diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValues.cs b/ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValues.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92938b177
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValues.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Api.Search;
+
+namespace ErsatzTV.Application.Search.Queries;
+
+public record GetSearchFieldValues(string Name, string Query, int Limit)
+    : IRequest<Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel>>;
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValuesHandler.cs b/ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValuesHandler.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb5ca3c8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValuesHandler.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Api.Search;
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Domain;
+using ErsatzTV.Infrastructure.Data;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+
+namespace ErsatzTV.Application.Search.Queries;
+
+public class GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(IDbContextFactory<TvContext> dbContextFactory)
+    : IRequestHandler<GetSearchFieldValues, Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel>>
+{
+    private const int DefaultLimit = 50;
+    private const int MaxLimit = 50;
+
+    public async Task<Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel>> Handle(
+        GetSearchFieldValues request,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        SearchFieldResponseModel field = SearchFieldCatalog.Fields
+            .FirstOrDefault(f => f.Name == request.Name);
+
+        if (field is null || field.Type != "text")
+        {
+            return Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel>.None;
+        }
+
+        int limit = request.Limit <= 0 ? DefaultLimit : Math.Clamp(request.Limit, 1, MaxLimit);
+        string qLower = (request.Query ?? string.Empty).ToLower();
+
+        // in-memory special cases (no DB query needed)
+        switch (request.Name)
+        {
+            case "state":
+                return new SearchFieldValuesResponseModel(
+                    FilterSortTake(Enum.GetNames<MediaItemState>(), qLower, limit));
+            case "video_dynamic_range":
+                return new SearchFieldValuesResponseModel(
+                    FilterSortTake(["hdr", "sdr"], qLower, limit));
+        }
+
+        await using TvContext dbContext = await dbContextFactory.CreateDbContextAsync(cancellationToken);
+
+        if (request.Name == "content_rating")
+        {
+            return new SearchFieldValuesResponseModel(
+                await GetContentRatingValues(dbContext, qLower, limit, cancellationToken));
+        }
+
+        IQueryable<string> source = GetSource(dbContext, request.Name);
+        if (source is null)
+        {
+            return Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel>.None;
+        }
+
+        List<string> values = await source
+            .Where(v => v != null && v.ToLower().StartsWith(qLower))
+            .Distinct()
+            .OrderBy(v => v)
+            .Take(limit)
+            .ToListAsync(cancellationToken);
+
+        return new SearchFieldValuesResponseModel(values);
+    }
+
+    private static IQueryable<string> GetSource(TvContext dbContext, string name) => name switch
+    {
+        "genre" or "show_genre" => dbContext.Set<Genre>().Select(g => g.Name),
+        "studio" => dbContext.Set<Studio>().Select(s => s.Name),
+        "director" => dbContext.Set<Director>().Select(d => d.Name),
+        "writer" => dbContext.Set<Writer>().Select(w => w.Name),
+        "actor" => dbContext.Actors.Select(a => a.Name),
+        // entity artists only; free-text music-video/song artist credits are not included (known limitation)
+        "artist" => dbContext.ArtistMetadata.Select(m => m.Title),
+        "tag" => dbContext.Set<Tag>()
+            .Where(t => t.ExternalTypeId != Tag.NfoCountryTypeId && t.ExternalTypeId != Tag.PlexNetworkTypeId)
+            .Select(t => t.Name),
+        "network" => dbContext.Set<Tag>()
+            .Where(t => t.ExternalTypeId == Tag.PlexNetworkTypeId)
+            .Select(t => t.Name),
+        "collection" => dbContext.Collections.Select(c => c.Name),
+        "video_codec" => dbContext.MediaStreams
+            .Where(s => s.MediaStreamKind == MediaStreamKind.Video && s.Codec != null)
+            .Select(s => s.Codec),
+        "album" => dbContext.MusicVideoMetadata
+            .Where(m => m.Album != null)
+            .Select(m => m.Album)
+            .Concat(dbContext.SongMetadata.Where(m => m.Album != null).Select(m => m.Album)),
+        _ => null
+    };
+
+    private static async Task<List<string>> GetContentRatingValues(
+        TvContext dbContext,
+        string qLower,
+        int limit,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        List<string> raw = await dbContext.MovieMetadata
+            .Where(m => m.ContentRating != null)
+            .Select(m => m.ContentRating)
+            .Concat(dbContext.ShowMetadata.Where(m => m.ContentRating != null).Select(m => m.ContentRating))
+            .Concat(dbContext.OtherVideoMetadata.Where(m => m.ContentRating != null).Select(m => m.ContentRating))
+            .Concat(dbContext.RemoteStreamMetadata.Where(m => m.ContentRating != null).Select(m => m.ContentRating))
+            .Distinct()
+            .ToListAsync(cancellationToken);
+
+        IEnumerable<string> split = raw
+            .SelectMany(cr => cr.Split('/'))
+            .Select(cr => cr.Trim())
+            .Where(cr => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(cr))
+            .Distinct();
+
+        return FilterSortTake(split, qLower, limit);
+    }
+
+    private static List<string> FilterSortTake(IEnumerable<string> values, string qLower, int limit) =>
+        values
+            .Where(v => v.ToLower().StartsWith(qLower))
+            .OrderBy(v => v)
+            .Take(limit)
+            .ToList();
+}
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Core/Api/Search/SearchFieldValuesResponseModel.cs b/ErsatzTV.Core/Api/Search/SearchFieldValuesResponseModel.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc262711f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Core/Api/Search/SearchFieldValuesResponseModel.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#nullable enable
+namespace ErsatzTV.Core.Api.Search;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Distinct term values for a single text field in the search index, used to power the visual rule
+/// builder's facet-value typeahead.
+/// </summary>
+public record SearchFieldValuesResponseModel(List<string> Values);
diff --git a/ErsatzTV.Tests/Application/Search/GetSearchFieldValuesHandlerTests.cs b/ErsatzTV.Tests/Application/Search/GetSearchFieldValuesHandlerTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3836f4e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ErsatzTV.Tests/Application/Search/GetSearchFieldValuesHandlerTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+using ErsatzTV.Application.Search.Queries;
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Api.Search;
+using ErsatzTV.Core.Domain;
+using ErsatzTV.Infrastructure.Data;
+using ErsatzTV.Tests.Support;
+using LanguageExt;
+using NUnit.Framework;
+using Shouldly;
+
+namespace ErsatzTV.Tests.Application.Search;
+
+[TestFixture]
+public class GetSearchFieldValuesHandlerTests
+{
+    private InMemoryTvContext _db = null!;
+
+    [SetUp]
+    public async Task SetUp() => _db = await InMemoryTvContext.CreateAsync();
+
+    [TearDown]
+    public async Task TearDown() => await _db.DisposeAsync();
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Returns_Distinct_Whole_Values_For_Genre_With_Prefix_And_Limit()
+    {
+        await using (TvContext context = _db.CreateContext())
+        {
+            context.Set<Genre>().AddRange(
+                new Genre { Name = "Action" },
+                new Genre { Name = "Adventure" },
+                new Genre { Name = "Animation" },
+                new Genre { Name = "Comedy" });
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("genre", "A", 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        result.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(new List<string> { "Action", "Adventure", "Animation" }));
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> limited = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("genre", "A", 2),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        limited.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        limited.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(new List<string> { "Action", "Adventure" }));
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Splits_Content_Rating_On_Slash()
+    {
+        await using (TvContext context = _db.CreateContext())
+        {
+            context.MovieMetadata.Add(new MovieMetadata
+            {
+                MetadataKind = MetadataKind.External,
+                DateAdded = DateTime.UtcNow,
+                DateUpdated = DateTime.UtcNow,
+                ContentRating = "PG-13/TV-14"
+            });
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("content_rating", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        result.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(new List<string> { "PG-13", "TV-14" }));
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Returns_MediaItemState_Enum_Names_Without_Seeding()
+    {
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("state", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        result.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(
+            new List<string> { "FileNotFound", "Normal", "RemoteOnly", "Unavailable" }));
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Returns_NotFound_For_Excluded_Text_Field_Title()
+    {
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("title", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsNone.ShouldBeTrue();
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Returns_NotFound_For_NonText_Field()
+    {
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        // "minutes" is a "number" field in SearchFieldCatalog, not "text"
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("minutes", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsNone.ShouldBeTrue();
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Returns_NotFound_For_Unknown_Field()
+    {
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("nope", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsNone.ShouldBeTrue();
