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    Authentication & Tier Access

    Scout works without authentication. Add an API key to unlock monitoring, auditing, and write access.

    Free access (Scout tier)

    • • No API key needed — connect and start querying immediately
    • • 9 tools available: brand lookup, narrative check, buyer simulation, category browse, and more
    • • Rate limited to 30 requests per IP per hour
    • • Exceeding the rate limit returns HTTP 429 with Retry-After: 3600

    429 message: "Rate limit exceeded. Add your API key for unlimited access — claim your brand at optimly.ai/brand"

    Invalid or unresolvable osk_ keys fall back to Scout tier silently — no 401 error.

    Paid access (Signal / Signal Pro)

    Requires an osk_ API key sent as a Bearer token:

    Authorization: Bearer osk_your_api_key_here
    • • Get a key manually at app.optimly.ai/scout-api-key or via OAuth 2.1 through Claude.ai
    • • Signal ($199/mo): 14 tools — 9 Scout + 5 monitoring/audit tools
    • • Signal Pro ($799/mo): 15 tools — everything in Signal + BrandVault write access
    • • No rate limit for authenticated requests

    OAuth 2.1 flow

    Claude.ai handles this automatically when you add Scout as a custom connector. The full flow:

    • • OAuth 2.1 + PKCE (S256) with Dynamic Client Registration
    • • You'll be prompted to sign in to Optimly, claim your brand, and authorize access
    • • Claude stores the token — you don't need to manage keys manually

    Even without completing OAuth, the 9 free Scout tools work immediately in Claude.

    Tier comparison

    Tier Price Tools Auth Rate Limit
    Scout Free 9 None 30 requests per IP per hour (unauthenticated)
    Signal $199/mo per brand 14 Required Unlimited
    Signal Pro $799/mo per brand 15 Required Unlimited

    Error codes

    Code Meaning Cause
    -32700 Parse error Invalid JSON
    -32600 Invalid request Missing jsonrpc: '2.0'
    -32601 Method not found Unknown JSON-RPC method
    -32602 Invalid params Missing/invalid params, tier gating, unknown tool
    -32603 Internal error Core app failure
    -32029 Rate limit exceeded Unauth 30/hr/IP limit. HTTP 429.
    -32002 Auth required Legacy — no longer returned. Free tier works without auth.

    -32002 (auth required) is legacy and no longer returned for missing keys. Unauthenticated requests silently fall back to the Scout (free) tier.

    How to add your API key

    API key generation will be documented when Signal ships. For now, Claude.ai handles authentication automatically via OAuth when you add Scout as a custom connector.

    Last updated: April 2026