Fix provider lazy loading to prevent API key errors for local models

langextract/factory.py

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 from langextract import exceptions
 from langextract import inference
+from langextract import providers
 from langextract.providers import registry
 
 
@@ -107,6 +108,9 @@ def create_model(config: ModelConfig) -> inference.BaseLanguageModel:
     if config.provider:
       provider_class = registry.resolve_provider(config.provider)
     else:
+      # Load providers before pattern matching
+      providers.load_builtins_once()
+      providers.load_plugins_once()
       provider_class = registry.resolve(config.model_id)
   except (ModuleNotFoundError, ImportError) as e:
     raise exceptions.InferenceConfigError(

langextract/providers/__init__.py

@@ -26,8 +26,32 @@
 
 from langextract.providers import registry
 
-# Track whether plugins have been loaded
+# Track provider loading for lazy initialization
 _PLUGINS_LOADED = False
+_BUILTINS_LOADED = False
+
+
+def load_builtins_once() -> None:
+  """Load built-in providers to register their patterns.
+
+  Idempotent function that ensures provider patterns are available
+  for model resolution.
+  """
+  global _BUILTINS_LOADED  # pylint: disable=global-statement
+  if _BUILTINS_LOADED:
+    return
+
+  # pylint: disable=import-outside-toplevel
+  from langextract.providers import gemini  # noqa: F401
+  from langextract.providers import ollama  # noqa: F401
+
+  try:
+    from langextract.providers import openai  # noqa: F401
+  except ImportError:
+    logging.debug("OpenAI provider not available (optional dependency)")
+  # pylint: enable=import-outside-toplevel
+
+  _BUILTINS_LOADED = True
 
 
 def load_plugins_once() -> None:
@@ -73,13 +97,4 @@ def load_plugins_once() -> None:
       )
 
 
-# pylint: disable=wrong-import-position
-from langextract.providers import gemini  # noqa: F401
-from langextract.providers import ollama  # noqa: F401
-
-try:
-  from langextract.providers import openai  # noqa: F401
-except ImportError:
-  pass
-
-__all__ = ["registry", "load_plugins_once"]
+__all__ = ["registry", "load_plugins_once", "load_builtins_once"]

langextract/providers/registry.py

@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ def resolve(model_id: str) -> type[inference.BaseLanguageModel]:
   # pylint: disable=import-outside-toplevel
   from langextract import providers
 
+  providers.load_builtins_once()
   providers.load_plugins_once()
 
   sorted_entries = sorted(_ENTRIES, key=lambda e: e.priority, reverse=True)
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ class name (e.g., "GeminiLanguageModel").
   # pylint: disable=import-outside-toplevel
   from langextract import providers
 
+  providers.load_builtins_once()
   providers.load_plugins_once()
 
   for entry in _ENTRIES:

tests/factory_test.py

@@ -210,6 +210,34 @@ def infer_batch(self, prompts, batch_size=32):
 
     self.assertEqual(model.base_url, "http://custom:11434")
 
+  def test_ollama_models_select_without_api_keys(self):
+    """Test that Ollama models resolve without API keys or explicit type."""
+
+    @registry.register(
+        r"^llama", r"^gemma", r"^mistral", r"^qwen", priority=100
+    )
+    class FakeOllamaProvider(inference.BaseLanguageModel):
+
+      def __init__(self, model_id, **kwargs):
+        self.model_id = model_id
+        super().__init__()
+
+      def infer(self, batch_prompts, **kwargs):
+        return [[inference.ScoredOutput(score=1.0, output="test")]]
+
+      def infer_batch(self, prompts, batch_size=32):
+        return self.infer(prompts)
+
+    test_models = ["llama3", "gemma2:2b", "mistral:7b", "qwen3:0.6b"]
+
+    for model_id in test_models:
+      with self.subTest(model_id=model_id):
+        with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True):
+          config = factory.ModelConfig(model_id=model_id)
+          model = factory.create_model(config)
+          self.assertIsInstance(model, FakeOllamaProvider)
+          self.assertEqual(model.model_id, model_id)
+
   def test_model_config_fields_are_immutable(self):
     """ModelConfig fields should not be modifiable after creation."""
     config = factory.ModelConfig(