Refunds: Other Questions

💰 Prorated Refund for Golden Loops Annual Plan Upgrade

🔍 Overview If you upgraded your Search Atlas plan as part of the Golden Loops annual offer and were promised a prorated refund, this article explains what a prorated refund is and what to do if you believe your credit has not been correctly applied. 📋 What Is a Prorated Refund? When you upgrade your annual plan mid-cycle, a prorated refund represents the unused portion of your previous plan's billing period. Rather than charging you the full price of the new plan from day one, Search Atlas calculates the remaining value on your old plan and credits it toward your new subscription cost. For customers who accepted the Golden Loops offer, a prorated credit was specifically promised to offset the difference between what was paid and the correct upgraded plan price. 💡 What to Do If Your Credit Looks Incorrect or Is Missing Because prorated refunds tied to the Golden Loops upgrade require a manual review of your account by our billing team, there is no self-serve action that will resolve a missing or incorrect credit. If you believe your prorated refund has not been applied or the amount looks wrong, please reach out via the chat widget so our team can investigate your account. When reaching out, please have the following ready to help us resolve your case as quickly as possible: - The email address associated with your Search Atlas account - The date you upgraded as part of the Golden Loops offer - The plan you were on before the upgrade and the plan you upgraded to - Any confirmation or promotional communication you received about the prorated refund - A description of what you currently see in your billing history (e.g. no credit line item, or an unexpected charge amount) 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.

💡 Refunds, Plan Downgrades, and Reporting Without OTTO AI

🔍 Overview If you were recently charged for a plan renewal and decided to downgrade shortly after, you may be wondering whether a partial refund is possible, which lower-tier plan still gives you access to reporting and heatmaps, and how to make the change correctly. This article answers all three questions clearly. 💳 Refund Policy: What You Need to Know Search Atlas charges subscriptions at the start of each billing cycle. Our standard policy is that subscription charges are non-refundable once a billing cycle has begun. This applies to both new charges and automatic renewals. However, we understand that timing can be tricky — especially when a renewal processes before you have the chance to act. Here is what to keep in mind: - Partial refunds (e.g. a $400 refund on a $500 charge) are not guaranteed under our standard policy. - Refund requests are reviewed case by case by our billing team, particularly when a downgrade request is made within a very short window after renewal. - The sooner you contact support after the charge, the better your chances of a favourable review. - Downgrades alone do not automatically trigger a refund for the current billing period. If you believe your situation warrants a refund review, contact our team as soon as possible using the chat widget described at the end of this article. ⬇️ How to Downgrade Your Plan You can initiate a plan change directly from your account settings. Follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your avatar (Avatar Menu (👤)/account name) in the top-right corner to open the Avatar Menu (👤). 3. Select Billing. 4. Open the Plans & Top-ups tab and select Change Plan, then choose the lower-tier plan you want. 5. Confirm the change. Your new plan will take effect at the start of your next billing cycle unless the support team applies an immediate change. If you need a plan change applied immediately — for example, to limit further charges — use the live chat widget to request urgent assistance from a human teammate. 📊 Reporting and Heatmaps Without OTTO AI: Which Plan Do You Need? OTTO AI is Search Atlas's automated SEO implementation engine. It is a premium add-on and is not required to access reporting or heatmap features. You can use these tools on lower-cost plans. Here is a general guide to what is available without OTTO AI: - Reports: Available on most base plans. Access the report builder by going to Reports in the left sidebar (URL: /report-builder/projects-list). You can create, customise, and schedule reports for clients without needing an active OTTO AI subscription. - Heatmaps: Heatmap access is included in select plans. When comparing plans during a downgrade, look for heatmap inclusion listed in the plan feature breakdown on the billing page. - OTTO AI features (automated SEO fixes, AI-driven on-page implementation) are only available on plans that include OTTO or as a paid add-on. Removing OTTO from your plan will not affect your ability to view data, run reports, or use heatmaps if those features are included in your chosen base plan. If you are unsure which specific plan tier includes the reporting and heatmap features you need without OTTO AI, our team can walk you through the current plan comparison during a live chat session. 🛠️ Step-by-Step: Accessing Reports on Your Current Plan 1. Log in to Search Atlas. 2. In the left sidebar, click Reports. 3. You will land on the Projects List page (/report-builder/projects-list). 4. Select an existing project or create a new one to start building a report. 5. Customise sections, add your branding, and schedule automated delivery as needed. If the Reports option is not visible in your sidebar, your current plan may not include it. A plan upgrade or adjustment may be required — contact our team via chat for guidance. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions - Will I lose my data if I downgrade? Your historical data is generally preserved. However, access to certain data points or features may be restricted depending on the plan you move to. - Can I remove OTTO AI without downgrading my full plan? In some cases, OTTO AI can be removed as an add-on separately from your base plan. Removing an add-on stops its future charges immediately, but its quota stays available until the end of the current billing period. Ask a human teammate to confirm what is available for your account. - When does my downgrade take effect? By default, plan changes take effect at the next renewal date. Immediate changes must be requested through live chat. - I was charged today — is it too late to request a refund review? No. Submit your request as soon as possible. The billing team reviews requests in order of submission, and same-day requests are taken into account. 💬 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.

🧾 OTTO Site Purchase Billing Proration and Refunds

🔍 Overview When you purchase an additional OTTO site part-way through your billing cycle, the platform calculates a prorated charge for the remaining days in that cycle. On your next invoice date, you are then billed the full recurring amount for all active sites going forward. In some cases, a known billing issue can cause both the prorated amount and the full amount to appear on the same invoice, resulting in an overcharge. 📋 What a Correct Mid-Cycle Purchase Looks Like Here is how billing should work when you add an OTTO site partway through your cycle: 1. At the time of purchase: You are charged a prorated amount covering only the remaining days in your current billing period. 2. On your next invoice date: You are charged the full recurring rate for all active OTTO sites going forward. The prorated charge and the next full invoice charge should never appear as a combined single overcharge on the same invoice. If the total on your invoice seems higher than expected, you may have been affected by a duplicate proration charge. ⚠️ Signs You May Have Been Overcharged - You added an OTTO site near the end of your billing cycle (for example, on the last one or two days of the month). - Your very next invoice total is higher than the expected full recurring rate for your sites. - The invoice amount appears to include both a prorated charge and a full recurring charge combined into one total. 🛠️ What Our Team Does to Fix This This is a known issue that our engineering team is actively working to resolve at the system level. When a duplicate proration charge is confirmed, our support team corrects it by applying a one-time, non-recurring account credit equal to the overcharged amount. This credit is applied directly to your account and does not expire at your next billing period, so it will be used against your next invoice automatically. You do not need to take any manual action once the credit has been applied — it offsets the overcharge on your next billing cycle. ✅ Steps to Take If You Suspect a Double Charge 1. Check the invoice in question and note the total amount charged. 2. Calculate what you expected to pay: the prorated amount for the new site plus your regular recurring total, or just the new full recurring total if the proration was already charged separately. 3. If there is a discrepancy, make a note of the date you purchased the additional OTTO site and the invoice date. 4. Contact our support team using the live chat widget (see below) with this information so an agent can investigate and apply a correction credit if a duplicate charge is confirmed. 💡 Important Notes - Credits applied to correct overcharges are non-recurring — they are a one-time adjustment and will not repeat on future invoices. - Credits do not expire at your next billing date; they remain on your account until used. - This issue is more likely to occur when an OTTO site is purchased very close to your billing cycle renewal date. - Our engineering team has this issue under active investigation to prevent it from occurring in the future. 💬 Still Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ Resolving Missing Alt Text and Refund Delays

