Audita API key credentials are now optional

README.md

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Seriatim config contract in `pipeline.yml`:
 Audita config contract in `pipeline.yml`:
 
 - required: `audita.binary` (name or path; existence is checked at execution time, not config validation time)
-- required: `audita.llm_api_key_env` (environment variable name holding the API key secret)
+- optional: `audita.llm_api_key_env` (environment variable name holding the API key secret; defaults to `AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY`)
 - defaulted when omitted: `audita.timeout` (`3h`), `audita.llm_api_key_env` (`AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY`), `audita.modules` (`glossary,homophones,glossary,spoken_word,grammar,homophones,glossary`), `audita.base_url` (`https://openrouter.ai/api/v1`), `audita.model` (`openrouter/google/gemma-4-31b-it`), `audita.llm_concurrency` (`1`), `audita.validation_model` (`""`), `audita.validation_llm_concurrency` (`1`), `audita.report` (`true`)
 - allowed `audita.modules` values: `glossary`, `homophones`, `spoken_word`, `grammar` (order and repeats are allowed)
 - `audita.base_url` must be a valid URL when provided
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ Audita credentials note:
 
 - store only the environment variable **name** in config (`audita.llm_api_key_env`), never the API key value itself
 - API key values must not be written to pipeline config, generated configs, logs, or manifest metadata
+- if the named env var is not set (or is empty), Narratio omits `AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY` from the Audita subprocess environment instead of failing
 
 Audita runtime note:
 

architecture.md

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ Audita config keys:
 
 - `pipeline.audita.binary` (required)
 - `pipeline.audita.timeout` (default: `3h`)
-- `pipeline.audita.llm_api_key_env` (required; default: `AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY`)
+- `pipeline.audita.llm_api_key_env` (optional; default: `AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY`)
 - `pipeline.audita.modules` (default sequence: `glossary,homophones,glossary,spoken_word,grammar,homophones,glossary`)
 - `pipeline.audita.base_url` (default: `https://openrouter.ai/api/v1`)
 - `pipeline.audita.model` (default: `openrouter/google/gemma-4-31b-it`)
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ Audita secret-handling policy:
 
 - `llm_api_key_env` stores only the environment variable **name**.
 - API key values are read from the process environment at runtime and are not stored in `pipeline.yml`, manifest metadata, generated configs, or logs.
+- If the named env var is missing/empty, the Audita adapter omits `AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY` from subprocess env overrides and continues.
 
 Validation currently enforces:
 
@@ -160,7 +161,6 @@ Validation currently enforces:
 - optional `pipeline.seriatim.env.*` values must be `> 0` when provided.
 - `pipeline.audita.binary` is required.
 - `pipeline.audita.timeout` must parse as Go duration.
-- `pipeline.audita.llm_api_key_env` is required.
 - `pipeline.audita.modules` must be non-empty and each entry must be one of `glossary|homophones|spoken_word|grammar`.
 - `pipeline.audita.base_url` must be a valid URL when provided.
 - `pipeline.audita.model` is required.

internal/adapters/audita/subprocess.go

@@ -83,9 +83,6 @@ func NewSubprocessRunner(cfg SubprocessRunnerConfig) (*SubprocessRunner, error)
 	if cfg.Timeout <= 0 {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("audita timeout must be > 0")
 	}
-	if strings.TrimSpace(cfg.LLMAPIKeyEnv) == "" {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("audita llm api key env var name is required")
-	}
 	if len(cfg.Modules) == 0 {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("audita modules must include at least one module")
 	}
@@ -160,13 +157,14 @@ func (r *SubprocessRunner) Run(ctx context.Context, req PolishRequest) (PolishRe
 	}
 	args := r.buildArgs(req, reqModules)
 
-	credential, credentialPresent := os.LookupEnv(r.llmAPIKeyEnv)
+	credentialPresent := false
-	if !credentialPresent || strings.TrimSpace(credential) == "" {
+	env := map[string]string{}
-		return PolishResult{}, fmt.Errorf("audita credential env var %q is required but not set", r.llmAPIKeyEnv)
+	if strings.TrimSpace(r.llmAPIKeyEnv) != "" {
-	}
+		credential, ok := os.LookupEnv(r.llmAPIKeyEnv)
-
+		if ok && strings.TrimSpace(credential) != "" {
-	env := map[string]string{
+			env["AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY"] = credential
-		"AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY": credential,
+			credentialPresent = true
+		}
 	}
 	primaryConcurrencyViaEnv := false
 	if r.llmConcurrency != nil {