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Matches_Case_Insensitive_Prefix()
+    {
+        await using (TvContext context = _db.CreateContext())
+        {
+            context.Set<Genre>().AddRange(
+                new Genre { Name = "Action" },
+                new Genre { Name = "Comedy" });
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("genre", "a", 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        result.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(new List<string> { "Action" }));
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Excludes_Network_And_Country_Tags_From_Tag_Field_And_Routes_Network_Tags_To_Network_Field()
+    {
+        await using (TvContext context = _db.CreateContext())
+        {
+            context.Set<Tag>().AddRange(
+                new Tag { Name = "PlainTag" },
+                new Tag { Name = "HBO", ExternalTypeId = Tag.PlexNetworkTypeId },
+                new Tag { Name = "USA", ExternalTypeId = Tag.NfoCountryTypeId });
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> tagResult = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("tag", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        tagResult.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        tagResult.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(new List<string> { "PlainTag" }));
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> networkResult = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("network", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        networkResult.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        networkResult.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(new List<string> { "HBO" }));
+    }
+
+    [Test]
+    public async Task Dedupes_Repeated_Values()
+    {
+        await using (TvContext context = _db.CreateContext())
+        {
+            context.Set<Genre>().AddRange(
+                new Genre { Name = "Action" },
+                new Genre { Name = "Action" });
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        var handler = new GetSearchFieldValuesHandler(_db.Factory);
+
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await handler.Handle(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues("genre", string.Empty, 50),
+            CancellationToken.None);
+
+        result.IsSome.ShouldBeTrue();
+        result.IfSome(r => r.Values.ShouldBe(new List<string> { "Action" }));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/SearchController.cs b/ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/SearchController.cs
index 217613005..b2153e374 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/SearchController.cs
+++ b/ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/SearchController.cs
@@ -189,6 +189,29 @@ public class SearchController(IMediator mediator) : ControllerBase
     public Task<List<SearchFieldResponseModel>> GetSearchFields(CancellationToken cancellationToken) =>
         mediator.Send(new GetSearchFieldCatalog(), cancellationToken);
 
+    [HttpGet("/api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values", Name = "GetSearchFieldValues")]
+    [Tags("Search")]
+    [EndpointSummary("List distinct database values for a text search field")]
+    [EndpointDescription(
+        "Returns distinct whole values from the database for the given text field, filtered by an " +
+        "optional case-insensitive prefix. Powers the visual rule builder's facet-value typeahead. " +
+        "404 when the field is unknown, is not a text field, or is a text field with no distinct-value " +
+        "source.")]
+    [EndpointGroupName("general")]
+    [ProducesResponseType(typeof(SearchFieldValuesResponseModel), StatusCodes.Status200OK)]
+    [ProducesResponseType(typeof(ProblemDetails), StatusCodes.Status404NotFound)]
+    public async Task<IActionResult> GetSearchFieldValues(
+        [FromRoute] string name,
+        [FromQuery] string q = "",
+        [FromQuery] int limit = 50,
+        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    {
+        Option<SearchFieldValuesResponseModel> result = await mediator.Send(
+            new GetSearchFieldValues(name, q ?? string.Empty, limit),
+            cancellationToken);
+        return result.ToGetResult();
+    }
+
     private static SearchResultAllItemsResponseModel Project(SearchResultAllItemsViewModel vm) =>
         new(
             vm.MovieIds,
diff --git a/ErsatzTV/wwwroot/openapi/v1.json b/ErsatzTV/wwwroot/openapi/v1.json
index 2312c6b8b..4cd1e73a8 100644
--- a/ErsatzTV/wwwroot/openapi/v1.json
+++ b/ErsatzTV/wwwroot/openapi/v1.json
@@ -18035,6 +18035,108 @@
         ]
       }
     },
+    "/api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "Search"
+        ],
+        "summary": "List distinct database values for a text search field",
+        "description": "Returns distinct whole values from the database for the given text field, filtered by an optional case-insensitive prefix. Powers the visual rule builder's facet-value typeahead. 404 when the field is unknown, is not a text field, or is a text field with no distinct-value source.",
+        "operationId": "GetSearchFieldValues",
+        "parameters": [
+          {
+            "name": "name",
+            "in": "path",
+            "required": true,
+            "schema": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            "name": "q",
+            "in": "query",
+            "schema": {
+              "type": "string",
+              "default": ""
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            "name": "limit",
+            "in": "query",
+            "schema": {
+              "type": "integer",
+              "format": "int32",
+              "default": 50
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "OK",
+            "content": {
+              "text/plain": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/SearchFieldValuesResponseModel"
+                }
+              },
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/SearchFieldValuesResponseModel"
+                }
+              },
+              "text/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/SearchFieldValuesResponseModel"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "description": "Not Found",
+            "content": {
+              "text/plain": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ProblemDetails"
+                }
+              },
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ProblemDetails"
+                }
+              },
+              "text/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ProblemDetails"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "API key missing or invalid.",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ProblemDetails"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "400": {
+            "description": "Request validation failed (model binding or FluentValidation).",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ValidationProblemDetails"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        "security": [
+          { }
+        ]
+      }
+    },
     "/api/v1/seasons/{id}": {
       "get": {
         "tags": [
@@ -30612,6 +30714,20 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "SearchFieldValuesResponseModel": {
+        "required": [
+          "values"
+        ],
+        "type": "object",
+        "properties": {
+          "values": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
       "SearchResultAllItemsResponseModel": {
         "required": [
           "movieIds",
diff --git a/docs/api-conventions.md b/docs/api-conventions.md
index 134ecf20c..e69953482 100644
--- a/docs/api-conventions.md
+++ b/docs/api-conventions.md
@@ -412,6 +412,24 @@ Returns the curated `SearchFieldCatalog` (name, friendly label, type, UI group,
 enum fields) as `List<SearchFieldResponseModel>`. Drives the SmartCollection rule builder and is
 introspectable by MCP; no query parameters.
 
+**Endpoint inventory addition (#434, facet-value typeahead)**: one read-only `SearchController` GET,
+standard credential (catalog-read tier — no `[RequiresAuthentication]`):
+
+| Method | Path | Operation | Summary |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| GET | `/api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values` | `GetSearchFieldValues` | List distinct term values for a text search field |
+
+Query params: `q` (optional prefix filter, case-insensitive, default empty) and `limit` (optional,
+clamped `1..50`, default 50). `{name}` is allow-listed to `SearchFieldCatalog` fields with
+`type: "text"` AND a distinct-value source in the database — an unknown field, a non-text field (e.g.
+an enum), or a text field without a source (`title`, `show_title`, `album_artist`) 404s rather than
+returning an empty list, since enum fields already ship their values inline on
+`GET /api/v1/search/fields` and never need this endpoint. Returns `SearchFieldValuesResponseModel`
+(`{ values: string[] }`), sourced from a per-field distinct-values DB query (`IDbContextFactory<TvContext>`),
+not the Lucene term dictionary — analyzed text fields store lowercased word tokens, not whole values.
+No server-side caching. Powers the visual rule builder's value-input combobox for text fields; see
+`docs/decisions.md` 2026-07-23 (#434) and `spa-conventions.md` §12.
+
 **Param + DTO expansion (#293, cap `search/all-items`)**: no new endpoint — `GET /api/v1/search/all-items`
 gained two **optional** query params (`pageSize` default 500, clamped 1–1000 via the §1 Logs `Math.Clamp`
 precedent; `pageNum` 0-based, clamped `0..2_000_000` so `pageNum * pageSize` can't overflow `int` to a 500)
diff --git a/docs/decisions.md b/docs/decisions.md
index 62b567c85..31c6c539f 100644
--- a/docs/decisions.md
+++ b/docs/decisions.md
@@ -3599,3 +3599,70 @@ This is #72 scope item (a), deferred in `api.channel-health-signal` because "no
 **Immutable provenance, not a mutable "still managed" flag.** `Origin` records how the row was *born* and a later user edit never changes it, so "auto-generated then user-edited" stays `AutoTuned`. This deliberately avoids reviving the fragile "detect when it's been edited away" heuristic the issue rejected. A future "has diverged from its auto-tune template" signal, if wanted, is a *separate* concern owned by the #383/#384 auto-tune arc (which knows the template), not this column — mirroring the `api.channel-health-signal` reasoning that kept health a raw fact rather than freezing a policy enum.
