fix: default gen_ai payload capture to off

AGENTS.md

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ RUN_SDK_INTEGRATION_TESTS=1 ./scripts/run-unit-tests.sh
 
 ## Environment variable naming
 
-All SDK config uses the `HARNESS_` prefix. `HA_`, `AT_`, and `TA_` are legacy aliases accepted for backwards compatibility. When a setting is defined under multiple prefixes, precedence is `HARNESS_` > `HA_` > `AT_` > `TA_`. Resolution lives in `src/harness_sdk/env.py` (`get_env_value`, `is_env_var_present`, `is_harness_flag_enabled`).
+All SDK config uses the `HARNESS_` prefix. `HA_`, `AT_`, and `TA_` are legacy aliases accepted for backwards compatibility. When a setting is defined under multiple prefixes, precedence is `HARNESS_` > `HA_` > `AT_` > `TA_`. Resolution lives in `src/harness_sdk/env.py` (`get_env_value`, `is_env_flag_enabled`, `is_harness_flag_enabled`).
 
 Key variables:
 | Variable | Purpose |
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ Key variables:
 | `HARNESS_REPORTING_COMPRESSION` | `gzip` or empty |
 | `HARNESS_CONTROL_PLUGINS` | Comma-separated control plugin names |
 | `HARNESS_OBSERVABILITY_PLUGINS` | Comma-separated observability plugin names |
-| `HARNESS_ENABLE_CONSOLE_SPAN_EXPORTER` | Set to any value to dump spans to stdout |
+| `HARNESS_ENABLE_CONSOLE_SPAN_EXPORTER` | `true` to dump spans to stdout (default: off) |
 | `HARNESS_CONFIG_FILE` | Path to YAML config file (overrides env) |
-| `HARNESS_GEN_AI_PAYLOAD_CAPTURE_ENABLED` | Capture LLM prompt/response payloads |
+| `HARNESS_GEN_AI_PAYLOAD_CAPTURE_ENABLED` | Capture LLM prompt/response payloads (default: off) |
 | `HARNESS_GEN_AI_PAYLOAD_EVALUATION_ENABLED` | Run control plugins on GenAI spans |
 
-### Instrumentation opt-in (strict `HARNESS_` prefix, no legacy aliases)
+### Instrumentation opt-in (`HARNESS_` or `HA_` prefix; `HARNESS_` wins — no `AT_`/`TA_` aliases)
 
 Instrumentation is opt-in: `Agent().instrument()` instruments nothing unless a flag below is set to `true`. Categorization and gating live in `src/harness_sdk/instrumentation/instrumentation_definitions.py` (`is_library_enabled`, `is_api_instrumentation_enabled`, `any_ai_provider_enabled`), enforced in `Agent.instrument()`.
 

docs/sdk-quickstart.md

@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ flag is on only when its value is `true`.
 | `HARNESS_ENABLE_AI_GOOGLE_GENAI` | Google GenAI (Gemini / Vertex AI) |
 | `HARNESS_ENABLE_AI_MCP` | Model Context Protocol |
 