🔍 Overview Some customers have reported that a missing image alt text bug was marked as resolved in a previous support conversation, yet the issue persists in their account. In some cases, a prorated refund was also promised as part of the resolution but has not been processed. This article explains what to expect, how to confirm the fix is applied, and how to follow up on a pending refund. 🖼️ Understanding the Missing Image Alt Text Bug The missing image alt text bug affects pages where alt attributes should be automatically detected or populated by Search Atlas tools but appear blank or absent in reports. This can cause: - Inaccurate on-page SEO audit scores - Alt text recommendations not reflecting actual page content - Persistent audit warnings even after manual fixes are applied If a previous support conversation confirmed this bug was resolved but you are still seeing the same problem, the fix may not have been fully deployed to your account, or a secondary instance of the issue may have been introduced. ✅ How to Verify Whether the Fix Has Been Applied 1. Clear your browser cache and reload the Search Atlas platform to rule out a display issue. 2. Navigate to the affected page audit and trigger a manual re-crawl by clicking the refresh or re-analyse option within the tool. 3. Check the Images section of your on-page audit report and confirm whether alt text values are now being detected correctly. 4. If the problem persists across multiple pages or projects, the bug is likely still active on your account. Document the pages affected by saving screenshots or noting the URLs. This information will help the support team investigate and escalate the issue more quickly. 💳 Understanding Prorated Refunds When a confirmed platform bug impacts your ability to use a feature you pay for, our support team may approve a prorated refund to credit you for the affected period. Here is what you should know: - Refunds are processed manually by our billing team after a support agent confirms approval. - Processing time varies by case — our billing team can give you an estimated timeline once a refund is approved. - The refund amount is calculated based on the duration of the disruption and your current subscription plan. - Refunds are returned to the original payment method on file. If a refund was promised in a prior conversation — for example, by a support teammate on August 11 — and you have not seen it reflected in your account or bank statement after a reasonable amount of time, this may indicate a processing delay or an administrative oversight that needs to be reviewed. 📋 What Information to Have Ready Before contacting support, gather the following so the team can locate your case and act quickly: - The date of your original support conversation (e.g., August 11) and the name of the agent who approved the refund - The specific pages or projects where the alt text issue is still occurring - Your account email address and current subscription plan - Any screenshots or notes from previous conversations confirming the promised resolution and refund 🚀 Next Steps If your alt text issue remains unresolved after following the verification steps above, or if your promised refund has not arrived within the timeframe you were given, please reach out to us directly so we can investigate and prioritise your case. 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, mention that you have an unresolved bug escalation and a pending prorated refund so the agent can immediately pull up the relevant case history and escalate to billing if needed.

💰 Local Citations Bulk Discount Billing Refund

🔍 Overview When you order local citations in bulk through Search Atlas, you may qualify for a bulk discount on the total order. However, in some cases the discount may not be applied correctly, resulting in a billing overcharge. This article explains what to do if you believe you were charged more than expected for a bulk citation order. 🏷️ How the Bulk Citation Discount Works A bulk discount may be automatically applied when local citations are submitted together as a grouped order. If the discount is not applied as expected, this can result in being charged at the standard per-citation rate rather than the discounted bulk rate. ⚠️ Why Overcharges Happen There are circumstances in which a bulk citation order may not receive the expected discount — for example, if submissions are processed individually rather than as a single batch. If you believe your order was affected, you should contact support to have the charge reviewed. 📍 What to Have Ready Before Contacting Support Before reaching out, gather the following details so the support team can review your case quickly: - The date of the citation order in question. - The number of citations included in the order. - The total amount you were charged. - Any order confirmation or billing record you received for the transaction. 💳 How to Request a Refund If you believe you were charged full price instead of the expected bulk rate, contact support with your order details so the team can investigate and process any applicable refund. Be prepared to share your order date, citation count, and the amount charged. The support team will review your billing record on the backend and, if an overcharge is confirmed, process the appropriate refund. 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 AI Premium Quota & Unlimited Promo Refunds

🔍 Overview If you purchased AI Premium Quota top-ups while your account was covered by an unlimited AI promo code (such as UNLIMITEDQUOTAMAY_SO), those purchases may have been unnecessary. This article explains how the promo works, what caused the overlap, and how to get a refund if you were charged. ⚙️ How the Unlimited AI Promo Code Works The unlimited AI promo code grants your account unrestricted access to AI Premium Quota for the duration of the promotional period. When the promo is correctly applied, you should not need to purchase additional quota top-ups — generation should continue without hitting any limits. - The promo is applied at checkout and must replace any previously active quota code on your account. - If the old promo code was not properly removed when the unlimited promo was applied, your account may have displayed incorrect quota limits or errors. - A known issue caused some accounts to show a "Limit Reached" error even with the promo active, leading customers to purchase top-ups they did not need. 🛠️ What Caused the Duplicate Charges Several technical issues contributed to customers being charged for AI Premium Quota top-ups they should not have needed: 1. Old promo code not replaced: When applying the unlimited promo at checkout, the previous promo code was not always removed, causing quota conflicts on the account. 2. Incorrect "Limit Reached" error: A bug in Content Genius incorrectly blocked article generation and displayed a limit error, even when the unlimited promo was active — prompting customers to top up. 3. Purchased quota not recognised: A separate issue meant that one-time top-up purchases were not always wired up correctly to the AI generation system, making it appear as though no quota was available. These issues have since been resolved. Promo codes are now correctly applied and cleaned up on affected accounts, and purchased quota is properly recognised by the platform. 💰 How to Request a Refund for Unnecessary Top-Ups If you purchased AI Premium Quota top-ups during a period when your account was covered by the unlimited promo, you may be eligible for a refund. To get this reviewed: 1. Open the Search Atlas platform and locate the chat widget in the bottom-right corner. 2. Type human teammate to be connected with a member of our support team. 3. Provide the following details to speed up your request: - The dates and amounts of the top-up purchases (e.g. 500 quota last month, 500 this month). - The promo code applied to your account (e.g. UNLIMITEDQUOTAMAY_SO). - Any error messages you saw before making the purchases. Our team will review your account history and process any eligible refunds as quickly as possible. ✅ How to Confirm Your Promo Is Active To check whether your unlimited promo code is correctly applied to your account: - Navigate to the top-right avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Redeem Promo Code) in Search Atlas. - Confirm the promo code is listed and active. - Try generating content in Content Genius — if the unlimited promo is working correctly, you should not see any quota warnings or "Limit Reached" messages. If you still see errors after the promo has been applied, this may indicate a configuration issue that our team needs to resolve manually. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Will I be automatically refunded? Refunds are not processed automatically. You need to contact our support team via the chat widget to request a review of your account and initiate the refund process. Is the unlimited promo still available? The UNLIMITEDQUOTAMAY_SO promo was part of a limited AI Summit promotion and has been cleaned up from accounts as of May 31. If you are unsure whether your account still has an active unlimited promo, check your billing settings or speak to a support teammate. What if I am still seeing quota errors? The underlying bugs have been fixed, but if you continue to experience quota-related errors, please contact our team immediately so we can investigate your specific account. 🙋 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.

