diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/controller/PolicyController.java b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/controller/PolicyController.java
index 5a5a3018b1..3dac4e284e 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/controller/PolicyController.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/controller/PolicyController.java
@@ -336,6 +336,15 @@ public class PolicyController {
      * nothing to check.
      */
     private void requireAccessibleOutput(Policy policy) {
+        // An editor policy hands its results back to the workspace the file came from. A stored
+        // destination would send the run to a folder or bucket instead, leaving the editor's copy
+        // untouched - and the editor's import would then have nothing to collect.
+        if (policy.editor().allowed() && !policy.outputIds().isEmpty()) {
+            throw new ResponseStatusException(
+                    HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST,
+                    "An editor policy delivers back to the editor and can't also have a"
+                            + " destination");
+        }
         for (String outputId : policy.outputIds()) {
             Source destination =
                     sourceStore
@@ -393,7 +402,8 @@ public class PolicyController {
                 policy.steps(),
                 policy.output(),
                 policy.outputIds(),
-                teamId);
+                teamId,
+                policy.editor());
     }
 
     /** Output secrets never leave the server: reads return the redaction sentinel instead. */
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/model/EditorConfig.java b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/model/EditorConfig.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9b15adea2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/model/EditorConfig.java
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model;
+
+/**
+ * How a policy participates in the editor: it fires in the browser as each file passes through,
+ * rather than being swept from a stored {@code Source} on a trigger.
+ *
+ * <p>An object rather than a bare flag so the moment it fires ({@code runOn}) travels with the
+ * decision, and so later editor-only settings have somewhere to live.
+ *
+ * @param allowed whether the editor may run this policy at all
+ * @param runOn which moment it fires on: {@code "upload"} or {@code "export"}
+ */
+public record EditorConfig(boolean allowed, String runOn) {
+
+    public static final String UPLOAD = "upload";
+    public static final String EXPORT = "export";
+
+    public EditorConfig {
+        runOn = EXPORT.equals(runOn) ? EXPORT : UPLOAD;
+    }
+
+    /** Not an editor policy: swept server-side, or run only on demand. */
+    public static EditorConfig disabled() {
+        return new EditorConfig(false, UPLOAD);
+    }
+
+    public static EditorConfig onUpload() {
+        return new EditorConfig(true, UPLOAD);
+    }
+
+    public static EditorConfig onExport() {
+        return new EditorConfig(true, EXPORT);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/model/Policy.java b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/model/Policy.java
index 14b1eb325c..00833bceb5 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/model/Policy.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/model/Policy.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model;
 
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 /**
  * A stored automation: ordered tool steps, input bindings, and output destinations.
@@ -24,13 +25,29 @@ public record Policy(
         List<PipelineStep> steps,
         OutputSpec output,
         List<String> outputIds,
-        Long teamId) {
+        Long teamId,
+        EditorConfig editor) {
 
     public Policy {
         inputs = inputs == null ? List.of() : List.copyOf(inputs);
         steps = steps == null ? List.of() : steps;
         output = output == null ? OutputSpec.inline() : output;
         outputIds = outputIds == null ? List.of() : List.copyOf(outputIds);
+        editor = editor == null ? EditorConfig.disabled() : editor;
+    }
+
+    /** Without editor participation: a swept or on-demand policy. */
+    public Policy(
+            String id,
+            String name,
+            String owner,
+            boolean enabled,
+            List<PipelineInput> inputs,
+            List<PipelineStep> steps,
+            OutputSpec output,
+            List<String> outputIds,
+            Long teamId) {
+        this(id, name, owner, enabled, inputs, steps, output, outputIds, teamId, null);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -71,6 +88,14 @@ public record Policy(
     }
 
     /** The distinct trigger types configured across this policy's inputs (manual inputs aside). */
+    /**
+     * The moment this policy fires in the editor ("upload" / "export"), or empty when the editor
+     * does not run it. Legacy blobs are lifted onto {@link EditorConfig} when they are read.
+     */
+    public Optional<String> editorRunOn() {
+        return editor.allowed() ? Optional.of(editor.runOn()) : Optional.empty();
+    }
+
     public List<String> triggerTypes() {
         return inputs.stream()
                 .map(PipelineInput::trigger)
@@ -82,17 +107,20 @@ public record Policy(
 
     /** A copy with the inline output replaced (e.g. resolved for the engine, or migrated). */
     public Policy withOutput(OutputSpec resolved) {
-        return new Policy(id, name, owner, enabled, inputs, steps, resolved, outputIds, teamId);
+        return new Policy(
+                id, name, owner, enabled, inputs, steps, resolved, outputIds, teamId, editor);
     }
 
     /** A copy under a different owner (e.g. moving a seed off a placeholder name). */
     public Policy withOwner(String newOwner) {
-        return new Policy(id, name, newOwner, enabled, inputs, steps, output, outputIds, teamId);
+        return new Policy(
+                id, name, newOwner, enabled, inputs, steps, output, outputIds, teamId, editor);
     }
 
     /** A copy referencing the given saved output destinations. */
     public Policy withOutputIds(List<String> newOutputIds) {
-        return new Policy(id, name, owner, enabled, inputs, steps, output, newOutputIds, teamId);
+        return new Policy(
+                id, name, owner, enabled, inputs, steps, output, newOutputIds, teamId, editor);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewService.java b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewService.java
index b2be7b668e..0d7845a209 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewService.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewService.java
@@ -114,10 +114,14 @@ public class PolicyOverviewService {
     /**
      * Summarise a policy's triggers for the overview row: "manual" when no input is triggered,
      * otherwise the distinct trigger types across its inputs (e.g. "folder-watch, schedule").
+     *
+     * <p>An editor policy has no wire input to trigger, but it is not manual either - it fires in
+     * the editor on every upload or export, so it reports that rather than reading as on-demand.
      */
     private static String triggerSummary(Policy policy) {
         List<String> types = policy.triggerTypes();
-        return types.isEmpty() ? "manual" : String.join(", ", types);
+        if (!types.isEmpty()) return String.join(", ", types);
+        return policy.editorRunOn().map(runOn -> "editor-" + runOn).orElse("manual");
     }
 
     private static String outputSummary(OutputSpec output) {
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeeder.java b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeeder.java
index 9b347366bc..7d35198633 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeeder.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeeder.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
 import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 
 import stirling.software.proprietary.model.TeamCreatedEvent;
+import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.EditorConfig;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.OutputSpec;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.PipelineStep;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.Policy;
@@ -98,9 +99,8 @@ public class DefaultClassificationPolicySeeder {
     static Policy defaultPolicy(Long teamId) {
         Map<String, Object> options = new HashMap<>();
         options.put("categoryId", CATEGORY);
-        options.put("runOn", "upload");
         options.put("mode", "new_version");
-        options.put("sources", List.of("editor"));
+        options.put("sources", List.of());
         options.put("scopeTypes", List.of());
         options.put("reviewerEmail", "");
         return new Policy(
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ public class DefaultClassificationPolicySeeder {
                 List.of(),
                 List.of(new PipelineStep(CLASSIFY_ENDPOINT, Map.of())),
                 new OutputSpec("inline", options),
-                teamId);
+                List.of(),
+                teamId,
+                // Classification runs in the editor on every upload.
+                EditorConfig.onUpload());
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/InProcessPolicyStore.java b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/InProcessPolicyStore.java
index 70d67bba0f..08bc253863 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/InProcessPolicyStore.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/InProcessPolicyStore.java
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ public class InProcessPolicyStore implements PolicyStore {
                         policy.steps(),
                         policy.output(),
                         policy.outputIds(),
-                        policy.teamId());
+                        policy.teamId(),
+                        policy.editor());
         policies.put(id, stored);
         // Existing policy keeps its position; a new one appends to the end of its team's queue.
         sortOrders.computeIfAbsent(id, key -> nextSortOrder(stored.teamId()));
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/JpaPolicyStore.java b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/JpaPolicyStore.java
index 6edaa76c78..409555312f 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/JpaPolicyStore.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/main/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/store/JpaPolicyStore.java
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ public class JpaPolicyStore implements PolicyStore {
                         policy.steps(),
                         policy.output(),
                         policy.outputIds(),
-                        policy.teamId());
+                        policy.teamId(),
+                        policy.editor());
 
