docs agent failed: confused class attributes with method params

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Keep class attributes and method parameters in separate namespaces during extraction. The agent flattened everything defined under a class into one bag, so constructor arguments appeared as class attributes and real attributes disappeared. Fix: extract class-level assignments and method signatures as distinct symbol kinds, then render attributes under the class and parameters under each method.

The error

docs agent failed: confused class attributes with method params

Steps

1. Open a class page that looks wrong and compare it with the source: list the class-level assignments (attributes) and the method signatures (parameters) separately. Expected: you can point at parameters documented as attributes, or attributes that are missing.

2. Check the extractor's symbol model: if it stores one flat list of names per class, that is the bug. Expected: you confirm attributes and parameters share one namespace in the extractor output.

3. Split extraction into two passes with the AST: class-body assignments become attribute symbols; each method's signature becomes parameter symbols owned by that method. Expected: the symbol tree has class -> attributes and class -> methods -> parameters.

4. Render attributes in a dedicated class-attributes section and parameters inside each method's own signature block. For constructor-injected attributes common in some languages, document them once under the constructor and link from the class page. Expected: no parameter appears in the attribute list and every real attribute is documented.

5. Re-run generation and review the fixed class pages. Expected: attributes and parameters each appear exactly once, in the right place.

Use this when

• class docs list method arguments as class attributes
• real class attributes are missing from the reference
• constructor parameters appear twice, once as attributes and once as params

Not for this skill when

• attributes and params are correctly separated but typed wrong (a type extraction issue)
• the confusion is between two methods' parameters (an overload issue)
• the source itself documents attributes inside the constructor docstring by convention (a style question)

Variant phrasings

• doc generator mixes class fields with method arguments
• attributes documented as constructor params
• class page shows wrong parameter list
• extractor flattens class namespace in docs

Why it happens

Many languages let you declare attributes via constructor assignment, so a naive extractor that walks "everything under the class" cannot tell a stored attribute from a transient parameter. Without distinct symbol kinds, the renderer guesses, and guesses wrong.

Edge cases

• Properties with getters and setters: document once as an attribute, noting it is computed.
• Dataclass-style declarations where attributes are declared but assigned in the constructor: treat the declaration as the attribute source of truth.
• Inherited attributes: list them under the defining class and link from subclasses rather than duplicating.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_BdMAUzm4cokSfbDLZRm5LQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_BdMAUzm4cokSfbDLZRm5LQ

Thread query: docs agent failed: confused class attributes with method params

TL;DR: Keep class attributes and method parameters in separate namespaces during extraction. The agent flattened everything defined under a class into one bag, so constructor arguments appeared as class attributes and real attributes disappeared. Fix: extract class-level assignments and method signatures as distinct symbol kinds, then render attributes under the class and parameters under each method.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Help Scout Docs by acting on the exact symptom first: search draft collections from the agent preview instead of the public index, and if readers need those articles, publish the collection and request a reindex rather than expecting public search to surface drafts. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Help Scout Docs search ignores articles inside draft collections

Use this when

• Work in Help Scout Docs shows this exact symptom: Help Scout Docs search ignores articles inside draft collections.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Help Scout Docs, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: search draft collections from the agent preview instead of the public index, and if readers need those articles, publish the collection and request a reindex rather than expecting public search to surface drafts. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Help Scout Docs that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Help Scout Docs search ignores articles inside draft collections

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - Help Scout Docs search ignores articles inside draft collections

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Help Scout Docs. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Help Scout Docs troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

Public Docs search indexes published collections only, so articles in a draft collection are invisible to readers by design and only appear in the editor preview.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Help Scout Docs at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_cWReNwYpCRpZJTvjf5ojpQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_cWReNwYpCRpZJTvjf5ojpQ

Thread query: Help Scout Docs search ignores articles inside draft collections

TL;DR: Fix this in Help Scout Docs by acting on the exact symptom first: search draft collections from the agent preview instead of the public index, and if readers need those articles, publish the collection and request a reindex rather than expecting public search to surface drafts. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: check one error query per run step with the query, top five results and verdict saved per query, starting with the highest impression queries from the search log, so a timeout still leaves a scored list for the finished queries. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Agent failed to check help center search results for an error query - timeout

Use this when

• Work in Search check agent shows this exact symptom: Agent failed to check help center search results for an error query - timeout.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Search check agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: check one error query per run step with the query, top five results and verdict saved per query, starting with the highest impression queries from the search log, so a timeout still leaves a scored list for the finished queries. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Search check agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Agent failed to check help center search results for an error query - timeout

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - agent failed to check help center search results for an error query error failure timeout

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Search check agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Search check agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

Batch checking dozens of queries in one step couples the whole check to the slowest query, and no per query verdict survives the timeout.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Search check agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_6dFD2l0g4rmnMOZDucfqFw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_6dFD2l0g4rmnMOZDucfqFw

Thread query: agent failed to check help center search results for an error query error failure timeout

TL;DR: Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: check one error query per run step with the query, top five results and verdict saved per query, starting with the highest impression queries from the search log, so a timeout still leaves a scored list for the finished queries. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.