Support¶

Need help with ScoutML? This page provides resources and contact information for getting assistance.

Getting Help¶

Documentation¶

First, check if your question is answered in the documentation:

📚 Installation Guide - Setup issues
🔧 Configuration Guide - API key problems
🚀 Quick Start - Basic usage
📖 Command Reference - Detailed command help
💡 Examples - Advanced workflows

Command Help¶

Get help directly from the CLI:

# General help
scoutml --help

# Command-specific help
scoutml search --help
scoutml agent implement --help

Python Library Help¶

Get help in Python:

import scoutml

# Get function documentation
help(scoutml.search)
help(scoutml.get_paper)

# List all available functions
print(dir(scoutml))

# Get docstrings
print(scoutml.search.__doc__)

Common Issues¶

API Key Not Found¶

If you see "API key not found":

Check environment variable: echo $SCOUTML_API_KEY
Verify .env file exists in current directory
Try scoutml configure --api-key YOUR_KEY
See Configuration Guide

No Results Found¶

If searches return no results:

Try broader search terms
Remove restrictive filters
Check spelling of technical terms
Use alternative terminology

Rate Limiting¶

If you encounter rate limits:

Wait for the specified time
Reduce request frequency
Contact support for higher limits

Installation Issues¶

For installation problems:

Ensure Python 3.8+ is installed
Try pip install --upgrade pip
Use virtual environment
Check Installation Guide

Error Messages¶

Understanding Errors¶

ScoutML provides helpful error messages:

Error: API key not found
Please set your API key using one of these methods:
1. Environment variable: export SCOUTML_API_KEY="your-key"
2. Configuration file: scoutml configure --api-key your-key
3. .env file: SCOUTML_API_KEY=your-key

Common Error Codes¶

Error	Meaning	Solution
401	Invalid API key	Check your API key
404	Paper not found	Verify ArXiv ID
429	Rate limit exceeded	Wait and retry
500	Server error	Try again later

Reporting Issues¶

GitHub Issues¶

Report bugs and request features:

🐛 GitHub Issues

When reporting issues, please include:

ScoutML version: scoutml --version
Python version: python --version
Operating system: macOS/Linux/Windows
Complete error message
Steps to reproduce

Issue Template¶

## Description
Brief description of the issue

## Steps to Reproduce
1. Run command: `scoutml search "test"`
2. See error...

## Expected Behavior
What should happen

## Actual Behavior
What actually happens

## Environment
- ScoutML version: X.X.X
- Python version: 3.X.X
- OS: macOS/Linux/Windows

## Error Message

Paste complete error here

Contact Information¶

Email Support¶

For direct support:

📧 support@prospectml.com

Include: - Your use case - Specific issues encountered - Account email (if applicable)

Response Times¶

GitHub Issues: 1-2 business days
Email Support: 2-3 business days
Critical Issues: Same day (business hours)

Community¶

Discord Server¶

Join our community for discussions and help:

💬 ScoutML Discord

Channels: - #general - General discussion - #help - Get help from community - #showcase - Share your projects - #feature-requests - Suggest features

Contributing¶

Want to contribute to ScoutML?

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Submit a pull request

See Contributing Guide

Frequently Asked Questions¶

General¶

Q: Is ScoutML free to use? A: ScoutML offers both free and paid tiers. Check our pricing page for details.

Q: Can I use ScoutML for commercial projects? A: Yes, with appropriate licensing. Contact sales@prospectml.com.

Q: How often is the paper database updated? A: Daily, with new papers added within 24 hours of ArXiv publication.

Technical¶

Q: Can I use ScoutML in my Python scripts? A: Yes! ScoutML provides a full Python API. Simply import scoutml and use functions like scoutml.search(), scoutml.get_paper(), etc. See the Python Library documentation.

Q: Is there an API rate limit? A: Yes, limits depend on your tier. Free tier: 100 requests/day.

Q: Can I export results to BibTeX? A: Not directly, but you can convert JSON output to BibTeX.

Data¶

Q: What papers are included? A: All ArXiv papers in CS, Stats, Math, and Physics categories.

Q: How are similarity scores calculated? A: Using advanced embedding models trained on scientific text.

Q: Can I search non-ArXiv papers? A: Currently ArXiv only. More sources coming soon.

Troubleshooting Checklist¶

Before contacting support, try:

[ ] Update ScoutML: pip install --upgrade scoutml
[ ] Check API key configuration
[ ] Verify internet connection
[ ] Try with different parameters
[ ] Check GitHub Issues for similar problems
[ ] Review error message carefully
[ ] Restart terminal/shell session

Privacy and Security¶

Data Handling¶

API keys are stored locally only
Search queries are not logged
No personal data is collected
All connections use HTTPS

Security Issues¶

Report security vulnerabilities to:

🔒 security@prospectml.com

Do not post security issues publicly.

Service Status¶

Check service status:

🟢 status.scoutml.com

Subscribe to updates for: - Planned maintenance - Service disruptions - New feature releases

Legal¶

Still need help? Don't hesitate to reach out to support@prospectml.com. We're here to help you succeed with your ML research!