Scan history & diff

Scout saves every scan to a local SQLite file (default scout.db). That history powers the dashboard charts, the --new-only CI gate, and the diff command.

Where history lives

scout scan --repo . --db scout.db     # default
scout scan --repo . --db ""           # keep nothing

The file is pure-Go SQLite — no external database, nothing leaves your machine.

Diff two scans

scout diff <scan-a> <scan-b>

Shows what changed between two runs: findings that appeared (regressions), ones that were fixed, and ones that persist. This is the same comparison scout ci --new-only uses to fail only on new or regressed findings.

List and re-print

scout report              # list recent scans with their ids
scout report <scan-id>    # re-print a saved scan's report

Prune old scans

scout prune

Deletes scans older than the retention period (default 90 days; configurable via retention in the config).

Typical loop

# establish a baseline
scout scan --repo . --db scout.db

# later, after changes — fail only on new findings
scout ci --repo . --db scout.db --fail-on high --new-only

# see exactly what changed between the last two
scout diff <previous-id> <latest-id>