         PolicyEntity entity = new PolicyEntity();
         entity.setId(id);
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewServiceTest.java b/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewServiceTest.java
index 373b596136..4d0830f9c5 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewServiceTest.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/overview/PolicyOverviewServiceTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import stirling.software.common.model.ApplicationProperties;
 import stirling.software.common.service.UserServiceInterface;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.config.PolicyAccessGuard;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.config.PolicyManagementAuthority;
+import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.EditorConfig;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.OutputSpec;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.PipelineInput;
 import stirling.software.proprietary.policy.model.PipelineStep;
@@ -223,6 +224,44 @@ class PolicyOverviewServiceTest {
                         teamId));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void editorPolicyReportsItsRunMomentRatherThanReadingAsManual() {
+        policyStore.save(
+                new Policy(
+                        null,
+                        "Editor flatten",
+                        "owner",
+                        true,
+                        List.of(),
+                        List.of(new PipelineStep("/api/v1/misc/flatten", Map.of())),
+                        OutputSpec.inline(),
+                        List.of(),
+                        1L,
+                        EditorConfig.onUpload()));
+
+        PolicyView view = find(service.overview(), "Editor flatten");
+
+        assertEquals("editor-upload", view.trigger());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void sweptPolicyWithNoTriggeredInputIsStillManual() {
+        policyStore.save(
+                new Policy(
+                        null,
+                        "Swept compress",
+                        "owner",
+                        true,
+                        List.of(),
+                        List.of(new PipelineStep("/api/v1/misc/compress-pdf", Map.of())),
+                        OutputSpec.inline(),
+                        1L));
+
+        PolicyView view = find(service.overview(), "Swept compress");
+
+        assertEquals("manual", view.trigger());
+    }
+
     private static PolicyView find(PoliciesOverviewResponse response, String name) {
         return response.pipelines().stream()
                 .filter(view -> view.name().equals(name))
diff --git a/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeederTest.java b/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeederTest.java
index f6e82bd011..6720ee2368 100644
--- a/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeederTest.java
+++ b/app/proprietary/src/test/java/stirling/software/proprietary/policy/seed/DefaultClassificationPolicySeederTest.java
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ class DefaultClassificationPolicySeederTest {
         assertThat(policy.teamId()).isEqualTo(7L);
         assertThat(policy.output().type()).isEqualTo("inline");
         assertThat(policy.output().options().get("categoryId")).isEqualTo("classification");
-        assertThat(policy.output().options().get("runOn")).isEqualTo("upload");
         assertThat(policy.output().options().get("mode")).isEqualTo("new_version");
-        assertThat(policy.output().options().get("sources")).isEqualTo(List.of("editor"));
+        // Editor participation is the policy's own flag, not a marker in the output options.
+        assertThat(policy.editor().allowed()).isTrue();
+        assertThat(policy.editor().runOn()).isEqualTo("upload");
         assertThat(policy.steps()).hasSize(1);
         assertThat(policy.steps().get(0).operation())
                 .isEqualTo("/api/v1/ai/tools/classify-and-label");
diff --git a/frontend/editor/public/locales/en-US/translation.toml b/frontend/editor/public/locales/en-US/translation.toml
index 76d18ec28d..3b61192800 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/public/locales/en-US/translation.toml
+++ b/frontend/editor/public/locales/en-US/translation.toml
@@ -8205,6 +8205,9 @@ chooseDestination = "Choose a destination"
 chooseOperation = "Choose what this step does"
 chooseSource = "Choose a source"
 discard = "Discard changes"
+editorDestination = "Editor"
+editorDestinationDetail = "Replaces the file you ran it on"
+editorDestinationHelp = "This pipeline runs on the files in your workspace, and its results replace the file it ran on. There is nowhere else to send them."
 inputs = "Input"
 inputSource = "Input source"
 inputTrigger = "Trigger"
@@ -8218,7 +8221,7 @@ pause = "Pause"
 rename = "Rename pipeline"
 runOn = "Runs on"
 runOnExport = "Every export"
-runOnHelper = "Editor pipelines run in the browser as each file passes through - there is no server-side sweep to schedule."
+runOnTooltip = "Choose when this pipeline runs on your files: when you add them, or when you export them."
 runOnUpload = "Every upload"
 searchTools = "Search tools"
 sendToSystem = "Send to another system"
@@ -8360,6 +8363,8 @@ steps = "Steps"
 trigger = "Trigger"
 
 [portal.pipelines.trigger]
+editor-export = "Every export"
+editor-upload = "Every upload"
 folder-watch = "Folder watch"
 manual = "Manual"
 schedule = "Scheduled"
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/fileManager/CompactFileDetails.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/fileManager/CompactFileDetails.tsx
index 988ecf789c..27f55ce060 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/fileManager/CompactFileDetails.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/fileManager/CompactFileDetails.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import ChevronLeftIcon from "@mui/icons-material/ChevronLeft";
 import ChevronRightIcon from "@mui/icons-material/ChevronRight";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { getFileSize } from "@app/utils/fileUtils";
+import { toolOperationLabel } from "@app/utils/toolOperationLabel";
 import { StirlingFileStub } from "@app/types/fileContext";
 import { PrivateContent } from "@app/components/shared/PrivateContent";
 
@@ -115,7 +116,7 @@ const CompactFileDetails: React.FC<CompactFileDetailsProps> = ({
           {currentFile?.toolHistory && currentFile.toolHistory.length > 0 && (
             <Text size="xs" c="dimmed">
               {currentFile.toolHistory
-                .map((tool) => t(`home.${tool.toolId}.title`, tool.toolId))
+                .map((tool) => toolOperationLabel(tool, t))
                 .join(" → ")}
             </Text>
           )}
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/filesPage/VersionTimeline.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/filesPage/VersionTimeline.tsx
index f484f936ef..77d8808c17 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/filesPage/VersionTimeline.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/filesPage/VersionTimeline.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import HistoryIcon from "@mui/icons-material/History";
 import MoreVertIcon from "@mui/icons-material/MoreVert";
 
 import { FileId, ToolOperation } from "@app/types/file";
-import { ToolId } from "@app/types/toolId";
+import { toolOperationLabel } from "@app/utils/toolOperationLabel";
 import { StirlingFileStub } from "@app/types/fileContext";
 import { formatFileSize, getFileDate } from "@app/utils/fileUtils";
 import { downloadFileFromStorage } from "@app/utils/downloadUtils";
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ function deltaToolFor(
   return curr[priorLen] ?? null;
 }
 
