar - Screenshot any settings or integrations that look altered - Check your email inbox for any Search Atlas notifications you did not expect, including invitations sent to unknown recipients The more detail you can provide, the faster our team can trace the source of the activity and take action. 👥 Step 3 — Audit Your Team Members A common source of unexpected account activity is an unrecognized user with access to your workspace. To review and manage your team: 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Select Team Members from the dropdown menu, or go directly to /settings. 3. Review the full list of users, their roles, and access levels. 4. Remove any user you did not invite or no longer recognize by selecting the appropriate option next to their name. If you find a user with view-only access that you did not invite, remove them immediately and report this to our support team for further investigation. 🚨 Step 4 — Report the Incident to Our Team Once you have secured your account and documented the suspicious changes, contact our team right away. We can investigate the origin of the activity, review access logs, and take additional protective action on our end. 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. When you reach our team, please share: - A description of what you observed and when you first noticed it - Screenshots or names of unrecognized projects, users, or changes - Whether you have already removed any unauthorized users or changed your credentials 💡 Best Practices to Prevent Unauthorized Access Reduce the risk of future incidents by following these security best practices: - Use a unique, strong password for your Search Atlas account — do not reuse passwords from other services. - Enable two-factor authentication on your account and encourage all team members to do the same. - Audit your team members regularly, especially after offboarding employees or ending agency relationships. - Be cautious with API keys — only share them with trusted integrations and revoke any that are no longer needed. - Monitor account notifications — unexpected emails about your account are often the first sign of unauthorized access.

🔄 How to Remove and Replace a Team Member

This article explains how to remove a team member from your Search Atlas account and invite a replacement. Whether you are offboarding a colleague or updating your team's access, the steps below walk you through the full process and show you how to confirm the changes took effect. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and open your account or workspace settings. 2. Navigate to the team or users section within your settings. 3. Locate the team member you want to remove. Look for an options menu, action button, or kebab icon (⋮) next to their name or email address. 4. Select the option to remove, delete, or revoke access for that user. If prompted, confirm the action in any dialog box that appears. 5. Once the removal is confirmed, look for an option to invite or add a new team member — this is typically a button near the top of the team list. 6. Enter the new team member's email address, assign them an appropriate role or permission level, and send the invitation. 7. Ask the new team member to check their inbox (including their spam or junk folder) for the invitation email and complete the sign-up or acceptance steps. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked 1. Return to your team or users settings page and refresh the page. 2. Confirm that the removed team member's name or email address no longer appears in the list. 3. Confirm that the new team member's name or email address does appear in the list, either as active or invited. 4. Once they accept the invite, their status should update from Invited to Active (or equivalent), confirming they now have full access. 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.

👥 Managing User Seats and Team Member Provisioning

🗺️ Overview Search Atlas workspaces include a fixed number of user seats based on your plan. When you deactivate a team member, that seat should become available to reassign. If you're running into issues adding a new user after a deactivation, this article walks you through the correct process and known fixes. 📋 Understanding Your Seat Quota Each plan comes with a set number of user seats: - Pro Plan — 5 seats (if your workspace shows 4, this is a known display issue; your actual quota is 5) - Other plans — seat count varies; check your billing page for your current allocation If you need more seats than your plan includes, additional seats can be purchased as a top-up. Note that excess user seats beyond your plan quota are billed separately. 🔄 How to Replace a User Seat Follow these steps in order to deactivate an existing user and provision a new one: 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Team Members (Settings) in your Search Atlas workspace. 2. Locate the user you want to remove and click Deactivate. 3. Wait for the page to fully reload and confirm the user's status shows as Inactive. 4. Without leaving the Settings area, click Add member and enter the new user's email address. 5. Select the appropriate role and send the invitation. The newly invited user will receive an email with a link to join your workspace. The seat is consumed once they accept the invitation. ⚠️ Common Issues and Fixes If you deactivated a user but still cannot add a new seat, try the following: - Hard refresh the page — press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) to force-reload without cache. - Check your seat count — navigate to the Avatar Menu (👤) (Avatar Menu (👤), top-right) → Billing and confirm the number of active seats versus your plan's quota. A mismatch here may indicate a billing sync issue. - Verify deactivation completed — a user in a pending or invited state still occupies a seat. Cancel any outstanding invitations before sending a new one. - Pro Plan seat display bug — if your Pro Plan shows only 4 available seats instead of 5, this is a known UI issue. Your actual quota is 5. Proceed with the invite; it should succeed. - Workspace ownership changes — if your workspace was recently reinstalled or the admin account changed, seat allocation can occasionally fall out of sync. This is a known issue and requires our team to correct it on the backend. 💳 Billing Considerations for Seats Keep the following billing rules in mind when managing seats: - Deactivating a user frees up the seat within your current plan quota — it does not automatically reduce your bill if you are on a top-up. - Any seats added beyond your plan's included quota are charged as top-ups on your next billing cycle. - If you believe you have been charged incorrectly for seats, review your usage under the Avatar Menu (👤) (Avatar Menu (👤), top-right) → Billing and contact our team via the chat widget. 👤 Workspace Admin and Ownership Notes Only workspace admins can invite, deactivate, or manage user seats. If you recently transferred admin rights or reinstalled the workspace through a different admin account, note the following: - Partial ownership transfers can orphan certain settings, including seat assignments. - The original admin's connected integrations (Slack, Teams, etc.) may show as disconnected after a reinstall under a different admin. - If you are unsure who holds admin rights in your workspace, click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Team Members (Settings), then look for the Admin role badge. 🆘 Still Unable to Add a User? If you have followed all the steps above and still cannot provision a new seat, the issue likely requires a backend correction to your seat quota or billing state. 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.

🔍 Dispute a Publisher Website Ownership Claim

🗺️ Overview If a website you own is already listed on the Publication Media platform under another publisher's account, you can formally request an ownership transfer. This article walks you through the verification process and explains what to expect. ⚙️ How Website Ownership Works Each domain on the Publication Media platform can only be linked to one publisher account at a time. Ownership is confirmed through a domain verification check — the platform looks for a unique verification code placed on your website. Whoever successfully verifies the code is recognised as the legitimate owner. If someone has already listed your domain, you will not be able to add it through the standard flow until the dispute is resolved. 🛠️ Step 1 — Prepare Your Verification Evidence Before raising a dispute, gather the following to support your claim: - Proof of domain ownership — a screenshot or export from your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains) showing your name or organisation as the registered owner. - Access credentials — confirmation that you control the website's hosting or DNS settings (you will need this to place a verification code). - The domain in question — note the exact URL as it appears on the platform (e.g., mit.edu.co.bz). 📋 Step 2 — Attempt to Add the Website Yourself 1. In the left sidebar, navigate to Website Studio (or go to /website-studio). 2. Click Add Website and enter your domain. 3. If the domain is already claimed, you will see a notice indicating it is registered under another account. 4. Note any error message or reference number shown — this helps our team locate the record quickly. 📞 Step 3 — Contact Support to Open a Dispute Once you have your evidence ready and have confirmed the domain is already claimed, contact our support team directly through the platform. 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. When you connect, share the following details: - The exact domain you are disputing (e.g., mit.edu.co.bz) - Your registrar proof of ownership - Your Search Atlas account email - Any error message or reference number from Step 2 🔎 Step 4 — Verification Review Process Our team will carry out the following steps after receiving your dispute: 1. Identity check — we verify that the domain's WHOIS or registrar record matches your account information. 2. Active code check — we check whether the current listing has a valid, active verification code on the domain. 3. Ownership transfer — if your claim is validated and the existing listing cannot prove active ownership, the domain will be reassigned to your account. 4. Re-verification — you will be asked to place a verification code on your site to complete the transfer and activate your listing. Resolution times vary depending on the complexity of the case, but our team will keep you updated throughout the process via the chat thread. ⚠️ Important Notes - Disputes are reviewed manually and require clear registrar-level proof — platform screenshots alone are not sufficient. - If the current publisher can demonstrate active, verified ownership, the dispute may not be upheld. In that case, our team will explain next steps. - Once a domain is transferred to your account, any previously placed orders linked to that listing will be reviewed separately by our team. - Make sure your domain verification code remains on your site after setup — the platform runs monthly health checks to confirm ongoing ownership. 💡 Tips to Avoid Future Disputes - Add your websites to the platform as soon as you acquire them to prevent others from listing them first. - Keep your registrar contact details up to date so ownership can be confirmed quickly. - Do not remove your verification code from your site after setup — doing so may trigger a failed health check and place a hold on your payouts.

