GroupScout guide

1. How GroupScout works

1. It watches the Facebook groups you've joined, reading recent posts in your own Chrome, at a human pace.
2. It flags the posts worth answering, like "Can anyone recommend a septic company in Loves Park?"
3. It drafts a reply in your voice, using only what you've told it about your business.
4. You review, edit and approve. GroupScout opens the post and types the reply into the comment box.
5. You press Post. GroupScout never posts, comments, likes or messages on its own.

2. Getting started

1. Install GroupScout from the Chrome Web Store and pin it (puzzle-piece icon → pin).
2. Open the panel by clicking the GroupScout icon.
3. Activate: paste the license key from your welcome email (it starts with gs_live_), or drag the attached groupscout-license.json file onto the panel.
4. Your business: answer five quick questions (examples below).
5. Your groups: click Pick from groups I've joined and tick the ones worth watching.

Make sure you're logged in to Facebook in the same Chrome. GroupScout never asks for your Facebook password.

3. Your business: field-by-field examples

Replies are written from these answers. Everything can be changed later in Settings → Profile.

Field	What it's for	Example
Business type	Decides which posts get flagged, and adds rules some professions need (doctors, lawyers, accountants…).	Septic, drain & sewer
Business name	Exactly as customers know you.	815 Septic Guy
Your first name	The person replies come from. Leave blank if you post as the business Page.	Mike
What you do	One specific sentence. Replies only ever claim what's written here.	septic pumping, inspections and riser installs
Service area	Towns or areas you serve.	Rockford, Loves Park and Machesney Park
Website	Optional. Only used in groups you've marked "links allowed".	https://815septicguy.com
Replies are written as	Owner, team member, or the business Page (see next section).	The owner ("I own …")

In Settings → Profile you can also fine-tune:

Field	Example
Who you are	Mike, owner of 815 Septic Guy. Writes like a local owner talking to neighbors: friendly, direct, no hype.
What you sell	815 Septic Guy: septic pumping, inspections and riser installs. Service area: Rockford and Loves Park. Same-week appointments. Website: https://815septicguy.com
Which posts are worth answering	Neighbors asking who to call for a full septic tank, an inspection for a home sale, or slow drains. NOT other companies advertising.
Rules (one per line)	Never quote prices. Mention we're family-owned only if it fits. Don't reply to posts asking for "no businesses, please".
Keywords	recommend, anyone know, looking for, septic, pumped, drain field

4. Who replies are written as

Choice	Sounds like	Best for
The owner	"I own 815 Septic Guy. Sounds like your baffle; we can take a look this week."	Owners posting from their own Facebook account.
A team member	"I work at 815 Septic Guy. That smell usually means…"	Office managers and staff.
The business Page	"We see this a lot after heavy rain…"	Posting as the company's Facebook Page, and agencies posting for clients. In Facebook, choose the Page in the "commenting as" menu before you press Post. The Page must be a member of the group.

Every option is open about the connection to the business. GroupScout doesn't write fake "neutral neighbor" recommendations; those break Facebook's rules and FTC endorsement rules, and they're the fastest way to get banned.

5. Adding groups

GroupScout can only read groups you've joined. Groups with a pending join request are flagged until you're approved.

• Pick from groups I've joined (recommended): reads your Facebook "Your groups" page and shows a searchable checklist. Tick only the groups where your customers hang out, like town, neighborhood and trade groups, not personal ones.
• Add the group open in this tab: open a group on Facebook and click the button.
• Spreadsheet: download the template, fill one row per group, and upload it. See Files.

On the Groups tab, give each group a category and notes. Claude reads the notes before drafting. Example note: "Admins allow business recommendations only in the Tuesday thread. Keep it short." Tick links allowed only where the rules permit links.