💳 OTTO Project Refunds and Quota Resets

💡 Overview If you've purchased OTTO projects that you can't use with your current plan, or you've reached your Site Auditor quota limit, you may be eligible for a refund or a one-time quota reset. This article explains your options. 🤔 When You Might Need a Refund You may request a refund if: - You purchased OTTO projects but your current plan doesn't support the number of projects you bought - You purchased projects within the last 30 days and haven't actively used them - Your plan was downgraded or changed after your purchase, leaving purchased projects inaccessible Refunds are processed back to your original payment method. Once approved, they are processed in 7–10 business days. 📊 Requesting an OTTO Project Refund To request a refund for unused OTTO projects: 1. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform 2. Type human teammate to connect with our support team 3. Provide the following information: your account email, the plan or product purchased, the purchase date/time and amount of the charge, and the reason for the refund request 4. Our team will review your request and process the refund if eligible 🔄 Understanding Site Auditor Quota Limits Your plan includes a maximum number of Site Auditor pages you can crawl. This limit resets monthly. If you've reached your quota and need to add more projects, you have two options: - Upgrade your plan to increase your monthly quota permanently - Request a one-time quota reset (available in limited circumstances) ⚡ Requesting a One-Time Quota Reset A one-time quota reset allows you to add new projects without upgrading your plan. This option is available if: - You haven't used a quota reset in the current billing cycle - You have a valid business reason (such as an unexpected client or project need) To request a quota reset: 1. Go to your Home dashboard (left sidebar → Home) 2. Click Quotas to view your current Site Auditor usage 3. Open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner 4. Type human teammate and explain your situation 5. Our team will evaluate your request and reset your quota if approved ⚙️ Viewing Your Current Quotas To check how many Site Auditor pages you've used this month: 1. Click Home in the left sidebar 2. Click the Quotas button to see your remaining pages and reset your plan details 3. If you're near your limit, consider planning your audits or upgrading your plan 📈 Upgrading Your Plan for More Quota If you need permanent access to more OTTO projects or Site Auditor pages, upgrading your plan is the fastest solution. Upgraded plans take effect immediately and include higher monthly quotas. Contact our team via the chat widget to discuss which plan tier best fits your needs. ❓ Frequently Asked Questions Can I get multiple quota resets in one month? No. One-time quota resets are limited to once per billing cycle. For ongoing needs, upgrading your plan is the best option. How long does a refund take? Once approved, refunds are processed in 7–10 business days, depending on your bank or payment provider. What happens to my OTTO projects if I downgrade my plan? Projects that exceed your new plan's limit may become inactive. You'll need to either delete projects to stay within your quota or upgrade to restore access. Can I apply a refund as a credit toward an upgrade? Yes. Contact our team via the chat widget to discuss how a refund can be applied to your account. 🆘 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.

💳 VIP Upsell Credits and Refund Help

🔍 Overview When you purchase a VIP upsell during a Search Atlas challenge, summit, or promotional event, your account should automatically receive the credits or benefits listed at checkout. This article explains how those credits work, what to do if they haven't appeared, and how to resolve unexpected charges. 💡 How VIP Upsell Credits Work VIP upsell purchases are processed through our checkout provider and linked to your Search Atlas account automatically. Depending on the offer you purchased, your benefits may include one or more of the following: - Bonus credits added directly to your account balance - Trial extensions applied to your active subscription - Promotional quota unlocks tied to a specific campaign or event - Stacked benefits if you purchased both a VIP and Platinum tier during a dual-tier promotion Credits are usually applied within a few minutes of a successful purchase. In some cases, especially during high-volume events, there may be a short delay of up to 24 hours. ⚠️ Common Issues and What Causes Them The following issues have been reported by customers after VIP upsell purchases: - Credits not appearing in the account — This can happen if your purchase was not fully captured by our system, particularly during certain promotional periods. Our team has identified and resolved a known issue where some purchases were not being recorded correctly. - Duplicate charges — If your card was charged more than once for the same purchase, this is unintended and we will resolve it promptly. - Benefits linked to a cancelled account — If you made a VIP purchase but later cancelled and created a new account, your credits may still be associated with the old account and need to be transferred manually. - Quota appearing as paid when it should be included — Some promotional offers include unlimited or expanded quota as a bonus. If you are being charged separately for quota that was listed as part of your upsell package, this needs to be reviewed by our team. ✅ Steps to Take Before Contacting Support 1. Check your account credits page — Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to the top-right avatar → Billing (Plans & Top-ups) to confirm your current credit balance and any recent additions. 2. Verify the email address used at checkout — Make sure the email on your Search Atlas account matches the one used during the upsell checkout. A mismatch can prevent credits from being applied automatically. 3. Allow up to 24 hours — If your purchase was very recent, wait a full 24 hours before assuming there is an error, as processing can occasionally be delayed. 4. Check your payment confirmation email — Locate the receipt from your VIP upsell purchase. Note the exact amount charged, the date, and the offer name. You will need this information when speaking with our team. 📋 What to Have Ready When You Contact Us To help our team resolve your issue as quickly as possible, please gather the following before reaching out: - The email address associated with your Search Atlas account - The email address used at the time of the upsell checkout (if different) - The name of the promotion or event (for example, May Challenge VIP or Summit Platinum) - The exact amounts charged and the dates they appeared on your statement - A screenshot of your payment confirmation email, if available 💰 Refund Policy for VIP Upsell Purchases If you were charged incorrectly — including duplicate charges or charges for benefits you did not receive — you are entitled to a refund or credit correction. Our team will review your purchase history and apply the appropriate resolution, which may include: - A full or partial refund to your original payment method - Manual application of missing credits to your account - Transfer of benefits to a new account if your original account was cancelled Refund requests are handled on a case-by-case basis and are typically resolved within 3–5 business days once our team has verified the details of your purchase. 🛠️ Get Help From Our Team If you have followed the steps above and your credits are still missing, or if you believe you have been charged incorrectly, our support team is ready to help. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. Please include your payment confirmation details and a brief description of the issue so we can locate your purchase and resolve it as quickly as possible.