👥 How to Reactivate a Deactivated Team Member

What does deactivating a team member do? Deactivating a team member from the Team Members panel revokes their access to your workspace. It does not permanently delete their account history. How do I restore a deactivated team member’s access? Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform and select Team Members. This panel lists your workspace users, lets you change their roles, and controls their access status. Locate the deactivated member in this list to review their current status. If the panel does not offer a way to restore their access, invite them again as a team member: click Add member, enter their email address, and select their role. Follow the confirmation steps to finish. What if I see “User Already Exists” when inviting them again? This happens when the person’s email is still stored in your workspace as a revoked or removed record. The system recognizes the email as existing, which blocks a new invitation. Delete that stored record from your user management settings first, then send the invitation again. Which role should the restored member have? Search Atlas has two roles for team members: Admin and Viewer. Admins have full access and can manage team members; Viewers have access based on the workspace they are added to and cannot manage members. What if the seat still shows as used? In some cases, deactivating a member does not immediately release their seat, and your used seat count stays the same. This is a known issue that requires action from our team. Contact support and include your account email address and the deactivated member’s email address. Still need help? Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human to reach our support team.

🛠️ Delete Your Account and Reports

📊 Stop automated reports To review and stop scheduled report emails, open Reports from the left sidebar. Find the relevant report and disable or remove its scheduled delivery. Review all reports, including those connected to inactive integrations, to prevent unwanted automated emails. 🗑️ Delete your account Account deletion permanently removes your Search Atlas account and related data. Before requesting deletion, stop scheduled reports and save anything you need to keep. < 1. Open the account or workspace settings. 2. Choose the account deletion option. 3. Review the warning and confirm the deletion request. Deletion may require background processing. During this process, some report or integration data may take time to finish being removed. 🔒 If you cannot log in If you can still open the platform, use the chat widget in the bottom-right corner and type human teammate. Ask the team to help stop automated reports and process account deletion. Include the account or workspace name, the email associated with the account, and the report or brand name involved. Do not share your password. ✅ After deletion Once deletion is complete, you should no longer receive account-related automated reports. If messages continue, provide the report name, recipient address, and approximate send time in the chat so the team can investigate. 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.

🏛️ Resolving Website Ownership Conflicts on Publication Media

🔍 Overview If your website is already listed on the Publication Media platform under a different account, you may encounter an ownership conflict. This article explains why this happens, what you can do, and how our team resolves these disputes fairly and securely. ⚠️ Why Ownership Conflicts Happen Ownership conflicts occur when a domain is registered in Publication Media by someone other than the true website owner. Common causes include: - A previous agency, partner, or contractor submitted the site on your behalf - A reseller or third party listed your domain without your knowledge - A former employee registered the site under their own account - Duplicate submissions during platform migrations or onboarding Regardless of how the conflict arose, Search Atlas takes domain ownership seriously. Only the verified owner of a domain has the right to control its listing. ✅ How Ownership Is Verified To establish rightful ownership, our team uses a domain ownership verification process. This involves confirming that you have direct access to and control over the domain in question. Our support team will guide you through the specific verification steps required for your situation. 🛠️ Steps to Claim Your Website 1. Do not create a duplicate listing. Submitting the same domain twice will not resolve the conflict and may delay the process. 2. Gather your proof of ownership. Be ready to demonstrate that you are the rightful owner of the domain. Having access to your domain registrar or hosting account may be helpful. 3. Contact our support team. Open the chat widget and request an ownership conflict review. Provide your domain name and be ready to complete the verification steps our team assigns. 4. Complete the verification challenge. Our team will provide specific instructions. Follow them as directed and notify the team when you have done so. 5. Await confirmation. Once verified, our team will update the listing to reflect your ownership. The previous account's access to that domain will be reviewed and adjusted accordingly. 📋 What to Expect During the Review Our team will: - Review the history of the domain listing on Publication Media - Issue a verification challenge only you — as the true owner — can complete - Update the domain's ownership record once verification is successful - Notify you when the transfer is complete and your site is live under your account Please note that for security reasons, we cannot transfer or remove a listing based on a claim alone. Verification is always required. 💡 Tips for a Smooth Resolution - Have your domain name ready when you contact support - Be prepared to demonstrate access to the domain or its associated accounts - Respond promptly to any instructions our team provides 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.

🔐 Activate Two-Factor Authentication

🔐 What two-factor authentication does Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra security step when you sign in. After entering your password, you’ll confirm your identity with a code from an authenticator app. ⚙️ How to activate 2FA 1. Sign in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open the Avatar Menu (👤) by selecting your avatar in the top-right corner. 3. Open your account or security settings. 4. Find the Two-factor authentication or 2FA option and select Enable. 5. Scan the displayed QR code with an authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy. You can also enter the setup key manually. 6. Enter the six-digit code generated by the app. 7. Confirm the setup and securely save any recovery codes provided. 📱 Signing in after activation Enter your Search Atlas email address and password as usual. When prompted, open your authenticator app and enter the current six-digit code. 🛟 If you lose access Use a saved recovery code if you cannot access your authenticator app. Recovery codes are intended for one-time use, so store them securely and do not share them. 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.

🔒 Secure Shopify Access for Agency OTTO Installation

Overview As an agency partner, you should never need to ask a client for their Shopify username and password. Shopify provides a built-in staff and collaborator access system that lets your client invite you directly — giving you the permissions needed to install OTTO securely, without credential sharing of any kind. What You Need Before Starting - Your client's Shopify store URL (e.g., storename.myshopify.com) - The email address associated with your Shopify account or the one you want your client to send the invite to - Your client to have Staff or Owner-level access to their own Shopify admin Step 1 — Ask Your Client to Grant You Staff Access Ask your client to add you as a staff member or collaborator through their Shopify admin. They should use the email address you provide, and assign you sufficient permissions to install apps. Your client does not need to share any passwords — Shopify will send an invitation directly to your inbox, granting you secure, role-based access. For exact navigation steps within their Shopify admin, your client can refer to Shopify's official Help Center at help.shopify.com for up-to-date guidance on managing staff and permissions. Step 2 — Accept the Staff Invitation Once your client has sent the invite, check the inbox of the email address they used. Open the invitation email from Shopify and follow the prompts to accept access. You will need to create or log in to a Shopify account when prompted. After completing this step, you will have access to your client's Shopify admin with the permissions they assigned. Step 3 — Install OTTO on the Client's Store Once you have staff access to your client's Shopify store, proceed to connect and install OTTO through your Search Atlas account. To do this, log in to Search Atlas, open the OTTO setup flow for the relevant project, and when you are prompted to authenticate with Shopify, log in using your own staff account credentials — not your client's. This keeps your client's primary credentials secure while allowing you to complete the installation on their behalf. If you are unsure which project to connect or encounter an error during the Shopify authentication step, note the exact error message and the store URL so our team can assist you quickly. Why This Method Is Recommended - No password sharing: Your client never needs to hand over credentials. - Role-based access: Shopify's permission system limits what each staff member can see and do. - Revocable at any time: Your client can remove your access from their Shopify admin whenever needed. 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.