-/** Translated tool name via `home.{toolId}.title`. */
-function ToolLabel({ toolId }: { toolId: ToolId }) {
+/** The operation's own label when it has one, else its translated tool name. */
+function ToolLabel({ operation }: { operation: ToolOperation }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
-  return <span>{t(`home.${toolId}.title`, toolId)}</span>;
+  return <span>{toolOperationLabel(operation, t)}</span>;
 }
 
 export interface VersionTimelineProps {
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ export function VersionTimeline({
                       style={{ color: "var(--c-text)" }}
                     >
                       {delta ? (
-                        <ToolLabel toolId={delta.toolId} />
+                        <ToolLabel operation={delta} />
                       ) : (
                         t("filesPage.versionOrigin", "Original upload")
                       )}
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/shared/ToolChain.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/shared/ToolChain.tsx
index 249e7802cc..7974614759 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/components/shared/ToolChain.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/components/shared/ToolChain.tsx
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
 import React from "react";
 import { Text, Tooltip, Badge, Group } from "@mantine/core";
 import { ToolOperation } from "@app/types/file";
+import { toolOperationLabel } from "@app/utils/toolOperationLabel";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
-import { ToolId } from "@app/types/toolId";
 
 interface ToolChainProps {
   toolChain: ToolOperation[];
@@ -29,11 +29,7 @@ const ToolChain: React.FC<ToolChainProps> = ({
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   if (!toolChain || toolChain.length === 0) return null;
 
-  const toolIds = toolChain.map((tool) => tool.toolId);
-
-  const getToolName = (toolId: ToolId) => {
-    return t(`home.${toolId}.title`, toolId);
-  };
+  const getToolName = (tool: ToolOperation) => toolOperationLabel(tool, t);
 
   // Create full tool chain for tooltip
   const fullChainDisplay =
@@ -42,7 +38,7 @@ const ToolChain: React.FC<ToolChainProps> = ({
         {toolChain.map((tool, index) => (
           <React.Fragment key={`${tool.toolId}-${index}`}>
             <Badge size="sm" variant="light" color="blue">
-              {getToolName(tool.toolId)}
+              {getToolName(tool)}
             </Badge>
             {index < toolChain.length - 1 && (
               <Text size="sm" c="dimmed">
@@ -53,18 +49,21 @@ const ToolChain: React.FC<ToolChainProps> = ({
         ))}
       </Group>
     ) : (
-      <Text size="sm">{toolIds.map(getToolName).join(" → ")}</Text>
+      <Text size="sm">{toolChain.map(getToolName).join(" → ")}</Text>
     );
 
   // Create truncated display based on available space
   const getTruncatedDisplay = () => {
-    if (toolIds.length <= 2) {
+    if (toolChain.length <= 2) {
       // Show all tools if 2 or fewer
-      return { text: toolIds.map(getToolName).join(" → "), isTruncated: false };
+      return {
+        text: toolChain.map(getToolName).join(" → "),
+        isTruncated: false,
+      };
     } else {
       // Show first tool ... last tool for longer chains
       return {
-        text: `${getToolName(toolIds[0])} → +${toolIds.length - 2} → ${getToolName(toolIds[toolIds.length - 1])}`,
+        text: `${getToolName(toolChain[0])} → +${toolChain.length - 2} → ${getToolName(toolChain[toolChain.length - 1])}`,
         isTruncated: true,
       };
     }
@@ -75,10 +74,10 @@ const ToolChain: React.FC<ToolChainProps> = ({
   // Compact style for very small spaces
   if (displayStyle === "compact") {
     const compactText =
-      toolIds.length === 1
-        ? getToolName(toolIds[0])
-        : `${toolIds.length} tools`;
-    const isCompactTruncated = toolIds.length > 1;
+      toolChain.length === 1
+        ? getToolName(toolChain[0])
+        : `${toolChain.length} tools`;
+    const isCompactTruncated = toolChain.length > 1;
 
     const compactElement = (
       <Text
@@ -116,7 +115,7 @@ const ToolChain: React.FC<ToolChainProps> = ({
           {toolChain.slice(0, 3).map((tool, index) => (
             <React.Fragment key={`${tool.toolId}-${index}`}>
               <Badge size={size} variant="light" color="blue">
-                {getToolName(tool.toolId)}
+                {getToolName(tool)}
               </Badge>
               {index < Math.min(toolChain.length - 1, 2) && (
                 <Text size="xs" c="dimmed">
@@ -131,7 +130,7 @@ const ToolChain: React.FC<ToolChainProps> = ({
                 ...
               </Text>
               <Badge size={size} variant="light" color="blue">
-                {getToolName(toolChain[toolChain.length - 1].toolId)}
+                {getToolName(toolChain[toolChain.length - 1])}
               </Badge>
             </>
           )}
@@ -140,7 +139,7 @@ const ToolChain: React.FC<ToolChainProps> = ({
     );
 
     return isBadgesTruncated ? (
-      <Tooltip label={`${toolIds.map(getToolName).join(" → ")}`} withinPortal>
+      <Tooltip label={`${toolChain.map(getToolName).join(" → ")}`} withinPortal>
         {badgesElement}
       </Tooltip>
     ) : (
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/services/fileStubHelpers.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/services/fileStubHelpers.ts
index 60489c8c94..836d000af7 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/services/fileStubHelpers.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/services/fileStubHelpers.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ export async function createStirlingFilesAndStubs(
   files: File[],
   parentStub: StirlingFileStub,
   toolId: ToolId,
+  /** Shown instead of the tool's name in version history (a policy passes its pipeline name). */
+  label?: string,
 ): Promise<{ stirlingFiles: StirlingFile[]; stubs: StirlingFileStub[] }> {
   const stirlingFiles: StirlingFile[] = [];
   const stubs: StirlingFileStub[] = [];
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ export async function createStirlingFilesAndStubs(
     const processedFileMetadata = await generateProcessedFileMetadata(file);
     const childStub = createChildStub(
       parentStub,
-      { toolId, timestamp: Date.now() },
+      { toolId, timestamp: Date.now(), ...(label ? { label } : {}) },
       file,
       processedFileMetadata?.thumbnailUrl,
       processedFileMetadata,
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/editor-pipeline-auto-run.spec.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/editor-pipeline-auto-run.spec.ts
index 35a8456ae8..a71bc98f33 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/editor-pipeline-auto-run.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/tests/stubbed/editor-pipeline-auto-run.spec.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,7 @@ import path from "path";
 import { test, expect } from "@app/tests/helpers/stub-test-base";
 import { uploadFiles } from "@app/tests/helpers/ui-helpers";
 
-/**
- * PR #7581: a pipeline built on the Pipelines page can be set to run on the editor.
- * It has no catalogue category, so it must reach the auto-run by naming "editor" in
- * its sources - and a swept pipeline (blank sources) must NOT be mistaken for one.
- */
+// A pipeline reaches the editor auto-run through its own editor flag; a swept one must not.
 
 test.use({ autoGoto: false });
 
@@ -16,7 +12,7 @@ const SAMPLE = path.join(
 );
 
 /** A builder-made pipeline: no categoryId, one harmless step. */
-function builderPipeline(options: Record<string, unknown>) {
+function builderPipeline(editor: { allowed: boolean; runOn: string }) {
   return {
     id: "builder-pipeline-1",
     name: "Flatten everything",
@@ -25,7 +21,8 @@ function builderPipeline(options: Record<string, unknown>) {
     trigger: null,
     sourceIds: [],
     steps: [{ operation: "/api/v1/misc/flatten", parameters: {} }],
-    output: { type: "inline", options: { mode: "new_version", ...options } },
+    output: { type: "inline", options: { mode: "new_version" } },
+    editor,
     teamId: 1,
   };
 }
@@ -48,7 +45,7 @@ test("an editor pipeline set to run on upload dispatches when a file is added",
 }) => {
   const dispatched = await armed(
     page,
-    builderPipeline({ sources: ["editor"], runOn: "upload" }),
+    builderPipeline({ allowed: true, runOn: "upload" }),
   );
 
   await page.goto("/editor", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
@@ -59,12 +56,10 @@ test("an editor pipeline set to run on upload dispatches when a file is added",
     .toContain("/api/v1/policies/builder-pipeline-1/run");
 });
 
