> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.scoutvoice.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Common Issues

> Solutions for frequent problems with Scout.

Scout not working as expected? Find your issue below.

### Text doesn't appear after dictating

**You spoke and released the hotkey, but nothing was typed.**

1. **Check your cursor placement** — Make sure a text field is focused in the target app before dictating.
2. **Check permissions** — On macOS, Scout needs Accessibility permission to paste text. See [Permissions](/troubleshooting/permissions).
3. **Check your microphone** — Open **Settings → Audio** and run a mic check. See [Microphone Issues](/troubleshooting/microphone).
4. **Check your internet connection** — Scout needs an active connection to stream audio to the speech engine.
5. **Try a different app** — If it works in one app but not another, the target app may be blocking clipboard paste.

***

### Hotkey doesn't work

**Pressing the dictation hotkey does nothing.**

1. **Make sure Scout is running** — Check for the Scout icon in your system tray (Windows) or menu bar (macOS).
2. **Check for conflicts** — Another app may have claimed the same hotkey. Try changing your hotkey in **Settings → Hotkeys**.
3. **Restart Scout** — Close and relaunch the app.
4. **macOS: Check Accessibility** — Hotkey detection on macOS (including the Fn key) requires Accessibility permission. See [Permissions](/troubleshooting/permissions).

***

### Voice command didn't fire

**You said a command like "period" but Scout typed the word instead.**

1. **Try speaking more clearly** — Voice commands use normalized word matching, so speaking the command clearly helps.
2. **Check for boundary requirements** — Commands like "number one" and "bullet point" require a natural boundary (start of speech, after a pause, or after another command). Saying "number one" mid-sentence is treated as regular text.
3. **Try the multi-word alias** — Single-word commands like "pipe" or "arrow" can sometimes be missed. Try "pipe sign" or "arrow sign" instead.

***

### Dictionary correction not applied

**You added a word to your dictionary but it's not being corrected.**

1. **Check the spelling** — Open **Settings → Dictionary** and verify the word is spelled correctly.
2. **Speak the word clearly** — Fuzzy matching works within a threshold. If the speech engine's output is too different from your dictionary entry, it won't match.
3. **Short words are harder to match** — Words under 3 characters aren't eligible for fuzzy matching.
4. **Dictionary syncs automatically** — New entries take effect on your next dictation session. No restart needed.

***

### Quick phrase didn't expand

**You said a trigger phrase but it wasn't replaced.**

1. **Check the trigger** — Open **Settings → Quick Phrases** and verify the trigger phrase is correct. Triggers must be at least 2 words.
2. **Say the trigger exactly** — Quick phrases use exact normalized matching. The words must match — paraphrasing won't work.

<Note>
  Triggers that exactly match a built-in voice command are rejected when you create them to prevent conflicts.
</Note>

***

### Network or connection errors

**Scout shows a connection error or transcription stops mid-sentence.**

1. **Check your internet** — Scout needs a stable connection for real-time streaming.
2. **Check if the speech engine is down** — Rare, but outages happen. Try again in a few minutes.
3. **Restart Scout** — This resets the connection.
4. **Check your firewall** — Scout needs outbound access on port 443. No special rules needed beyond standard web traffic.