diff --git a/src/audita/core/chunking.py b/src/audita/core/chunking.py
index 544cefd..1bbe19d 100644
--- a/src/audita/core/chunking.py
+++ b/src/audita/core/chunking.py
@@ -91,7 +91,10 @@ class IndexedSegment:
         return self.segment.model_dump(mode="json")
 
     def prompt_payload(self) -> dict:
-        return {"id": self.segment.id, "original_text": self.segment.text}
+        payload = {"id": self.segment.id, "original_text": self.segment.text}
+        if self.segment.categories is not None:
+            payload["categories"] = list(self.segment.categories)
+        return payload
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
diff --git a/src/audita/core/normalization.py b/src/audita/core/normalization.py
index 3f7a05d..959a3ca 100644
--- a/src/audita/core/normalization.py
+++ b/src/audita/core/normalization.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ class _WorkingSegment:
     start: float
     end: float
     text: str
+    categories: Optional[List[str]]
     order: int
 
 
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ def normalize_transcript(
             start=segment.start,
             end=segment.end,
             text=segment.text,
+            categories=None if segment.categories is None else list(segment.categories),
             order=index,
         )
         for index, segment in enumerate(segments)
@@ -145,6 +147,7 @@ def _merge_segments(left: _WorkingSegment, right: _WorkingSegment, ellipsis_gap:
         start=left.start,
         end=right.end,
         text=_joined_text(left.text, right.text, gap, ellipsis_gap),
+        categories=_merged_categories(left.categories, right.categories),
         order=left.order,
     )
 
@@ -158,6 +161,14 @@ def _estimate_prompt_tokens(text: str, estimator: TokenEstimatorProtocol) -> int
     return estimator.estimate_json([{"id": 1, "original_text": text}])
 
 
+def _merged_categories(left: Optional[List[str]], right: Optional[List[str]]) -> Optional[List[str]]:
+    merged: List[str] = []
+    for category in (left or []) + (right or []):
+        if category not in merged:
+            merged.append(category)
+    return merged or None
+
+
 def _assign_ids(segments: List[_WorkingSegment]) -> List[TranscriptSegment]:
     ordered = sorted(segments, key=lambda segment: (segment.start, segment.end, segment.order))
     return [
@@ -167,6 +178,7 @@ def _assign_ids(segments: List[_WorkingSegment]) -> List[TranscriptSegment]:
             start=segment.start,
             end=segment.end,
             text=segment.text,
+            categories=None if segment.categories is None else list(segment.categories),
         )
         for index, segment in enumerate(ordered)
     ]
diff --git a/src/audita/core/schemas.py b/src/audita/core/schemas.py
index 1ca00ca..dd8a911 100644
--- a/src/audita/core/schemas.py
+++ b/src/audita/core/schemas.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class TranscriptSegment(BaseModel):
     start: float
     end: float
     text: StrictStr
+    categories: Optional[List[StrictStr]] = None
 
     @field_validator("id", mode="before")
     @classmethod
@@ -30,6 +31,16 @@ class TranscriptSegment(BaseModel):
             raise ValueError("must not be empty")
         return value
 
+    @field_validator("categories")
+    @classmethod
+    def require_non_empty_categories(cls, categories: Optional[List[str]]) -> Optional[List[str]]:
+        if categories is None:
+            return None
+        for category in categories:
+            if not category.strip():
+                raise ValueError("categories must not contain empty strings")
+        return categories
+
     @field_validator("start", "end", mode="before")
     @classmethod
     def require_number(cls, value: Any) -> float:
@@ -57,6 +68,7 @@ class SourceTranscriptSegment(BaseModel):
     start: float
     end: float
     text: StrictStr
+    categories: Optional[List[StrictStr]] = None
 
     @field_validator("id", mode="before")
     @classmethod
@@ -74,6 +86,16 @@ class SourceTranscriptSegment(BaseModel):
             raise ValueError("must not be empty")
         return value
 