 
 **`Unknown = 0` is the honest legacy default.** A new non-null int column defaults existing rows to `0`; making that `Unknown` (rather than `UserCreated`) means pre-migration rows say "we never recorded this" instead of asserting a provenance we cannot know. The SPA badges only `AutoTuned`, so `Unknown` and `UserCreated` both render unbadged. Enum (not `bool IsAutoTuned`) so a future origin (e.g. `Imported`) is additive without a wire-contract break. Stamped in `CreateChannelFromLineupHandler.BuildChannel`, which is the single channel-construction primitive `CreateAutoTunedChannelsHandler` delegates to, so both the lineup endpoint and bulk auto-tune are covered by one stamp site. Empty-schedule and broken-source fault detection remain deferred to #415.
+## 2026-07-23 — Facet-value typeahead is a new endpoint, allow-listed to text fields, no caching (#434)
+
+`key: api.search-field-values` · `status: active` · `since: 2026-07-23` · `supersedes: none` · `superseded-by: none`
+**Rule:** `GET /api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values?q=&limit=` returns distinct WHOLE values from the database for one of a narrow allow-list of catalog fields (not the Lucene term dictionary — analyzed `TextField`s store lowercased word tokens, e.g. "Science Fiction" → `science`/`fiction`, useless as a typeahead suggestion), 404 for an unknown field, a non-`text` field, or a `text` field with no distinct-value source; case-insensitive prefix-filtered on `q`, `limit` clamped to `[1, 50]` (default 50).
+**Signals:** facet-value typeahead, rule builder value combobox, distinct field values, GetSearchFieldValues, text field allow-list, DB-sourced distinct values, content_rating split · paths: `ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/SearchController.cs`, `ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValues.cs`, `ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValuesHandler.cs`, `web/src/api/search.ts` · issues: #434, #176
+**Mechanics:** `SearchController.GetSearchFieldValues`; `GetSearchFieldValuesHandler`; api-conventions.md; spa-conventions.md §12
+
+Enum fields (e.g. `type`, `content_rating` group) already ship their allowed values inline on
+`SearchFieldResponseModel` from the existing `GET /api/v1/search/fields` catalog (`spa.smartcollection-rule-builder`,
+#176), so they need no endpoint — a client already has the full value set. **Text** fields (title, studio,
+genre-as-free-text, etc.) don't: their values are whatever strings the library actually contains, so the
+rule builder's value input for a text field needs a live lookup rather than a fixed list.
+The handler allow-lists on `field.Type != "text"` (matching the same `SearchFieldCatalog.Fields` the
+`/fields` endpoint serves) and returns `Option.None` → 404 for anything else, rather than silently returning
+an empty list for a field that will never have values — a 404 tells a caller "wrong field kind," an empty
+200 would look like "no matches yet."
+
+**DB-sourced, not the search index.** The handler injects `IDbContextFactory<TvContext>` and resolves an
+explicit per-field-name `IQueryable<string>` (or, for a few special cases, an in-memory list) rather than
+querying `ISearchIndex`: `genre`/`show_genre` → `Set<Genre>()`, `studio` → `Set<Studio>()`, `director` →
+`Set<Director>()`, `writer` → `Set<Writer>()`, `actor` → `Actors`, `artist` → `ArtistMetadata.Title` (entity
+artists only — free-text music-video/song artist credits are a known, intentionally-uncovered gap), `tag` →
+`Set<Tag>()` excluding `Tag.NfoCountryTypeId`/`Tag.PlexNetworkTypeId` (reapplying the indexer's own
+exclusions so country/network strings don't leak in as tags), `network` → `Set<Tag>()` filtered to
+`Tag.PlexNetworkTypeId`, `collection` → `Collections`, `video_codec` → `MediaStreams` filtered to
+`MediaStreamKind.Video`, `album` → `MusicVideoMetadata.Album` concatenated with `SongMetadata.Album`. Every
+DB-sourced field runs the same pipeline: `.Where(v => v.ToLower().StartsWith(qLower)).Distinct().OrderBy(v =>
+v).Take(limit)`, translated to SQL by EF for both SQLite and MySQL. Two fields are computed in memory instead
+of queried: `state` (the fixed 4-value `MediaItemState` enum) and `video_dynamic_range` (the literal
+`["hdr", "sdr"]`). `content_rating` is special-cased: the DB stores an unsplit `"PG-13/TV-14"` string across
+`MovieMetadata`/`ShowMetadata`/`OtherVideoMetadata`/`RemoteStreamMetadata`, so the handler pulls the distinct
+raw strings then `Split('/')`s, trims, and dedupes in memory before the same prefix-filter/sort/take — this
+matches what search actually matches on, rather than surfacing the compound string as one facet value.
+**`title`, `show_title`, `album_artist` are explicitly NOT supported** (404, free-text fallback): `title`/
+`show_title` are near-unique free-text fields spanning ~9 metadata tables where a distinct list of every
+title isn't a useful facet; `album_artist` backs onto `SongMetadata.AlbumArtists`, a value-converted
+`IList<string>` column EF can't translate into a server-side distinct query.
+
+**Why a thin query, not a cache.** No result cache, no debounce on the server side (the SPA combobox
+debounces the keystroke) — each per-field query is a bounded, indexed `Distinct`/`Take`; adding a cache
+before there's a measured cost would be premature.
+
+## 2026-07-23 — Relative-date rule builder operators are a frontend-only mapping onto existing Lucene macros (#435)
+
+`key: rulebuilder.relative-date-macros` · `status: active` · `since: 2026-07-23` · `supersedes: none` · `superseded-by: none`
+**Rule:** The visual rule builder's `inLast`/`notInLast` date operators compile to/parse from the pre-existing `CustomMultiFieldQueryParser` macros `released_inthelast`/`released_notinthelast` and `added_inthelast`/`added_notinthelast`, value form `"<n> day|week|month|year"`; there is no backend change.
+**Signals:** relative date operator, inLast, notInLast, inthelast macro, released_inthelast, added_inthelast, date unit picker, rule builder relative dates · paths: `web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.ts`, `web/src/builder/rules/compile.ts`, `web/src/builder/rules/parse.ts`, `web/src/builder/rules/types.ts`, `web/src/builder/rules/validation.ts` · issues: #435, #176, #438
+**Mechanics:** `dateMacro.ts` (`compileRelative`/`parseRelative`, `OP_TO_SUFFIX`/`SUFFIX_TO_OP`, `RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC`); spa-conventions.md §12
+
+`released_inthelast`/`added_inthelast` (+ their `notinthelast` negations) already existed in
+`CustomMultiFieldQueryParser` as free-text macro fields before the rule builder could reach them — they
+were only usable by typing raw Lucene. #435 exposes them as first-class builder operators without touching
+the parser: `release_date`/`added_date` gain `inLast`/`notInLast` alongside the existing `before`/`after`/
+`between`, backed by a numeric-value input plus a `day|week|month|year` unit picker (`types.ts`'s `unit?:
+DateUnit`). `dateMacro.ts` is the single seam — a small `field↔macro-prefix` table (`release_date↔released`,
+`added_date↔added`) plus the `inLast/notInLast ↔ inthelast/notinthelast` suffix maps — that `compile.ts`
+delegates to for these two fields and `parse.ts` recognizes via `RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC` before falling into the
+generic field:value grammar. Validation (`ruleError` in `validation.ts`) requires the value to parse as a
+positive integer; a non-numeric or non-positive value is a builder-side error, never sent to the server.