+Each flag also accepts the `HA_` alias (e.g. `HA_ENABLE_API=true`); when both are set, the `HARNESS_` value wins. `AT_`/`TA_` aliases are not supported for these flags.
+
 ```bash
 # Example: HTTP/API instrumentation plus LiteLLM
 export HARNESS_ENABLE_API=true
@@ -145,7 +147,7 @@ Agent().instrument(skip_libraries=["requests"])
 
 | Variable | Effect |
 |---|---|
-| `HARNESS_GEN_AI_PAYLOAD_CAPTURE_ENABLED` | `false` to omit prompt/response bodies from spans |
+| `HARNESS_GEN_AI_PAYLOAD_CAPTURE_ENABLED` | `true` to capture prompt/response bodies in spans (default: off) |
 | `HARNESS_SPAN_ATTRIBUTES` | extra attributes on every span, e.g. `env=prod,team=ai` |
 | `HARNESS_OBSERVABILITY_PLUGINS` | `builtin_span_attributes` to keep instrumentation but disable the SDK's own OTLP exporter (if you already export spans yourself) |
 | `HARNESS_ENABLED` | `false` to disable the SDK entirely (no code change) |

src/harness_sdk/agent_init.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 from opentelemetry.sdk.resources import Resource
 from harness_sdk import constants
 from harness_sdk.config import config_pb2
-from harness_sdk.env import is_env_var_present
+from harness_sdk.env import is_env_flag_enabled
 from harness_sdk.otlp_reporting import (
     compression_type_to_otlp_grpc,
     compression_type_to_otlp_http,
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def apply_config(self, agent_config):
             self._config = agent_config
         self.init_trace_provider()
         self.init_propagation()
-        if is_env_var_present("ENABLE_CONSOLE_SPAN_EXPORTER"):
+        if is_env_flag_enabled("ENABLE_CONSOLE_SPAN_EXPORTER"):
             self.set_console_span_processor()
 
     def init_trace_provider(self) -> None:

src/harness_sdk/config/default.py

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     },
     'gen_ai': {
         'enabled_frameworks': [],
-        'payload_capture_enabled': True,
+        'payload_capture_enabled': False,
         'payload_evaluation_enabled': True,
     },
     'plugins': {

src/harness_sdk/env.py

@@ -14,15 +14,40 @@ def get_env_value(target_key):
     return None
 
 
-def is_env_var_present(target_key):
-    """Return True if the key is set under any supported prefix (presence check)."""
-    return any(f"{prefix}{target_key}" in os.environ for prefix in _PREFIXES)
+def is_env_flag_enabled(target_key):
+    """Boolean SDK flag under any supported prefix (HARNESS_ > HA_ > AT_ > TA_).
+
+    Returns True only when the resolved value is case-insensitively 'true'.
+    """
+    value = get_env_value(target_key)
+    return value is not None and value.strip().lower() == "true"
 
 
 def is_harness_flag_enabled(env_var_name):
-    """Strict opt-in flag under the HARNESS_ prefix only (no legacy aliases).
+    """Opt-in flag under HARNESS_ or HA_ (HARNESS_ wins when both are set).
 
-    Returns True only when the value is present and case-insensitively 'true'.
+    Enable flags never existed under AT_/TA_, so only those two prefixes are
+    honored. Returns True only when the resolved value is present and
+    case-insensitively 'true'.
     """
-    value = os.environ.get(env_var_name)
-    return value is not None and value.strip().lower() == "true"
+    for key in _flag_keys(env_var_name):
+        if key in os.environ:
+            return os.environ[key].strip().lower() == "true"
+    return False
+
+
+def is_enable_flag_present(env_var_name):
+    """Presence check for an opt-in flag under HARNESS_ or HA_."""
+    return any(key in os.environ for key in _flag_keys(env_var_name))
+
+
+_FLAG_PREFIXES = ("HARNESS_", "HA_")
+
+
+def _flag_keys(env_var_name):
+    suffix = (
+        env_var_name[len("HARNESS_"):]
+        if env_var_name.startswith("HARNESS_")
+        else env_var_name
+    )
+    return [f"{prefix}{suffix}" for prefix in _FLAG_PREFIXES]

src/harness_sdk/instrumentation/instrumentation_definitions.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from importlib import metadata as importlib_metadata
 
 from harness_sdk.custom_logger import get_custom_logger
-from harness_sdk.env import is_harness_flag_enabled
+from harness_sdk.env import is_enable_flag_present, is_harness_flag_enabled
 
 FLASK_KEY = 'flask'
 DJANGO_KEY = 'django'
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def is_library_enabled(library_key, enabled_ai_frameworks=None):
     """Decide whether a supported library should be instrumented based on opt-in env flags."""
     if library_key in AI_LIBRARY_ENV_FLAGS:
         env_flag = AI_LIBRARY_ENV_FLAGS[library_key]
-        if env_flag in os.environ:
+        if is_enable_flag_present(env_flag):
             return is_harness_flag_enabled(env_flag)
         configured_frameworks = {
             _normalize_library_name(name)