👥 How to Manage Team Access

Use these steps to add a teammate or remove an existing member’s access from your account. 📍 Where to Find It Open the Avatar Menu (👤) in the top-right corner, then select Team Members. This opens the team settings page. 🛠️ Step-by-Step 1. To add someone, select Add member. 2. Enter the teammate’s details and assign the appropriate Member or Admin role. 3. Send the invitation and ask the teammate to complete the sign-up process. 4. To remove access, find the existing teammate and select Deactivate. The platform uses deactivation rather than a permanent delete action. 5. If you need 1:1 training, select Explore Training Calls. Training availability depends on your account’s eligibility; if this option is unavailable, the account may not qualify for it. ✅ How to Confirm It Worked Confirm that the new teammate appears in Team Members with the correct role and an invitation or active status. For a removed teammate, verify that their status shows as deactivated and that they can no longer access the account. 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.

🚫 Handling Unsolicited Pitches and Spam Outreach

🔍 What Is This About? Some Search Atlas users have reported receiving unsolicited messages through the platform — typically SEO service offers, link-building pitches, or business proposals that include sample websites and requests for a reply. These messages are not sent or endorsed by Search Atlas and are considered spam or unsolicited solicitation. This article explains what to do if you receive one of these messages and how to keep your inbox clean. 📬 Where These Messages May Appear Unsolicited pitches can arrive through the outreach-related sections of the platform. If you receive a message you did not request or notice activity you did not initiate, check your outreach and messaging areas within the platform and take action immediately using the steps below. ⚠️ How to Recognise an Unsolicited Pitch Unsolicited solicitations typically share these characteristics: - Offers of SEO, link-building, or guest posting services you never requested - Lists of sample websites or client references included in the message body - Requests to reply to a proposal or click an external link - Sender details you do not recognise or that seem unrelated to your projects - A generic greeting with no reference to your specific business or domain If a message matches any of these patterns, treat it as unsolicited and do not reply, click any links, or share personal or payment details. 🛠️ What to Do If You Receive One 1. Do not reply — responding confirms your address is active and may invite more solicitations. 2. Do not click any links — external links in unsolicited messages can pose security risks. 3. Note the sender details — take a screenshot or copy the sender name and message content before taking further action. 4. Delete or dismiss the message — remove it from your outreach inbox to keep your workspace tidy. 5. Report it to our team — open the chat widget (see below) and share the sender details so we can investigate and take appropriate action. 🔒 Protecting Your Account Search Atlas does not facilitate or endorse third-party solicitation within the platform. To reduce exposure: - Regularly review your outreach inbox for any unexpected messages. - Ensure only trusted team members have access to your workspace — manage access via your account settings. - If you suspect your account credentials have been compromised, change your password immediately. 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.

🔐 Resolve a Website Ownership Conflict

🔎 Why this happens Search Atlas prevents duplicate website listings to protect site data and workspace access. You may see an ownership conflict when the website is already connected to another workspace, was added by a former team member, or is listed under a different version of the domain. ✅ Check the website details 1. Open Website Studio from the left sidebar. 2. Confirm that you entered the correct domain, including the spelling and domain extension. 3. Check whether the website uses a different version, such as www versus the root domain, or a different subdomain. 4. Do not create a second listing for the same website. 🛠️ Verify your ownership Make sure you can access the website or its domain settings. If Search Atlas provides an ownership verification step, complete it using the available instructions. The verification must be added to the exact website version shown in the platform. If you manage the website through a team, confirm that you have permission to edit its files, DNS settings, or connected publishing account. Being the website owner does not always mean your Search Atlas account has access to an existing listing. 👥 Request access from the current owner If another workspace already contains the website, contact the person who originally added it and ask them to review the listing and provide access or remove it if it is no longer needed. This is usually the fastest way to resolve a legitimate shared-ownership situation. If the website belongs to a previous employee, agency, or workspace, gather proof that you control the domain and identify the existing listing details before requesting a transfer or correction. 🚫 Avoid common mistakes - Do not repeatedly submit the same website. - Do not add a temporary subdomain to bypass an ownership conflict. - Do not remove verification records unless you understand which listing they belong to. - Confirm that you are working in the correct Search Atlas workspace. 💬 Get help resolving the conflict If the website is yours but remains unavailable after checking the details and completing verification, include the domain, the Search Atlas workspace you are using, and a screenshot of the conflict message when requesting 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.

🔒 Isolate and Transfer a Project Between Workspaces

🧩 What This Article Covers If a project (for example, a client website) is visible inside a shared workspace where an unauthorized user has admin access, you can request that Search Atlas detach it and transfer it to a private, owner-controlled workspace. This article explains how workspace isolation works and how to request one. ⚠️ Why This Happens Projects in Search Atlas live inside workspaces. When multiple users or organizations share a workspace, every admin in that workspace can see all projects inside it. This becomes a problem when: - A client or contractor was given admin access to a shared workspace. - A project belonging to a different client or owner was created inside that same workspace. - The original owner needs to regain exclusive control of the project without losing data. Search Atlas does not automatically separate projects when workspace membership changes, so a manual isolation action is required. 📋 What Is Preserved During a Transfer When a project is detached from one workspace and moved to another, project data and configuration are carried over. Ownership metadata is updated to reflect the destination workspace, and the project will no longer appear in the source workspace once the transfer is complete. The support team will confirm exactly what is included when they process your request. 🛠️ How to Request a Project Isolation and Transfer This operation is performed by the Search Atlas support team on your behalf. To help the team process your request as quickly as possible, have the following ready before reaching out: - The affected project name and domain — the exact name of the project and the domain it is associated with. - The current workspace name — where the project currently lives. - The destination workspace — whether you want the project moved to an existing private workspace or need a new one created. - Proof of ownership — be prepared to verify that you are the original account owner; the support team will check account records before making any changes. - A brief description of the access concern — explain who has unauthorized access and why the project needs to be isolated. 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.

🔍 Understanding Account Creation Email Notifications

🔍 Why Did You Receive This Email? Search Atlas sends automatic email notifications whenever a new user account is created or an existing account is deactivated on your workspace. These emails are a standard security measure to keep account owners and administrators informed of any changes to team access. If you received one of these emails, it simply means one of the following events occurred on your Search Atlas workspace: - A new team member was invited and their account was successfully created. - An existing team member's account was deactivated by a workspace administrator. - Your own account was set up for the first time when you were added to a workspace. ✅ What You Should Do Next In most cases, no action is required on your part. However, we recommend taking a moment to verify the activity in your account: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Navigate to your account settings. 3. Review the list of team members and their current statuses to confirm everything looks as expected. If the team member listed in the email is someone you or a colleague intentionally added or removed, there is nothing further to do. 🚨 What If You Don't Recognise the Activity? If the email references an account creation or deactivation that you did not authorise and cannot explain, treat this as a potential security concern and act immediately: - Change your password right away by going to your account settings. - Review all team members in your account settings and remove any accounts you do not recognise. - Contact your workspace administrator to confirm whether the change was intentional. Acting quickly helps protect your workspace data and prevents any unauthorised access from continuing. 💡 Who Can Manage Team Members? Only users with administrative permissions can invite new team members or deactivate existing ones. If you received a notification but do not manage your workspace, reach out to your workspace administrator to confirm the change was intentional. 🛠️ Need Further 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.