6. Daily use: scan, review, post

1. Work left to right: ① Groups → ② Scan → ③ Queue → ④ Log (the ⚙ is Settings). On ② Scan, click Find posts to answer. It opens a tab next to yours and reads one page per group with random pauses; leave that tab in front and the panel open until it's done (Facebook only loads more posts on a page that's on screen). Groups you haven't joined are marked not joined in step 1 and skipped for 3 days. Or open a group yourself and click Scan this tab only.
2. When replies are ready, the ③ Queue tab glows and a Review replies button appears. Each flagged post shows a score (0–10), why it was picked, and a draft reply.
3. Edit the draft if you like, or click Redraft… with a note like "shorter" or "ask how old the tank is".
4. Approve & fill in opens the post with your reply typed in. Read it, press Enter to post, then click I posted it.
5. Skip anything that isn't a fit. The Log tab keeps everything you posted (exportable to CSV).

7. Several businesses and agencies

• Each business is a profile with its own voice, groups, queue and log. Switch between them from the menu under the GroupScout name in the panel's header.
• Plans include 1 (Starter), 2 (Pro) or 10 (Agency) business profiles.
• New client: send them the intake form (Settings → Profile → Download intake form), then upload their answers to create the business and its groups in one step.
• Agencies usually post as the client's business Page; set the voice to "The business Page".
• To move a business to another computer or staff member, use Export this business and Import business file.

8. Files: intake form, business file, group spreadsheet

File	What it holds	Where
Intake form (.csv)	Plain questions a client fills in: business type, name, first name, what you do, service area, website, voice, extra rules, and one row per group. Lines starting with # are instructions.	Settings → Profile, or setup step 2
Business file (.json)	One business's full setup and its groups. Never includes your license key, queue or log, so it's safe to email.	Settings → Profile
Group spreadsheet (.csv)	Columns: name, url, category, links_allowed, notes. Template, upload and export.	Groups tab, or setup step 3

Example intake form rows:

field,answer,group_name
business_type,Septic, drain & sewer,
business_name,815 Septic Guy,
first_name,Mike,
what_you_do,"septic pumping, inspections and riser installs",
service_area,"Rockford, Loves Park",
website,https://815septicguy.com,
voice,owner,
extra_rule,Never quote prices.,
group,https://www.facebook.com/groups/lovesparkneighbors/,Loves Park Neighbors

9. Staying on the right side of Facebook

• GroupScout runs only in your browser while you use it, at a human pace, and you make every post.
• Default limits: about 2 replies per group and 8 per day. You'll see a warning past these. Staying under them protects your account.
• Most replies shouldn't sell. Help first; mention your business only when someone is asking for exactly what you do.
• Links get comments removed or flagged as spam. Only use them where a group allows them.
• Read each draft before posting, and edit anything that doesn't sound like you.
• Facebook's terms restrict automated collection. Even with these safeguards, accounts can be restricted, and that risk is yours. See our Terms.

10. Scan settings explained

Setting	Default	What it does
Scrolls per group feed	4	How far down each group to read (about the last day or two in a busy group).
Max page loads per scan	25	Hard cap on Facebook pages opened in one scan.
Delay min / max	6–14 sec	Random pause between pages.
Max drafts per scan	15	Most posts sent for AI screening per scan.
Min score to queue	6	Only posts scoring this or higher get a drafted reply.
Replies per group / per day	2 / 8	When you'll see a warning. Nothing is blocked.

11. Your key and billing

• Your license key is in the email we sent after checkout, with a key file attached.
• Lost it? Go to Manage billing → Email me a new key. The old key stops working.
• Change plan, update your card or cancel from Manage billing. After canceling, GroupScout stops at the end of the paid period; your groups and settings stay on your computer.
• One key works on up to 2 (Starter), 3 (Pro) or 10 (Agency) browsers.

12. Troubleshooting

You see	Try this
"That key isn't recognized"	Paste the whole key, including gs_live_. If you requested a new key, use the newest one.
"Your subscription has ended" / "Payment needed"	Open Manage billing and renew or update your card. Your data comes back as it was.
"In use on too many browsers"	Use GroupScout on fewer computers, or upgrade.
A scan finds 0 posts	Make sure you've joined the group (not just requested). Leave the scan tab in front while it runs, or open the group and use Scan this tab.
"Could not find the comment box"	The reply is already on your clipboard: click the comment box and paste.
Anything else	Email hello@nextforgelabs.com. Include what you clicked and what you saw.