diff --git a/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_documentation.Rmd b/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_documentation.Rmd
index 251899d47..fc48d8c44 100644
--- a/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_documentation.Rmd
+++ b/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_documentation.Rmd
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ vm_r <- vm(
 Verify the connection and see the documentation structure:
 
 ```{r}
-vm_r$preview_template()
+py_print(vm_r$preview_template())
 ```
 
 ## Load the demo dataset
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ Preview the test configuration:
 
 ```{r}
 vm_utils <- reticulate::import("validmind.utils")
-vm_utils$preview_test_config(test_config)
+py_print(vm_utils$preview_test_config(test_config))
 ```
 
 Run the full documentation test suite and upload results to the ValidMind Platform:
diff --git a/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_validation.Rmd b/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_validation.Rmd
index 6e43444e4..547aaf29d 100644
--- a/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_validation.Rmd
+++ b/notebooks/quickstart/quickstart_model_validation.Rmd
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ vm_r <- vm(
 Verify the connection and see the validation report structure:
 
 ```{r}
-vm_r$preview_template()
+py_print(vm_r$preview_template())
 ```
 
 ## Identify available tests
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6de558bf2..18afed736 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "validmind"
-version = "2.12.4"
+version = "2.12.5"
 description = "ValidMind Library"
 readme = "README.pypi.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.9,<3.15"
diff --git a/r/validmind/DESCRIPTION b/r/validmind/DESCRIPTION
index 37e80f97d..ccd27a16f 100644
--- a/r/validmind/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/r/validmind/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: validmind
 Type: Package
 Title: Interface to the 'ValidMind' Platform
-Version: 2.12.4
+Version: 2.12.5
 Authors@R: c(person("Andres", "Rodriguez", role = c("aut", "cre","cph"),
                       email = "andres@validmind.ai"))
 Maintainer: Andres Rodriguez <andres@validmind.ai>
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Encoding: UTF-8
 LazyData: true
 URL: https://github.com/validmind/validmind-library
 BugReports: https://github.com/validmind/validmind-library/issues
-RoxygenNote: 7.3.2
+RoxygenNote: 7.3.3
 Imports:
   glue,
   reticulate,
diff --git a/r/validmind/NAMESPACE b/r/validmind/NAMESPACE
index 91eeebaaa..0359aa0b1 100644
--- a/r/validmind/NAMESPACE
+++ b/r/validmind/NAMESPACE
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 export(display_report)
 export(process_result)
+export(py_print)
 export(register_custom_test)
 export(run_custom_test)
 export(save_model)
@@ -17,5 +18,6 @@ importFrom(htmltools,div)
 importFrom(htmltools,tags)
 importFrom(plotly,plotly_build)
 importFrom(reticulate,import)
+importFrom(reticulate,py_capture_output)
 importFrom(reticulate,py_config)
 importFrom(reticulate,use_python)
diff --git a/r/validmind/R/platform.R b/r/validmind/R/platform.R
index 5b828918f..bcdf89273 100644
--- a/r/validmind/R/platform.R
+++ b/r/validmind/R/platform.R
@@ -380,6 +380,26 @@ display_report <- function(processed_results) {
   return(all_widgets)
 }
 
+#' Run a Python expression and display its print() output in R
+#'
+#' Wraps a Python call with \code{reticulate::py_capture_output()} and
+#' displays the result with \code{cat()}. Useful in R Jupyter notebooks
+#' where Python print() output is not displayed automatically.
+#'
+#' Note: Python logging output (e.g. from \code{run_documentation_tests})
+#' is not captured due to reticulate limitations.
+#'
+#' @param expr A Python expression to evaluate
+#'
+#' @importFrom reticulate py_capture_output
+#'
+#' @export
+py_print <- function(expr) {
+  output <- py_capture_output(eval(substitute(expr), envir = parent.frame()))
+  if (nchar(output) > 0) cat(output, "\n")
+  invisible(output)
+}
+
 #' Save an R model to a temporary file
 #'
 #' This function saves a given R model object to a randomly named `.RData` file
diff --git a/r/validmind/README.md b/r/validmind/README.md
index 4351790cb..d7b7b9c3a 100644
--- a/r/validmind/README.md
+++ b/r/validmind/README.md
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ Since the R package returns the full Python `validmind` module, you can call any
 
 ```r
 # Preview the documentation template
-vm_r$preview_template()
+py_print(vm_r$preview_template())
 
 # Initialize datasets
 vm_dataset <- vm_r$init_dataset(dataset=df, input_id="my_dataset", target_column="target")
@@ -128,6 +128,23 @@ vm_r$tests$list_tests(tags=list("data_quality"), task="classification")
 vm_r$tests$list_tasks_and_tags()
 ```
 