+
+**Frontend-only because the macros are the query-string wire format, not a new query kind.** The compiled
+query for `release_date inLast "7 day"` is literally `released_inthelast:"7 day"` — the same string a user
+could type by hand — so nothing downstream (search index, SmartCollection storage, Auto-Tune) needs to know
+the rule builder exists. This keeps `rulebuilder.relative-date-macros` symmetric with
+`spa.smartcollection-rule-builder`'s "compile-only, no new stored AST" stance (#176): a relative-date rule is
+just another point in the same closed grammar subset, proven by the same compile→parse round-trip discipline
+(`dateMacro.test.ts`, and the property test in `roundtrip.test.ts`, #438) rather than a special case.
diff --git a/docs/decisions/README.md b/docs/decisions/README.md
index 5d4de7197..d1fd8cde9 100644
--- a/docs/decisions/README.md
+++ b/docs/decisions/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ the link for rationale. Superseded/retired history lives in `archive/`. Regenera
 | `api.schedule-item-flat-dto` | Schedule-item GET/POST/PUT use a flat, non-polymorphic `ScheduleItemResponseModel` (every subtype field promoted to a nullable top-level member) instead of the polymorphic Application VM hierarchy, with mutation field names matching `ScheduleItemRequest` 1:1 for a lossless round-trip. | 2026-07-10 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-10--schedule-item-get-returns-a-flat-non-polymorphic-dto-scheduleitemresponsemodel) |
 | `api.scheduling-hardening` | Create/Replace handlers guard against null/whitespace `name` (`IsNullOrWhiteSpace`, not just `Length`) to prevent NRE-500s, template-item overlap validation compares by index (not record value-equality) to catch exact-duplicate items, and unreachable 404 `ProducesResponseType` attributes on create-only actions are trimmed. | 2026-07-13 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-13--scheduling-api-hardening-null-name-500s-duplicate-template-items-unreachable-404-172) |
 | `api.search-allitems-paging` | `GET /api/v1/search/all-items` is paginated (capped page size, `Totals` field) to bound DoS exposure; the SPA add-all flow pages to completeness instead of relying on an unbounded response. | 2026-07-18 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-18--search-all-items-is-paged-to-cap-dos-exposure-spa-add-all-pages-to-completeness-293) |
+| `api.search-field-values` | `GET /api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values?q=&limit=` returns distinct WHOLE values from the database for one of a narrow allow-list of catalog fields (not the Lucene term dictionary — analyzed `TextField`s store lowercased word tokens, e.g. "Science Fiction" → `science`/`fiction`, useless as a typeahead suggestion), 404 for an unknown field, a non-`text` field, or a `text` field with no distinct-value source; case-insensitive prefix-filtered on `q`, `limit` clamped to `[1, 50]` (default 50). | 2026-07-23 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-23--facet-value-typeahead-is-a-new-endpoint-allow-listed-to-text-fields-no-caching-434) |
 | `api.search-paging-cap` | Search stays capped at 100 items per media kind; an overflowing kind's "See all" reuses library-browse paging instead of adding new API surface. | 2026-07-11 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-11--trash-see-all-reuses-library-browse-paging-search-stays-capped-per-kind-213) |
 | `api.versioning-v1` | The entire `/api` surface is versioned to `/api/v1` uniformly (no unversioned corner); legacy unversioned callers are rewritten in-pipeline (not redirected) with Deprecation/Link/Sunset headers, and post-freeze `/api/v1` is additive-only — a breaking change requires `/api/v2`. | 2026-07-13 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-13--api-versioning-the-whole-api-surface-is-mounted-at-apiv1-additive-only-after-freeze-286) |
 | `blazor.rollback-tag` | The commit immediately preceding the Blazor-removal merge is tagged `blazor-final` (not a `v*` tag, so it doesn't trigger a prod release build) as the documented rollback/restore path. | 2026-07-11 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-11--pre-removal-blazor-rollback-tag-blazor-final-205) |
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ the link for rationale. Superseded/retired history lives in `archive/`. Regenera
 | `release.prepush-clean-worktree-guard` | A fail-open pre-push hook blocks a push when any file in the branch's diff vs `origin/main` also has uncommitted working-tree or index changes, since a stale-index commit (e.g. `git reset --soft` + `git add` over an edited-but-unstaged fix) can silently push, CI-test, and get reviewed a different tree than the one on disk. Scope is precise to pushed-diff files; escape hatch `ETV_ALLOW_DIRTY_PUSH=1`. | 2026-07-17 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-17--pre-push-guard-dont-push-a-file-whose-working-tree-copy-is-uncommitted-h13-416-session) |
 | `release.promotion-floating-prod` | Prod tracks the floating `:prod` image reference; a tag build's immutable `:<version>` image is scanned first, then promotion happens via a separate manual `DeployStack`, with daily auto-update only as a fallback — tag with enough runway before 03:00 to avoid an unscanned promotion. | 2026-07-13 | [link](release-ci-governance.md#2026-07-13--release-promotion-floating-prod-exact-image-scan-before-manual-deploy-335) |
 | `release.review-verdict-gate` | A PR may not merge until a `Review-verdict: <MERGEABLE\|APPROVED\|BLOCKED\|NOT-MERGEABLE> @ <head-sha>` comment references the PR's current head sha (short-sha prefix match, line-start marker only, negative wins over positive on the same head); folds into the H6 merge-consent hook as condition (c). | 2026-07-12 | [link](release-ci-governance.md#2026-07-12--review-verdict-merge-gate-latest-commit-must-be-reviewed-303-h10) |
+| `rulebuilder.relative-date-macros` | The visual rule builder's `inLast`/`notInLast` date operators compile to/parse from the pre-existing `CustomMultiFieldQueryParser` macros `released_inthelast`/`released_notinthelast` and `added_inthelast`/`added_notinthelast`, value form `"<n> day\|week\|month\|year"`; there is no backend change. | 2026-07-23 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-23--relative-date-rule-builder-operators-are-a-frontend-only-mapping-onto-existing-lucene-macros-435) |
 | `scan.collections-scan-status` | `GET /api/v1/media-sources/collections-scan-status` reports a family-global (not per-source), boolean-only active-scan set read from `IEntityLocker`; the SPA reconciles authoritatively against it (with a grace-tick helper) instead of a fixed client-side timeout. | 2026-07-12 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-12--external-collections-scans-get-an-authoritative-status-surface-271-the-spa-timeout-is-retired) |
 | `scan.getoraddfolder-db-lookup` | `ILibraryRepository.GetOrAddFolder` resolves the existing folder via a DB query on `(LibraryPathId, Path)`, not the caller's `LibraryPath.LibraryFolders` in-memory navigation, since that navigation is only eager-loaded on the local scan path and is null on remote (Jellyfin) callers. | 2026-07-20 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-20--ilibraryrepositorygetoraddfolder-resolves-the-folder-from-the-db-not-the-callers-librarypathlibraryfolders-navigation-488) |
 | `scan.jellyfin-mixed-content-library` | A Jellyfin library whose collection type is `mixed` (or absent) maps to one ErsatzTV library of `LibraryMediaKind.Mixed`, scanned by running the movie/television/music-video scanners in sequence against that single library — a library is a place, not a media kind. | 2026-07-20 | [link](../decisions.md#2026-07-20-489--jellyfin-mixed-content-libraries-map-to-one-library-holding-many-kinds) |
diff --git a/docs/endpoint-index.md b/docs/endpoint-index.md
index 124c7e57b..5f2eb6f1d 100644
--- a/docs/endpoint-index.md
+++ b/docs/endpoint-index.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 *Generated by `scripts/generate-endpoint-index.py` from `ErsatzTV/wwwroot/openapi/v1.json`. Do not edit by hand -- regenerated by `scripts/update-openapi.sh`.*
 
-166 endpoints, 249 operations.
+167 endpoints, 250 operations.
 
 ## Artists
 
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@
 | GET | `/api/v1/search/artists` | SearchArtists | Search artists by name |
 | GET | `/api/v1/search/collections` | SearchCollections | Search collections by name |
 | GET | `/api/v1/search/fields` | GetSearchFields | List the filterable fields for the visual rule builder |
+| GET | `/api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values` | GetSearchFieldValues | List distinct database values for a text search field |
 | GET | `/api/v1/search/multi-collections` | SearchMultiCollections | Search multi collections by name |
 | GET | `/api/v1/search/smart-collections` | SearchSmartCollections | Search smart collections by name |
 | GET | `/api/v1/search/television-seasons` | SearchTelevisionSeasons | Search television seasons by name |
diff --git a/docs/spa-conventions.md b/docs/spa-conventions.md
index 7940bf053..6b95569d4 100644
--- a/docs/spa-conventions.md
+++ b/docs/spa-conventions.md
@@ -508,6 +508,27 @@ This module is intentionally reusable beyond SmartCollections — ChannelBuilder
 inline query editing (#69) are candidate future consumers, tracked as separate follow-up issues
 rather than wired in #176.
