diff --git a/internal/cli/run.go b/internal/cli/run.go
index 52dfe39..0e710fb 100644
--- a/internal/cli/run.go
+++ b/internal/cli/run.go
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/audita/internal/core/config"
 	coreio "gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/audita/internal/core/io"
+	"gitea.maximumdirect.net/eric/audita/internal/core/reporting"
 )
 
 type processInvocation struct {
@@ -66,6 +68,8 @@ func Run(args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
 }
 
 func runProcess(args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
+	startedAt := time.Now().UTC()
+
 	cfg, err := config.LoadFromEnv()
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "audita process: invalid environment configuration: %v\n", err)
@@ -182,13 +186,47 @@ func runProcess(args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
 	}
 
 	if err := processRunner(inv, stdout); err != nil {
+		completedAt := time.Now().UTC()
+		if strings.TrimSpace(inv.ReportJSONPath) != "" {
+			report := buildProcessReport("failed", inv, startedAt, completedAt, err.Error())
+			if reportErr := reporting.WriteProcessReport(inv.ReportJSONPath, report); reportErr != nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "audita process: %v\n", reportErr)
+			}
+		}
 		fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "audita process: %v\n", err)
 		return 1
 	}
 
+	if strings.TrimSpace(inv.ReportJSONPath) != "" {
+		completedAt := time.Now().UTC()
+		report := buildProcessReport("success", inv, startedAt, completedAt, "")
+		if err := reporting.WriteProcessReport(inv.ReportJSONPath, report); err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "audita process: %v\n", err)
+			return 1
+		}
+	}
+
 	return 0
 }
 
+func buildProcessReport(status string, inv processInvocation, startedAt, completedAt time.Time, errorMessage string) reporting.ProcessReport {
+	report := reporting.ProcessReport{
+		Phase:          "phase1-minimal",
+		Status:         status,
+		Operation:      "process",
+		TranscriptPath: inv.TranscriptPath,
+		GlossaryPath:   inv.GlossaryPath,
+		OutputPath:     inv.OutputPath,
+		Modules:        append([]string(nil), inv.Config.Modules...),
+		StartedAt:      startedAt,
+		CompletedAt:    &completedAt,
+	}
+	if errorMessage != "" {
+		report.ErrorMessage = errorMessage
+	}
+	return report
+}
+
 type processFlags struct {
 	glossaryPath                  *string
 	outputPath                    *string
diff --git a/internal/cli/run_test.go b/internal/cli/run_test.go
index 77c7689..57aff57 100644
--- a/internal/cli/run_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/run_test.go
@@ -204,6 +204,143 @@ func TestRunProcessOutputToStdout(t *testing.T) {
 	assertJSONSemanticallyEqual(t, inputBytes, stdout.Bytes())
 }
 
