diff --git a/_assembler/src/validator.rs b/_assembler/src/validator.rs
index 5fb3c69..e59864c 100644
--- a/_assembler/src/validator.rs
+++ b/_assembler/src/validator.rs
@@ -34,5 +34,120 @@ pub fn validate(m: &Manifest, blocks_dir: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
         return Err("role must not be empty".into());
     }
 
+    check_no_placeholders(m)?;
+
     Ok(())
 }
+
+/// Reject manifests that still carry `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` tokens — the wizard
+/// should have substituted them. Emitted literally into generated .md they
+/// produce broken agents. Matches `{{...}}` conservatively (not single braces).
+fn check_no_placeholders(m: &Manifest) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let check = |field: &str, value: &str| -> Result<(), String> {
+        if contains_placeholder(value) {
+            Err(format!(
+                "Unsubstituted template placeholder in field '{field}': {value}. Did the wizard skip a substitution?"
+            ))
+        } else {
+            Ok(())
+        }
+    };
+
+    check("name", &m.name)?;
+    check("description", &m.description)?;
+    check("model", &m.model)?;
+    check("role", &m.role)?;
+    for (i, t) in m.tools.iter().enumerate() {
+        check(&format!("tools[{i}]"), t)?;
+    }
+    for (i, b) in m.blocks.iter().enumerate() {
+        check(&format!("blocks[{i}]"), b)?;
+    }
+    for (i, d) in m.domain_in.iter().enumerate() {
+        check(&format!("domain_in[{i}]"), d)?;
+    }
+    for (i, d) in m.forbidden_domain.iter().enumerate() {
+        check(&format!("forbidden_domain[{i}]"), d)?;
+    }
+    for (i, h) in m.handoff.iter().enumerate() {
+        check(&format!("handoff[{i}].target"), &h.target)?;
+        check(&format!("handoff[{i}].trigger"), &h.trigger)?;
+    }
+    for (i, o) in m.output_extra_fields.iter().enumerate() {
+        check(&format!("output_extra_fields[{i}]"), o)?;
+    }
+    if let Some(v) = &m.memory_project {
+        check("memory_project", v)?;
+    }
+    if let Some(v) = &m.project_claudemd {
+        check("project_claudemd", v)?;
+    }
+    if let Some(r) = &m.references {
+        for (i, e) in r.extra.iter().enumerate() {
+            check(&format!("references.extra[{i}]"), e)?;
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn contains_placeholder(s: &str) -> bool {
+    // Look for a `{{` with a matching `}}` later in the same string.
+    if let Some(start) = s.find("{{") {
+        if s[start + 2..].contains("}}") {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+    false
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::manifest::{Handoff, Manifest};
+
+    fn base() -> Manifest {
+        Manifest {
+            name: "test".into(),
+            description: "d".into(),
+            tools: vec!["Read".into()],
+            model: "opus".into(),
+            role: "r".into(),
+            blocks: vec!["baseline".into(), "evidence-grading".into(), "memory-protocol".into()],
+            domain_in: vec!["x".into()],
+            forbidden_domain: vec!["y".into()],
+            handoff: vec![Handoff { target: "a".into(), trigger: "b".into() }],
+            output_extra_fields: vec![],
+            memory_project: None,
+            project_claudemd: None,
+            references: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn rejects_placeholder_in_memory_project() {
+        let mut m = base();
+        m.memory_project = Some("{{MEMORY_PROJECT}}".into());
+        let err = check_no_placeholders(&m).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.contains("memory_project"), "err = {err}");
+        assert!(err.contains("{{MEMORY_PROJECT}}"), "err = {err}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn accepts_single_braces() {
+        let mut m = base();
+        m.description = "hello {world}".into();
+        assert!(check_no_placeholders(&m).is_ok());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn accepts_empty_manifest() {
+        assert!(check_no_placeholders(&base()).is_ok());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn rejects_placeholder_in_role() {
+        let mut m = base();
+        m.role = "do {{THING}}".into();
+        assert!(check_no_placeholders(&m).is_err());
+    }
+}