 
+- **Relative-date operators** (#435, `rulebuilder.relative-date-macros`) — `release_date`/`added_date`
+  gain `inLast`/`notInLast` alongside `before`/`after`/`between`, each with a numeric value plus a
+  `day|week|month|year` `unit` picker (`types.ts`'s `unit?: DateUnit`). `dateMacro.ts` is the single
+  seam: a `field↔macro-prefix` table (`release_date↔released`, `added_date↔added`) plus the
+  `inLast/notInLast ↔ inthelast/notinthelast` suffix maps, delegated to from `compile.ts`/`parse.ts`
+  for these two fields — the compiled query is the existing `released_inthelast:"7 day"`-style
+  `CustomMultiFieldQueryParser` macro, so nothing downstream changes. `validation.ts`'s `ruleError`
+  requires the value to parse as a positive integer before it's compiled.
+- **Facet-value typeahead** (#434, `api.search-field-values`) — the value input for a `text` field
+  (not enum) is a combobox backed by `getSearchFieldValues` (`web/src/api/search.ts` →
+  `GET /api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values?q=&limit=`), debounced on keystroke, prefix-matching the
+  in-progress value against distinct terms already in the index. It always allows free-text entry as a
+  fallback — a 404 (non-text field) or an empty result list (e.g. ElasticSearch backend) degrades to a
+  plain text input rather than blocking the rule.
+- **Single-child-group normalization** (#438) — `normalizeGroup` (`validation.ts`) coerces a group's
+  `match` to `all` whenever it has fewer than two children, recursively. A one-child `any` group is
+  semantically identical to `all` but doesn't round-trip through `compile`→`parse` (the compiled Lucene
+  for a lone child carries no `AND`/`OR`), so the builder normalizes on every change rather than let the
+  UI and the compiled query silently diverge; `roundtrip.test.ts`'s property test asserts against
+  `normalizeGroup(tree)`, not the raw generated tree.
+
 ## 13. Collapsible sidebar + nav-group accordions (#396)
 
 The shell sidebar (`web/src/app/AppShell.tsx`) supports two independent, persisted collapse states.
diff --git a/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-07-23-rulebuilder-bundle.md b/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-07-23-rulebuilder-bundle.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b84c45175
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-07-23-rulebuilder-bundle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,655 @@
+# RuleBuilder Bundle Implementation Plan
+
+> **For agentic workers:** REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:subagent-driven-development (recommended) or superpowers:executing-plans to implement this plan task-by-task. Steps use checkbox (`- [ ]`) syntax for tracking.
+
+**Goal:** Ship #438 (validation & polish), #435 (relative-date operators), and #434 (facet-value typeahead) for the visual rule builder on one feature branch.
+
+**Architecture:** Pure-logic changes land in the small `web/src/builder/rules/` modules (types/compile/parse + two new helper modules `validation.ts`, `dateMacro.ts`) under TDD. UI changes to `RuleBuilder.tsx` consume those helpers. #434 adds a disjoint C# read endpoint (Lucene term enumeration) built in a parallel worktree; its combobox is wired last, after the generated API types exist.
+
+**Tech Stack:** React 18 + TypeScript + Vite (vitest for web tests); .NET 10 / C# / MediatR / Lucene.NET (`ISearchIndex`); NUnit + Shouldly + NSubstitute for C# tests.
+
+## Global Constraints
+
+- Work in worktree `feat/rulebuilder-bundle` off `origin/main`. Never commit in `/Users/timothy/ersatztv`. → `process.shared-tree-readonly`
+- Backend #434 slice runs in its OWN worktree branched off `feat/rulebuilder-bundle`, merged back by fast-forward/plumbing. All frontend work is one committing agent, sequential (shared `RuleBuilder.tsx`). → `process.one-worktree-one-committing-agent`, `process.foreign-worktree-plumbing-merge`
+- The compile↔parse **lossless round-trip contract** (spa-conventions §12) must hold: `parse(compile(g)) ≡ normalizeGroup(g)` for every valid `g`. Extend `roundtrip.test.ts` for every new operator.
+- New REST response DTOs live in `ErsatzTV.Core/Api/Search/*ResponseModel.cs` with file-scoped `#nullable enable`. → `api.response-dtos`
+- A PR touching `ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/**` or `ErsatzTV.Core/Api/**` MUST ship regenerated `v1.json` / `v1.d.ts` / `endpoint-index.md` in the same diff. → `release.api-contract-ci-gate`
+- Before any push touching `.cs`: BOM-check the touched set (`xxd -p | grep -c ^efbbbf`) and run the format gate under `bash -c`. → `process.bom-format-detection-recipe`
+- Independent adversarial review over the whole diff before push (new API endpoint + >~150 lines). → `process.independent-review-rubric`
+- Commit trailer on every commit: `Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>`. Worktree hooks: commit with `--no-verify` and run gates manually (worktree husky friction).
+
+**Test commands** (run from the worktree):
+- Web unit: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/<file>.test.ts`
+- Web all rules: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules`
+- C#: `dotnet test ErsatzTV.Application.Tests --filter <Name>` (or the relevant test project)
+
+---
+
+## Task 1: `#438`/`#435` — extend types, then rule/group validation module (`validation.ts`)
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/types.ts` (extend first, so validation typechecks)
+- Create: `web/src/builder/rules/validation.ts`
+- Test: `web/src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts`
+
+- [ ] **Step 0: Extend types.ts** (the new operators/unit are consumed first by validation's tests):
+
+```ts
+export type Operator =
+  | 'is' | 'isNot' | 'contains' | 'startsWith' // text
+  | 'matches' | 'notMatches'                    // fulltext
+  | 'eq' | 'gt' | 'lt' | 'between'              // number
+  | 'before' | 'after'                          // date (absolute)
+  | 'inLast' | 'notInLast';                     // date (relative, #435)
+
+export type DateUnit = 'day' | 'week' | 'month' | 'year';
+
+export interface Rule {
+  field: string;
+  operator: Operator;
+  value: string;
+  value2?: string; // upper bound for `between`
+  unit?: DateUnit; // unit for `inLast`/`notInLast` (#435)
+}
+```
+
+and extend the date row of `OPERATORS_BY_TYPE`:
+
+```ts
+  date: ['before', 'after', 'between', 'inLast', 'notInLast']
+```
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Produces:
+  - `ruleError(rule: Rule): string | null` — a human string when the rule is incomplete, else null.
+  - `groupHasErrors(group: Group): boolean` — true if any descendant rule has an error.
+  - `topGroupAllNegative(group: Group): boolean` — true when every direct child of the *top* group is a negative rule (`isNot`/`notMatches`) (warning predicate, non-blocking).
+  - `normalizeGroup(group: Group): Group` — returns a copy with `match` coerced to `'all'` for every group (recursively) that has fewer than 2 children (single-child connective is meaningless and cannot round-trip).
