Per fox's '--retrieval-keywords' commit (2d6a86b), the keyword string
is nowhere in the audit chain — it influences cache_key only
indirectly via context_root + conversation_hash. Two runs with the
same question and different keywords that surface identical sources
are Merkle-indistinguishable; an audit replay can recover the chosen
documents but not the inputs that pulled them.
Doc-only ticket: design proposal for capturing keywords in the
run_dag retrieval stage and on the providence_cache row (Option A +
B), preserving the 8-dim cache_key invariant. Out of scope: folding
keywords into question_hash (Option C) — keywords are operator
metadata, not user intent.
Includes failure cases, three design options with trade-offs,
implementation sketch, scope boundaries, and a recommended cost/value
forecast (~1-2 hours, low risk, additive schema). Awaiting fox's
go/no-go before landing.
russell@unturf.com
73058b0e66