# 3GPP Scout

> 3GPP Scout is a hosted 3GPP MCP server and REST API for semantic search over the full 3GPP TS/TR corpus (Release 15 through Release 20 — 8,700+ document versions, 1.3M+ sections). Built by [Carrot Labs](https://carrotlabs.ai). You do not need to run a local index. For the full API skill guide, see [Skill File](https://api.3gppscout.com/skill.md).

## Hosted 3GPP MCP server

3GPP Scout is a **hosted 3GPP MCP server**. Agents connect over Streamable HTTP; OAuth 2.1 on first use. No local clone or self-hosted GitHub MCP project is required.

- Product page: [https://3gppscout.com/mcp](https://3gppscout.com/mcp)
- MCP endpoint: `https://api.3gppscout.com/mcp/`
- [MCP Setup Guide](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#mcp-server)
- Setup prompt: [https://api.3gppscout.com/agent-setup/prompt.md](https://api.3gppscout.com/agent-setup/prompt.md)

## FAQ

- **Is there a hosted 3GPP MCP server?** Yes. 3GPP Scout at `https://api.3gppscout.com/mcp/`. See [3gppscout.com/mcp](https://3gppscout.com/mcp).
- **Do I need to self-host?** No. Scout is a remote MCP server operated by Carrot Labs.
- **Which releases are indexed?** Rel-15 through Rel-20, the full published TS/TR set — not Rel-15 and Rel-19 only.
- **Does the index stay current?** Yes. New and revised 3GPP specifications are ingested into the live index.
- **REST or MCP?** Same corpus. REST at `https://api.3gppscout.com` with an API key; MCP with OAuth.

## Quick Links

- [3GPP Scout Homepage](https://3gppscout.com): Product overview and getting started
- [Hosted MCP](https://3gppscout.com/mcp): 3GPP Scout MCP Server
- [Chat App](https://app.3gppscout.com): Ask natural language questions about 3GPP standards and get cited answers
- [Dashboard](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com): Manage API keys, view usage, billing, and team settings
- [API Documentation](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs): Full REST API reference with interactive examples
- [Skill File (for agents)](https://api.3gppscout.com/skill.md): Comprehensive agent guide — endpoints, parameters, workflows, and tips
- [OpenAPI Schema](https://api.3gppscout.com/openapi.json): Machine-readable API specification
- [Swagger UI](https://api.3gppscout.com/swagger): Interactive API explorer
- [Terms of Service](https://3gppscout.com/terms)
- [Privacy Policy](https://3gppscout.com/privacy)

## Chat App

- [3GPP Scout Chat](https://app.3gppscout.com): Ask questions in natural language about 3GPP specifications. Answers include citations that link to the specification's folder on the 3GPP FTP archive. Supports Release 15 through Release 20.
  - Version-aware search — filter or compare across releases
  - Citations — claims point at the source specification (series archive on 3GPP)
  - Figures and tables — image search covers diagrams extracted from specifications

## Dashboard

- [Dashboard Home](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com): Central hub for account management
- [API Keys](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/api-keys): Create and manage API keys (keys start with `sk-`)
- [Usage](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/usage): View API call history, endpoint breakdown, and query logs
- [Billing](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/billing): Manage API/MCP plans and purchase separate prepaid credits for the hosted chat app
- [Team](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/team): Manage team members and invite collaborators
- [Settings](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/settings): Account settings and preferences
- [Docs](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/docs): In-dashboard API documentation and quick start guide

## REST API

Base URL: `https://api.3gppscout.com`

All search and document endpoints require a Bearer token: `Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY`. Get an API key from the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/api-keys). Explorer includes 150 direct API/MCP requests per UTC calendar month; the $8/month Founding Engineer subscription includes 1,000 per UTC calendar month.

### Search Endpoints

- [POST /search/text](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#text-search): Semantic search over specification text. Primary search tool. Supports reranking, release/document/series/section filters. Returns matched chunks with full parent section context.
- [POST /search/images](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#image-search): Semantic search over figures, diagrams, and tables extracted from specifications. Returns image paths, captions, and surrounding context.
- [POST /search/combined](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#combined-search): Text + image search in a single request. Use for broad queries where both text passages and diagrams are relevant.