-test("a swept pipeline (blank sources) never runs on editor upload", async ({
-  page,
-}) => {
+test("a swept pipeline never runs on editor upload", async ({ page }) => {
   const dispatched = await armed(
     page,
-    builderPipeline({ sources: [], runOn: "upload" }),
+    builderPipeline({ allowed: false, runOn: "upload" }),
   );
 
   await page.goto("/editor", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
@@ -79,7 +74,7 @@ test("an editor pipeline set to run on export does not fire on upload", async ({
 }) => {
   const dispatched = await armed(
     page,
-    builderPipeline({ sources: ["editor"], runOn: "export" }),
+    builderPipeline({ allowed: true, runOn: "export" }),
   );
 
   await page.goto("/editor", { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/types/file.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/types/file.ts
index 98a0094f43..c6ec1898cb 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/types/file.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/types/file.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ export type FileId = string & { readonly [tag]: "FileId" };
 export interface ToolOperation {
   toolId: ToolId;
   timestamp: number;
+  /** Overrides the tool's own name in history. Set by a policy run to its pipeline's name, since
+   *  every policy records the same "automate" toolId. */
+  label?: string;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/utils/toolOperationLabel.test.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/utils/toolOperationLabel.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9b21f6e65f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/utils/toolOperationLabel.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import type { TFunction } from "i18next";
+import { toolOperationLabel } from "@app/utils/toolOperationLabel";
+import type { ToolOperation } from "@app/types/file";
+
+// Stands in for i18next: echoes the key so the assertions show which lookup ran.
+const t = ((key: string, fallback?: string) =>
+  key === "home.automate.title" ? "Automate" : (fallback ?? key)) as TFunction;
+
+const op = (over: Partial<ToolOperation>): ToolOperation =>
+  ({ toolId: "automate", timestamp: 0, ...over }) as ToolOperation;
+
+describe("toolOperationLabel", () => {
+  it("prefers the operation's own label", () => {
+    expect(toolOperationLabel(op({ label: "add-page-numbers" }), t)).toBe(
+      "add-page-numbers",
+    );
+  });
+
+  // Every policy records the same "automate" toolId, so without a label each automated version
+  // reads identically no matter which pipeline produced it.
+  it("falls back to the tool's name when unlabelled", () => {
+    expect(toolOperationLabel(op({}), t)).toBe("Automate");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the fallback for an empty label rather than rendering a blank", () => {
+    expect(toolOperationLabel(op({ label: "" }), t)).toBe("Automate");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/utils/toolOperationLabel.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/utils/toolOperationLabel.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f29d02390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/utils/toolOperationLabel.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import type { TFunction } from "i18next";
+import type { ToolOperation } from "@app/types/file";
+
+/**
+ * What produced a version, for the history surfaces. A policy run carries its own label (the
+ * pipeline's name) because every policy records the same "automate" toolId, which would otherwise
+ * render every automated version identically.
+ */
+export function toolOperationLabel(
+  operation: ToolOperation,
+  t: TFunction,
+): string {
+  // Truthiness, not nullish: a blank label would otherwise render as an empty history entry.
+  return (
+    operation.label || t(`home.${operation.toolId}.title`, operation.toolId)
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/api/pipelines.ts b/frontend/editor/src/portal/api/pipelines.ts
index e441fcdac8..2be269c1ac 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/api/pipelines.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/api/pipelines.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ export interface Policy {
    * output} is used.
    */
   outputIds: string[];
+  /** Whether the editor runs this policy per file, and on which moment. */
+  editor?: { allowed: boolean; runOn: "upload" | "export" };
   teamId?: number | null;
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineInputTrigger.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineInputTrigger.tsx
index 0b6e8dac1b..eb5af9cd21 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineInputTrigger.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/PipelineInputTrigger.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-/**
- * When a pipeline's input fires. A swept source is scheduled or triggered server-side; the editor
- * is client-driven and instead runs as each file passes through, so the two get different controls.
- */
+// Swept sources are scheduled or triggered server-side; the editor runs client-side as each file
+// passes through, so the two get different controls.
 
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
+import { Tooltip } from "@mantine/core";
+import InfoOutlinedIcon from "@mui/icons-material/InfoOutlined";
 import { FormField, Input, Select } from "@app/ui";
 
 export type ScheduleUnit = "MINUTES" | "HOURS" | "DAYS";
@@ -13,10 +13,7 @@ const SCHEDULE_UNITS: ScheduleUnit[] = ["MINUTES", "HOURS", "DAYS"];
 
 /** Empty trigger type = manual-only (no automatic trigger). */
 export const MANUAL = "";
-/**
- * Sentinel for the manual choice: Mantine's Select reads an empty string as "no selection", so the
- * option needs a real value. Mapped to/from {@link MANUAL} at this component's edges.
- */
+/** Sentinel for manual: Mantine's Select reads "" as no selection. Maps to {@link MANUAL}. */
 export const MANUAL_OPTION = "manual";
 
 /** One input row in the builder: a source paired with its own trigger config. */
@@ -52,11 +49,23 @@ export function PipelineInputTrigger({
     const label = t("portal.pipelines.builder.runOn", "Runs on");
     return (
       <FormField
-        label={label}
-        helperText={t(
-          "portal.pipelines.builder.runOnHelper",
-          "Editor pipelines run in the browser as each file passes through - there is no server-side sweep to schedule.",
-        )}
+        label={
+          <Tooltip
+            label={t(
+              "portal.pipelines.builder.runOnTooltip",
+              "Choose when this pipeline runs on your files: when you add them, or when you export them.",
+            )}
+            position="right"
+            withinPortal
+            multiline
+            w={260}
+          >
+            <span className="portal-builder__label-hint">
+              {label}
+              <InfoOutlinedIcon style={{ fontSize: "0.875rem" }} />
+            </span>
+          </Tooltip>
+        }
       >
         <Select
           inputSize="sm"
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/graph/PipelineGraph.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/graph/PipelineGraph.tsx
index 7afb3a9f41..694a940f8e 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/graph/PipelineGraph.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/components/pipelines/graph/PipelineGraph.tsx
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ export interface GraphNodeContent {
   warning?: string;
   /** Why the input will not be much use. */
   inputWarning?: ChainWarning;
+  /** An end the pipeline decides for itself, so it carries no remove control. */
+  fixed?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface GraphStepContent extends GraphNodeContent {
@@ -294,7 +296,9 @@ export function PipelineGraph({
                     warning={content.warning}
                     selected={selected === kind}
                     onSelect={() => onSelect(kind)}
-                    onRemove={() => onRemoveEnd(kind)}
+                    onRemove={
+                      content.fixed ? undefined : () => onRemoveEnd(kind)
+                    }
                   />
                 )}
               </div>
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.css b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.css
index 343aea95f6..6c98a4e9e8 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.css
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.css
@@ -194,6 +194,18 @@
   color: var(--c-text-subtle);
 }
 