💳 Understanding Billing, Plan Changes, and Refunds

🔍 Why You Might See Multiple Charges After a Plan Change When you upgrade or downgrade your plan mid-billing cycle, Search Atlas processes a prorated adjustment. This can sometimes appear as two separate line items on your bank or card statement — one for the remaining balance on your previous plan and one for the new plan. This is not a duplicate charge. Together, the two amounts should equal the correct prorated total for your billing period. If the combined total looks higher than expected, it is worth checking your billing history inside the platform before assuming an error has occurred. 📋 How to Review Your Billing History 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Billing. 3. Open the Invoices tab to see an itemised list of every charge, credit, and refund. 4. Compare each line item against your plan change dates to confirm the amounts are correct. If you spot a charge that does not match any plan change or subscription event, note the date and amount — you will need these details when contacting support. 🌐 What Your Plan Covers: Websites and Users The number of websites and projects included in your plan depends on the specific tier you are subscribed to. As a general guide: - $99/month plan: Covers a set number of managed websites as defined at sign-up. Check your plan details page for the exact limit. - Adding a fourth website: If you are currently managing three websites and wish to add a fourth, you may need to upgrade to the next tier or purchase an add-on. Review the Plans & Pricing page inside the platform to see which tier fits your needs. - Account seat limits: Additional team members or client accounts may count toward your plan limits depending on your tier. To confirm exactly what your current plan includes, go to Avatar (top-right) > Billing > Plans & Top-ups for a full breakdown of your entitlements. 🔄 How Refunds Are Processed Search Atlas handles refund requests on a case-by-case basis. Here is what you can generally expect: - Confirmed duplicate charges are refunded in full once verified; exact timing depends on your payment provider and there is no fixed guaranteed window. - Prorated credits for mid-cycle downgrades are usually applied to your next invoice rather than returned to your payment method. - Plan refund requests submitted within the eligible window are reviewed by the billing team and processed once verified. Refunds appear on your original payment method. Processing times vary by bank or card issuer and are outside Search Atlas's control once the refund is initiated. ✅ Steps to Take If You Believe You Were Overcharged 1. Check your Invoices (Avatar → Billing → Invoices) in the Billing section to identify the specific charge. 2. Compare the charge date against any plan changes you made around that time. 3. If the charge still appears incorrect after reviewing your history, open a support conversation immediately — do not wait, as prompt reporting helps speed up resolution. 🛠️ Still Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team. When you reach out, please have the following ready to help us resolve your issue faster: - The date and amount of the charge in question - Your current plan name - Any recent plan changes or upgrades you made

💳 Billing Refunds, Account Access & AI Credits Explained

🔍 Overview This article covers the most common billing questions we receive: what happens after you cancel a plan, how refunds are processed, why you may be stuck on the onboarding page, and how AI credits work across your account. ❓ Why Am I Stuck on the Onboarding Page? If you see the onboarding page every time you log in and cannot access any tools, this usually means one of the following: - Your subscription is inactive. If a payment failed or your plan was cancelled, your account loses access to the platform tools and defaults to the onboarding view until an active plan is in place. - Your account is in a pending state. After a cancellation or a failed renewal, the system may hold your account in a limited state while the billing cycle resolves. - A new plan has not been activated yet. If you recently signed up again or changed plans, access is restored once the payment is fully confirmed. To resolve this, ensure you have an active, paid subscription. Navigate to your Avatar Menu (👤) by clicking your avatar in the top-right corner, then go to Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Manage Subscription) to review your current plan status and complete any outstanding payment. 💰 How Refunds Work Search Atlas operates on a subscription model. Here is what you need to know about refunds: - Refunds are not automatic upon cancellation. Cancelling a plan stops future charges but does not automatically trigger a refund for the current or previous billing periods. - Refund eligibility is reviewed case by case. Factors such as usage, the timing of the cancellation, and the specific plan purchased are all considered when a refund request is evaluated. - Partial refunds may apply. In some situations, a partial refund for unused time may be issued at the discretion of our billing team. - Processing time. Once a refund is approved, it typically takes 5–10 business days to appear on your original payment method, depending on your bank or card provider. If you cancelled a plan (such as a $399 or $99 plan) and believe you are owed a refund, you will need to contact our team directly so your account and usage history can be reviewed. Refunds are never issued without a manual review — they will not appear automatically. 🔄 How to Reactivate Your Account If your account is inactive or you cancelled and want to regain access, follow these steps: 1. Log in to Search Atlas and click your avatar in the top-right corner. 2. Select Billing from the dropdown menu. 3. Navigate to the Plans & Top-ups section (Manage Subscription). 4. Choose a plan that fits your needs and complete the checkout process. 5. Once payment is confirmed, your account will be reactivated and you will have full access to all tools included in your plan. If you previously had data, projects, or configurations saved, these are typically retained and will be accessible again after reactivation, provided the account has not been permanently deleted. 🤖 AI Credits: Pricing and Usage AI credits power AI-driven features across the Search Atlas platform, including content generation, AI writing tools, and other automation features. - Credits are included with your plan. Each subscription tier comes with a set number of AI credits per billing cycle. The higher your plan, the more credits you receive. - Credits reset monthly. Your AI credit balance refreshes at the start of each new billing cycle. Unused credits do not carry over to the next month. - Additional credits can be purchased. If you exhaust your monthly allocation, you can purchase additional AI credit top-ups from the Billing section of your Settings. - Credit consumption varies by feature. Different AI tools consume different amounts of credits per use. More complex outputs (such as long-form content) use more credits than shorter tasks. - Cancelled plans and credits. If your plan is cancelled, any remaining AI credits in your balance are forfeited and are not refundable as cash. To check your current AI credit balance, go to your avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups where your usage and remaining credits are displayed. 🛠️ Common Billing Issues and Quick Fixes - Payment failed: Update your payment method via avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (Add Payment Method), then manually retry the charge. - Charged after cancellation: Check the cancellation confirmation date versus your billing renewal date — charges that processed before cancellation took effect are not automatically refunded. - Duplicate charge: Contact our team immediately with your transaction details for investigation. - Wrong plan activated: Our team can review plan changes and advise on the best resolution. 💬 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.

🔍 URL Indexation Batch Failures and Quota Refunds

🗺️ Overview If you submitted URLs for indexation and saw little to no results after several weeks, you are not alone. Indexation is influenced by factors both inside and outside Search Atlas, including Google's own crawl and index decisions. This article explains why batches can underperform, how our resubmission review process works, and how to get a resolution without losing quota unfairly. ⚠️ Why Did My Batch Produce So Few Indexed URLs? Submitting a URL for indexation does not guarantee that Google will index it immediately — or at all. Several factors can cause low indexation rates even after a successful submission: - Google's crawl budget: Google prioritises pages based on authority, site speed, and internal linking. Low-authority or thin pages are often deprioritised. - Content quality signals: Pages with duplicate, thin, or unoriginal content may be crawled but excluded from the index. - Technical issues: Noindex tags, canonicalisation conflicts, blocked robots.txt rules, or server errors can silently prevent indexation even after submission. - Google's processing queue: During periods of high demand, Google's indexing pipeline can take significantly longer than usual. Extended delays of several weeks or more are not uncommon. - Site-level trust: Newer domains or recently penalised sites face stricter scrutiny before pages are indexed. If your batch produced significantly fewer indexed URLs than expected over an extended period, your case may qualify for review under our resubmission and quota dispute process. 🔄 How the Resubmission and Quota Review Process Works Search Atlas reviews batches that underperform and handles quota disputes on a case-by-case basis. Here is what you should know: - Resubmission may be available: If your batch qualifies following review, our team can arrange a resubmission of the affected URLs. - Quota dispute review: If you believe quota was consumed incorrectly due to a batch failure, our support team can investigate and advise on the appropriate resolution. - Eligibility is assessed by our team: Cases where indexation results are significantly below expectations relative to the time elapsed are reviewed individually. Contact our team with your batch details to open a review. 🛠️ What to Have Ready When You Contact Support 1. Document your batch details. Note the batch submission dates, the number of URLs submitted, and the current number of indexed URLs (verify using Google Search Console or a site: search). 2. Check for technical blockers. Before resubmission, audit the affected URLs for noindex tags, canonical mismatches, robots.txt blocks, and server response codes. Fixing these issues first significantly improves resubmission outcomes. 3. Review your content quality. Ensure each submitted URL contains original, substantive content, as thin or duplicate pages are frequently excluded by Google regardless of submission status. 4. Gather your project name and any error messages. Having your project name, the exact batch or submission identifiers, and any error messages or notifications you received will help our team investigate your case efficiently. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