src/harness_sdk/plugins/builtin/pipeline.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 from harness_sdk.agent_init import AgentInit
 from harness_sdk.custom_logger import get_custom_logger
-from harness_sdk.env import is_env_var_present
+from harness_sdk.env import is_env_flag_enabled
 from harness_sdk.excluded_by_attribute_span_processor import ExcludeByAttributeSpanProcessor
 from harness_sdk.db_control_span_processor import DbControlSpanProcessor
 from harness_sdk.gen_ai_payload_scrub_span_processor import GenAiPayloadScrubSpanProcessor
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def on_init(self, config: Any) -> None:
         self._agent_init = AgentInit(config)
 
     def create_span_processors(self, config: Any) -> List[SpanProcessor]:
-        if is_env_var_present("ENABLE_CONSOLE_SPAN_EXPORTER"):
+        if is_env_flag_enabled("ENABLE_CONSOLE_SPAN_EXPORTER"):
             self._agent_init.set_console_span_processor()
             return []
 

test/config/test_config.py

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def test_sdk_default_config():
     gen_ai = traceable_config.gen_ai
     assert Config().enabled_ai_frameworks == []
     assert gen_ai.enabled.value is False
-    assert gen_ai.payload_capture_enabled.value is True
+    assert gen_ai.payload_capture_enabled.value is False
     assert gen_ai.payload_evaluation_enabled.value is True
 
     assert len(traceable_config.span_attributes) == 0

test/env_test.py

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+"""Boolean SDK flag resolution: is_env_flag_enabled across prefix aliases."""
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+from harness_sdk.env import is_env_flag_enabled
+
+_KEY = "ENABLE_CONSOLE_SPAN_EXPORTER"
+_PREFIXES = ("HARNESS_", "HA_", "AT_", "TA_")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def clear_flag():
+    for prefix in _PREFIXES:
+        os.environ.pop(f"{prefix}{_KEY}", None)
+    yield
+    for prefix in _PREFIXES:
+        os.environ.pop(f"{prefix}{_KEY}", None)
+
+
+def test_unset_flag_is_disabled():
+    assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is False
+
+
+def test_true_enables_flag():
+    os.environ[f"HARNESS_{_KEY}"] = "true"
+    assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is True
+
+
+def test_explicit_false_disables_flag():
+    os.environ[f"HARNESS_{_KEY}"] = "false"
+    assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is False
+
+
+def test_arbitrary_value_does_not_enable_flag():
+    os.environ[f"HARNESS_{_KEY}"] = "1"
+    assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is False
+    os.environ[f"HARNESS_{_KEY}"] = "yes"
+    assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is False
+
+
+def test_empty_value_does_not_enable_flag():
+    os.environ[f"HARNESS_{_KEY}"] = ""
+    assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is False
+
+
+def test_legacy_aliases_enable_flag():
+    for prefix in ("HA_", "AT_", "TA_"):
+        os.environ[f"{prefix}{_KEY}"] = "true"
+        assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is True
+        del os.environ[f"{prefix}{_KEY}"]
+
+
+def test_harness_prefix_wins_over_legacy_alias():
+    os.environ[f"HARNESS_{_KEY}"] = "false"
+    os.environ[f"HA_{_KEY}"] = "true"
+    assert is_env_flag_enabled(_KEY) is False

test/instrumentation/test_opt_in_gating.py

@@ -82,8 +82,19 @@ def test_flag_requires_exact_true_value():
     assert is_api_instrumentation_enabled() is True
 
 
-def test_ai_flags_have_no_legacy_aliases():
+def test_ai_flags_accept_ha_alias():
     os.environ["HA_ENABLE_AI_OPENAI"] = "true"
+    assert is_library_enabled(OPENAI_KEY) is True
+    assert any_ai_provider_enabled() is True
+
+
+def test_ai_flag_harness_prefix_wins_over_ha():
+    os.environ["HARNESS_ENABLE_AI_OPENAI"] = "false"
+    os.environ["HA_ENABLE_AI_OPENAI"] = "true"
+    assert is_library_enabled(OPENAI_KEY) is False
+
+
+def test_ai_flags_have_no_at_ta_aliases():
     os.environ["AT_ENABLE_AI_OPENAI"] = "true"
     os.environ["TA_ENABLE_AI_OPENAI"] = "true"
     try:
@@ -93,13 +104,19 @@ def test_ai_flags_have_no_legacy_aliases():
             os.environ.pop(legacy, None)
 
 
-def test_api_flag_has_no_legacy_aliases():
+def test_api_flag_accepts_ha_alias():
     os.environ["HA_ENABLE_API"] = "true"
+    assert is_api_instrumentation_enabled() is True
+
+
+def test_api_flag_has_no_at_ta_aliases():
     os.environ["AT_ENABLE_API"] = "true"
+    os.environ["TA_ENABLE_API"] = "true"
     try:
         assert is_api_instrumentation_enabled() is False
     finally:
-        os.environ.pop("AT_ENABLE_API", None)
+        for legacy in ("AT_ENABLE_API", "TA_ENABLE_API"):
+            os.environ.pop(legacy, None)
 
 
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