+    @field_validator("categories")
+    @classmethod
+    def require_non_empty_categories(cls, categories: Optional[List[str]]) -> Optional[List[str]]:
+        if categories is None:
+            return None
+        for category in categories:
+            if not category.strip():
+                raise ValueError("categories must not contain empty strings")
+        return categories
+
     @field_validator("start", "end", mode="before")
     @classmethod
     def require_number(cls, value: Any) -> float:
@@ -208,7 +230,7 @@ def parse_glossary_yaml(raw: str) -> Glossary:
 
 
 def transcript_to_json(segments: List[TranscriptSegment]) -> str:
-    payload = [segment.model_dump(mode="json") for segment in segments]
+    payload = [segment.model_dump(mode="json", exclude_none=True) for segment in segments]
     return json.dumps(payload, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2) + "\n"
 
 
diff --git a/src/audita/framework/proposals.py b/src/audita/framework/proposals.py
index 42bb66c..d0ac8f4 100644
--- a/src/audita/framework/proposals.py
+++ b/src/audita/framework/proposals.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class ProposalPreview:
         return self.segment.text
 
     def to_prompt_payload(self) -> dict:
-        return {
+        payload = {
             "correction_index": self.proposal.proposal_index,
             "id": self.proposal.id,
             "original_segment_text": self.original_segment_text,
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ class ProposalPreview:
             "original_text": self.proposal.original_text,
             "corrected_text": self.proposal.corrected_text,
         }
+        if self.segment.categories is not None:
+            payload["categories"] = list(self.segment.categories)
+        return payload
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
diff --git a/src/audita/modules/prompts.py b/src/audita/modules/prompts.py
index a40a4d0..4a9bcf6 100644
--- a/src/audita/modules/prompts.py
+++ b/src/audita/modules/prompts.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def build_glossary_proposal_messages(section: TranscriptSection, glossary: Gloss
         "- Treat glossary names and aliases already present in the transcript as protected spellings.\n"
         "- Do not replace, Anglicize, normalize, lowercase, or otherwise alter protected glossary names or aliases away from their glossary spelling.\n"
         "- Preserve canonical glossary capitalization for protected names and aliases, even if they look unusual.\n"
+        "- If a segment includes categories, treat them as additional transcript context.\n"
         "- Plural forms of glossary names and aliases are allowed targets when spoken similarity and context support them, even if the plural is not explicitly listed in the glossary.\n"
         "- Use the exact id from the input segment.\n"
         "- For returned corrections, original_text must be only the exact text span that needs replacement, not the full segment text unless the whole segment is the replacement span.\n"
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ def build_homophones_proposal_messages(section: TranscriptSection, glossary: Glo
         "- You may correct toward glossary names, aliases, or their plural forms when the correction is acoustically plausible and supported by local context.\n"
         "- Do not replace, Anglicize, normalize, lowercase, or otherwise alter protected glossary names or aliases that already appear correctly in the transcript.\n"
         "- Preserve canonical glossary capitalization for protected names and aliases, even if they look unusual.\n"
+        "- If a segment includes categories, treat them as additional transcript context.\n"
         "- Use the exact id from the input segment.\n"
         "- For returned corrections, original_text must be only the exact text span that needs replacement, not the full segment text unless the whole segment is the replacement span.\n"
         "- Choose an original_text span that appears exactly once in the current segment text.\n"
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ def build_spoken_word_proposal_messages(section: TranscriptSection, glossary: Gl
         "- Treat glossary names and aliases as protected spellings and context.\n"
         "- Do not replace, Anglicize, normalize, lowercase, or otherwise alter protected glossary names or aliases that already appear correctly in the transcript.\n"
         "- Preserve canonical glossary capitalization for protected names and aliases, even if they look unusual.\n"
+        "- If a segment includes categories, treat them as additional transcript context.\n"
         "- Use the exact id from the input segment.\n"
         "- For returned corrections, original_text must be only the exact text span that needs replacement, not the full segment text unless the whole segment is the replacement span.\n"
         "- Choose an original_text span that appears exactly once in the current segment text.\n"
@@ -149,6 +152,7 @@ def build_grammar_proposal_messages(section: TranscriptSection, glossary: Glossa
         "- Treat glossary names and aliases as protected spellings and context.\n"
         "- Do not replace, Anglicize, normalize, lowercase, or otherwise alter protected glossary names or aliases away from their glossary spelling.\n"
         "- Preserve canonical glossary capitalization for protected names and aliases, even if they look unusual.\n"
+        "- If a segment includes categories, treat them as additional transcript context.\n"
         "- Use the exact id from the input segment.\n"
         "- For returned corrections, original_text must be only the exact text span that needs replacement, not the full segment text unless the whole segment is the replacement span.\n"