💳 Refunds, Service Issues, and Data Export

🔍 Overview This article explains how to handle four common account concerns: requesting a refund, appealing a service failure, cancelling an upcoming renewal, and exporting your account data. Each section outlines what to expect and how to move forward efficiently. 💳 Requesting a Refund Search Atlas reviews refund requests on a case-by-case basis. To give your request the best chance of a successful outcome, prepare the following before contacting support: - Your subscription plan and billing amount - The date of the charge you are disputing - A clear description of the reason for your refund request - Any supporting evidence such as screenshots, dates, or error messages related to service failures Refund eligibility is assessed against our billing terms and the nature of the issue reported. Providing specific, documented evidence of service failures significantly strengthens your case. ⚠️ Reporting a Service Failure If you have experienced unexpected behaviour — such as a feature not performing as described or results inconsistent with what was promised at the time of purchase — you should report this as a service failure. When reporting a service failure, document each incident individually. Include the affected project or URL, the date the issue occurred, and a description of the expected versus actual behaviour. This detail allows our team to investigate accurately and escalate to the relevant product team where necessary. 🚫 Cancelling an Upcoming Renewal If you want to prevent an automatic renewal from processing, you must request cancellation before your renewal date. When contacting support to cancel a renewal, please have the following ready: - Your account details and current subscription plan - The renewal date you are referencing - A clear statement that you wish to cancel the auto-renewal Our team will confirm the cancellation in writing and ensure no further charges are applied after the current billing period ends. We recommend requesting this as early as possible — do not wait until the day of renewal. 📦 Exporting Your Account Data You have the right to export data associated with your Search Atlas account before you leave the platform. To request a full data export, contact our support team and provide your account details along with confirmation of the data you need exported. Our team will guide you through the available options and fulfil your request. 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.

🔧 Discount Codes, Downgrades, and Refunds Explained

Overview This article covers three related billing topics that sometimes occur together: how the BLUEPRINT-SPECIAL promo code works, what to do when a plan downgrade does not complete, and how partial refunds are handled. If you have experienced any of these issues, read each section carefully before reaching out to support. How the BLUEPRINT-SPECIAL Discount Code Works The BLUEPRINT-SPECIAL promo code applies a limited-time promotional discount to your subscription. After the promotional period ends, your subscription renews at the standard full price for your plan. - The discount is temporary and is automatically removed after the promotional period. - The code is not a permanent or recurring discount. - If you were charged the full price after the promotional period, this is expected behaviour and not an error. To check whether the code was correctly applied and when the promotional period started or ended, follow these steps: 1. Click your avatar in the top-right (Avatar Menu (👤)) and open the Billing section. 2. Review your invoice history to find the charge in question and note the billing date. 3. Compare the billing date against the date you first applied the BLUEPRINT-SPECIAL code — if the charge occurred after the promotional period, the full price is correct. 4. If the charge occurred within what you believe was the active promotional period, note the exact charge amount, the date, and the invoice number, then contact our support team so an agent can verify the application of the code and confirm whether a discrepancy exists. What to Do If Your Plan Downgrade Is Not Completing Some customers have reported that attempting to downgrade their plan does not complete successfully. This type of issue has been caused by platform bugs that our engineering team works to resolve. If you encounter this issue, follow these steps: 1. Refresh the page and wait a moment before trying again. 2. Clear your browser cache or try a different browser. 3. Attempt the plan change again from your avatar in the top-right → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (then click the Change Plan button). 4. If the downgrade still does not complete after these steps, contact our support team so they can process the plan change on your behalf. If the issue persists, it may be isolated to your account and our team can resolve it manually. How Partial Refunds Are Processed If you were charged an incorrect amount — for example, the full plan price when you expected a discounted rate — you may be eligible for a partial refund. Refunds are not self-serve and must be reviewed and approved by our support team. To request a refund, prepare the following before contacting support — having this information ready allows the agent to locate your billing record and process a resolution faster: 1. Open your Billing section and locate the specific invoice you believe is incorrect. 2. Note the invoice number, charge amount, charge date, and the promo code you used (BLUEPRINT-SPECIAL). 3. Compare the charged amount against the discounted rate you expected — calculate the difference so you can state the amount you believe was overcharged. 4. Contact our support team with all of the above details. An agent will verify the charge against your account history and, if an overcharge is confirmed, will approve and issue a partial refund to your original payment method. When a refund is approved: - The refund is returned to your original payment method. - Processing times depend on your bank or card provider. - You will receive confirmation once the refund has been approved. Summary: What Our Team Can Do for You In verified cases where these issues occurred together, our support agents were able to: - Clarify how the promotional discount was applied to the account. - Manually process a plan downgrade when the self-serve option was not working. - Review billing history and issue a partial refund where an overcharge was confirmed. If you are experiencing any of these issues and need hands-on assistance, please contact our support team via the chat icon in your dashboard and we will be happy to help.