+func TestRunProcessReportJSONSuccess(t *testing.T) {
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+
+	transcriptPath := fixturePath("tiny_transcript.json")
+	glossaryPath := fixturePath("tiny_glossary.yaml")
+	outputPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "corrected.json")
+	reportPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "report.json")
+
+	exitCode := Run([]string{
+		"process",
+		transcriptPath,
+		"--glossary",
+		glossaryPath,
+		"--output",
+		outputPath,
+		"--report-json",
+		reportPath,
+	}, &stdout, &stderr)
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected exit code 0, got %d with stderr %q", exitCode, stderr.String())
+	}
+	if stdout.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected empty stdout when --output is used, got %q", stdout.String())
+	}
+
+	report := readProcessReport(t, reportPath)
+	if report.Status != "success" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected success report status, got %q", report.Status)
+	}
+	if report.Operation != "process" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected operation process, got %q", report.Operation)
+	}
+	if report.TranscriptPath != transcriptPath {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected transcript path in report: %q", report.TranscriptPath)
+	}
+	if report.GlossaryPath != glossaryPath {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected glossary path in report: %q", report.GlossaryPath)
+	}
+	if report.OutputPath != outputPath {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected output path in report: %q", report.OutputPath)
+	}
+	if len(report.Modules) == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected configured module sequence in report")
+	}
+	if report.StartedAt == "" || report.CompletedAt == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected started_at and completed_at timestamps in report")
+	}
+	if report.ErrorMessage != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("did not expect error message in success report, got %q", report.ErrorMessage)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunProcessReportJSONNoStdoutPollution(t *testing.T) {
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+
+	transcriptPath := fixturePath("tiny_transcript.json")
+	glossaryPath := fixturePath("tiny_glossary.yaml")
+	reportPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "report.json")
+
+	exitCode := Run([]string{
+		"process",
+		transcriptPath,
+		"--glossary",
+		glossaryPath,
+		"--report-json",
+		reportPath,
+	}, &stdout, &stderr)
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected exit code 0, got %d with stderr %q", exitCode, stderr.String())
+	}
+	assertJSONSemanticallyEqual(t, readFile(t, transcriptPath), stdout.Bytes())
+
+	reportBytes := readFile(t, reportPath)
+	if bytes.Contains(stdout.Bytes(), reportBytes) {
+		t.Fatalf("stdout was polluted with report JSON")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunProcessReportJSONRedactsSecrets(t *testing.T) {
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+
+	secretPrimary := "top-secret-primary-key"
+	secretValidation := "top-secret-validation-key"
+	t.Setenv("AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY", secretPrimary)
+	t.Setenv("AUDITA_VALIDATION_LLM_API_KEY", secretValidation)
+
+	reportPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "report.json")
+	exitCode := Run([]string{
+		"process",
+		fixturePath("tiny_transcript.json"),
+		"--glossary",
+		fixturePath("tiny_glossary.yaml"),
+		"--report-json",
+		reportPath,
+	}, &stdout, &stderr)
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected exit code 0, got %d with stderr %q", exitCode, stderr.String())
+	}
+
+	reportBytes := readFile(t, reportPath)
+	if strings.Contains(string(reportBytes), secretPrimary) || strings.Contains(string(reportBytes), secretValidation) {
+		t.Fatalf("report JSON leaked API key material: %q", string(reportBytes))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunProcessReportJSONBestEffortOnFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+
+	reportPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "report.json")
+	exitCode := Run([]string{
+		"process",
+		fixturePath("malformed_transcript.json"),
+		"--glossary",
+		fixturePath("tiny_glossary.yaml"),
+		"--report-json",
+		reportPath,
+	}, &stdout, &stderr)
+	if exitCode == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected nonzero exit code for malformed transcript")
+	}
+
+	report := readProcessReport(t, reportPath)
+	if report.Status != "failed" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected failed report status, got %q", report.Status)
+	}
+	if report.ErrorMessage == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error message in failed report")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(report.ErrorMessage, "not valid JSON") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected malformed JSON failure in report error, got %q", report.ErrorMessage)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunProcessCLIOverridesEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
 	var stdout bytes.Buffer
 	var stderr bytes.Buffer
@@ -281,3 +418,25 @@ func assertJSONSemanticallyEqual(t *testing.T, expected []byte, actual []byte) {
 		t.Fatalf("JSON content mismatch: expected %q got %q", string(expected), string(actual))
 	}
 }
+
+type minimalProcessReport struct {
+	Status         string   `json:"status"`
+	Operation      string   `json:"operation"`
+	TranscriptPath string   `json:"transcript_path"`
+	GlossaryPath   string   `json:"glossary_path"`
+	OutputPath     string   `json:"output_path"`
+	Modules        []string `json:"modules"`
+	StartedAt      string   `json:"started_at"`
+	CompletedAt    string   `json:"completed_at"`
+	ErrorMessage   string   `json:"error_message"`
+}
+
+func readProcessReport(t *testing.T, path string) minimalProcessReport {
+	t.Helper()
+	raw := readFile(t, path)
+	var report minimalProcessReport
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(raw, &report); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to unmarshal process report JSON: %v (raw: %q)", err, string(raw))
+	}
+	return report
+}
diff --git a/internal/core/reporting/report.go b/internal/core/reporting/report.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b023aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/core/reporting/report.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package reporting
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type ProcessReport struct {
+	Phase          string     `json:"phase"`
+	Status         string     `json:"status"`
+	Operation      string     `json:"operation"`
+	TranscriptPath string     `json:"transcript_path"`
+	GlossaryPath   string     `json:"glossary_path"`
+	OutputPath     string     `json:"output_path,omitempty"`
+	Modules        []string   `json:"modules"`
+	StartedAt      time.Time  `json:"started_at"`
+	CompletedAt    *time.Time `json:"completed_at,omitempty"`
+	ErrorMessage   string     `json:"error_message,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func WriteProcessReport(path string, report ProcessReport) error {
+	payload, err := json.MarshalIndent(report, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal process report JSON: %w", err)
+	}
+	payload = append(payload, '\n')
+
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, payload, 0o644); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to write report JSON file %q: %w", path, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}