diff --git a/changelog.d/fixed-523-npm-audit-gate-package-scope.md b/changelog.d/fixed-523-npm-audit-gate-package-scope.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c50c1f08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixed-523-npm-audit-gate-package-scope.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+- The npm audit gate documents the optional `package` exception field, treats an
+  empty `package` as unscoped, and names the package in unused-exception
+  warnings (hivecommons/docs#523, #524, #525).
diff --git a/scripts/npm-audit-gate.test.ts b/scripts/npm-audit-gate.test.ts
index 6871937e..61d96a37 100644
--- a/scripts/npm-audit-gate.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/npm-audit-gate.test.ts
@@ -184,6 +184,12 @@ describe("evaluateAudit", () => {
     expect(r.blocking).toEqual([]);
   });
 
+  it("treats an empty package as an unscoped exception", () => {
+    const r = evaluateAudit(REPORT, [exception({ package: "" })], "high", NOW);
+    expect(r.blocking).toEqual([]);
+    expect(r.unused).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
   it("does not apply an exception scoped to a different package", () => {
     const r = evaluateAudit(
       REPORT,
@@ -416,7 +422,9 @@ describe("main", () => {
     expect(exitSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     const out = logSpy.mock.calls.flat().join("\n");
     expect(out).toMatch(/Acknowledged 1 advisory/);
-    expect(out).toMatch(/::warning::Unused npm audit exception GHSA-zzzz/);
+    expect(out).toMatch(
+      /::warning::Unused npm audit exception GHSA-zzzz-zzzz-zzzz \(nope\)/
+    );
     expect(out).toMatch(/Ignoring 1 advisory/);
     expect(out).toMatch(/passed at level "high"/);
   });
diff --git a/scripts/npm-audit-gate.ts b/scripts/npm-audit-gate.ts
index 93e5740a..4ba071db 100644
--- a/scripts/npm-audit-gate.ts
+++ b/scripts/npm-audit-gate.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
  * expired exception fails the gate so acknowledged findings are re-reviewed
  * rather than silently forgotten.
  *
+ * An exception may also carry an optional `package` that scopes it to one
+ * affected package, so one GHSA can be listed once per package. Without
+ * `package` (or with an empty one) the exception covers that GHSA for every
+ * package.
+ *
  * A file that is not an audit report (e.g. the error document npm writes when
  * the registry is unreachable) fails the gate rather than passing it.
  *
@@ -124,7 +129,7 @@ export interface GateResult {
 }
 
 function exceptionKey(id: string, pkg?: string): string {
-  return `${id.toUpperCase()}:${pkg ?? "*"}`;
+  return `${id.toUpperCase()}:${pkg || "*"}`;
 }
 
 export function evaluateAudit(
@@ -240,7 +245,9 @@ export function main(argv: string[] = process.argv.slice(2)): void {
     );
   }
   for (const ex of result.unused) {
-    console.log(`::warning::Unused npm audit exception ${ex.id} — remove it.`);
+    console.log(
+      `::warning::Unused npm audit exception ${ex.id} (${ex.package || "*"}) — remove it.`
+    );
   }
 
   let failed = false;