diff --git a/src/image-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts b/src/image-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts
index 9924a8cc0660..54c77369f661 100644
--- a/src/image-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts
+++ b/src/image-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ describe("image-generation live-test helpers", () => {
 
   it("redacts live API keys for diagnostics", () => {
     expect(redactLiveApiKey(undefined)).toBe("none");
-    expect(redactLiveApiKey("short-key")).toBe("short-key");
-    expect(redactLiveApiKey("sk-proj-1234567890")).toBe("sk-proj-...7890");
+    expect(redactLiveApiKey("   ")).toBe("none");
+    expect(redactLiveApiKey("synthetic-12")).toBe("<redacted>");
+    expect(redactLiveApiKey("synthetic-credential-value")).toBe("<redacted>");
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/media-generation/live-test-helpers.ts b/src/media-generation/live-test-helpers.ts
index b7c62a2dd496..6b5211360c7d 100644
--- a/src/media-generation/live-test-helpers.ts
+++ b/src/media-generation/live-test-helpers.ts
@@ -12,16 +12,13 @@ type LiveProviderModelConfig =
     }
   | undefined;
 
-/** Redacts live API keys while preserving enough shape for diagnostics. */
+/** Redacts live API keys without retaining credential-derived text in test output. */
 export function redactLiveApiKey(value: string | undefined): string {
   const trimmed = value?.trim();
   if (!trimmed) {
     return "none";
   }
-  if (trimmed.length <= 12) {
-    return trimmed;
-  }
-  return `${trimmed.slice(0, 8)}...${trimmed.slice(-4)}`;
+  return "<redacted>";
 }
 
 /** Parses comma-separated live-test filters; null means "all". */
diff --git a/src/video-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts b/src/video-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts
index 1c9400abd4d1..96b68aeddea5 100644
--- a/src/video-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts
+++ b/src/video-generation/live-test-helpers.test.ts
@@ -80,8 +80,9 @@ describe("video-generation live-test helpers", () => {
 
   it("redacts live API keys for diagnostics", () => {
     expect(redactLiveApiKey(undefined)).toBe("none");
-    expect(redactLiveApiKey("short-key")).toBe("short-key");
-    expect(redactLiveApiKey("sk-proj-1234567890")).toBe("sk-proj-...7890");
+    expect(redactLiveApiKey("   ")).toBe("none");
+    expect(redactLiveApiKey("synthetic-12")).toBe("<redacted>");
+    expect(redactLiveApiKey("synthetic-credential-value")).toBe("<redacted>");
   });
 
   it("runs buffer-backed video-to-video only for supported providers/models", () => {