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write the failing test**
+
+```ts
+// web/src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { groupHasErrors, normalizeGroup, ruleError, topGroupAllNegative } from './validation';
+import type { Group, Rule } from './types';
+
+const r = (o: Partial<Rule>): Rule => ({ field: 'title', operator: 'is', value: 'x', ...o });
+
+describe('ruleError', () => {
+  it('flags between with a missing upper bound', () => {
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '30', value2: '' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '', value2: '60' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '30', value2: '60' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('flags empty text values', () => {
+    for (const operator of ['is', 'isNot', 'contains', 'startsWith'] as const) {
+      expect(ruleError(r({ operator, value: '' }))).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(ruleError(r({ operator, value: 'x' }))).toBeNull();
+    }
+  });
+  it('flags relative-date rule with a non-positive or non-integer N', () => {
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '', unit: 'day' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '0', unit: 'day' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('groupHasErrors', () => {
+  it('walks nested groups', () => {
+    const g: Group = { match: 'all', children: [{ match: 'any', children: [r({ value: '' })] }] };
+    expect(groupHasErrors(g)).toBe(true);
+    expect(groupHasErrors({ match: 'all', children: [r({ value: 'ok' })] })).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('topGroupAllNegative', () => {
+  it('is true only when every top-level child is a negative rule', () => {
+    expect(topGroupAllNegative({ match: 'any', children: [r({ operator: 'isNot' }), r({ operator: 'notMatches', field: 'plot' })] })).toBe(true);
+    expect(topGroupAllNegative({ match: 'any', children: [r({ operator: 'isNot' }), r({ operator: 'is' })] })).toBe(false);
+    expect(topGroupAllNegative({ match: 'all', children: [] })).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('normalizeGroup', () => {
+  it("coerces a single-child group's match to 'all'", () => {
+    const g: Group = { match: 'any', children: [r({})] };
+    expect(normalizeGroup(g).match).toBe('all');
+  });
+  it('leaves a 2+ child group match unchanged and recurses', () => {
+    const g: Group = { match: 'any', children: [r({}), { match: 'any', children: [r({})] }] };
+    const n = normalizeGroup(g);
+    expect(n.match).toBe('any');
+    expect((n.children[1] as Group).match).toBe('all');
+  });
+});
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Run test to verify it fails**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts`
+Expected: FAIL — cannot find module `./validation`.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Write minimal implementation**
+
+```ts
+// web/src/builder/rules/validation.ts
+import { isGroup, type Group, type Rule } from './types';
+
+const NEGATIVE = new Set(['isNot', 'notMatches']);
+const RELATIVE_DATE = new Set(['inLast', 'notInLast']);
+
+export function ruleError(rule: Rule): string | null {
+  if (rule.operator === 'between') {
+    if (rule.value.trim() === '' || (rule.value2 ?? '').trim() === '') return 'Both bounds are required.';
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (RELATIVE_DATE.has(rule.operator)) {
+    const n = Number(rule.value);
+    if (!Number.isInteger(n) || n <= 0) return 'Enter a whole number greater than zero.';
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (rule.value.trim() === '') return 'A value is required.';
+  return null;
+}
+
+export function groupHasErrors(group: Group): boolean {
+  return group.children.some((c) => (isGroup(c) ? groupHasErrors(c) : ruleError(c) !== null));
+}
+
+export function topGroupAllNegative(group: Group): boolean {
+  const rules = group.children.filter((c): c is Rule => !isGroup(c));
+  if (rules.length === 0 || rules.length !== group.children.length) return false;
+  return rules.every((r) => NEGATIVE.has(r.operator));
+}
+
+export function normalizeGroup(group: Group): Group {
+  const children = group.children.map((c) => (isGroup(c) ? normalizeGroup(c) : c));
+  return { match: children.length < 2 ? 'all' : group.match, children };
+}
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Run test to verify it passes**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts`
+Expected: PASS (all cases).
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add web/src/builder/rules/types.ts web/src/builder/rules/validation.ts web/src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts
+git commit --no-verify -m "feat(438,435): extend rule types; validation + single-child normalization helpers"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Task 2: `#435` — dateMacro mapping module
+
+> `types.ts` was already extended in Task 1 Step 0 (operators `inLast`/`notInLast`, `DateUnit`,
+> `Rule.unit`, `OPERATORS_BY_TYPE.date`). This task adds only the mapping module.
+
+**Files:**
+- Create: `web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.ts`
+- Test: `web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts`
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Produces:
+  - `dateMacro.ts`:
+    - `RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP: Record<'release_date' | 'added_date', 'released' | 'added'>`
+    - `compileRelative(rule: Rule): string | null` — e.g. `{release_date, inLast, '7', day}` → `released_inthelast:"7 day"`; null if not a relative-date rule or invalid.
+    - `parseRelative(field: string, quoted: string): Rule | null` — recognizes synthetic field + `"<n> <unit>"`, returns a Rule on `release_date`/`added_date`; null otherwise.
+    - `RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC = /^(released|added)_(inthelast|notinthelast)$/` (exported for parse.ts field detection).
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write the failing test**
+
+```ts
+// web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { compileRelative, parseRelative } from './dateMacro';
+import type { Rule } from './types';
+
+const r = (o: Partial<Rule>): Rule => ({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day', ...o });
+
+describe('compileRelative', () => {
+  it('maps release_date/inLast → released_inthelast', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({}))).toBe('released_inthelast:"7 day"');
+  });
+  it('maps added_date/notInLast → added_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ field: 'added_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '3', unit: 'week' }))).toBe('added_notinthelast:"3 week"');
+  });
+  it('returns null for a non-relative rule', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ operator: 'before' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null when N is invalid', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ value: '0' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('parseRelative', () => {
+  it('round-trips released_inthelast', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('released_inthelast', '7 day')).toEqual({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' });
+  });
+  it('round-trips added_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('added_notinthelast', '3 week')).toEqual({ field: 'added_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '3', unit: 'week' });
+  });
+  it('returns null for an unrelated field', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('title', '7 day')).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null for a malformed value', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('released_inthelast', 'soon')).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Run test to verify it fails**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts`
+Expected: FAIL — cannot find module `./dateMacro`.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Write dateMacro.ts**
+
+```ts
+// web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.ts
+import type { DateUnit, Rule } from './types';
+
+export const RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP = { release_date: 'released', added_date: 'added' } as const;
+type RelField = keyof typeof RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP;
+
+const OP_TO_SUFFIX = { inLast: 'inthelast', notInLast: 'notinthelast' } as const;
+const SUFFIX_TO_OP = { inthelast: 'inLast', notinthelast: 'notInLast' } as const;
+const CATALOG_FROM_PREFIX = { released: 'release_date', added: 'added_date' } as const;
+const UNITS: DateUnit[] = ['day', 'week', 'month', 'year'];
+
+export const RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC = /^(released|added)_(inthelast|notinthelast)$/;
+
+function isValidN(value: string): boolean {
+  const n = Number(value);
+  return Number.isInteger(n) && n > 0;
+}
+
+export function compileRelative(rule: Rule): string | null {
+  if (rule.operator !== 'inLast' && rule.operator !== 'notInLast') return null;
+  const prefix = RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP[rule.field as RelField];
+  if (!prefix) return null;
+  if (!isValidN(rule.value) || !rule.unit || !UNITS.includes(rule.unit)) return null;
+  return `${prefix}_${OP_TO_SUFFIX[rule.operator]}:"${rule.value} ${rule.unit}"`;
+}
+
+export function parseRelative(field: string, quoted: string): Rule | null {
+  const m = RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC.exec(field);
+  if (!m) return null;
+  const [, prefix, suffix] = m;
+  const vm = /^(\d+)\s+(day|week|month|year)$/.exec(quoted.trim());
+  if (!vm) return null;
+  const [, n, unit] = vm;
+  if (!isValidN(n)) return null;
+  return {
+    field: CATALOG_FROM_PREFIX[prefix as 'released' | 'added'],
+    operator: SUFFIX_TO_OP[suffix as 'inthelast' | 'notinthelast'],
+    value: n,
+    unit: unit as DateUnit
+  };
+}
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Run test to verify it passes**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts`
+Expected: PASS.
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.ts web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts
+git commit --no-verify -m "feat(435): dateMacro compile/parse mapping for relative-date operators"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Task 3: `#438` + `#435` — compile.ts wiring
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/compile.ts`
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts`
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Consumes: `compileRelative` (Task 2), `ruleError` (Task 1).
+- Produces: `compileRule` emits the relative-date macro for `inLast`/`notInLast`, and returns `''` for a structurally-invalid rule (incomplete `between`, empty text value) so malformed Lucene is never emitted (the empty string is already filtered by `compileGroup`).
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write the failing test** — append to `compile.test.ts`:
+
+```ts
+import { compileRelative } from './dateMacro'; // ensure no import cycle; if compile imports dateMacro, this is fine
+
+describe('compile — #438 guards + #435 relative dates', () => {
+  it('emits the relative-date macro', () => {
+    expect(compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' }] })).toBe('released_inthelast:"7 day"');
+  });
+  it('drops an incomplete between instead of emitting field:[v TO ]', () => {
+    const out = compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '30' }] });
+    expect(out).not.toContain('TO ]');
+    expect(out).toBe(''); // sole invalid child filtered out
+  });
+  it('drops an empty text value instead of emitting field:* / field:**', () => {
+    expect(compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'title', operator: 'contains', value: '' }] })).toBe('');
+    expect(compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'title', operator: 'startsWith', value: '' }] })).toBe('');
+  });
+});
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Run test to verify it fails**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts`
+Expected: FAIL — relative macro not emitted; incomplete-between emits `minutes:[30 TO ]`.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Edit compile.ts**
+
+Add the import and two guards at the top of `compileRule`:
+
+```ts
+import { isGroup, type Group, type Rule } from './types';
+import { compileRelative } from './dateMacro';
+import { ruleError } from './validation';
+
+// ... quote/escapeWild/normalizeDate unchanged ...