🔐 Smarter Login Redirects on Session Expiry

We've improved how the platform handles expired or invalid sessions, so you're only redirected to the login page when it's truly necessary. ✨ What's New Previously, certain connection issues could trigger an unexpected redirect to the login page even when your session was still valid. The platform now correctly distinguishes between a genuine session expiry and other types of temporary errors, redirecting you to login only when your authentication has actually lapsed. 📋 What to Expect If your session expires, you will still be redirected to the login page as expected. However, unrelated connectivity or loading issues will no longer cause unnecessary logouts, meaning fewer interruptions to your workflow and a more stable browsing experience across the platform. 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.

🔐 Resolve Website Ownership Conflicts

🔎 Why the conflict appears Search Atlas prevents the same website from being added more than once when it is already associated with another listing, workspace, or account. This can happen even when you are the website owner. Common causes include: - The website was previously added by you or a teammate. - The domain is listed under another Search Atlas workspace. - You are adding a different version of the same site, such as www versus the root domain. - An old or duplicate listing still exists. 🧭 Check your existing listings 1. Open Website Studio from the left sidebar, or go to /website-studio. 2. Review your website listings and search for the domain. 3. Check common variations, including the root domain, www version, HTTP, and HTTPS. 4. Open the existing listing to confirm whether it is the site you want to manage. ✅ Confirm the correct website Compare the listing with your website’s address. Make sure you are not trying to add a subdomain, folder, or alternate URL as a separate website when it belongs to an existing domain listing. If the existing listing is in your workspace, continue using it instead of creating another one. This keeps your website data and settings together. 🔄 Request a listing correction If the site belongs to you but is attached to another workspace or account, do not create a duplicate listing. Prepare the following information: - The exact website domain and URL variation. - The Search Atlas workspace where you want to manage it. - Proof that you control the website, if requested. - The name or location of any existing listing you found. 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. ⚠️ Avoid duplicate listings Do not repeatedly retry the same domain or create multiple variations to bypass the conflict. Duplicate entries can split your website data and make ownership harder to resolve. Use one accurate listing and ask our team to review ownership when the website is already claimed elsewhere.

How to Change Your Primary Account Email

📋 Overview Your primary account email is the address you use to log in to Search Atlas and receive important account notifications. At this time, the primary login email cannot be changed directly from within the platform settings — this change must be handled by our support team to ensure your account data and any active memberships transfer correctly. 🔍 Before You Begin Please have the following details ready before contacting support. This helps our team process your request as quickly as possible: - Current login email address — the email you use to sign in today. - New email address — the address you want to switch to. - Access to both email inboxes — our team may need to verify ownership of each address. 🛠️ How to Request an Email Change 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account using your current email address. 2. Contact our support team and let them know you would like to change your primary login email, providing both your current and new email addresses. 3. Follow any verification steps the agent sends to confirm ownership of your new address. 4. Once verified, our team will update your login email and confirm when the change is live. ⚠️ Important Things to Know - After the change is complete, you must use your new email address to log in — your old address will no longer work. 💬 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.

🏷️ White Label SSO Authentication Static Generation

The White Label SSO Authentication flow has been updated to support static generation via getStaticProps, improving performance and reliability for white-labeled portals. ✨ What's New The SSO Authentication page now leverages getStaticProps for static generation. This change enables the authentication page to be pre-rendered at build time rather than on every request, resulting in faster initial load times and improved stability for users accessing white-labeled platforms through Single Sign-On. 🛠️ How to Use It 1. No action is required from your end — this improvement is applied automatically to all White Label SSO Authentication flows. 2. Verify your SSO login page loads as expected within your white-labeled portal. 3. If you have custom SSO configurations, confirm that authentication redirects and session handling continue to work correctly after the update. 📋 What to Expect The SSO Authentication page behavior remains the same from the user's perspective — the update is infrastructure-level. You may notice faster page load times on the authentication screen. No changes to SSO configuration, credentials, or redirect URLs are required. 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.

✉️ How to Change Your Account Login Email

📋 Overview If you need to update the email address associated with your Search Atlas account, there is a self-service path you can try first. If that path is unavailable — for example, because all team member seats on your plan are already filled — our support team can make the change directly on the backend. 🪑 Before You Start: Check Your Available Seats The self-service method requires at least one open team member seat on your account. To check this, click your avatar in the top-right corner and go to Team Members. Review how many seats are currently in use. If a seat is available, follow the steps below. If all seats are occupied, skip to the Contact Support section. 🔄 Option 1: Self-Service Email Change (Open Seat Required) 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform and select Team Members. 2. Add your new email address as a team member and assign it the appropriate role (Viewer or Admin). 3. Accept the invitation using the new email address. Check the inbox for that address and follow the link provided. 4. Once the new email is active and you have confirmed access, return to Team Members and deactivate or remove the old email address. 5. Going forward, log in using your new email address. Important: Complete step 3 before removing the old email to avoid losing access to your account. 🛠️ Option 2: Backend Change via Support (No Open Seats) If your plan has no available team member seats, you will not be able to add a new email address yourself. In this case, our support team can update your login email directly on the backend — no extra steps required on your end. To request this change, 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. Please have the following ready: - Your current login email address - The new email address you want to use Our team will confirm once the change has been made, and you can then log in with your new email address immediately. ⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind - Only one email address can serve as your primary login at a time. - After your login email is updated, any future password reset emails will be sent to the new address. - If you are on a plan with limited seats, consider whether deactivating unused team members first could free up a seat for the self-service path. - If you experience any login issues after the change — such as your account appearing inactive — contact support right away. 💬 Need Further 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.