+/* A field label that carries an info icon explaining the choice. */
+.portal-builder__label-hint {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.25rem;
+  cursor: help;
+}
+
+.portal-builder__label-hint svg {
+  color: var(--c-text-subtle);
+}
+
 .portal-builder__input-row .portal-builder__source-edit:hover:not(:disabled) {
   color: var(--c-accent-fg, var(--c-primary));
 }
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.test.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.test.tsx
index c312c7ee68..a9cccb83bb 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.test.tsx
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ describe("PipelineBuilder", () => {
     expect(screen.getByText("source-modal:src-1")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it("saves an editor pipeline as run-on-upload metadata, not as a wire input", async () => {
+  it("saves an editor pipeline as its own flag, not as a wire input", async () => {
     fetchSources.mockResolvedValue({
       kpis: [],
       sources: [SOURCE, EDITOR_SOURCE],
@@ -830,11 +830,10 @@ describe("PipelineBuilder", () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(savePipeline).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
     const body = savePipeline.mock.calls[0][0];
-    // The editor is virtual: nothing sweeps it server-side, so it is recorded in the options the
-    // editor reads rather than as an input the backend would try to pull from.
+    // The editor is virtual: nothing sweeps it server-side, so it is recorded as the policy's own
+    // editor flag rather than as an input the backend would try to pull from.
     expect(body.inputs).toEqual([]);
-    expect(body.output.options.sources).toEqual(["editor"]);
-    expect(body.output.options.runOn).toBe("upload");
+    expect(body.editor).toEqual({ allowed: true, runOn: "upload" });
     // And it needs no destination - results land back in the workspace the file came from.
     expect(body.outputIds).toEqual([]);
   });
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.tsx
index 544a367750..b036f8c999 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.tsx
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/portal/views/PipelineBuilder.tsx
@@ -224,10 +224,8 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
     async () => await fetchTriggers(),
     [],
   );
-  // The editor is a built-in, client-driven source: picking it means the pipeline runs in the
-  // browser as each file is uploaded or exported, rather than being swept server-side. It is a
-  // legitimate input, so it is offered - but it never becomes a wire input (see save), and it is
-  // not writable, so isWritableSource keeps it out of the destinations below.
+  // Includes the virtual editor source: a valid input, but never a wire input (see save) and not
+  // writable, so isWritableSource keeps it out of the destinations below.
   const availableSources = useMemo<SourceView[]>(
     () => sourcesState.data?.sources ?? [],
     [sourcesState.data],
@@ -348,16 +346,13 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
     // without inputs), the stored input for an edit. A legacy multi-input policy shows only its
     // first input; saving persists just that one (the backend rejects more anyway).
     // An editor pipeline has no wire input; it is recognised by its recorded sources.
-    const storedOptions = (policy?.output?.options ?? {}) as {
-      sources?: string[];
-      runOn?: string;
-    };
     const editorSourceId = (sourcesState.data?.sources ?? []).find(
       (source) => source.type === EDITOR_SOURCE_TYPE,
     )?.id;
-    setRunOn(storedOptions.runOn === "export" ? "export" : "upload");
+    setRunOn(policy?.editor?.runOn === "export" ? "export" : "upload");
     const stored = policy?.inputs[0];
-    if (storedOptions.sources?.includes("editor") && editorSourceId) {
+    const seedsEditor = Boolean(policy?.editor?.allowed && editorSourceId);
+    if (seedsEditor && editorSourceId) {
       setInput({ ...blankInput(), sourceId: editorSourceId });
     } else if (stored) {
       const trigger = parseTrigger(stored.trigger);
@@ -373,7 +368,7 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
     setSteps(
       (policy?.steps ?? []).map((step) => deserializeToolStep(step, allTools)),
     );
-    setOutputIds(policy?.outputIds ?? []);
+    setOutputIds(seedsEditor ? [] : (policy?.outputIds ?? []));
     setSeeded(true);
   }, [isEdit, policyState.data, allTools, seeded, sourcesState.data]);
 
@@ -421,8 +416,8 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
   // Changing the source may make the current trigger incompatible (folder-watch on a non-folder);
   // drop it back to manual when that happens so the row can't hold an invalid pairing.
   function changeInputSource(sourceId: string) {
+    const type = sourceType(sourceId);
     setInput((current) => {
-      const type = sourceType(sourceId);
       const trigger = triggers.find((tr) => tr.type === current.triggerType);
       const keepTrigger =
         current.triggerType === MANUAL ||
@@ -433,6 +428,11 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
         triggerType: keepTrigger ? current.triggerType : MANUAL,
       };
     });
+    // The editor hands results back to the workspace, so it has no destination to choose.
+    if (type === EDITOR_SOURCE_TYPE) {
+      setOutputIds([]);
+      setOutputAsked(false);
+    }
   }
 
   /** Put an end on the chain and open it, so the click that asks for it also offers the choice. */
@@ -681,8 +681,7 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
     input.triggerType !== "schedule" ||
     Number(input.scheduleCount) > 0;
   const inputValid = sourceChosen && scheduleValid;
-  // Nor does it need a destination: its results land back in the workspace the file came from,
-  // which is the whole point of running there rather than sweeping a folder.
+  // Nor a destination: an editor pipeline's results land back in the workspace the file came from.
   const outputValid = isEditorInput || outputIds.length === 1;
 
   // The single source of truth for "can this be committed": every reason it can't be, in the order
@@ -800,20 +799,13 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
           ? []
           : [{ sourceId: input.sourceId, trigger: buildTriggerFor(input) }],
         steps: await serializeStepsForSave(),
-        // Destinations are the referenced saved sources; the inline output field is
-        // preserved as-is (e.g. an editor policy's membership metadata) or defaults to inline.
-        output: {
-          ...(policyState.data?.output ?? { type: "inline", options: {} }),
-          options: {
-            ...(policyState.data?.output?.options ?? {}),
-            // Written only for an editor pipeline: the auto-run holds a pipeline to explicit
-            // metadata, so a swept one must not claim the editor by leaving these behind.
-            ...(isEditorInput
-              ? { sources: ["editor"], runOn }
-              : { sources: [], runOn: undefined }),
-          },
-        },
-        outputIds,
+        // Destinations are the referenced saved sources; the inline output is preserved as-is
+        // or defaults to inline.
+        output: policyState.data?.output ?? { type: "inline", options: {} },
+        editor: { allowed: isEditorInput, runOn },
+        // An editor pipeline delivers back into the workspace. A stored destination would send the
+        // run to a folder or bucket instead, leaving the editor's copy untouched.
+        outputIds: isEditorInput ? [] : outputIds,
       };
       await savePipeline(policy);
       await invalidatePipelines();
@@ -1072,6 +1064,11 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
 
   /** How this input fires, in a few words, for the input node's summary line. */
   function triggerSummary(): string {
+    // The editor has no trigger to schedule; it fires as each file passes through.
+    if (isEditorInput)
+      return runOn === "export"
+        ? t("portal.pipelines.builder.runOnExport", "Every export")
+        : t("portal.pipelines.builder.runOnUpload", "Every upload");
     if (input.triggerType === MANUAL)
       return t("portal.pipelines.composer.triggerManual");
     if (input.triggerType === "schedule")
@@ -1184,7 +1181,7 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
                     variant="tertiary"
                     className="portal-builder__source-edit"
                     aria-label={t("portal.pipelines.composer.editSource")}
-                    disabled={input.sourceId === ""}
+                    disabled={input.sourceId === "" || isEditorInput}
                     onClick={() =>
                       setSourceModal({ open: true, sourceId: input.sourceId })
                     }
@@ -1217,6 +1214,17 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
       );
     }
 
