Scout - Online Accountability by Scout

Scout – Online Accountability sends you real-time updates about the things that matter to you as they happen.

Scout is a browser extension that allows you to add specific websites and keywords to a monitoring list. When a listed site or a keyword is detected in the URL, Scout automatically sends a screenshot (along with the URL, page title, and timestamp) directly to an accountability partner you choose.

There’s no dashboard to manage, no external apps, no systems level permissions required, and no stored history. Everything happens directly within the browser, and the screenshot goes straight from your browser to your partner’s email inbox.

Most tools in the accountability space are built around shame or "gotcha" moments, and are designed to control people by tracking every last thing they do online. Scout is designed to be a communication tool, not a control system.

Accountability doesn’t have to just mean catching bad behavior, it can also be about confirming good behavior as well:

• A parent receiving an email notification when their child logs in to do homework
• A person being notified when bills were paid by their spouse or roommate, so nothing slips through the cracks
• Kids agreeing to screen time limits, and parents being able to verify if they were respected or not

Scout’s monitoring can be turned on and off intentionally. So if YouTube or other sites are off limits after 9pm, a child can enable monitoring at that time each night. If they follow the rules, the accountability partner (mom or dad) knows right away, and if they don’t, that can become a conversation as it happens and not an argument later on.

Scout's goal isn’t to shame or spy on every last thing a person does online, but to hopefully be used to support healthy habits, communication, and transparency, unlike other options that strip away privacy in the hope to expose or incriminate a person.

While Scout can monitor every site a user visits by entering "www." into the monitored websites list, that is a choice the user ultimately gets to make, and the user always has the final say whether they enable, disable or change the settings of the extension at any time. The registered accountability partner will receive an email when settings are changed, or when monitoring is enabled or disabled. Accountability only works when it’s voluntary — Scout is built around that principle.

For most people, they dont need a nuclear option when they want accountability, and Scout hopes to serve these people in an inexpensive, lightweight, and flexible way. If you’re trying to build better habits or add an extra layer of transparency without a heavy, big brother style monitoring system, Scout can help.

Why I built it:

• Most tools felt overbuilt or too invasive
• I wanted something simple and transparent
• I wanted accountability without a third-party portal holding my data

What it does:

• Monitors only the sites and keywords you list
• Captures a screenshot when those sites or keywords appear in the URL
• Emails it directly to your accountability partner
• Sends an email notification if monitoring is enabled or disabled, or if new settings are saved
• Nothing stored, nothing shared, nothing tracked beyond that

It’s built to be:

• Private
• Lowest cost available
• Simple (just add a registered email and a website list)
• Shareable (a login email can be used by multiple people, on multiple browsers)

Scout is designed for people who want accountability

Scout works best when there is mutual understanding and consent between the user and their accountability partner. It’s built to support transparency, trust, and follow through — to challenge bad habits and be a source of positive pressure. Its designed to help encourage people to make the right choices.

🔒 Accountability, Not Enforcement
Scout does not try to force a persons behavior. Instead, it supports people who choose accountability as a way to develop trust, reinforce commitments, and strengthen their relationships.