🔒 Search Atlas MCP Connector Security Review

🔍 Overview The Search Atlas MCP connector lets an AI assistant, such as Claude, use Search Atlas tools on your behalf. IT and security teams usually want written answers before enabling a connector for a whole company workspace. This article lists the topics reviewers typically ask about, explains how to evaluate each one, and shows how to get formal documentation. Important: Compliance attestations, token settings and legal terms must be confirmed in current, written form. This article does not replace those documents. Please do not rely on a help article alone for a formal vendor review. 📋 What Security Teams Usually Ask For - Connector status: whether the connector is generally available, in beta, or listed in a specific directory. - Compliance attestations: SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 reports or certificates, including the report period and scope. - OAuth details: requested scopes, access and refresh token lifetimes, revocation, and SSO behavior. - Read-only options: whether access can be limited to viewing data without making changes. - Tool-change notification: how you are told when tools are added, renamed, or changed. - Audit logging: what activity is recorded and how you can export it. - Data handling: DPA, subprocessor list, data location, and retention. - Credits and billing: how MCP tool calls are counted against your plan. 🔐 How Access and Authentication Work The connector uses an OAuth-style sign-in. Each person who connects is sent to Search Atlas to log in and approve access. The assistant can then only work within what that person's Search Atlas account is allowed to see and do. This means: - Your existing Search Atlas roles and project access still apply. - Each user connects individually, so you can add or remove people one at a time. - Passwords are never entered into the AI assistant itself. For the exact scopes, token lifetimes, and how SSO sign-in interacts with the connector, ask for written confirmation (see the request steps below). These values should be stated in a dated document your team can file. 🛡️ Compliance and Attestations For SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, reviewers should ask for the current report or certificate and check three things: 1. The report period and the date it was issued. 2. Whether the scope covers the Search Atlas platform and the MCP connector. 3. Any exceptions or qualified opinions noted by the auditor. Ask our team for the current documents directly rather than relying on a public statement. Documents can be shared under NDA if needed. 👁️ Read-Only Access If your policy requires read-only use, you can reduce risk in several ways: - Have users connect with a Search Atlas role that has view-only permissions. - Limit which projects and workspaces the connecting accounts can reach. - In your Claude workspace, review which tools the connector exposes and disable any that can create or change data, if your plan supports per-tool controls. Ask us to confirm in writing whether a dedicated read-only scope is available for the connector today. 🔔 Tool Changes and Audit Logging An MCP connector exposes a list of tools, and that list can change over time. To stay in control: - Record the tool list at the time of your approval. - Re-check the list in your Claude workspace periodically, and after any product announcement. - Ask us how tool changes are announced and whether advance notice is provided. For audit logging, check two places: your Claude workspace's admin logs, which show connector use on that side, and the activity history in Search Atlas. Ask us to confirm what is logged on the Search Atlas side and whether logs can be exported. 📄 Data Handling, DPA and Subprocessors When the assistant calls a Search Atlas tool, data from your account is returned to the assistant and processed under your AI provider's terms as well as ours. Your review should cover both. Request these from us: - The Data Processing Agreement (DPA). - The current subprocessor list and how changes are communicated. - Data retention and deletion terms. - Where data is stored and processed. Also review your AI provider's data handling terms for your specific plan. 💳 Credits and Billing Reviewers often ask whether MCP tool calls cost extra. Check the usage and billing page in your Search Atlas account to see how credits are used on your plan. Because usage can add up when many team members run automated requests, we suggest: - Starting with a small pilot group. - Monitoring credit usage during the first few weeks. - Asking us to confirm in writing how each MCP tool is counted against your plan. ✅ Recommended Rollout Steps 1. Collect your security questionnaire and the list of topics above. 2. Request written confirmation and documents from our team (see below). 3. Run a pilot with a few users on a test project. 4. Document the approved tool list, roles, and credit expectations. 5. Enable the connector for the wider workspace. 6. Review access and usage on a regular schedule. 🔌 How to Revoke Access To stop the connector from working for a user, disconnect it in your Claude workspace settings. You can also remove the user's access or change their role in Search Atlas. For offboarding, do both. If you need a company-wide shutoff, disable the connector at the workspace level. 💬 Getting Written Confirmation For a formal review, tell our team which items you need, such as the attestation reports, OAuth specifics, the DPA, the subprocessor list, and billing details. Include your company name and your security questionnaire if you have one. 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.

🔄 How to Transfer a Publisher Account Email

Need to move your Search Atlas marketplace publisher account to a different email address? This happens when a team member leaves, a company changes domains, or you want to use a shared inbox. This article explains how the process works and what to have ready so your request can be handled quickly. 📌 When You Might Need a Transfer - The person who created the account no longer works with your company. - Your business is switching to a new email domain. - You want the account tied to a team or company address instead of a personal one. - You are handing the publisher account to a new owner or manager. 🔐 Why Email Changes Need a Quick Check Your publisher account is linked to your listed websites, orders, and payout-related details. Because of this, a change of account email is handled with a short verification step. This protects you and prevents anyone else from taking control of your account. 📝 What to Have Ready Gathering these details before you start helps us complete your request with fewer back-and-forth messages: - Current email address: the email the publisher account is registered under today. - New email address: the exact address you want to use going forward. Double-check the spelling. - Access to the new inbox: you may need to confirm a message sent to it. - Proof of ownership: be ready to confirm you are authorized to manage the account, for example by naming the websites listed on it. - Reason for the change: a short note, such as a staff change or new company domain. - Existing Search Atlas account check: tell us if the new email is already used for another Search Atlas account, so we can plan around it. 🧭 Step-by-Step: How to Request the Transfer 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. If you can no longer access the current email, still open the platform and use the chat widget. 2. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform. 3. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. 4. Tell us you want to transfer your publisher account to a new email address. 5. Share the current email, the new email, and the list of websites on the account. 6. Follow any verification steps our team gives you, such as confirming a message sent to the new inbox. 7. Once the change is complete, log in with the new email and check that your account details look right. ✅ Before You Request the Transfer - Note your open work: make a list of any active or pending orders so you can confirm they look correct afterward. - Save your account details: keep a record of your listed sites and current settings. - Tell your team: let colleagues know the login email will change so nobody is surprised by missed notifications. - Update saved logins: after the change, update any password managers or shared documents that store the old email. 🔎 After the Transfer When the transfer is complete, check the following: - You can log in with the new email address. - Your listed websites appear as expected. - Your order history and notifications look correct. - Notification emails arrive at the new address. Check your spam folder if you do not see them. If anything looks wrong, return to the chat widget and let us know right away so we can look into it. ❓ Common Questions - Can I transfer the account if I no longer have access to the old email? Yes, you can still ask. We may need extra details to confirm you are the rightful owner. - Can I use an email that is already registered on Search Atlas? It may be possible, but let us know in chat so we can advise on the best option. - Do I need to create a new publisher account instead? Usually not. Ask for a transfer first so your existing listings and history stay with you. We will tell you if another approach is better. - How long does it take? It depends on how quickly verification is completed. Having your details ready speeds things up. 💬 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 instantly connected with a member of our team.

🔒 Email Verification for Test Account Signups

When you create a test account using certain company email domains, you now need to verify your email address before account creation can continue. This extra step helps keep the signup process secure. ✨ What's New If you sign up for a test account with an email address from one of the following domains, you will receive a Verify Email message before you can proceed: - Search Atlas - LinkGraph - MightyScribes - publication.media Signups using other email domains are not affected by this change. 🛠️ How to Use It 1. Start signing up for your test account with your email address and password. 2. Open the Verify Email message sent to your inbox. 3. Follow the verification link in the email to confirm your address. 4. Return to the platform's login screen. 5. Log in with the same email and password you used during signup. 6. Select a plan and continue through the checkout flow using the test card. 📋 What to Expect - You must verify your email before you can continue creating your account. - After verification, you are not redirected automatically. Go back to the login screen yourself and sign in to continue. - Use the same email and password you entered at signup. No new credentials are needed. - The verification email may look similar to a team member invitation email. This is expected, and the link will still verify your address. - Plan selection and checkout work as before, using the test card. 🔜 Coming Soon We plan to make the verification and signup experience smoother, including the look of the verification email and the steps after you verify. 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.

