BerriAI/litellm · error · Exception

Trying to use secret hidingYou must be a LiteLLM Enterprise

Error message

Trying to use secret hidingYou must be a LiteLLM Enterprise user to use this feature. If you have a license please set `LITELLM_LICENSE` in your env. Get a 7 day trial key here: https://www.litellm.ai/enterprise#trial. 
Pricing: https://www.litellm.ai/#pricing

What it means

Raised at startup when 'hide_secrets' is configured, litellm-enterprise IS installed, but premium_user is not True. This is the license gate that follows the import gate: LITELLM_LICENSE must be set to a valid enterprise license in the proxy process env, otherwise the SecretDetection callback refuses to initialize. The message appends the standard not-premium-user text with the trial URL.

Source

Thrown at litellm/proxy/common_utils/callback_utils.py:211

                    )

                if premium_user is not True:
                    raise Exception("Trying to use Llama Guard" + CommonProxyErrors.not_premium_user.value)

                llama_guard_object = _ENTERPRISE_LlamaGuard()
                imported_list.append(llama_guard_object)
            elif isinstance(callback, str) and callback == "hide_secrets":
                try:
                    from litellm_enterprise.enterprise_callbacks.secret_detection import (
                        _ENTERPRISE_SecretDetection,
                    )
                except ImportError:
                    raise Exception(
                        "Trying to use Secret Detection" + CommonProxyErrors.missing_enterprise_package.value
                    )

                if premium_user is not True:
                    raise Exception("Trying to use secret hiding" + CommonProxyErrors.not_premium_user.value)

                _secret_detection_object = _ENTERPRISE_SecretDetection()
                imported_list.append(_secret_detection_object)
            elif isinstance(callback, str) and callback == "openai_moderations":
                try:
                    from enterprise.enterprise_hooks.openai_moderation import (
                        _ENTERPRISE_OpenAI_Moderation,
                    )
                except ImportError:
                    raise Exception(
                        "Trying to use OpenAI Moderations Check,"
                        + CommonProxyErrors.missing_enterprise_package_docker.value
                    )

                if premium_user is not True:
                    raise Exception("Trying to use OpenAI Moderations Check" + CommonProxyErrors.not_premium_user.value)

                openai_moderations_object = _ENTERPRISE_OpenAI_Moderation()

View on GitHub (pinned to 77b7c6c40c)

Solutions

1. Export a valid LITELLM_LICENSE for the proxy process and restart it.
2. Get/renew a trial or paid key via https://www.litellm.ai/enterprise#trial.
3. Verify inside the container: docker exec <proxy> printenv LITELLM_LICENSE.
4. Alternatively remove 'hide_secrets' from the callbacks list.

Example fix

# before
litellm_settings:
  callbacks: ["hide_secrets"]  # no LITELLM_LICENSE in env

# after
LITELLM_LICENSE=sk-... docker compose up  # or set in deployment env

import os

if 'hide_secrets' in callbacks and not os.environ.get('LITELLM_LICENSE'):
    callbacks.remove('hide_secrets')
    logger.warning('hide_secrets requires an enterprise license; disabled')

When it happens

Trigger: hide_secrets enabled with the enterprise package present, but LITELLM_LICENSE unset, expired, or invalid in that process; env var present in CI but stripped in the runtime container; license checked against a mismatched Litellm-Setup-URL.

Common situations: License env forgotten in k8s secret mounts; trial keys lapsing; running proxy via a service manager that does not inherit the shell env.

Related errors

• Trying to use Llama GuardYou must be a LiteLLM Enterprise us
• Trying to use OpenAI Moderations CheckYou must be a LiteLLM
• Trying to use Secret DetectionMissing litellm-enterprise pac
• You must be a LiteLLM Enterprise user to use this feature. I
• Setting tag-based guardrails is only available in litellm-en

AI-assisted analysis of BerriAI/litellm@77b7c6c40c (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/61a6c2055ab53bbc. Report an issue: GitHub.