+### Python output in R Jupyter notebooks
+
+When running R notebooks in Jupyter (via IRkernel), Python `print()` output is not
+displayed automatically due to a reticulate limitation. Use the `py_print()` helper
+to capture and display output from Python functions:
+
+```r
+# These produce print() output — wrap with py_print()
+py_print(vm_r$preview_template())
+py_print(vm_utils$preview_test_config(test_config))
+```
+
+Note: Python logging output (e.g. progress from `run_documentation_tests()` or
+`assign_predictions()`) cannot be captured this way. These functions run silently
+in R Jupyter — check the ValidMind Platform for results. This is not an issue in
+terminal R sessions where all Python output is displayed normally.
+
 ## Troubleshooting
 
 ### Initializating vm() on Mac
@@ -173,3 +190,39 @@ pip install -U numba
 ```
 
 And restart the R session.
+
+## Publishing to CRAN
+
+### 1. Update version
+
+The R package version is kept in sync with the Python package. Running `make version tag=patch` from the repo root updates both `pyproject.toml` and `r/validmind/DESCRIPTION`.
+
+### 2. Regenerate documentation
+
+```bash
+cd r/validmind
+Rscript -e 'roxygen2::roxygenise()'
+```
+
+This updates the `man/` Rd files and `NAMESPACE` from the roxygen comments in `R/platform.R`.
+
+### 3. Build and check
+
+```bash
+cd r/validmind
+R CMD build .
+R CMD check --as-cran validmind_*.tar.gz
+```
+
+Fix all ERRORs and WARNINGs before submitting. NOTEs are generally acceptable.
+
+### 4. Submit
+
+Upload the `.tar.gz` at https://cran.r-project.org/submit.html
+
+### 5. After submission
+
+- CRAN sends a confirmation email — click the link to confirm
+- CRAN runs automated checks on Windows and Linux — fix any issues they flag
+- A CRAN volunteer manually reviews — this can take days to weeks
+- They may email back with requests for changes before accepting
diff --git a/r/validmind/man/py_print.Rd b/r/validmind/man/py_print.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2a9e5268
--- /dev/null
+++ b/r/validmind/man/py_print.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/platform.R
+\name{py_print}
+\alias{py_print}
+\title{Run a Python expression and display its print() output in R}
+\usage{
+py_print(expr)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{expr}{A Python expression to evaluate}
+}
+\description{
+Wraps a Python call with \code{reticulate::py_capture_output()} and
+displays the result with \code{cat()}. Useful in R Jupyter notebooks
+where Python print() output is not displayed automatically.
+}
+\details{
+Note: Python logging output (e.g. from \code{run_documentation_tests})
+is not captured due to reticulate limitations.
+}
diff --git a/r/validmind/man/vm.Rd b/r/validmind/man/vm.Rd
index 816f0448f..820a43d1a 100644
--- a/r/validmind/man/vm.Rd
+++ b/r/validmind/man/vm.Rd
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ vm(
   api_key,
   api_secret,
   model,
-  python_version,
-  api_host = "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/tracking"
+  python_version = Sys.getenv("VALIDMIND_PYTHON", Sys.which("python")),
+  api_host = "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/tracking",
+  document = NULL
 )
 }
 \arguments{
@@ -19,9 +20,13 @@ vm(
 
 \item{model}{The ValidMind model}
 
-\item{python_version}{The Python Version to use}
+\item{python_version}{The path to the Python binary to use. Defaults to
+the VALIDMIND_PYTHON environment variable, or the system Python.}
 
 \item{api_host}{The ValidMind host, defaulting to local}
+
+\item{document}{The document type to associate with this session
+(e.g. "documentation", "validation-report"). Defaults to NULL.}
 }
 \value{
 A validmind connection object, obtained from `reticulate`,
@@ -33,11 +38,11 @@ Retrieve a validmind (vm) connection object using reticulate
 \examples{
 \dontrun{
 vm_r <- vm(
+   api_host="https://app.prod.validmind.ai/api/v1/tracking",
    api_key="<your_api_key_here>",
    api_secret="<your_api_secret_here>",
    model="<your_model_id_here>",
-   python_version=python_version,
-   api_host="https://app.prod.validmind.ai/api/v1/tracking"
+   document="documentation"
  )
 }
 
diff --git a/validmind/__version__.py b/validmind/__version__.py
index 896b89678..336282f43 100644
--- a/validmind/__version__.py
+++ b/validmind/__version__.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "2.12.4"
+__version__ = "2.12.5"