🔍 Publisher Site Ownership, Review Status, and Login

📌 Overview If you submitted a website to the Search Atlas Publisher program, you may have questions about who owns the listing, why a site was approved or declined, and which account you should use to log in. This article explains how to check each of these and what to do if something looks wrong. 🔑 Confirming Which Account You Are Using Most ownership problems happen because a site was submitted under a different login than the one you are using now. Before anything else, confirm the following: - The email address you used when you first signed up or submitted the site. - Whether you have more than one Search Atlas account, for example one created with a personal email and another with a work or older email. - Whether you signed in with a password or with a connected sign-in option, if one was available to you. Try signing in with each email address you may have used. A site listed under one account will not appear in another. 🛠️ Recovering Your Login Credentials 1. Go to the Search Atlas login page. 2. Select the Forgot password option. 3. Enter the email address you think is linked to your account. 4. Check your inbox and spam or junk folder for the reset message. 5. Follow the link, choose a new password, and sign in. If you never receive a reset message, that email address may not be linked to an account. Try your other addresses, or contact our team using the steps at the end of this article. 🌐 Understanding Site Ownership The account that submitted a site is generally treated as the owner of that listing. If you want to take over or reclaim a website, the team will need to confirm two things: - Account identity: that you control the account in question. - Website control: that you control the domain, for example by showing you can manage its hosting, DNS, or site settings. For security reasons, account details cannot be shared or changed unless the request comes from the verified account holder. Please make your request from inside your logged-in account whenever possible. 📊 Checking Your Review Status Once a site has been submitted, it goes through a review. To see where yours stands: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open the Publisher section of the platform. 3. Find the website in your list of submitted sites. 4. Look at the status shown next to it, such as pending, approved, or declined. 5. If a reason or note is displayed, open it to read the details. If the site does not appear in your list, it was probably submitted under a different account. ❓ Why Was My Site Declined? If your site was declined and the reason is shown in your dashboard, you can read it there. If no reason is shown, you can ask our team to look into it. Common reasons that sites are not accepted by publisher programs include: - The site was not accessible or had technical errors when reviewed. - The content was thin, duplicated, or did not meet quality standards. - The site did not match the topics or standards the program requires. - Ownership or control of the domain could not be confirmed. These are general examples and may not apply to your site. After fixing any issues, you can ask the team whether the site is eligible to be reviewed again. ✅ Information to Have Ready To speed up your request, gather the following before you reach out: - The email address on your Search Atlas account. - The exact domain names you want help with. - Whether you want to see a review decision, reclaim ownership, or recover your login. - Any proof that you control the website, such as access to its hosting or domain settings. 💬 Getting Further Help If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.

👥 Managing Project Access and Missing On-Page Pages

👋 Overview Two questions come up often: how to add a team member who can only see certain projects, and why some pages are missing from On-Page Optimizations. This article covers both, with steps you can follow yourself. Note: Menu labels and available options can vary slightly by plan and account setup. If something looks different on your screen, see the last section for how to get help. 🔐 Limiting a User to Specific Projects You can invite someone to your account and control which projects they can open. This works well for agencies, freelancers, and clients who should only see their own site. 1. Open your account or team settings in the platform. 2. Go to the team members or user management section. 3. Select the option to add or invite a new user and enter their email address. 4. Choose the role or permission level that fits their job. 5. Select the specific projects they should be able to access. Leave all other projects unselected. 6. Send the invitation and ask the person to accept it. If you already added the user, open their profile in the team list and edit their project access instead of creating a new invite. ✅ Best Practices for User Access - Give the minimum access needed. Assign only the projects and permissions the person needs to do their work. - Verify the result. After the user accepts the invite, ask them to confirm they see only the intended projects. - Review access regularly. Remove users or projects that are no longer relevant, especially when a contract ends. - Use a work email. This makes it easier to track who has access to what. 🔍 Why Some Pages Are Missing in On-Page Optimizations It is normal for the On-Page Optimizations list to show fewer pages than your whole website. These are the most common reasons. - The page has not been discovered yet. New pages, or recently connected projects, may need time before they appear. - The page is not easy to find. Pages with no internal links pointing to them, or pages missing from your sitemap, are harder to discover. - The page is blocked or excluded. Pages marked noindex, blocked in robots.txt, or set to point to a different page with a canonical tag may be left out. - The page does not load normally. Pages that return errors (such as 404) or redirect to another URL usually do not appear as separate pages. - The domain version does not match. Pages on a subdomain, or on a different version of your domain (for example www versus non-www, or http versus https), may not belong to the project. - Filters are active. A search term, status filter, or other view setting may be hiding pages from the list. - Your access is limited. If your project access is restricted, you will only see pages from the projects you were given. - Your plan has page limits. Some plans limit how many pages can be analyzed. 🛠️ How to Troubleshoot Missing Pages 1. Clear all filters and search terms in the On-Page Optimizations view. 2. Confirm you are in the correct project and that the project domain matches your live site exactly. 3. Open the missing page in your browser. Check that it loads normally and does not redirect. 4. Check that the page is not set to noindex and is not blocked in robots.txt. 5. Make sure the page is linked from at least one other page on your site and is included in your sitemap. 6. Wait for any recent crawl or update to finish, then refresh the list. 7. If the page is still missing, note the page URL and the project name so you can share them with our team. 💬 Need More Help? If a user still sees the wrong projects, or specific pages are still missing after the steps above, we can look into it with you. Please have the user's email address, the project name, and example page URLs ready. 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.

🔄 Deactivated Publisher Account Reactivation Guide

📌 Overview If your Search Atlas publisher account has been deactivated, you may not be able to see your websites, submit new sites, or manage your publications. This article explains what deactivation means, what to do next, and how to prepare for reactivation or re-registration so the process goes as smoothly as possible. ❓ What Does a Deactivated Publisher Account Mean? A deactivated publisher account is one that has been switched off and can no longer be used as normal. Deactivation can happen for several reasons, for example: - The account was inactive for an extended period. - The websites on the account did not meet publisher quality or eligibility requirements. - The account details needed verification or contained incomplete information. - The account was closed at the owner's request. The exact reason can differ from account to account, so our team reviews each case individually. 🚫 Why You Should Not Create a Duplicate Account Right Away It can be tempting to sign up again with the same details. We recommend you do not do this before speaking with our team, because: - A new account may conflict with the deactivated one, since the same websites and owner details are already on file. - Websites that were previously approved may need to be reviewed again if they are submitted under a new account. - It can delay the resolution of your request. Checking first with our team helps make sure you follow the right path for your situation. 🛠️ Step-by-Step: What to Do Now 1. Gather your account details. Have the login details you used to register and the name of your publisher account ready. 2. List your websites. Write down the full URLs of every website you want reviewed, both the ones that were on the account before and any new ones you want to add. 3. Explain your goal. Tell our team whether you want to reactivate the existing account, re-register under a new account, or both. 4. Open the live chat. Use the chat widget inside the platform to start the request (see the support section below). 5. Follow the team's instructions. You may be asked to confirm ownership of your websites or provide additional information. 6. Wait for confirmation. Once your request is reviewed, the team will let you know the outcome and any next steps. 🌐 Requesting Approval for Your Existing Websites If you had websites on your previous account and want them approved again, include the following in your request: - The full URL of each existing website. - Confirmation that you own or manage each website. - A short note on whether the sites are already live and publishing content. Approval of websites is based on our publisher requirements, and a review is needed for each site. Providing complete details up front helps the review move faster. ➕ Adding More Websites Later Many publishers start with a small number of sites and add more afterward. If you want to add your remaining websites, tell our team in the same conversation. They can advise you on: - Whether your remaining sites can be added to the reactivated account or should be submitted under a new publication. - What each additional website needs to be eligible for review. - The correct order of steps, so existing sites are not affected while new ones are added. 🆕 Re-Registering with a New Account In some cases, re-registration may be the right option rather than reactivation. If our team advises you to register again, you will generally: 1. Be told which login details to use, so your new account does not conflict with the old one. 2. Create the new publisher account and complete the required profile information. 3. Submit your websites for review, starting with the ones you want approved first. 4. Create your new publication and add your remaining websites once the first ones are approved. Whether re-registration is available, and under what conditions, is decided case by case. Please confirm with our team before you begin. ✅ Tips to Speed Up Your Request - Send all your website URLs in a single message instead of several. - State clearly what you want: reactivation, re-registration, or help choosing. - Make sure each website is accessible and loading correctly before review. - Keep your chat conversation open so the team can follow up quickly. 🔎 Frequently Asked Questions Will my old websites be approved automatically? Not necessarily. Websites are reviewed against our publisher requirements, so approval cannot be guaranteed in advance. Can I add all my websites at once? This depends on your account status and the review outcome. Our team can tell you the best way to add them for your situation. Do I need to create a new account? Not always. Some accounts can be reactivated, while others may need to be re-registered. Our team will confirm which applies to you. How long does the review take? Timing varies depending on the number of websites and the details provided. Our team will keep you updated in the chat. 💬 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 instantly connected with a member of our team.