💳 Understand Your Bill, Refunds, and OTTO Downgrades

🧾 Why Did I See a Charge After My Trial? When your free trial ends, Search Atlas automatically converts your account to a paid plan. The charge you see reflects the full monthly (or annual) cost of the plan you selected when you signed up — including any add-ons such as additional OTTO-managed sites. For example, if your plan includes features that total $513/month, that is the amount billed at the start of your first paid billing cycle. This is expected behaviour and is not a duplicate or error charge. 💰 Where Is My Refund Credit? If you requested a plan change, downgrade, or cancellation shortly after being billed, our team may have issued a prorated refund credit to your account. Here is how credits work: - Credits are applied directly to your Search Atlas account balance — they are not returned to your original payment method unless specifically requested. - Your credit will automatically offset your next invoice, reducing the amount you owe. - You can verify your current credit balance by going to your Billing page inside the platform. - If a credit of $503 was issued, for instance, it means the difference between your original charge and your adjusted plan cost has been calculated and reserved for your next billing cycle. Credits typically appear within 1–3 business days of the adjustment being processed. ⬇️ How to Downgrade Your Number of OTTO-Managed Sites OTTO site slots are a billable add-on attached to your plan. Reducing the number of active OTTO sites requires a plan modification. Follow these steps: 1. Navigate to OTTO SEO in the left sidebar, then open SEO Automation inside it (or go to /seo-automation-v3). 2. Review which OTTO sites are currently active. Identify the site(s) you want to remove from active management. 3. To deactivate OTTO on a site, open that site's OTTO dashboard and select Deactivate OTTO. This stops automated SEO actions for that site. 4. Once you have deactivated the sites you no longer need, go to your Billing page and select Manage Plan to adjust your OTTO site count to match your active sites (for example, reducing from 3 to 1). 5. Save your changes. Your next invoice will reflect the lower site count. Important: Deactivating OTTO on a site does not automatically reduce your billed site count. You must also update the quantity under Billing → Plans & Top-ups (via Change Plan / Manage Subscription) to stop being charged for unused slots. 📅 When Will My Lower Rate Take Effect? Plan downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle. You will continue to have access to your current plan features until the cycle ends. Any prorated credit for unused time may be applied to your account balance depending on when the change was made. 🔍 How to Check Your Billing History and Credits To review all charges, credits, and invoices on your account: 1. Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform. 2. Select Billing from the dropdown menu (Billing page). 3. Review the Invoice History section for itemised charges and the Credits section for any balance applied to your account. ⚠️ Common Billing Misconceptions - A large charge after a trial is not a mistake — it reflects your chosen plan activating at full price. - Refund credits are not instant card refunds — they live on your account and reduce future invoices. - Deactivating OTTO ≠ removing a billed slot — always confirm your plan quantities in Billing after deactivating a site. - Downgrades are not retroactive — you will not receive a refund for the current billing period; changes apply going forward. 🛠️ 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.

🛠️ Shopify CM Connector Setup, Dashboard Display Mode, and Subscription Refund

Overview This article addresses three related questions for Shopify users on Search Atlas: how to switch the backend dashboard from dark to light display mode, how to connect a Shopify store via the CMS (CM) Connector, and how to request a subscription refund. Does Search Atlas Have a Dark Mode / Light Mode Toggle? Search Atlas does not currently offer a dark mode. The dashboard is light mode only — there is no toggle, button, or settings option anywhere in the platform to switch between dark and light themes. If your Search Atlas dashboard appears dark, inverted, or incorrectly colored, the cause is almost always an external setting, not the platform itself: Chrome Auto Dark Mode 1. In Chrome, navigate to chrome://flags. 2. Search for Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents. 3. Set it to Disabled. 4. Click Relaunch to restart Chrome. 5. Reload Search Atlas — the dashboard should now display correctly in light mode. Operating System Dark Mode If your OS (Windows, macOS) is set to dark mode, some browsers inherit that preference and apply it to web content. Try disabling OS-level dark mode temporarily to confirm whether it is the source of the issue. How to Connect Your Shopify Store via the CM Connector The CMS Connector (CM Connector) in Search Atlas enables content synchronization between Search Atlas and your Shopify store, supporting blog publishing and content generation workflows. Step-by-Step Connection 1. In Search Atlas, click your avatar icon in the top-right corner and go to Settings → Integrations. 2. Locate Shopify in the integrations list and click Connect (or + Connect account). 3. You will be redirected to the Shopify OAuth authorization page — log in to your Shopify account if prompted. 4. Review the permissions requested by Search Atlas and approve the installation when prompted. 5. You will be redirected back to Search Atlas. Your Shopify store should now show as Connected in the integrations panel. Troubleshooting the CM Connector - Ensure you are logged in to Shopify as the store Owner or a staff member with app-installation permissions. - Confirm your Shopify account has the necessary permissions to install apps — refer to Shopify's documentation for plan-specific app installation requirements. - If the connection fails at the OAuth step, clear your browser cache and retry in an incognito window. - For Custom App (API key) connections, verify all required API scopes are enabled in your Shopify app settings. See the full Shopify connector troubleshooting article for the complete scope list. - If the connection continues to fail, check the Shopify CMS Connector Status article for known issues and the latest resolution status, or contact Search Atlas Support directly. After Connecting Once your Shopify store is connected, you can publish Content Genius articles directly to your Shopify blog. Navigate to Content → Content Planner, select your article, and choose your Shopify store as the destination CMS when scheduling the post. Requesting a Subscription Refund To request a refund for a Search Atlas subscription charge: 1. Open the in-app Help Widget (available at the bottom-right of every dashboard page). 2. Select Contact Support or Talk to a human to reach the support team. 3. Provide: your billing email address, the charge amount, the charge date, and the reason for your refund request. 4. If your refund request is related to a Shopify connector that did not work as expected, include documentation of the connection errors — screenshots or a screen recording will help the support team investigate faster. Approved refunds are returned to your original payment method. Processing time is determined by your bank or card issuer. Note: Refund eligibility is assessed case-by-case. Contacting support promptly after an issue is identified improves refund eligibility for recent charges. Related Articles - Troubleshooting Shopify Connector Failures in Search Atlas - Shopify CMS Connector Status in Search Atlas - CMS Connectors — How to Connect Your CMS to Search Atlas - Does Search Atlas Have Dark Mode? - How to Cancel Your Free Trial or Subscription in Search Atlas - Search Atlas Refund Approved: What to Expect

💡 AI Premium Quota Refunds and Content Quality

🔍 What Is AI Premium Quota? AI premium quota is a credit-based resource used when generating content through Content Genius. Each generation — whether a full article, a bulk write, or a rework — consumes a portion of your quota. 📋 What the AI Content Generation Process Covers When you use Content Genius, the platform generates a draft based on the inputs you provide, including your target keyword, topic, and any additional instructions. It is important to review all generated elements before publishing or pushing content to your CMS. Reviewing and editing the output before use is a standard step in the content workflow. ⚠️ Understanding Content Quality Expectations AI-generated content is designed to provide a strong starting draft, not a publish-ready final version. Results can vary depending on factors such as: - Keyword specificity: Highly niche or technical topics may produce less precise output. - Input instructions: Vague or minimal prompts typically yield more generic content. - Industry or language complexity: Some subject areas require heavier editorial review. We recommend treating AI output as a first draft that benefits from human editing — particularly for tone, accuracy, and structure. This approach produces the best results and reduces the need for full regeneration. 🛠️ Steps to Take Before Requesting a Refund If the content generated did not meet your expectations, try the following steps before escalating a refund request: 1. Return to Content Genius and use the option to refine or rework the output by providing additional instructions, more context about your audience, tone, or content goals. 2. Check whether your original prompt included enough context — keyword, audience, tone, and content goals — to guide the AI effectively. 3. Manually review and correct the generated content to align with your requirements before publishing. 💬 How to Request a Quota Refund Review Search Atlas reviews refund requests for AI premium quota on a case-by-case basis. To submit a refund review request, please have the following ready: - The specific project or content generation(s) for which you are requesting a refund - A description of the quality issue you experienced with the generated content - Any relevant details about the prompt or instructions you provided Once you have this information ready, contact our support team directly so they can review your case and advise on next steps. 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.