+
+function compileRule(rule: Rule): string {
+  // #435: relative-date operators map to synthetic query fields.
+  const relative = compileRelative(rule);
+  if (relative !== null) return relative;
+
+  // #438: never emit malformed Lucene for a structurally-invalid rule; compileGroup filters ''.
+  if (ruleError(rule) !== null) return '';
+
+  const f = rule.field;
+  const v = rule.value;
+  switch (rule.operator) {
+    // ... existing cases unchanged ...
+    default:
+      return '';
+  }
+}
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Run tests to verify they pass**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts`
+Expected: PASS (new + existing cases).
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add web/src/builder/rules/compile.ts web/src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts
+git commit --no-verify -m "feat(438,435): compile relative-date macros; drop invalid rules instead of malformed Lucene"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Task 4: `#435` — parse.ts relative-date recognition + round-trip
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/parse.ts`
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/parse.test.ts`
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/roundtrip.test.ts`
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Consumes: `parseRelative`, `RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC` (Task 2); `normalizeGroup` (Task 1).
+- Produces: `parseAtom` recognizes `(released|added)_(inthelast|notinthelast):"..."` and returns the relative Rule; the round-trip test asserts `parse(compile(g)) ≡ normalizeGroup(g)`.
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write the failing test** — append to `parse.test.ts`:
+
+```ts
+describe('parse — #435 relative dates', () => {
+  const ft = { release_date: 'date', added_date: 'date' } as const;
+  it('parses released_inthelast back to a relative rule', () => {
+    expect(parse('released_inthelast:"7 day"', ft)).toEqual({
+      match: 'all',
+      children: [{ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' }]
+    });
+  });
+  it('parses added_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(parse('added_notinthelast:"3 week"', ft)).toEqual({
+      match: 'all',
+      children: [{ field: 'added_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '3', unit: 'week' }]
+    });
+  });
+});
+```
+
+Note: the synthetic field is NOT in `fieldTypes`, so `parseAtom` must handle it BEFORE the `fieldTypes[field]` lookup (which would reject it).
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Run test to verify it fails**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules/parse.test.ts`
+Expected: FAIL — synthetic field returns null (unknown field type).
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Edit parse.ts**
+
+At the top of `parseAtom`, before the `type` lookup, add relative-date recognition (only the quoted form is valid; `NOT` prefix does not apply):
+
+```ts
+import type { FieldType, Group, Operator, Rule } from './types';
+import { parseRelative, RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC } from './dateMacro';
+
+function parseAtom(atom: string, fieldTypes: Record<string, FieldType>): Rule | null {
+  const trimmed = atom.trim();
+
+  // #435: relative-date synthetic fields are not in the catalog; match them first.
+  const relColon = trimmed.indexOf(':');
+  if (relColon > 0 && RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC.test(trimmed.slice(0, relColon))) {
+    const rawRel = trimmed.slice(relColon + 1);
+    if (rawRel.startsWith('"') && rawRel.endsWith('"') && rawRel.length >= 2) {
+      return parseRelative(trimmed.slice(0, relColon), rawRel.slice(1, -1));
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const negate = trimmed.startsWith('NOT ');
+  // ... rest unchanged ...
+}
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Update the round-trip test** — in `roundtrip.test.ts`, (a) extend the generator `makeRule` to sometimes emit `date` rules with `inLast`/`notInLast` + a unit, and (b) compare against `normalizeGroup(g)` rather than `g` so single-child groups match. Concretely, import `normalizeGroup` and change the assertion:
+
+```ts
+import { normalizeGroup } from './validation';
+// ...
+// inside the property loop, replace `expect(parse(compile(g), fieldTypes)).toEqual(g)` with:
+expect(parse(compile(g), fieldTypes)).toEqual(normalizeGroup(g));
+```
+
+For the generator, add a relative-date branch (guard so `value` is a positive integer string and `unit` is set):
+
+```ts
+// where a date-field rule is generated:
+if (rng() < 0.5) {
+  const op = rng() < 0.5 ? 'inLast' : 'notInLast';
+  const unit = (['day', 'week', 'month', 'year'] as const)[Math.floor(rng() * 4)];
+  return { field: dateField, operator: op, value: String(1 + Math.floor(rng() * 30)), unit };
+}
+// else fall through to the existing before/after/between generation
+```
+
+(Read the actual `roundtrip.test.ts` generator first — match its existing rng/field-selection shape; the above is the required behavior, not a verbatim drop-in.)
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Run tests to verify they pass**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules`
+Expected: PASS (parse + roundtrip + all prior).
+
+- [ ] **Step 6: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add web/src/builder/rules/parse.ts web/src/builder/rules/parse.test.ts web/src/builder/rules/roundtrip.test.ts
+git commit --no-verify -m "feat(435): parse relative-date macros; round-trip against normalizeGroup"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Task 5: `#438` + `#435` — RuleBuilder.tsx UI (validation surface, relative-date inputs, single-child toggle)
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.tsx`
+- Modify: `web/src/screens/CollectionsScreen.tsx` (consumer — disable Save on errors)
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.test.tsx`
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Consumes: `ruleError`, `groupHasErrors`, `topGroupAllNegative`, `normalizeGroup` (Task 1); `DateUnit` (Task 2).
+- Produces: RuleBuilder renders a per-rule error message + an aggregate warning; for `inLast`/`notInLast` it renders a number input + unit `<select>`; single-child groups hide the any/all toggle. Validity is surfaced to the consumer via a new optional prop `onValidityChange?(hasErrors: boolean): void` (or the existing `onChange` contract — read the component first and follow whichever the file already uses).
+
+> **Read `RuleBuilder.tsx` in full before editing** — it is the only file here whose exact JSX shape isn't reproduced in this plan. Match its existing operator-`<select>`, value-`<input>`, and group-toggle patterns. The required behaviors:
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Relative-date inputs.** When `rule.operator` is `inLast`/`notInLast`, render (in place of the single date input) a numeric `<input>` bound to `rule.value` and a `<select>` bound to `rule.unit` with options `day/week/month/year` (default `day` when the operator is first selected). When switching a date field's operator TO `inLast`/`notInLast`, set `unit: 'day'` if unset; when switching AWAY, clear `unit`.
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Per-rule error.** Call `ruleError(rule)`; when non-null, render the message inline under the rule row (use the existing error/helper-text styling in the SPA — grep the file/screen for an existing validation message class; do not invent new CSS). This is the #438 block for incomplete `between` / empty text / bad relative-N.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Single-child toggle.** Hide the any/all match toggle for any group whose `children.length < 2` (its connective is meaningless and is normalized to `'all'`). Apply `normalizeGroup` to the tree in the builder's `onChange` path so stored state matches what round-trips.
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: All-negative warning.** When `topGroupAllNegative(rootGroup)` is true, render a non-blocking warning near the preview ("This query is entirely negative and will match nothing on its own"). Do NOT disable Save for this.
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Consumer — disable Save on errors.** In `CollectionsScreen.tsx`, compute `groupHasErrors(group)` and disable the Save/Create button (and skip compile) while true. Read the screen's existing submit-disabled logic and AND this in.
+
+- [ ] **Step 6: Component tests.** Add to `RuleBuilder.test.tsx`: (a) selecting `inLast` shows number + unit inputs; (b) an incomplete `between` shows the error text; (c) a single-child group renders no any/all toggle; (d) an all-negative root shows the warning. Use the existing test-render harness in the file (React Testing Library).
+
+- [ ] **Step 7: Run web tests**
+
+Run: `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules && npx vitest run src/screens/CollectionsScreen`
+Expected: PASS.