+    if (selected === "output" && isEditorInput) {
+      return (
+        <p className="portal-builder__muted">
+          {t(
+            "portal.pipelines.builder.editorDestinationHelp",
+            "This pipeline runs on the files in your workspace, and its results replace the file it ran on. There is nowhere else to send them.",
+          )}
+        </p>
+      );
+    }
+
     if (selected === "output") {
       return (
         <DestinationPicker
@@ -1326,16 +1334,28 @@ export function PipelineBuilder() {
                 : null
             }
             output={
-              outputAsked || outputValid
+              isEditorInput
                 ? {
-                    label:
-                      chosenDestination?.name ??
-                      t("portal.pipelines.builder.chooseDestination"),
-                    warning: outputValid
-                      ? undefined
-                      : t("portal.pipelines.builder.needsDestination"),
+                    label: t(
+                      "portal.pipelines.builder.editorDestination",
+                      "Editor",
+                    ),
+                    detail: t(
+                      "portal.pipelines.builder.editorDestinationDetail",
+                      "Replaces the file you ran it on",
+                    ),
+                    fixed: true,
                   }
-                : null
+                : outputAsked || outputValid
+                  ? {
+                      label:
+                        chosenDestination?.name ??
+                        t("portal.pipelines.builder.chooseDestination"),
+                      warning: outputValid
+                        ? undefined
+                        : t("portal.pipelines.builder.needsDestination"),
+                    }
+                  : null
             }
             steps={graphSteps}
             selected={selected}
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/components/policies/usePolicyAutoRun.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/components/policies/usePolicyAutoRun.ts
index 673c557846..270697eedb 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/components/policies/usePolicyAutoRun.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/components/policies/usePolicyAutoRun.ts
@@ -165,8 +165,6 @@ export function usePolicyAutoRun(): void {
             s.configured &&
             s.status === "active" &&
             s.backendId &&
-            // Resolved at decode: blank sources mean different things for a catalogue tile
-            // and for a builder pipeline (see runsOnEditor in policyBackend).
             s.runsOnEditor &&
             (s.runOn ?? "upload") === "upload" &&
             // An escalation-only policy has nothing to do with no engine to escalate to.
@@ -377,6 +375,7 @@ export function usePolicyAutoRun(): void {
       void importOutputs(run, {
         addFiles,
         consumeFiles,
+        policyName: policies[run.categoryId]?.name,
         updateStirlingFileStub,
         bumpRevision,
         outputMode,
@@ -427,6 +426,8 @@ interface ImportContext {
   bumpRevision: () => void;
   /** "new_file" adds the output as a separate file; "new_version" versions the input. */
   outputMode: "new_file" | "new_version";
+  /** The policy's name, shown in version history instead of the generic "automate" tool. */
+  policyName?: string;
   /** Rename rule. Empty → keep the input's filename. */
   outputName: string;
   /** Rename position around the base filename; defaults to "suffix" when absent. */
@@ -744,6 +745,7 @@ async function importOutputs(
       files,
       parentStub,
       "automate",
+      ctx.policyName,
     );
     // Transitive provenance for the PERSISTED record, mirroring what the
     // CONSUME_FILES reducer computes for workspace state: the output derives
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.test.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.test.ts
index e413da1bb5..e00d616412 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.test.ts
@@ -154,8 +154,8 @@ describe("usePolicies", () => {
     expect(result.current.policies.ingestion.folderId).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
-  // A pipeline built on the Pipelines page has no category tile. The reconcile used to walk only
-  // the catalogue, so one set to run on the editor never reached the map the auto-run iterates.
+  // A builder pipeline has no category tile, so the reconcile must key it by id to reach the map
+  // the auto-run iterates.
   it("reconciles a builder pipeline that has no category", async () => {
     api.store.set("be-pipeline", {
       id: "be-pipeline",
@@ -163,8 +163,9 @@ describe("usePolicies", () => {
       enabled: true,
       inputs: [],
       steps: [{ operation: "/api/v1/misc/compress-pdf", parameters: {} }],
-      output: { type: "inline", options: { sources: ["editor"] } },
+      output: { type: "inline", options: {} },
       outputIds: [],
+      editor: { allowed: true, runOn: "upload" },
     } as unknown as { id: string });
 
     const { result } = renderHook(() => usePolicies());
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ describe("usePolicies", () => {
     expect(pipeline.isDefault).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it("does not put a builder pipeline on the editor unless it names it", async () => {
+  it("does not put a builder pipeline on the editor unless it opts in", async () => {
     api.store.set("be-s3", {
       id: "be-s3",
       name: "S3 sweep",
@@ -196,4 +197,32 @@ describe("usePolicies", () => {
     );
     expect(result.current.policies["be-s3"].runsOnEditor).toBe(false);
   });
+
+  // Deleting a pipeline on the Pipelines page leaves its cached entry behind. It still satisfies
+  // every auto-run condition but its backendId is dead, so the dispatch fails, the run never
+  // completes, and every policy behind it in the chain is skipped on every upload.
+  it("forgets a builder pipeline the backend no longer has", async () => {
+    localStorage.setItem(
+      "stirling-policies-state",
+      JSON.stringify({
+        "be-deleted": {
+          configured: true,
+          status: "active",
+          backendId: "be-deleted",
+          sources: ["editor"],
+          runsOnEditor: true,
+          runOn: "upload",
+          isDefault: false,
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => usePolicies());
+
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(result.current.policies["be-deleted"]).toBeUndefined(),
+    );
+    // A catalogue tile is never forgotten: it reseeds from the catalogue.
+    expect(result.current.policies.security).toBeDefined();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.ts
index 86407b3b76..5c5de35cee 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/hooks/usePolicies.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   onPoliciesChange,
   updatePolicy,
   resetPolicy,
+  forgetPolicies,
   reorderPolicies as persistPolicyOrder,
 } from "@app/services/policyStorage";
 import { loadPolicyCatalog } from "@app/services/policyCatalog";
@@ -114,12 +115,20 @@ export function usePolicies() {
               backendId: undefined,
             };
       }
-      // Builder-made pipelines have no category tile, so the catalogue loop above skips them.
-      // They are still policies: one set to run on the editor has to reach the auto-run.
+      // Builder-made pipelines have no category, so the built-in loop above skips them. They are
+      // still policies: one set to run on the editor has to reach the auto-run.
       for (const [key, decoded] of byCategory) {
         if (reconciled[key]) continue;
         reconciled[key] = decodedToState(decoded, local[key]?.folderId);
       }
+      // A builder pipeline the backend no longer has was deleted on the Pipelines page. Its cached
+      // entry keeps a dead backendId that still satisfies the auto-run filter, so the dispatch
+      // fails, the run never completes, and the chain behind it never advances.
+      forgetPolicies(
+        Object.keys(local).filter(
+          (id) => !reconciled[id] && !byCategory.has(id),
+        ),
+      );
       for (const [id, state] of Object.entries(reconciled)) {
         updatePolicy(id, state);
       }
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.test.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.test.ts
index 2240267ab1..54c84c2675 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.test.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ vi.mock("@app/services/policyApi", () => ({
 }));
 