         "- Choose an original_text span that appears exactly once in the current segment text.\n"
diff --git a/src/audita/validators/prompts.py b/src/audita/validators/prompts.py
index 1e22281..3d077e1 100644
--- a/src/audita/validators/prompts.py
+++ b/src/audita/validators/prompts.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ def build_spoken_form_plausibility_messages(validation_payload: List[dict]) -> L
         "- Reject unrelated substitutions like changing \"Lyra\" to \"Jesters\".\n"
         "- Judge spoken-form plausibility, not whether the correction is cleaner, more formal, or more grammatical.\n"
         "- Do not approve paraphrases, stylistic rewrites, or arbitrary semantic substitutions.\n"
+        "- If a correction includes categories, treat them as additional segment context.\n"
         "- Each returned validation must contain only correction_index, approved, confidence, and reason.\n"
         "- confidence must be between 0.0 and 1.0.\n\n"
         f"Corrections to validate:\n{payload_json}"
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ def build_meaning_reversal_messages(validation_payload: List[dict]) -> List[Mess
         "- Evaluate the full original_segment_text and corrected_segment_text, not only the replacement span.\n"
         "- Do not reject a correction merely because the literal written word changes.\n"
         "- Do not act as a general semantic-style reviewer; this validator is only a guard against antonyms and meaning reversals.\n"
+        "- If a correction includes categories, treat them as additional segment context.\n"
         "- Each returned validation must contain only correction_index, approved, confidence, and reason.\n"
         "- confidence must be between 0.0 and 1.0.\n\n"
         f"Corrections to validate:\n{payload_json}"
@@ -76,6 +78,7 @@ def build_spoken_word_messages(validation_payload: List[dict]) -> List[Message]:
         "- Reject free-standing stylistic polishing, readability edits, paraphrases, and general rewriting.\n"
         "- Reject edits that materially change the segment's substantive meaning, even if they are not literal antonyms.\n"
         "- Evaluate the full original_segment_text and corrected_segment_text, not only the replacement span.\n"
+        "- If a correction includes categories, treat them as additional segment context.\n"
         "- Each returned validation must contain only correction_index, approved, confidence, and reason.\n"
         "- confidence must be between 0.0 and 1.0.\n\n"
         f"Corrections to validate:\n{payload_json}"
@@ -101,6 +104,7 @@ def build_grammar_only_messages(validation_payload: List[dict]) -> List[Message]
         "- Reject filler cleanup, repetition cleanup, spoken-word dysfluency cleanup, stylistic polishing, broad paraphrase, and unrelated content substitutions.\n"
         "- Reject corrections that go beyond conservative grammar-stage cleanup, even if some punctuation or capitalization cleanup is also present.\n"
         "- Evaluate the full original_segment_text and corrected_segment_text, not only the replacement span.\n"
+        "- If a correction includes categories, treat them as additional segment context.\n"
         "- Each returned validation must contain only correction_index, approved, confidence, and reason.\n"
         "- confidence must be between 0.0 and 1.0.\n\n"
         f"Corrections to validate:\n{payload_json}"
diff --git a/tests/test_framework_chunking.py b/tests/test_framework_chunking.py
index 53f026b..437fc19 100644
--- a/tests/test_framework_chunking.py
+++ b/tests/test_framework_chunking.py
@@ -25,3 +25,19 @@ def test_chunk_transcript_batches_sections_by_token_limit():
     assert len(sections) == 2
     assert [segment.segment.id for segment in sections[0].segments] == [1, 2]
     assert [segment.segment.id for segment in sections[1].segments] == [3]
+
+
+def test_chunk_transcript_prompt_payload_includes_categories_when_present():
+    transcript = parse_transcript_json(
+        """
+        [
+          {"id": 1, "speaker": "A", "start": 0.0, "end": 1.0, "text": "one", "categories": ["intro", "aside"]}
+        ]
+        """
+    )
+
+    sections = chunk_transcript(transcript, max_section_tokens=8, estimator=FakeEstimator())
+
+    assert sections[0].prompt_payload() == [
+        {"id": 1, "original_text": "one", "categories": ["intro", "aside"]}
+    ]
diff --git a/tests/test_llm_validators.py b/tests/test_llm_validators.py
index 730aa6f..3533f24 100644
--- a/tests/test_llm_validators.py
+++ b/tests/test_llm_validators.py
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ def test_spoken_form_plausibility_validator_approves_plausible_and_rejects_impla
     transcript = parse_transcript_json(
         """
         [
-          {"id": 1, "speaker": "A", "start": 0.0, "end": 1.0, "text": "There were gestures at the temple."},
-          {"id": 2, "speaker": "A", "start": 1.0, "end": 2.0, "text": "Lyra moved first."}
+          {"id": 1, "speaker": "A", "start": 0.0, "end": 1.0, "text": "There were gestures at the temple.", "categories": ["narration"]},
+          {"id": 2, "speaker": "A", "start": 1.0, "end": 2.0, "text": "Lyra moved first.", "categories": ["combat"]}
         ]
         """
     )
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ def test_spoken_form_plausibility_validator_approves_plausible_and_rejects_impla
     ]
     prompt_text = client.calls[0]["messages"][1]["content"]
     assert '"original_segment_text"' in prompt_text
+    assert '"categories"' in prompt_text
     assert "There were Jesters at the temple." in prompt_text
     assert "Lyra moved first." in prompt_text
 
