diff --git a/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets.go b/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets.go
index f3a96319..065ae340 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package simulate
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 
@@ -51,3 +52,48 @@ func ReplaceSecretNamesWithEnvVars(secrets []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	}
 	return out, nil
 }
+
+// FilterSecretsByAllowedKeys restricts the resolved secrets YAML to only the
+// keys declared via --secret flags. Returns an error if a declared key is not
+// present in the secrets file.
+func FilterSecretsByAllowedKeys(secrets []byte, allowedSecrets []string) ([]byte, error) {
+	var cfg secretsYamlConfig
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(secrets, &cfg); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	allowed := make(map[string]bool, len(allowedSecrets))
+	for _, s := range allowedSecrets {
+		key, _, _ := strings.Cut(s, ":")
+		allowed[key] = true
+	}
+
+	// Verify all declared keys exist in the secrets file.
+	for key := range allowed {
+		if _, ok := cfg.SecretsNames[key]; !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("declared secret %q not found in secrets.yaml", key)
+		}
+	}
+
+	filtered := make(map[string][]string, len(allowed))
+	for key, vals := range cfg.SecretsNames {
+		if allowed[key] {
+			filtered[key] = vals
+		}
+	}
+
+	out, err := yaml.Marshal(secretsYamlConfig{SecretsNames: filtered})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal filtered secrets: %w", err)
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
+// secretKeys extracts just the key portion from "KEY:namespace" entries.
+func secretKeys(secrets []string) []string {
+	keys := make([]string, len(secrets))
+	for i, s := range secrets {
+		keys[i], _, _ = strings.Cut(s, ":")
+	}
+	return keys
+}
diff --git a/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets_test.go b/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets_test.go
index 07a00dee..5c98036f 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets_test.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/simulate/secrets_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,91 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
 
+func TestFilterSecretsByAllowedKeys(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name           string
+		yamlInput      string
+		allowedSecrets []string
+		wantSecrets    map[string][]string
+		wantErr        string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "filters to declared keys only",
+			yamlInput: `secretsNames:
+  API_KEY:
+    - val1
+  DB_PASS:
+    - val2
+  OTHER:
+    - val3`,
+			allowedSecrets: []string{"API_KEY", "DB_PASS"},
+			wantSecrets: map[string][]string{
+				"API_KEY": {"val1"},
+				"DB_PASS": {"val2"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "KEY:namespace format extracts key correctly",
+			yamlInput: `secretsNames:
+  API_KEY:
+    - val1
+  OTHER:
+    - val2`,
+			allowedSecrets: []string{"API_KEY:my-namespace"},
+			wantSecrets:    map[string][]string{"API_KEY": {"val1"}},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "declared secret not in file returns error",
+			yamlInput: `secretsNames:
+  API_KEY:
+    - val1`,
+			allowedSecrets: []string{"MISSING"},
+			wantErr:        `declared secret "MISSING" not found in secrets.yaml`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:           "invalid yaml returns error",
+			yamlInput:      `not: valid: yaml: [`,
+			allowedSecrets: []string{"KEY"},
+			wantErr:        "yaml:",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "single key allowed from many",
+			yamlInput: `secretsNames:
+  A:
+    - a1
+  B:
+    - b1
+  C:
+    - c1`,
+			allowedSecrets: []string{"B"},
+			wantSecrets:    map[string][]string{"B": {"b1"}},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := FilterSecretsByAllowedKeys([]byte(tt.yamlInput), tt.allowedSecrets)
+
+			if tt.wantErr != "" {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			var parsed secretsYamlConfig
+			require.NoError(t, yaml.Unmarshal(got, &parsed))
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantSecrets, parsed.SecretsNames)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSecretKeys(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"A", "B", "C"}, secretKeys([]string{"A", "B:ns", "C"}))
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{}, secretKeys([]string{}))
+}
+
 func TestReplaceSecretNamesWithEnvVars(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name        string
diff --git a/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate.go b/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate.go
index 6e953dc2..b3666526 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate.go
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ type Inputs struct {
 	EVMEventIndex  int    `validate:"-"`
 	// Experimental chains support (for chains not in official chain-selectors)
 	ExperimentalForwarders map[uint64]common.Address `validate:"-"` // forwarders keyed by chain ID
+	// Confidential workflow simulation
+	Confidential bool     `validate:"-"`
+	Secrets      []string `validate:"-"`
 }
 