 /** A stored policy in the shape the backend returns. */
-const policy = (id: string, categoryId?: string, sources?: string[]) => ({
+const policy = (
+  id: string,
+  categoryId?: string,
+  editor?: { allowed: boolean; runOn?: "upload" | "export" },
+) => ({
   id,
   name: id,
   enabled: true,
@@ -18,12 +22,13 @@ const policy = (id: string, categoryId?: string, sources?: string[]) => ({
   steps: [{ operation: "/api/v1/misc/compress-pdf", parameters: {} }],
   output: {
     type: "inline",
-    options: {
-      ...(categoryId ? { categoryId } : {}),
-      ...(sources ? { sources } : {}),
-    },
+    options: { ...(categoryId ? { categoryId } : {}) },
   },
   outputIds: [],
+  editor: {
+    allowed: editor?.allowed ?? false,
+    runOn: editor?.runOn ?? ("upload" as const),
+  },
 });
 
 /** Decode one stored policy and project it onto the state the editor reads. */
@@ -39,7 +44,7 @@ describe("fetchPoliciesByCategory", () => {
 
   it("keys a catalogue policy by its category", async () => {
     listPolicies.mockResolvedValue([
-      policy("pol-1", "classification", ["editor"]),
+      policy("pol-1", "classification", { allowed: true }),
     ]);
 
     const map = await fetchPoliciesByCategory();
@@ -60,7 +65,7 @@ describe("fetchPoliciesByCategory", () => {
 
   it("carries both kinds at once without either displacing the other", async () => {
     listPolicies.mockResolvedValue([
-      policy("pol-1", "classification", ["editor"]),
+      policy("pol-1", "classification", { allowed: true }),
       policy("pol-adhoc"),
     ]);
 
@@ -71,7 +76,7 @@ describe("fetchPoliciesByCategory", () => {
 
   it("records run order from the list, which is the team's order", async () => {
     listPolicies.mockResolvedValue([
-      policy("pol-1", "security", ["editor"]),
+      policy("pol-1", "security", { allowed: true }),
       policy("pol-adhoc"),
     ]);
 
@@ -85,18 +90,19 @@ describe("fetchPoliciesByCategory", () => {
 describe("decodedToState — runsOnEditor", () => {
   beforeEach(() => listPolicies.mockReset());
 
-  it("runs a catalogue tile that nobody has narrowed yet", async () => {
-    // Blank on a tile means "not yet scoped", which has always meant every source.
-    const state = await stateOf(policy("pol-1", "security"), "security");
+  it("runs a catalogue tile that opted into the editor", async () => {
+    const state = await stateOf(
+      policy("pol-1", "security", { allowed: true }),
+      "security",
+    );
 
     expect(state.runsOnEditor).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("does not run a catalogue tile narrowed to another source", async () => {
-    const state = await stateOf(
-      policy("pol-1", "security", ["s3-archive"]),
-      "security",
-    );
+  // Participation is the policy's own flag now, so a tile that never opted in does not run in the
+  // editor just because nobody narrowed its scope.
+  it("does not run a catalogue tile that never opted in", async () => {
+    const state = await stateOf(policy("pol-1", "security"), "security");
 
     expect(state.runsOnEditor).toBe(false);
   });
@@ -111,7 +117,7 @@ describe("decodedToState — runsOnEditor", () => {
 
   it("runs a builder pipeline that names the editor outright", async () => {
     const state = await stateOf(
-      policy("pol-adhoc", undefined, ["editor"]),
+      policy("pol-adhoc", undefined, { allowed: true }),
       "pol-adhoc",
     );
 
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.ts
index 16ad1a5b75..2da5860476 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyBackend.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ import {
 } from "@app/services/policyPipeline";
 import type { PolicyState } from "@app/types/policies";
 
-/** The editor's id in a policy's source list; it is client-driven, not a swept source. */
-const EDITOR_SOURCE_ID = "editor";
-
 /**
  * Fetch every stored policy and decode it, keyed by its catalog category. If two
  * stored policies share a category (shouldn't happen — one per category), the
@@ -55,8 +52,9 @@ export function decodedToState(
   return {
     configured: true,
     status: decoded.enabled ? "active" : "paused",
+    name: decoded.name,
     sources: decoded.sources,
-    runsOnEditor: runsOnEditor(decoded),
+    runsOnEditor: decoded.runsOnEditor,
     scopeTypes: decoded.scopeTypes,
     reviewerEmail: decoded.reviewerEmail,
     fieldValues: decoded.fieldValues,
@@ -73,20 +71,6 @@ export function decodedToState(
   };
 }
 
-/**
- * Whether the policy runs in the editor as each file passes through.
- *
- * Blank sources reads differently either side of that line, so it is resolved here once rather
- * than at each call site: a catalogue tile is blank because nobody has narrowed it yet and still
- * runs everywhere, while a builder pipeline is blank because nothing stamped it - it has to name
- * the editor outright, or an S3 or folder pipeline would fire on every upload.
- */
-function runsOnEditor(decoded: DecodedPolicy): boolean {
-  const sources = decoded.sources ?? [];
-  if (sources.includes(EDITOR_SOURCE_ID)) return true;
-  return Boolean(decoded.categoryId) && sources.length === 0;
-}
-
 /**
  * The backend id of the stored policy for a category, if one exists. Used to
  * enforce one-policy-per-category: a save reuses this id (update) rather than
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.test.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.test.ts
index 5912b8999d..016c48f33a 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.test.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
 import type { PoliciesByCategory, PolicyState } from "@app/types/policies";
 
-/**
- * Which policies export-time enforcement picks up. The interesting case is a builder-made
- * pipeline: blank sources mean "everywhere" for a catalogue tile but "not the editor" for a
- * pipeline, so the choice has to come from runsOnEditor rather than from the raw source list.
- */
+// Which policies export-time enforcement picks up: the policy's own editor flag, not its scope.
 
 const loadPolicies = vi.fn<() => PoliciesByCategory>();
 vi.mock("@app/services/policyStorage", () => ({
@@ -15,7 +11,12 @@ vi.mock("@app/services/policyStorage", () => ({
 const runStoredPolicy = vi.fn(async (_id: string) => "run-1");
 vi.mock("@app/services/policyApi", () => ({
   runStoredPolicy: (id: string) => runStoredPolicy(id),
-  getPolicyRun: async () => ({ status: "COMPLETED", outputs: [] }),
+  // One output, so a run completes rather than throwing "produced no output" - which would abort
+  // the per-file policy loop after the first policy and hide the order under test.
+  getPolicyRun: async () => ({
+    status: "COMPLETED",
+    outputs: [{ fileId: "out-1", fileName: "doc.pdf" }],
+  }),
   downloadPolicyOutput: async () => new Blob(),
   resolvePolicyRunTarget: () => "local",
 }));
@@ -103,4 +104,26 @@ describe("export-time policy selection", () => {
 