internal/adapters/audita/subprocess_test.go

@@ -120,33 +120,38 @@ func TestSubprocessRunnerSuccessArgsEnvAndValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestSubprocessRunnerMissingCredentialFails(t *testing.T) {
+func TestSubprocessRunnerMissingCredentialEnvOmitsCredential(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("helper wrapper script uses /bin/sh")
+	}
+	t.Setenv("GO_WANT_AUDITA_HELPER", "1")
+	t.Setenv("AUDITA_HELPER_MODE", "success")
+	recordPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "record.json")
+	t.Setenv("AUDITA_HELPER_RECORD_PATH", recordPath)
+
 	llmConcurrency := 1
-	runner, err := NewSubprocessRunner(SubprocessRunnerConfig{
+	runner := mustAuditaRunner(t, SubprocessRunnerConfig{
-		Binary:         "audita",
+		Binary:         writeAuditaHelperWrapper(t),
-		Timeout:        mustParseAuditaDuration(t, "1s"),
+		Timeout:        mustParseAuditaDuration(t, "2s"),
 		LLMAPIKeyEnv:   "MISSING_AUDITA_KEY",
 		Modules:        []string{"glossary"},
 		BaseURL:        "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
 		Model:          "openrouter/google/gemma-4-31b-it",
 		LLMConcurrency: &llmConcurrency,
+		Report:         false,
 	})
-	if err != nil {
+	req := auditaReqForTest(t, false)
-		t.Fatalf("NewSubprocessRunner() error = %v", err)
-	}
 
-	req := PolishRequest{
+	res, err := runner.Run(context.Background(), req)
-		MergedTranscriptPath: "/tmp/merged.json",
+	if err != nil {
-		GlossaryPath:         "/tmp/glossary.yml",
+		t.Fatalf("Run() error = %v", err)
-		OutputProcessedPath:  "/tmp/processed.json",
-		WorkDir:              "/tmp/audita-work",
 	}
-	_, err = runner.Run(context.Background(), req)
+	if res.Metadata["credential_present"] != false {
-	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("credential_present = %#v, want false", res.Metadata["credential_present"])
-		t.Fatal("expected error, got nil")
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "MISSING_AUDITA_KEY") {
+	rec := readAuditaHelperRecord(t, recordPath)
-		t.Fatalf("error = %q, want env var name context", err.Error())
+	if rec.Env["AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY"] != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY = %q, want omitted/empty", rec.Env["AUDITA_LLM_API_KEY"])
 	}
 }
 

internal/app/runner.go

@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ func buildDefaultAuditaRunner(cfg *config.Config) (audita.Runner, error) {
 	}
 
 	a := cfg.Pipeline.Audita
-	if strings.TrimSpace(a.Binary) == "" || strings.TrimSpace(a.Timeout) == "" || strings.TrimSpace(a.LLMAPIKeyEnv) == "" || len(a.Modules) == 0 || strings.TrimSpace(a.BaseURL) == "" || strings.TrimSpace(a.Model) == "" {
+	if strings.TrimSpace(a.Binary) == "" || strings.TrimSpace(a.Timeout) == "" || len(a.Modules) == 0 || strings.TrimSpace(a.BaseURL) == "" || strings.TrimSpace(a.Model) == "" {
 		// Compatibility fallback for tests or internal call paths that bypass config validation/defaults.
 		return &audita.NoopRunner{}, nil
 	}

internal/config/load_validate_test.go

@@ -412,27 +412,6 @@ inputs:
 `,
 			wantValidate: "pipeline config \"pipeline.yml\" invalid: pipeline.audita.timeout must be a valid duration",
 		},
-		{
-			name: "empty audita llm_api_key_env fails",
-			pipelineYAML: `workspace:
-  root: /tmp/narratio
-whisperx:
-  transcribe_url: https://transcription.ai.rakestrawhome.com/transcribe
-seriatim:
-  binary: seriatim
-audita:
-  binary: audita
-  llm_api_key_env: "   "
-`,
-			sessionYAML: `session_id: 2026-05-03
-inputs:
-  audio_dir: ./audio
-  speakers_file: ./speakers.yml
-  autocorrect_file: ./autocorrect.yml
-  glossary_file: ./glossary.yml
-`,
-			wantValidate: "pipeline config \"pipeline.yml\" invalid: pipeline.audita.llm_api_key_env is required",
-		},
 		{
 			name: "empty audita modules fails",
 			pipelineYAML: `workspace:

internal/config/validate.go

@@ -129,9 +129,6 @@ func validateAudita(cfg AuditaConfig) error {
 	if err := validateDuration("pipeline.audita.timeout", cfg.Timeout); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if strings.TrimSpace(cfg.LLMAPIKeyEnv) == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("pipeline.audita.llm_api_key_env is required")
-	}
 	if len(cfg.Modules) == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("pipeline.audita.modules must include at least one module")
 	}