💳 Subscription Refunds and Enterprise Plan Upgrades

🔍 Overview If you have been charged for a subscription plan that no longer fits your needs and want to switch to an Enterprise plan — possibly with a different payment method — this article walks you through what to expect and how to get it done quickly. 💡 Understanding the Refund Policy Search Atlas evaluates refund requests on a case-by-case basis. Before submitting a request, keep the following in mind: - Refunds are not automatic. There is no self-serve refund option in the platform. All refund requests must be reviewed by our billing team. - Timing matters. Refund eligibility is assessed based on your specific situation and will be evaluated by our billing team upon contact. - Annual vs. monthly plans. Refund treatment may differ depending on the type of plan you are on. Our billing team will clarify what applies to your account. - Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method on file. Your bank or card issuer determines how long the credit takes to appear. 🏢 What Is the Enterprise Plan? The Enterprise plan is a custom tier designed for agencies, large teams, and high-volume users who need expanded limits, dedicated support, and tailored pricing. Enterprise plans are not available for self-service purchase through the standard pricing page — they require direct setup by the Search Atlas team. 🚀 How to Request a Refund and Switch to Enterprise Because both refund processing and Enterprise plan setup require manual action from our team, the fastest path is to contact us directly. Before reaching out, please have the following information ready so our billing team can assist you as quickly as possible: - The email address associated with your Search Atlas account. - Your current plan name (e.g., monthly or annual, and the tier you are on). - The approximate charge date and amount for the invoice you would like refunded — check your email inbox for a billing receipt from Search Atlas. - The reason for your refund request. - Whether you want to upgrade to the Enterprise plan, and if so, any details about the payment method you would like to use for the new plan. Having these details ready before you connect with our team will allow us to process your request without 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.

💳 Fix OTTO Quota Billing Discrepancies and Refunds

🔍 Overview Some customers have noticed a mismatch between the number of OTTO sites they were billed for and the number they can actually activate. For example, you may see a charge for 10 OTTO sites but find you can only activate 5. This article explains why this happens, what to expect, and how to get it corrected quickly. ⚠️ Why Billing and OTTO Quota Can Get Out of Sync Several known issues can cause a discrepancy between what you are charged and what you can use: - Cancelled top-ups still charging: If you previously purchased an OTTO top-up and then cancelled it, a bug could cause the charge to continue appearing on your monthly invoice even though the quota was removed. - Upgrade not applied correctly: When upgrading your OTTO quota (for example, from 5 to 7 sites), the entitlement shown in your account may not match the new quota level you were billed for. - Duplicate billing events: In some cases, a checkout event was recorded more than once, resulting in an overcharge without a matching increase in your available OTTO quota. - Plan migration or special offer conflicts: Customers who moved between legacy and current plans, or who activated a promotional offer, may have experienced quota accounting errors during the transition. 🧩 What This Looks Like in Your Account You may experience one or more of the following symptoms: - Your invoice shows a higher OTTO site count than your plan entitlement. - You cannot activate or unfreeze projects even though you believe you have quota available. - Your OTTO dashboard shows fewer available slots than you paid for. - A top-up charge appears on your bill after you cancelled the add-on. 🛠️ How to Check Your Current OTTO Status 1. In the left sidebar, navigate to OTTO SEO → SEO Automation (URL: /seo-automation-v3). 2. Review the list of active and frozen OTTO projects. 3. Note how many sites are shown as active, frozen, or available. 4. Compare this number to what appears on your most recent invoice or plan summary. If the numbers do not match — for example, you are billed for more sites than you can activate — you have a billing discrepancy that needs to be corrected by our team. 💡 What Our Team Can Do to Help Our support team has the tools to investigate and resolve OTTO quota billing issues. When you reach out, we can: - Audit your billing history and identify any duplicate or incorrect charges. - Reconcile your quota entitlement so it matches what you actually paid for. - Issue a refund or credit for any overcharges confirmed during the investigation. - Unfreeze projects that were locked due to an incorrect quota count. - Correct your plan so future invoices reflect the right OTTO site limit. 📋 What to Have Ready Before Contacting Support To help us resolve your issue as quickly as possible, please have the following information ready: - The number of OTTO sites you intended to have on your plan (for example, 7). - The number of sites shown on your invoice or charge (for example, 10). - The number of sites you can currently activate in the platform (for example, 5). - The names or URLs of any projects that are frozen and need to be unfrozen. - Approximate date when the discrepancy started or when the charge appeared. ⏱️ What to Expect After You Report the Issue Once our team investigates your account: 1. Audit: We will review your billing history, plan changes, and quota assignments to identify the root cause. 2. Correction: We will update your OTTO quota entitlement so it matches what you paid for. 3. Refund or credit: If you were overcharged, a refund or account credit will be applied. Refund timelines depend on your payment method but are typically processed within 5–10 business days. 4. Project reactivation: If any projects were frozen because of the quota error, we will help you unfreeze them once the quota is corrected. 🆘 Get Help Now If you are experiencing an OTTO quota billing discrepancy, our team is ready to investigate and resolve it. 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 include the details listed in the section above so we can resolve your case as efficiently as possible.

🔍 OTTO Cache Issues Refund Process

🔧 Understanding OTTO Cache Problems OTTO SEO automation can sometimes serve stale cached SEO data due to Cache-Control header issues. This has been documented in engineering tickets where Cache-Control: private headers prevented host/CDN caching, causing CPU spikes and 30-second first-load times. Subsequent fixes addressed Cache-Control: public headers breaking forms and leaking nonces on non-WP-Rocket sites. These cache issues can lead to significant traffic and crawl distribution drops. 📋 Refund Eligibility and Process Refund requests for OTTO cache-related issues are evaluated case by case. While the Terms of Service mention a 72-hour window, exceptions have been granted for documented technical issues caused by platform bugs. The human support team has successfully processed refunds for customers experiencing verified OTTO cache problems that resulted in traffic loss. If you believe you qualify for a refund due to OTTO stale cache issues: 1. Document the timeline of traffic drops and correlation with OTTO activation 2. Gather evidence from Google Search Console or analytics showing crawl distribution decline 3. Note any engineering ticket references related to OTTO cache fixes 4. Contact support through the platform chat widget 💰 Refund Details from Recent Case In a recent resolved case, a customer received a refund of $341.58 to their original payment method. The refund typically reflects within 5–10 business days. This refund was granted after escalation despite initial denial based on the 72-hour ToS window. 🛑 How to Cancel Your Subscription To cancel your subscription and stop future billing: 1. Navigate to Left sidebar → OTTO SEO → All Sites 2. Click on the affected site 3. Go to billing/account settings within the site configuration 4. Follow the cancellation prompts Alternatively, you can manage billing directly through your account settings in the platform. 🔧 OTTO Cache Fixes and Prevention Engineering has deployed several fixes for OTTO cache issues: - Configurable OTTO cache TTL setting under Advanced Settings → Cache Management - OTTO SEO Cache Self-Verification Probe for connectivity resilience - Cache Health Visibility improvements - Fixes for WordPress plugin causing site outages across multiple client websites To access cache management settings: 1. Go to Left sidebar → OTTO SEO → Installation Guide 2. Check Advanced Settings for Cache Management options 3. Adjust OTTO cache TTL as needed for your hosting environment 📞 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 connected with a member of our team.

