Fail demo startup when required API routes are missing

backend/app.py

@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ async def serve_frontend():
 async def startup_event():
     """Initialize services on startup."""
     try:
-        startup_report = run_startup_health_routine()
+        startup_report = run_startup_health_routine(app)
         if startup_report.get("status") != "healthy":
             logger.error(f"Startup readiness finished with failures: {startup_report.get('errors', [])}")
 

backend/services/startup_health.py

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
+from fastapi import FastAPI
+from fastapi.routing import APIRoute
 from loguru import logger
 from sqlalchemy import inspect, text
 
@@ -49,6 +51,60 @@ def _record_check(checks: List[Dict[str, Any]], name: str, ok: bool, detail: str
     checks.append({"name": name, "ok": ok, "detail": detail})
 
 
+def _is_demo_mode() -> bool:
+    app_env = os.getenv("APP_ENV", os.getenv("ENV", os.getenv("DEPLOY_ENV", ""))).strip().lower()
+    if app_env == "demo":
+        return True
+    return _env_true("ALWRITY_DEMO_MODE", default=False)
+
+
+def _check_required_demo_routes(
+    app: Optional[FastAPI],
+    checks: List[Dict[str, Any]],
+    errors: List[str],
+) -> None:
+    if not _is_demo_mode():
+        _record_check(
+            checks,
+            "demo_required_routes",
+            True,
+            "Skipped (not in demo mode). Set APP_ENV=demo or ALWRITY_DEMO_MODE=true to enforce.",
+        )
+        return
+
+    if app is None:
+        errors.append(
+            "Demo startup route check could not run because FastAPI app context was not provided to startup health routine."
+        )
+        _record_check(checks, "demo_required_routes_context", False, "missing app context")
+        return
+
+    required_routes = {
+        "/api/subscription/plans": "GET",
+        "/api/podcast/projects": "GET",
+    }
+    available_routes = {
+        (route.path, method)
+        for route in app.router.routes
+        if isinstance(route, APIRoute)
+        for method in route.methods
+    }
+
+    missing: List[str] = []
+    for path, method in required_routes.items():
+        if (path, method) in available_routes:
+            _record_check(checks, f"demo_route_{path}_{method}", True, "route registered")
+        else:
+            missing.append(f"{method} {path}")
+            _record_check(checks, f"demo_route_{path}_{method}", False, "route missing")
+
+    if missing:
+        errors.append(
+            "Demo mode startup check failed. Missing required API endpoints: "
+            f"{', '.join(missing)}. Ensure subscription and podcast routers are imported and included during app setup."
+        )
+
+
 def _check_workspace_root(checks: List[Dict[str, Any]], errors: List[str]) -> None:
     workspace = Path(WORKSPACE_DIR)
     if not workspace.exists():
@@ -144,7 +200,7 @@ def _check_db_access(checks: List[Dict[str, Any]], errors: List[str], warnings:
     return candidate_user
 
 
-def run_startup_health_routine() -> Dict[str, Any]:
+def run_startup_health_routine(app: Optional[FastAPI] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     checks: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
     errors: List[str] = []
     warnings: List[str] = []
@@ -152,6 +208,7 @@ def run_startup_health_routine() -> Dict[str, Any]:
     _check_workspace_root(checks, errors)
     if not errors:
         _check_db_access(checks, errors, warnings)
+    _check_required_demo_routes(app, checks, errors)
 
     status = "healthy" if not errors else "failed"
     report = {

backend/services/subscription/stripe_service.py

@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ REQUIRED_STRIPE_PLAN_KEYS = {
 }
 
 
-def _is_truthy_env(var_name: str) -> bool:
-    return os.getenv(var_name, "").strip().lower() in {"1", "true", "yes", "on"}
-
-
 def _detect_stripe_mode() -> str:
     configured_mode = os.getenv("STRIPE_MODE", "").strip().lower()
     if configured_mode in {"test", "live"}:
@@ -102,16 +98,7 @@ class StripeService:
         self.db = db
         self.api_key = os.getenv("STRIPE_SECRET_KEY")
         self.webhook_secret = os.getenv("STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET")
-        self.require_stripe_checkout = _is_truthy_env("REQUIRE_STRIPE_CHECKOUT")
         if not self.api_key:
-            if self.require_stripe_checkout:
-                raise HTTPException(
-                    status_code=500,
-                    detail=(
-                        "REQUIRE_STRIPE_CHECKOUT=true but STRIPE_SECRET_KEY is missing. "
-                        "Configure STRIPE_SECRET_KEY to enable Stripe checkout."
-                    ),
-                )
             logger.warning("STRIPE_SECRET_KEY is not set. Stripe integration will not work.")
         else:
             stripe.api_key = self.api_key

frontend/src/components/Pricing/PricingPage.tsx

@@ -52,10 +52,6 @@ export interface SubscriptionPlan {
 }
 
 const PricingPage: React.FC = () => {
-  const requireStripeCheckout = ['1', 'true', 'yes', 'on'].includes(
-    (process.env.REACT_APP_REQUIRE_STRIPE_CHECKOUT || '').toLowerCase()
-  );
-  const stripePublishableKey = process.env.REACT_APP_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY;
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const [plans, setPlans] = useState<SubscriptionPlan[]>([]);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
@@ -177,7 +173,7 @@ const PricingPage: React.FC = () => {
       const userId = localStorage.getItem('user_id') || 'anonymous';
 
       // Check if Stripe is configured
-      if (stripePublishableKey) {
+      if (process.env.REACT_APP_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY) {
         console.log('[PricingPage] Initiating Stripe Checkout');
 
         const response = await apiClient.post('/api/subscription/create-checkout-session', {
@@ -191,14 +187,6 @@ const PricingPage: React.FC = () => {
           window.location.href = response.data.url;
           return;
         }
-
-        if (requireStripeCheckout) {
-          throw new Error('Stripe checkout is required but checkout URL was not returned.');
-        }
-      } else if (requireStripeCheckout) {
-        throw new Error(
-          'Stripe checkout is required but REACT_APP_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY is not configured.'
-        );
       }
 
       console.log('[PricingPage] Making legacy subscription API call:', {
@@ -283,8 +271,7 @@ const PricingPage: React.FC = () => {
       }, 3000);
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('Error subscribing:', err);
-      const errorMessage = err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to process subscription';
-      setError(errorMessage);
+      setError('Failed to process subscription');
       setSuccessSnackbar({ open: false, message: '', countdown: 0 });
     } finally {
       setSubscribing(false);