Understanding Source Availability in last30days-skill: Configuration and Diagnostics Guide

The last30days-skill determines which content sources (Reddit, X, and Web) are available by inspecting API keys and authentication credentials in scripts/lib/env.py, returning a specific availability string—such as all, both, reddit-web, reddit, web, or none—that downstream pipelines use to decide which search modules to execute.

Understanding source availability in last30days-skill is essential for configuring the research pipeline correctly. The skill dynamically detects which backends—Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), or general web search—are functional based on your credential configuration stored in environment files or shell variables. This detection logic lives in the scripts/lib/env.py module according to the mvanhorn/last30days-skill source code.

How Source Availability Is Determined

The skill follows a four-step resolution process to determine which sources are usable. Each step maps to specific functions in scripts/lib/env.py.

Step 1: Loading Configuration Files

The get_config() function (lines 15-38 of env.py) loads credentials in strict priority order: process environment variables take precedence, followed by the per-project .claude/last30days.env file, and finally the global ~/.config/last30days/.env file. This function also extracts OpenAI/Codex tokens, X-search cookies, and any web-search API keys required for backend initialization.

Step 2: Detecting Individual Backends

After loading configuration, helper functions check specific credential requirements for each source:

• Reddit: The is_reddit_available() function (lines 90-98) checks for the presence of SCRAPECREATORS_API_KEY or a working OpenAI key.
• X (Twitter): Availability requires either an XAI_API_KEY or Bird-installed authentication credentials (validated within get_missing_keys).
• Web Search: The has_web_search_keys() function (lines 31-33) verifies the presence of OPENROUTER_API_KEY, PARALLEL_API_KEY, or BRAVE_API_KEY.

Step 3: Computing the Availability String

The get_available_sources(config) function (lines 14-28) combines these boolean checks into a single string that downstream CLI code consumes. The logic is deliberately permissive: Reddit is always considered available because it can fall back to a public JSON endpoint when API keys are absent. The function returns one of six specific values indicating which combination of backends are ready.

Step 4: Reporting Missing Keys

Finally, get_missing_keys(config) (lines 52-76) identifies which credential categories remain unconfigured. This powers the --diagnose flag output, explicitly listing whether X authentication or web search keys are absent.

The Availability String Results

The get_available_sources() function returns one of the following enumerated strings:

Returned value	Meaning
all	Reddit and X and a web backend are all configured
both	Reddit and X are ready, but no web backend
reddit-web	Reddit and a web backend are ready (X missing)
reddit	Only Reddit is ready
web	Only a web backend is ready (no Reddit, no X)
none	No source can be used (no keys at all)

These strings are consumed by scripts/last30days.py to enable or skip corresponding search modules in the pipeline.

Running Diagnostics with the --diagnose Flag

The CLI provides a --diagnose flag that prints the complete availability report as JSON and exits. This is the definitive method for verifying that your keys are recognized correctly by the detection logic implemented in env.py.

python3 scripts/last30days.py --diagnose

Typical output appears as:

{
  "available": "both",
  "missing": "web",
  "config_source": "global:/home/you/.config/last30days/.env",
  "keys": {
    "SCRAPECREATORS_API_KEY": true,
    "XAI_API_KEY": false,
    "PARALLEL_API_KEY": false
  }
}

The implementation that prints this JSON payload resides near line 1550 of scripts/last30days.py, calling env.get_config(), then env.get_available_sources() and env.get_missing_keys() to construct the diagnostic object.

Where to Configure API Keys

The skill supports three configuration scopes, loaded with the precedence: Environment Variables > Per-Project > Global.

Global Configuration

Store persistent credentials in ~/.config/last30days/.env. This path is defined by the CONFIG_FILE constant in env.py and serves as the default fallback when project-specific or environment variables are absent.

Per-Project Configuration

Place a .claude/last30days.env file in your repository root. The _find_project_env() function (lines 98-112 of env.py) detects this file and overrides the global configuration. This scope is ideal for maintaining separate credentials across multiple research projects on the same machine or for CI/CD pipelines.

Environment Variables

Export keys directly in your shell for the highest priority override:

export XAI_API_KEY="your_key_here"
export PARALLEL_API_KEY="your_key_here"

Process environment variables take precedence over all file-based configuration sources.

Practical Code Examples

Checking Availability Programmatically

You can inspect source availability from Python scripts by importing the env module:

from scripts.lib import env

cfg = env.get_config()               # Load merged configuration

available = env.get_available_sources(cfg)
missing = env.get_missing_keys(cfg)

print(f"Available sources: {available}")
print(f"Missing categories: {missing}")

Using the CLI Diagnostic Output

Capture the JSON diagnostic in shell scripts for automated validation:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
diagnose_json=$(python3 scripts/last30days.py --diagnose)
echo "$diagnose_json" | jq -r '.available'

Overriding Configuration for Single Runs

Execute the skill with temporary credentials without modifying configuration files:

XAI_API_KEY=abcd1234 PARALLEL_API_KEY=xyz987 python3 scripts/last30days.py "AI video tools"

Key Implementation Files

File	Role
scripts/lib/env.py	Loads environment files, resolves authentication, and decides which sources are usable via get_available_sources() and get_missing_keys()
scripts/last30days.py	CLI entry point implementing the --diagnose flag and orchestrating search pipelines based on the availability string
tests/test_smoke.py	Integration tests validating that the --diagnose flag produces well-formed availability JSON

Summary

• Source availability in last30days-skill is computed in scripts/lib/env.py by inspecting API keys and Bird authentication status.
• The get_available_sources() function returns discrete strings (all, both, reddit-web, reddit, web, none) indicating which backends are operational.
• Use python3 scripts/last30days.py --diagnose to verify your configuration via JSON output.
• Configuration follows a hierarchy: process environment variables override per-project .claude/last30days.env, which overrides the global ~/.config/last30days/.env.

Frequently Asked Questions

What API keys are required for Reddit source availability?

Reddit requires either a SCRAPECREATORS_API_KEY or a working OpenAI key to be considered fully available via is_reddit_available(). However, the skill treats Reddit as always available in get_available_sources() because it can fall back to a public JSON endpoint when no keys are present.

How does last30days-skill handle missing X authentication?

The skill checks for XAI_API_KEY or Bird-installed authentication in get_missing_keys(). If neither is present, X is excluded from the availability string, and the --diagnose output will list X as a missing category.

Can I use the skill with only web search enabled?

Yes. If you configure OPENROUTER_API_KEY, PARALLEL_API_KEY, or BRAVE_API_KEY while omitting Reddit and X credentials, get_available_sources() returns "web". The pipeline will execute web searches while skipping social media backends.

Where should I store API keys for CI/CD pipelines?

Store credentials in a per-project .claude/last30days.env file within your repository or inject them as environment variables in your CI configuration. The per-project file approach avoids conflicts with other projects on shared runners, as detected by _find_project_env() in env.py.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}