💳 Refunds and Removing Saved Payment Methods

💡 Overview This article explains how to request a refund for a charge on your Search Atlas account and how to remove saved payment methods. Both actions can be handled quickly through our support team via the in-platform chat widget. 🔍 When You Can Request a Refund Refunds are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Common situations where a refund may be applicable include: - You were charged after submitting a cancellation request - A duplicate charge appeared on your account - You were billed for a plan or feature you did not intend to activate - A charge was applied to an incorrect billing destination Search Atlas does not guarantee refunds outside of these scenarios, but our team will always review your situation fairly. 📋 How to Request a Refund 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 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 support team. 4. Provide the following details to speed up the process: - The date and amount of the charge in question - A brief description of why you are requesting a refund - Your billing email address if it differs from your login email 5. Our team will review the request and confirm the outcome, typically within one business day. Important: If you previously requested a cancellation or refund and did not receive a confirmation, please mention this when you contact our team so we can locate the original request and prioritise your case. 🗑️ How to Remove a Saved Payment Method Stored payment methods (such as credit or debit cards) can be removed from your account. Follow these steps: 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account. 2. Click your avatar and select Billing, then open the Plans & Top-ups tab. 3. Locate the payment method you want to remove under the Payment Methods section. 4. Click Remove next to the card and confirm Yes, remove card. You can also Set as primary to change your default card. The Remove button only appears when you have more than one saved card — the last remaining card cannot be removed this way. To replace your only card, add a new one using Add Payment Method, set it as primary, and then remove the old card. Alternatively, contact our support team to remove the only card on your account. Note: If you have already cancelled your subscription and a stale payment method is still showing on your account, our team can remove it on your behalf. ⚠️ Important Things to Know - Refunds are processed through our payment provider and may take 5–10 business days to appear on your statement, depending on your bank. - Removing a payment method does not automatically cancel your subscription. If you wish to cancel, please do so separately through the Billing settings or by contacting support. - If you cancel your subscription but forget to remove your payment details, no further charges will be applied once the cancellation is confirmed — but we recommend removing the card for your own peace of mind. - Refund eligibility is assessed based on your account activity and the timing of your request relative to the charge date. 🛠️ Still Need Help? If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.

🛠️ OTTO SEO Site Downgrade Billing Errors and Refunds

🔍 Overview Some customers who reduced their number of active OTTO SEO sites experienced a known billing issue where the platform continued charging for the previous (higher) site count, or the self-service downgrade returned an error. This article explains what caused the problem, what you can expect in terms of corrections and refunds, and how to get help if the issue persists. ⚙️ What Caused This Issue Several related engineering issues have now been resolved on the platform side. The root causes included: - OTTO site top-up add-ons not being correctly deactivated when a plan was downgraded, leaving stale records that blocked the downgrade. - Legacy billing accounts being charged at an incorrect rate or receiving duplicate billing events after a quota change. - A self-service downgrade error that prevented customers from reducing their OTTO site allocation manually. All of these issues have been marked as resolved by the engineering team. If you attempted a downgrade during the affected period and it did not go through correctly, your quota and billing should now reflect the correct number of sites. ✅ How to Confirm Your OTTO Site Quota Is Correct 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and navigate to the OTTO SEO section of the platform. 2. Check that the number of active OTTO sites shown matches the plan or allocation you intended to keep. 3. If the number displayed is higher than expected — for example, showing a previous or inflated count — do not attempt to reprocess the downgrade multiple times, as repeated attempts may compound the error. 💳 Understanding Refund Eligibility If you were overbilled because of this issue, here is how refunds are typically handled: - Recent charges (within the refund window — 48 hours for monthly or quarterly plans, 72 hours for annual plans): Eligible refunds are issued to your original payment method by default; you can ask for account credit instead. For example, charges such as the $69 OTTO sites add-on fee are eligible for direct refund within this window. - Older charges (outside the refund window): A direct cash refund may not be possible, but the support team can offer an equivalent amount as account credit (HDC/account credit) applied to your Search Atlas account. This credit can be used against future billing. Refunds and credits are processed manually by the support team after they verify the billing discrepancy on your account. They will also deactivate any incorrect add-ons or top-ups that were applied in error. 🚀 Steps to Take If You Are Still Being Billed Incorrectly 1. Log in to your Search Atlas account and check your current OTTO site count in the OTTO SEO section to confirm whether the quota is still showing incorrectly. 2. Review your most recent billing statements to identify the specific charge amounts and dates affected. 3. Contact the support team through the chat widget (see below) with the following information ready: the number of OTTO sites

🛠️ OTTO Sites Top-Up Reduction and Partial Refund

📋 Overview Your Search Atlas plan includes a set number of OTTO Sites by default. If you need more, you can purchase additional sites through a top-up. However, it is easy to end up with a top-up that covers more sites than you actually need — resulting in unexpected charges. This article explains how OTTO Sites billing works, why you may see an error when trying to reduce your top-up, and how to get a billing adjustment. 🔢 How OTTO Sites Top-Up Pricing Works Your base plan includes a fixed number of OTTO Sites at no extra cost. Any sites beyond that number require a paid top-up. A few important things to know: - Your plan's included sites count toward your total. For example, if your plan includes 4 OTTO Sites and you have 8 live sites, you only need a top-up for the 4 additional sites — not all 8. - Per-site price decreases with larger top-ups. Purchasing a larger block of additional sites lowers the unit price, but you only pay less per site, not less in total — so over-provisioning still costs more overall. - Top-up quantity and active sites are separate. You can have a top-up quantity that is higher than the number of sites you actually have live. This is a common source of overcharging. ⚠️ Why You May See a Reduction Error If you try to reduce your OTTO Sites top-up and see an error similar to "You cannot reduce your OTTO sites below the minimum included in your current plan," this does not always mean your requested reduction is invalid. In some cases, this error appears even when your requested number is correct and the reduction should be technically allowed. This is a known billing system limitation that requires the support team to resolve manually. ✅ What to Do If You Are Over-Provisioned 1. Confirm how many OTTO Sites your plan includes. Check your plan details to find the number of OTTO Sites bundled at no extra cost. 2. Count your active OTTO Sites. Review the sites currently active under your account in your Search Atlas dashboard. 3. Calculate the top-up you actually need. Subtract your plan's included sites from the total number of active sites. The result is the top-up quantity you should be paying for. 4. Attempt to adjust your top-up. Try to reduce the top-up to the correct number. If the change goes through without an error, you are done. 5. If you see an error, contact support immediately. Do not try to work around the error yourself. The billing team can manually adjust your top-up quantity and issue a partial refund for any amount you were overcharged. 💰 Partial Refunds for Overcharges If your top-up was set higher than needed and you were charged accordingly, you may be eligible for a partial refund covering the difference. The billin