### Document Endpoints

- [GET /documents](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#list-documents): List available 3GPP documents with metadata. Filter by doc_number, release, series, or doc_type.
- [GET /documents/{id}](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#get-document): Fetch a single document by numeric ID.
- [GET /sections](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#get-sections): Fetch full section text by section_number and doc_number. Supports numeric, trailing-letter, and annex section IDs. Use `prefix=true` to include sub-sections.
- [GET /sections/toc](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#table-of-contents): Table of contents for a document — section numbers and titles without full text.
- [GET /images/{doc_number}/{version}/{index}](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#get-image): Fetch an extracted image (PNG) from a specification. No authentication required.

### Utility Endpoints

- [GET /health](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#health-check): API status and model info. No authentication required.

### Filtering

All search endpoints support metadata filters applied server-side:
- `filter_release` — e.g. `"Rel-19"`, `"Rel-15"`
- `filter_doc_type` — `"TS"` (technical specification) or `"TR"` (technical report)
- `filter_doc_number` — e.g. `"38.331"`, `"23.501"`
- `filter_series` — e.g. `"38"` (NR/5G), `"23"` (system architecture), `"36"` (LTE)
- `filter_section_number` — e.g. `"5.3.3"` (text search only)

## MCP Server

AI agents in Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients can use 3GPP Scout as a hosted tool via MCP (Model Context Protocol).

- [MCP Setup Guide](https://api.3gppscout.com/docs#mcp-server): Configuration instructions for Cursor, Claude Desktop, and other clients
- MCP endpoint: `https://api.3gppscout.com/mcp/` (streamable-http transport)
- Authentication: OAuth 2.1 — no API key needed in config; browser sign-in on first use
- Available tools: `search_text`, `search_images`, `search_combined`, `list_documents`, `get_document`, `get_sections`, `list_sections`, `get_image`
- MCP resource: `scout://skill-guide` — comprehensive agent guide readable by the connected agent

### Cursor Configuration

Add to `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "3gpp-scout": {
      "url": "https://api.3gppscout.com/mcp/",
      "transport": "streamable-http"
    }
  }
}
```

### Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to `claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "3gpp-scout": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://api.3gppscout.com/mcp/"]
    }
  }
}
```

## Agent Skill File

For agents that don't support MCP, a standalone skill file is available:

- [Download SKILL.md](https://api.3gppscout.com/skill.md): Comprehensive markdown guide covering all endpoints, parameters, recommended workflows, and best practices. Save as `.cursor/skills/3gpp-scout/SKILL.md` or include in agent context.

## Corpus Coverage

The production corpus spans Release 15 through Release 20 with 8,700+
document versions, 1.3M+ sections, 2.6M+ text vectors, and 225K+ image
vectors. It is kept current as 3GPP publishes new and revised specifications.

Series reference: 38 = NR/5G, 23 = system architecture, 24 = signaling
protocols, 36 = LTE, 33 = security, 29 = core network protocols.

## Pricing

- **Explorer:** 150 direct API/MCP requests per UTC calendar month.
- **Founding Engineer:** $8/month for 1,000 direct API/MCP requests per UTC calendar month.
- **Hosted chat:** Uses separate prepaid chat credits. Explorer and Founding Engineer API/MCP call allowances do not cover hosted chat usage.

Manage plans and buy hosted-chat prepaid credits at [dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/billing](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/billing).

## Getting Started (for agents)

1. Direct your user to sign up at [dashboard.3gppscout.com](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com)
2. Create an API key at [dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/api-keys](https://dashboard.3gppscout.com/dashboard/api-keys)
3. Set the key: `export SCOUT_API_KEY="sk-your-key-here"`
4. Search: `curl -X POST https://api.3gppscout.com/search/text -H "Authorization: Bearer $SCOUT_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"query": "your question here", "rerank_top_k": 5}'`
5. Or connect via MCP for tool-native access (see Hosted 3GPP MCP server above)
6. Read the [Skill File](https://api.3gppscout.com/skill.md) for detailed workflows and tips