- How do I install Scout APM in a Laravel application?
- For Laravel, install the official adapter (scoutapp/scout-apm-laravel), which pulls in the base scoutapp/scout-apm-php agent as a dependency. Add your SCOUT_KEY and environment settings, publish the adapter config, and deploy. The base package alone is framework-agnostic and would need manual wiring, so the Laravel adapter is the normal integration point.
- Do I need scoutapp/scout-apm-laravel or can I use scoutapp/scout-apm-php alone?
- The base scoutapp/scout-apm-php package is the userland PHP agent and is framework-agnostic. Laravel auto-instrumentation comes from the Scout Laravel adapter, so most Laravel teams should install that adapter rather than wiring the base agent by hand. Confirm with Scout's docs that you are using the supported adapter for your framework.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does Scout APM support?
- The assessment identifies the best fit as Laravel 9–11 on PHP 8.1–8.3 with the official Laravel adapter. PHP 8.4 and Laravel 12 compatibility should be verified against the adapter's Composer constraints before rollout. Always check the adapter release notes because the base agent and framework adapter may have different version support.
- Does Scout APM support Laravel Octane, Horizon, queued jobs, and the scheduler?
- Support is less proven for Laravel Octane/Swoole and queue-heavy systems, and long-running workers may expose state-leak or memory issues. Confirm explicitly whether Horizon, queued jobs, and scheduled tasks are instrumented by the adapter. Run a staging pilot under Octane or queue load before production if those paths matter.
- What performance overhead should I expect from the Scout APM PHP agent?
- The provided assessment does not quantify per-request overhead; it flags overhead as something to validate. Benchmark p50, p95, and p99 latency and throughput in staging under realistic load, with opcache/preloading enabled and existing middleware in place. Compare against a baseline before canarying to production.
- What data does Scout APM capture, and how are SQL parameters, headers, and PII scrubbed?
- Scout APM is a commercial SaaS agent, so trace data leaves your environment to Scout's ingestion endpoints over outbound HTTPS. The assessment calls out data egress and PII capture as risks and says SQL parameter, header, and PII scrubbing must be confirmed. Complete a privacy review and verify redaction controls before enabling it on sensitive apps.
- What happens if the Scout APM ingestion endpoint is unavailable?
- Agent fail-open behavior when Scout's endpoint is unavailable is a key question that must be confirmed, not assumed. Test in staging by blocking outbound access to Scout's ingestion endpoints and observing request latency, error handling, and logging. Also allowlist and verify TLS/proxy behavior for those endpoints.
- Can I add custom spans or instrument custom code with Scout APM?
- The overview emphasizes automatic instrumentation of database queries, HTTP calls, and views. Custom span support is not confirmed in the provided context, so check Scout's documentation or vendor support before designing around custom instrumentation. If you need custom tracing, validate it in a pilot.
- Is Scout APM self-hosted, and what pricing or support SLA is available?
- Scout APM is a commercial SaaS product; the base PHP agent is MIT-licensed, but pricing, support SLA, and any self-hosted or on-prem option are not specified in the assessment. Ask the vendor for pricing, support terms, and data residency details. The low open-source star count means community support is limited, so vendor support matters.
- How do I test and migrate to Scout APM safely in production?
- Start with a staging pilot and a Scout trial, install the Laravel adapter plus base agent, configure sampling, and instrument two or three critical user journeys. Run it in parallel with your existing APM for two to four weeks, compare trace coverage and overhead, then canary to production. Rollback is additive and low-risk: remove the environment variables and Composer packages after confirming no dependency.