🔑 How to Activate Your Search Atlas Account

Many customers ask us to "activate my account" without saying what they are seeing. This guide explains the most common reasons an account may look inactive, what you can check yourself, and what details help us resolve it quickly. 🔎 What Does Account Activation Mean? The word "activation" can refer to several different situations. Identifying which one applies to you is the fastest way to get fixed. - Email verification: You signed up but have not confirmed your email address yet. - Plan or trial activation: You have an account, but a paid plan or trial is not active or has expired. - Reactivation: A previously cancelled or paused subscription needs to be turned back on. - Team invitation: You were invited to a workspace and have not accepted the invite yet. - Feature access: Your account works, but a specific tool appears locked or unavailable. ✅ Step 1: Check Your Email for a Verification Message If you recently signed up, look for a confirmation message from Search Atlas in your inbox. 1. Search your inbox for Search Atlas. 2. Check your spam, junk, and promotions folders. 3. Open the message and select the confirmation link. 4. Return to the platform and sign in again. Confirmation links can expire, so if yours no longer works, try signing in and following any on-screen prompt to resend it. 🔐 Step 2: Confirm You Are Signing In Correctly Sometimes an account seems inactive because of a sign-in mix-up. Check the following: - You are using the same email address you registered with. - You are not signed in to a different account, such as a personal versus work email. - If you signed up with a Google or similar login, you use that same method again. - You have tried resetting your password using the Forgot password option on the sign-in page. 💳 Step 3: Review Your Plan and Billing Status If you can sign in but features are locked, your plan status may be the cause. 1. Sign in to the platform. 2. Open your account or billing settings. 3. Check whether your plan is listed as active, expired, or cancelled. 4. Look for any notice about a failed or pending payment. If a payment failed, updating your payment method can restore access. If your plan was cancelled, you can choose a plan again to reactivate. 👥 Step 4: Accept a Team Invitation If a colleague or agency added you to their workspace, you need to accept the invitation before you can use it. Find the invitation message, select the link, and sign in with the email address the invitation was sent to. If you use a different email, the invitation will not match your account. 📝 What to Tell Us If You Still Need Help A request like "Activate my account" does not give us enough to act on. To help us resolve it in a single conversation, include these details: - The email address on your Search Atlas account. - What you are trying to do, such as sign in, use a specific tool, or restore a cancelled plan. - What you see on screen, including any error message word for word. - Which plan you are on or expect to be on. - When the issue started and whether anything changed, such as a payment update or an email change. - A screenshot if possible. 💡 Tips to Avoid Activation Problems - Use an email address you can access and check regularly. - Add Search Atlas to your safe sender list so verification messages are not filtered. - Keep your payment method current to avoid interruptions. - Accept team invitations promptly, as they may expire. 💬 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.

🔄 How to Reactivate an Old Search Atlas Account

📌 Overview Many customers return to Search Atlas after a break and find they can't remember which email they used to register. Or they try to sign up again and see a message that the account already exists. This article explains how to find your original account, regain access, and get help if you're still stuck. This article is for you if: - You had a Search Atlas account in the past and want to use it again. - You registered with an email address you no longer use or can't remember. - You want to know whether you can move your old account to a new email address. 🔎 Step 1: Find the Email You Used to Register Your account is tied to the email address you registered with, so finding that address is the most important step. Try the following: - Search every inbox you might have used (work, personal, and old addresses) for messages from Search Atlas or OTTO. - Look for subjects such as welcome emails, receipts, invoices, password resets, or report notifications. - Check your spam, junk, and promotions folders, as older messages are often filed there. - Check with teammates or colleagues if your account was created by someone else at your company, an agency, or a previous employer. - Review your payment records, such as bank or card statements, for Search Atlas charges. These can help you work out when you subscribed and who handled it. 🔑 Step 2: Try to Log In With Your Old Email Once you have a possible email address, try to sign in. 1. Go to the Search Atlas login page. 2. Enter the email address you think you registered with. 3. Click the option to reset your password if you don't remember it. 4. Check that inbox for the reset message and follow the link to set a new password. 5. Log in with the new password. If you try several email addresses, a reset message will only arrive at an address that has an account. That can help you identify the right one. 📧 Step 3: What If You No Longer Have Access to That Email? If the old email address has been closed, or you can no longer open it, you can't complete a password reset yourself. Here are some options: - Try to restore access with your email provider. Many providers let you recover or reactivate an old address. - If it was a company email, ask your IT administrator whether the mailbox can be restored or forwarded. - Contact our team, as described below. We can look into your situation and explain what is possible. For security reasons, we may ask you to confirm details that show the account belongs to you. Never share your password in the chat. 🆕 Can I Just Create a New Account? Yes, you can sign up with a different email address. Keep in mind: - A new account is separate from your old one. Projects, reports, and settings from the old account will not appear in it automatically. - If you already have an active or paused subscription on the old account, creating a new one may result in two separate accounts. - If you want your previous data and plan, it's best to recover the old account first or ask our team before signing up again. 🔁 Changing the Email on an Existing Account If you can log in to your old account, you can usually update the email address in your account or profile settings. Doing this first makes future logins easier and keeps your account linked to an address you actively use. If you can't log in, our team can review your request and explain the available options. 🧰 Troubleshooting Common Issues - No reset email arrives: Check spam and junk folders, wait a few minutes, and confirm you typed the address correctly. - The system says the email is already registered: An account exists under that address. Use the password reset option to regain access instead of signing up again. - The system says no account was found: You likely used a different address. Try your other emails. - Your plan looks inactive: A returning account may need its subscription reactivated or updated once you're logged in. Check your billing settings, or ask our team. - You see a different workspace or no projects: You may have logged in to a new account rather than the old one. Log out and try another email address. 📝 What to Include When You Contact Us Sharing the right details up front helps our team resolve your request faster. If you can, tell us: - The email addresses you think you may have used. - The name of the business or website the account was set up for. - The approximate date you last used Search Atlas. - The email address you want to use going forward. - Whether you want to restore your old data and plan or simply start fresh. 💬 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team. ✅ Quick Summary - Search your inboxes for past Search Atlas emails to find your original registered address. - Use the password reset option to regain access to the old account. - If you've lost access to the old email, try to recover it or ask our team for help. - A new sign-up creates a separate account, so recover your old one first if you need your previous data. - Update your account email after logging in to avoid this problem in the future.