diff --git a/tests/test_new_pipeline.py b/tests/test_new_pipeline.py
index 791af82..0d0a2c3 100644
--- a/tests/test_new_pipeline.py
+++ b/tests/test_new_pipeline.py
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ def _transcript():
     return parse_source_transcript_json(
         """
         [
-          {"speaker": "Eric", "start": 0.0, "end": 1.0, "text": "Hello."},
-          {"speaker": "Eric", "start": 1.5, "end": 2.0, "text": "Again."},
-          {"speaker": "Mike", "start": 10.0, "end": 11.0, "text": "Done."}
+          {"speaker": "Eric", "start": 0.0, "end": 1.0, "text": "Hello.", "categories": ["intro"]},
+          {"speaker": "Eric", "start": 1.5, "end": 2.0, "text": "Again.", "categories": ["intro", "aside"]},
+          {"speaker": "Mike", "start": 10.0, "end": 11.0, "text": "Done.", "categories": ["response"]}
         ]
         """
     )
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ def test_process_transcript_runs_noop_framework(tmp_path):
     assert [segment.id for segment in revised] == [1, 2]
     assert revised[0].text == "Hello. Again."
     assert revised[1].text == "Done."
+    assert revised[0].categories == ["intro", "aside"]
+    assert revised[1].categories == ["response"]
     assert [call["stage_name"] for call in llm_client.calls] == [
         "glossary_1:proposal",
         "homophones:proposal",
@@ -186,6 +188,30 @@ def test_external_report_can_be_written(tmp_path):
     assert payload["totals"]["applied_change_count"] == 0
 
 
+def test_process_transcript_preserves_categories_in_llm_prompt_payloads(tmp_path):
+    llm_client = FakeStructuredLLMClient(
+        [
+            {"corrections": []},
+            {"corrections": []},
+            {"corrections": []},
+            {"corrections": []},
+            {"corrections": []},
+        ]
+    )
+
+    process_transcript(
+        _transcript(),
+        _glossary(),
+        AuditaConfig.from_sources(env={}, overrides=None),
+        llm_client=llm_client,
+    )
+
+    proposal_prompt = llm_client.calls[0]["messages"][1]["content"]
+    assert '"categories": [' in proposal_prompt
+    assert '"intro"' in proposal_prompt
+    assert '"aside"' in proposal_prompt
+
+
 def test_default_module_specs_expose_final_validator_order():
     specs = default_module_specs()
 
diff --git a/tests/test_new_transcript_schema.py b/tests/test_new_transcript_schema.py
index 29802d6..f62ad15 100644
--- a/tests/test_new_transcript_schema.py
+++ b/tests/test_new_transcript_schema.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-from audita.core.schemas import parse_source_transcript_json, parse_transcript_json
+import json
+
+from audita.core.schemas import parse_source_transcript_json, parse_transcript_json, transcript_to_json
 
 
 SERIATIM_TRANSCRIPT = """
@@ -60,6 +62,8 @@ def test_parse_source_transcript_json_accepts_seriatim_transcript_object():
     assert segments[0].end == 3.5
     assert segments[0].text == "Hello there."
     assert segments[1].text == "Resolved word run"
+    assert segments[0].categories is None
+    assert segments[1].categories == ["backchannel"]
 
 
 def test_parse_transcript_json_accepts_seriatim_transcript_object_and_ignores_unused_fields():
@@ -67,3 +71,14 @@ def test_parse_transcript_json_accepts_seriatim_transcript_object_and_ignores_un
 
     assert [segment.id for segment in segments] == [1, 2]
     assert [segment.text for segment in segments] == ["Hello there.", "Resolved word run"]
+    assert segments[0].categories is None
+    assert segments[1].categories == ["backchannel"]
+
+
+def test_transcript_to_json_emits_categories_only_when_present():
+    segments = parse_transcript_json(SERIATIM_TRANSCRIPT)
+
+    payload = json.loads(transcript_to_json(segments))
+
+    assert "categories" not in payload[0]
+    assert payload[1]["categories"] == ["backchannel"]