 func New(runtimeContext *runtime.Context) *cobra.Command {
@@ -93,6 +96,9 @@ func New(runtimeContext *runtime.Context) *cobra.Command {
 	simulateCmd.Flags().String("http-payload", "", "HTTP trigger payload as JSON string or path to JSON file (with or without @ prefix)")
 	simulateCmd.Flags().String("evm-tx-hash", "", "EVM trigger transaction hash (0x...)")
 	simulateCmd.Flags().Int("evm-event-index", -1, "EVM trigger log index (0-based)")
+	// Confidential workflow flags
+	simulateCmd.Flags().Bool("confidential", false, "Simulate as a confidential workflow (restricts secret access to declared keys)")
+	simulateCmd.Flags().StringSlice("secret", nil, "Allowed VaultDON secret (repeatable, format: KEY or KEY:namespace)")
 	return simulateCmd
 }
 
@@ -226,10 +232,25 @@ func (h *handler) ResolveInputs(v *viper.Viper, creSettings *settings.Settings)
 		EVMTxHash:              v.GetString("evm-tx-hash"),
 		EVMEventIndex:          v.GetInt("evm-event-index"),
 		ExperimentalForwarders: experimentalForwarders,
+		Confidential:           v.GetBool("confidential"),
+		Secrets:                v.GetStringSlice("secret"),
 	}, nil
 }
 
 func (h *handler) ValidateInputs(inputs Inputs) error {
+	if len(inputs.Secrets) > 0 && !inputs.Confidential {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--secret requires --confidential flag")
+	}
+	if inputs.Confidential && len(inputs.Secrets) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--confidential requires at least one --secret flag")
+	}
+	for _, s := range inputs.Secrets {
+		key, _, _ := strings.Cut(s, ":")
+		if strings.TrimSpace(key) == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("--secret value %q has empty key", s)
+		}
+	}
+
 	validate, err := validation.NewValidator()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize validator: %w", err)
@@ -308,6 +329,17 @@ func (h *handler) Execute(inputs Inputs) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if inputs.Confidential {
+		if inputs.SecretsPath == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("--confidential requires a secrets.yaml file in the workflow directory")
+		}
+		secrets, err = FilterSecretsByAllowedKeys(secrets, inputs.Secrets)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("confidential mode secret filtering: %w", err)
+		}
+		ui.Dim(fmt.Sprintf("Confidential mode: secrets restricted to %v", secretKeys(inputs.Secrets)))
+	}
+
 	// Set up context for signal handling
 	ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM, syscall.SIGQUIT, syscall.SIGKILL)
 	defer cancel()
diff --git a/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate_test.go b/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate_test.go
index 08d6d30a..a3b0ee87 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate_test.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/simulate/simulate_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/cre-cli/internal/runtime"
@@ -15,6 +16,36 @@ import (
 	"github.com/smartcontractkit/cre-cli/internal/testutil"
 )
 
+func TestValidateInputs_SecretRequiresConfidential(t *testing.T) {
+	h := newHandler(&runtime.Context{Logger: testutil.NewTestLogger()})
+	err := h.ValidateInputs(Inputs{
+		Secrets: []string{"API_KEY"},
+		Confidential: false,
+	})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "--secret requires --confidential flag")
+}
+
+func TestValidateInputs_ConfidentialRequiresSecret(t *testing.T) {
+	h := newHandler(&runtime.Context{Logger: testutil.NewTestLogger()})
+	err := h.ValidateInputs(Inputs{
+		Confidential: true,
+		Secrets:      nil,
+	})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "--confidential requires at least one --secret flag")
+}
+
+func TestValidateInputs_EmptySecretKey(t *testing.T) {
+	h := newHandler(&runtime.Context{Logger: testutil.NewTestLogger()})
+	err := h.ValidateInputs(Inputs{
+		Confidential: true,
+		Secrets:      []string{":namespace"},
+	})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "has empty key")
+}
+
 // TestBlankWorkflowSimulation validates that the simulator can successfully
 // run a blank workflow from end to end in a non-interactive mode.
 func TestBlankWorkflowSimulation(t *testing.T) {