🔗 How to Share a One-Time Business Details Link

🔍 What Is a One-Time Link? A one-time link is a unique web address you create inside Search Atlas and send to a business owner or client. They open it, fill in their business details, and submit the form. You do not need to ask for details over several emails or messages, and the information goes straight into your Search Atlas account. The link is meant for a single submission. Once your client submits their details, the link is used up. If you need to collect information again, you can generate a new link. ✅ Before You Start Make sure you have the following ready so the process goes smoothly: - An active Search Atlas account with access to the project or business you want to collect details for. - The name and contact information of the person who will receive the link. - A way to send the link, such as your own email, a chat app, or a project management tool. 🛠️ How to Create and Share the Link 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Open the project or business profile you want to collect details for. If you are adding a new business, start from the add-business or onboarding area. 3. Look for the option to share a link or invite the business to submit details. The exact label can vary slightly depending on your plan and the part of the platform you are using. 4. Select the option to generate a one-time link. 5. Copy the link to your clipboard. 6. Paste the link into your own email, message, or chat and send it to your client. Tip: Add a short note with the link. Tell your client what the form is for, how long it takes, and that the link works only once. 📝 What Your Client Will See When your client opens the link, they will see a simple form. They do not need a Search Atlas account to fill it out. Typical details they may be asked for include: - Business name and website address - Business category or industry - Location or service areas - Contact details - Other information that helps set up your SEO project After they submit the form, the details are saved to the business profile in your account. 👀 How to Confirm the Details Were Received 1. Go back to the business or project in Search Atlas. 2. Open the business details or profile section. 3. Check that the fields your client filled in now show their information. 4. Review the details for accuracy. You can edit anything that needs correcting. 💡 Best Practices - Send the link only to the right person. Because the link works once, the first person to submit uses it up. - Do not forward or post it publicly. Share it directly with your client through a private channel. - Tell your client to complete the form in one sitting. Have them gather their business information first. - Follow up. If you have not seen the details after a day or two, send a polite reminder. 🧯 Troubleshooting Common Issues - The link says it has expired or already been used. The link was probably submitted already, or it is no longer valid. Generate a new one-time link and send it again. - Your client cannot open the link. Ask them to copy and paste the full link into a browser. Some email tools shorten or break long links. Also try a different browser or a private window. - The details did not appear in your account. Refresh the page and check that you are viewing the correct business or project. Confirm with your client that they pressed the submit button. - Your client made a mistake in the form. You can edit the details directly in the business profile, or generate a new link if you want them to resubmit. - You cannot find the share option. The option may be in a different place depending on your plan or where you are in the platform. Check the business profile and onboarding areas first. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Can I use the same link for more than one business? No. Each one-time link is for a single submission, so create a separate link for each business. Does my client need a Search Atlas account? No. They only need the link and a web browser. Can I reuse the link after it has been submitted? No. Once it has been used, generate a new link if you need more information. 💬 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Publisher Account Deactivated: What to Do Next

📌 Overview If you sign in to your Publication Media publisher account and the login says “Your account is inactive,” the account has been deactivated and you cannot open the dashboard. More often, the account still works and one or more sites on the Publications page show as Inactive. That can happen even if the site has never received an order. This article explains why a site or account is deactivated, what a failed activation means, and what to do next. ❓ Why Was My Publisher Account Deactivated? Publisher accounts are reviewed to make sure the sites and content available to Search Atlas customers meet our quality standards. A deactivation does not always mean you did something wrong. Common reasons include: - Site quality review: the site did not meet the current metric requirements. These include Domain Authority below the minimum, organic traffic below the minimum, a spam score above the maximum, or a URL quality grade below the minimum. - Metric or pricing concerns: the site’s spam score is too high, its URL quality grade is below the minimum, or its listed price is above the Domain Authority price cap. - Ownership could not be verified: the verification meta tag was missing or removed, so the site could not be confirmed as yours. - Not a deactivation reason: leaving the account unused, or not responding to notifications, does not by itself deactivate the account. - Duplicate email: an email address can only be used for one publisher account. The same website may still be listed by more than one publisher, but you cannot add the same domain twice on your own account. - Missed posting deadlines: if the same site has more than four orders rejected because the posting deadline was missed within 30 days, that site is deactivated. Each site is checked on its own, so different sites can be inactive for different reasons. The exact reason is emailed to you when a site is removed. If you are not sure which reason applies, contact the Publication Media team and include the site address. 📦 Why Can an Account Be Deactivated if I Have No Orders? Having no orders does not protect an account from review, and it does not guarantee activation. Orders come from Search Atlas customers who choose sites based on their own campaign needs, such as topic, audience, and site metrics. A new account can be reviewed and deactivated before it receives its first order, for example if the site does not meet the current quality criteria. Also note that an active account does not guarantee a certain number of orders. We cannot promise order volume for any publisher. ✅ What to Check First Before you contact us, go through this short checklist. It will help you understand your situation and speed up any review. 1. Open Publications. Each site is marked Active, Inactive, or Paused. An inactive site can also show “Activation attempted on [date], but failed due to [reason].” If the login itself says “Your account is inactive,” you will not be able to open the dashboard. Also check the email from Publication Media for the removal reason. 2. Confirm that you are using the email address you registered with. A wrong email or password shows “Invalid credentials.” A deactivated account shows “Your account is inactive,” so the two are not the same problem. 3. Check that your profile and website details are complete, accurate, and consistent with your live site. 4. Make sure you are using only one account for your email address. You may list a site that another publisher also lists, but do not add the same domain twice on your own account. 5. Review the site against the checks that actually remove it: low Domain Authority, low organic traffic, a high spam score, a low URL quality grade, a price above the Domain Authority cap, or a missing ownership verification tag. 🚫 What If My Reactivation Request Was Denied? A failed activation means the site still did not pass the checks at that time. It is a site-quality or verification result, not a personal judgment. On the Publications page, use Activate to run the checks again. The site stays inactive until they pass, and the card shows the date and the reason the attempt failed. - Do not create another account or resubmit the same email. Fix the failed check shown on the site, such as restoring the verification meta tag, then use Activate on that site to run the check again. - Ask for the reason. Our team can review your account and share what is available about the decision. - Fix the issues first. If the reason relates to site quality, content, or incomplete details, make improvements before asking for another review. - Provide new information. If you believe the decision was based on incorrect or missing information, explain what has changed or what was overlooked. Please keep in mind that a reactivation is not guaranteed, even after improvements. Each case is assessed against current requirements. 💬 What to Include When You Ask for a Review The more detail you give, the faster our team can help. When you reach out, include: - The email address your publisher account is registered with. - The website or websites linked to the account. - The date you noticed the deactivation, and any message you received. - A short explanation of any changes you made to the site or account. - Your specific question, such as the reason for deactivation or what is needed for reactivation. Please do not share passwords or payment details in the chat. 🌱 How to Keep Your Publisher Account in Good Standing - Keep your profile and site details accurate and up to date. - Publish original, high-quality content on topics relevant to your audience. - Limit sponsored content so your site remains natural and trustworthy. - Respond promptly to orders and notifications, and deliver work on time. - Use only one account for each website. - Log in regularly so your account does not appear inactive. 🤝 Need More Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.