     expect(runStoredPolicy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("backend-security");
   });
+
+  it("enforces in the team's run order, not object order", async () => {
+    loadPolicies.mockReturnValue({
+      second: exportPolicy({
+        runsOnEditor: true,
+        backendId: "backend-second",
+        order: 1,
+      }),
+      first: exportPolicy({
+        runsOnEditor: true,
+        backendId: "backend-first",
+        order: 0,
+      }),
+    } as unknown as PoliciesByCategory);
+
+    await enforceExportPolicies([pdf()], ["file-1"]);
+
+    expect(runStoredPolicy.mock.calls.map(([id]) => id)).toEqual([
+      "backend-first",
+      "backend-second",
+    ]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.ts
index 7cdba8f022..ff1e25ad11 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyExport.ts
@@ -62,24 +62,28 @@ function activeExportPolicies(): ExportPolicy[] {
   const labels = new Map(
     loadPolicyCatalog().categories.map((c) => [c.id, c.label]),
   );
-  return Object.entries(loadPolicies())
-    .filter(
-      ([, s]) =>
-        s.configured &&
-        s.status === "active" &&
-        s.backendId &&
-        // Same decode-time answer the upload path uses: blank sources mean "everywhere" for a
-        // catalogue tile but "not the editor" for a builder pipeline (see runsOnEditor).
-        s.runsOnEditor &&
-        s.runOn === "export",
-    )
-    .map(([id, s]) => ({
-      categoryId: id,
-      backendId: s.backendId as string,
-      label: labels.get(id) ?? "Policy",
-      outputMode: s.outputMode === "new_file" ? "new_file" : "new_version",
-      accent: `var(--color-${ROW_ACCENT[id] ?? "blue"})`,
-    }));
+  return (
+    Object.entries(loadPolicies())
+      .filter(
+        ([, s]) =>
+          s.configured &&
+          s.status === "active" &&
+          s.backendId &&
+          s.runsOnEditor &&
+          s.runOn === "export",
+      )
+      // Same team-wide run order the upload path uses: enforcement is not commutative (a watermark
+      // then a flatten is not a flatten then a watermark), so both paths must agree on the sequence.
+      .sort(([, a], [, b]) => (a.order ?? 0) - (b.order ?? 0))
+      .map(([id, s]) => ({
+        categoryId: id,
+        backendId: s.backendId as string,
+        // A builder pipeline has no built-in category, so it labels by its own name.
+        label: labels.get(id) ?? s.name ?? "Policy",
+        outputMode: s.outputMode === "new_file" ? "new_file" : "new_version",
+        accent: `var(--color-${ROW_ACCENT[id] ?? "blue"})`,
+      }))
+  );
 }
 
 /** Run one policy on a file and resolve the enforced bytes + run info (throws on
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyPipeline.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyPipeline.ts
index fe4ea04272..5f265a9acc 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyPipeline.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyPipeline.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@
  * using that registry.
  */
 
-import { resolveRunOn } from "@app/policies/runOn";
+import { resolveRunOn, type PolicyRunOn } from "@app/policies/runOn";
+
+/** The editor's id in a policy's scope list; picking it makes the policy editor-run. */
+export const EDITOR_SOURCE_ID = "editor";
 import type { AutomationConfig } from "@app/types/automation";
 import type { ToolRegistry } from "@app/data/toolsTaxonomy";
 import type { PolicyFolderSettings } from "@app/types/policies";
@@ -56,6 +59,14 @@ export interface BackendPolicy {
   trigger: BackendTriggerConfig | null;
   steps: BackendPipelineStep[];
   output: BackendOutputSpec;
+  /** Whether the editor runs this policy per file, and on which moment. */
+  editor?: BackendEditorConfig;
+}
+
+/** Mirrors the backend `EditorConfig`. */
+export interface BackendEditorConfig {
+  allowed: boolean;
+  runOn: PolicyRunOn;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -233,6 +244,8 @@ export interface DecodedPolicy {
   /** Null if the stored policy carried no automation blob. */
   automation: AutomationConfig | null;
   sources: string[];
+  /** Whether the editor runs this policy per file, straight from the policy's own flag. */
+  runsOnEditor: boolean;
   scopeTypes: string[];
   reviewerEmail: string;
   fieldValues: Record<string, boolean | string | string[]>;
@@ -280,7 +293,6 @@ export function buildBackendPolicy(input: PolicyToStore): BackendPolicy {
         maxRetries: input.folder.maxRetries,
         retryDelayMinutes: input.folder.retryDelayMinutes,
         automation: input.automation,
-        runOn: input.folder.runOn,
         // Policy-level metadata (no trigger bag to hold it any more).
         categoryId: input.categoryId,
         sources: input.sources,
@@ -289,6 +301,10 @@ export function buildBackendPolicy(input: PolicyToStore): BackendPolicy {
         fieldValues: input.fieldValues,
       },
     },
+    editor: {
+      allowed: input.sources.includes(EDITOR_SOURCE_ID),
+      runOn: input.folder.runOn,
+    },
   };
 }
 
@@ -298,6 +314,7 @@ export function fromBackendPolicy(policy: BackendPolicy): DecodedPolicy {
   // Metadata lives in output.options; legacy records kept it in trigger.options,
   // so merge both (output wins) to decode either shape.
   const meta = { ...(policy.trigger?.options ?? {}), ...output };
+  const editor = policy.editor;
   const str = (v: unknown, fallback = "") =>
     typeof v === "string" ? v : fallback;
   const num = (v: unknown, fallback: number) =>
@@ -316,8 +333,9 @@ export function fromBackendPolicy(policy: BackendPolicy): DecodedPolicy {
     reviewerEmail: str(meta.reviewerEmail),
     fieldValues:
       (meta.fieldValues as DecodedPolicy["fieldValues"] | undefined) ?? {},
+    runsOnEditor: editor?.allowed === true,
     folder: {
-      runOn: resolveRunOn(meta.runOn, categoryId),
+      runOn: resolveRunOn(editor?.runOn, categoryId),
       // Legacy/missing output.mode defaults to new_version, not new_file.
       outputMode: output.mode === "new_file" ? "new_file" : "new_version",
       outputName: str(output.name),
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyStorage.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyStorage.ts
index 7220fe26f9..91dd4f29be 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyStorage.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/services/policyStorage.ts
@@ -65,9 +65,8 @@ export function loadPolicies(): PoliciesByCategory {
     if (merged.order == null) merged.order = index;
     out[cat.id] = merged;
   });
-  // Builder-made pipelines key by their own id, so the catalogue walk above misses them. They only
-  // ever arrive from the backend reconcile, so they are carried through as stored - seeding them
-  // with a tile's defaults would mark them built-in and put them on the editor uninvited.
+  // Builder pipelines key by their own id, so the walk above misses them. Carried through as
+  // stored: a tile's defaults would mark them built-in and put them on the editor uninvited.
   for (const [key, state] of Object.entries(parsed)) {
     if (!out[key] && state) out[key] = state as PolicyState;
   }
@@ -125,6 +124,26 @@ export function reorderPolicies(
   return next;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Drop cached entries entirely (no default seeded back). For builder pipelines the backend has
+ * deleted: keyed by their own id, they have no built-in category to fall back to, so a left-behind
+ * entry keeps a dead backendId that the auto-run still tries to dispatch. Built-in categories are
+ * never forgotten - they reseed on the next read anyway.
+ */
+export function forgetPolicies(ids: string[]): PoliciesByCategory {
+  const current = loadPolicies();
+  const catalogIds = new Set(loadPolicyCatalog().categories.map((c) => c.id));
+  const next: PoliciesByCategory = { ...current };
+  let removed = false;
+  for (const id of ids) {
+    if (catalogIds.has(id) || !(id in next)) continue;
+    delete next[id];
+    removed = true;
+  }
+  if (removed) persist(next);
+  return next;
+}
+
 /** Reset a category to its unconfigured default (the "Delete policy" action). */
 export function resetPolicy(categoryId: string): PoliciesByCategory {
   return updatePolicy(categoryId, {
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/types/policies.ts b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/types/policies.ts
index 4b97bb7762..977c9a7025 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/types/policies.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/proprietary/types/policies.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ export interface PolicyState {
   status: PolicyStatus;
   /** Selected sources (ids from POLICY_SOURCES). */
   sources: string[];
+  /** The policy's own name. Set for builder pipelines, which have no built-in category label. */
+  name?: string;
   /** Whether the policy runs in the editor as each file passes through (resolved at decode). */
   runsOnEditor?: boolean;
   /** When non-empty, narrows the policy to these document types. */