+
+- [ ] **Step 8: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.tsx web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.test.tsx web/src/screens/CollectionsScreen.tsx
+git commit --no-verify -m "feat(438,435): RuleBuilder UI — validation surface, relative-date inputs, single-child toggle"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Task 6: `#434` — backend distinct-values endpoint (PARALLEL WORKTREE)
+
+> **Isolation:** run this task in its OWN worktree branched off `feat/rulebuilder-bundle`
+> (`git worktree add -b feat/rb-434-backend <path> feat/rulebuilder-bundle`), merged back by
+> fast-forward before Task 7. It touches only C# + generated OpenAPI — disjoint from Tasks 1–5.
+> **Use csharp-lsp** for symbol lookup. Independent review required (new API endpoint).
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `ErsatzTV.Core/Interfaces/Search/ISearchIndex.cs` (add method) — *confirm exact path via LSP*
+- Modify: `ErsatzTV.Infrastructure/Search/LuceneSearchIndex.cs` (implement term enumeration)
+- Create: `ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/GetSearchFieldValues.cs` (+ `...Handler.cs`)
+- Create: `ErsatzTV.Core/Api/Search/SearchFieldValuesResponseModel.cs`
+- Modify: `ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/SearchController.cs` (add endpoint)
+- Test: `ErsatzTV.Application.Tests/Search/GetSearchFieldValuesHandlerTests.cs`
+- Regenerate: `ErsatzTV/wwwroot/.../v1.json`, `web/src/api/v1.d.ts`, `docs/openapi/endpoint-index.md` via `./scripts/update-openapi.sh`
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Produces (frontend Task 7 consumes the generated client for): `GET /api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values?q=&limit=` → `{ "values": string[] }`. 404 when `name` is absent from `SearchFieldCatalog` or is not `type == "text"`. `limit` default 50, capped 50; `q` is a case-insensitive prefix filter (empty ⇒ first N terms).
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Write the failing handler test**
+
+```csharp
+// GetSearchFieldValuesHandlerTests.cs (NUnit + Shouldly + NSubstitute)
+// - substitute ISearchIndex returning e.g. ["Action","Adventure","Drama"] for field "genre"
+// - assert: allow-listed text field "genre" with q="A" returns ["Action","Adventure"] (prefix, case-insensitive)
+// - assert: unknown field "nope" → the not-found result (Option.None / Either.Left per the handler's result type)
+// - assert: non-text field "minutes" (number) → not-found result
+// - assert: limit is clamped to 50
+```
+
+Write these as real NUnit `[Test]` methods mirroring an existing `ErsatzTV.Application.Tests/Search/*` test (read one first for the harness/DI shape).
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Run to verify it fails** — `dotnet test ErsatzTV.Application.Tests --filter GetSearchFieldValues` → FAIL (types missing).
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Implement**
+  - `ISearchIndex`: `Task<List<string>> GetFieldValues(string field, string query, int limit);`
+  - `LuceneSearchIndex`: open the index reader, enumerate `Terms` for the field (`MultiFields.GetTerms(reader, field)` / `TermsEnum`), filter by case-insensitive prefix on `query`, distinct, take `limit`. (Confirm the Lucene.NET term-enumeration API against the version in `Directory.Packages.props`.)
+  - Handler: look the field up in `SearchFieldCatalog` (the static list in `ErsatzTV.Application/Search/SearchFieldCatalog.cs`); if missing or `type != "text"` return the not-found result; else clamp `limit` to `[1,50]`, call `ISearchIndex.GetFieldValues`, wrap in `SearchFieldValuesResponseModel`.
+  - DTO: `public record SearchFieldValuesResponseModel(List<string> Values);` with file-scoped `#nullable enable`.
+  - Controller: `[HttpGet("fields/{name}/values")]` → `mediator.Send(new GetSearchFieldValues(name, q, limit))`, mapping the not-found result to `NotFound()` (follow the existing `SearchController` result-mapping style).
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Run to verify pass** — `dotnet test ErsatzTV.Application.Tests --filter GetSearchFieldValues` → PASS.
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Regenerate OpenAPI** — build the app project FIRST, then `./scripts/update-openapi.sh`, then confirm the endpoint appears in `endpoint-index.md` and `v1.d.ts` has `getSearchFieldValues` (or the generated name).
+
+- [ ] **Step 6: Format + BOM gate** (touched `.cs`):
+```bash
+bash -c 'git diff --name-only feat/rulebuilder-bundle...HEAD -- "*.cs" | while read f; do xxd -p "$f" | grep -q "^efbbbf" && echo "BOM: $f"; done'
+bash -c 'dotnet format whitespace . --folder --include $(git diff --name-only feat/rulebuilder-bundle...HEAD -- "*.cs" | tr "\n" " ")'
+```
+
+- [ ] **Step 7: Commit** — `git commit --no-verify -m "feat(434): distinct-values search endpoint (text fields, Lucene term enumeration)"`
+
+- [ ] **Step 8: Merge back to feature branch** by fast-forward (per `process.foreign-worktree-plumbing-merge`, land on the branch ref without committing inside a foreign worktree):
+```bash
+git -C <feat/rulebuilder-bundle worktree> merge --ff-only feat/rb-434-backend
+```
+
+---
+
+## Task 7: `#434` — facet-value combobox (frontend, after Task 6 merged)
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `web/src/api/search.ts` (add `getSearchFieldValues`) — or wherever the generated search client lives
+- Modify: `web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.tsx` (combobox for text value inputs)
+- Test: `web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.test.tsx`
+
+**Interfaces:**
+- Consumes: the generated `GET /api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values` client from Task 6.
+- Produces: text-field value inputs (`is`/`isNot`/`contains`/`startsWith`) become an autocomplete combobox; free-text is preserved (any typed value still compiles).
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: API client.** Add `getSearchFieldValues(name: string, q: string, limit = 50): Promise<string[]>` in `web/src/api/search.ts`, mirroring the existing `getSearchFields()` there and reading `.values` from the response.
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Combobox.** In `RuleBuilder.tsx`, for a `text`-typed field with a text operator, render an autocomplete input: on input change (debounced ~200ms), call `getSearchFieldValues(field, q)` and show a datalist/suggestion dropdown. Selecting a suggestion sets `rule.value`. Typing a value not in the list is still accepted (free-text fallback → preview count remains the safety net). Reuse an existing combobox/datalist pattern in the SPA if one exists (grep for `<datalist` or an autocomplete component); otherwise a native `<datalist>` is the minimal, dependency-free choice.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: Test.** Add a `RuleBuilder.test.tsx` case: mocking `getSearchFieldValues` to return `["Action","Adventure"]`, typing in a text value input surfaces the suggestions; selecting one updates the rule; a free-typed value not in the list is retained.
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: Run web tests** — `cd web && npx vitest run src/builder/rules` → PASS.
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Commit** — `git commit --no-verify -m "feat(434): facet-value typeahead combobox for text fields"`
+
+---
+
+## Task 8: Docs — decisions records, spa-conventions §12, api-conventions
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `docs/decisions.md` (2 new records) + regenerate `docs/decisions/README.md` catalog via `scripts/build_decisions_catalog.py`
+- Modify: `docs/spa-conventions.md` §12
+- Modify: `docs/api-conventions.md` (endpoint checklist)
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: decisions.md** — append two records (follow the existing 5-field metadata schema `key/status/since/supersedes/superseded-by`; `docs.decision-lifecycle`):
+  - `key: api.search-field-values` — "Distinct field-value typeahead is a new `GET /api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values?q=` endpoint enumerating Lucene terms, allow-listed to `text` catalog fields (404 otherwise), capped at 50; enum ships values inline so it needs no endpoint."
+  - `key: rulebuilder.relative-date-macros` — "Relative-date operators (`inLast`/`notInLast`) are a frontend-only compile/parse mapping onto the existing `released_inthelast`/`added_inthelast` (+`notinthelast`) `CustomMultiFieldQueryParser` macros (value form `\"<n> day|week|month|year\"`); the `release_date↔released`/`added_date↔added` table is the single seam. No backend change."
+
+- [ ] **Step 2: Regenerate the catalog** — `python3 scripts/build_decisions_catalog.py` (or the documented invocation); verify `decisions_validate.py` passes: `python3 scripts/decisions_validate.py`.
+
+- [ ] **Step 3: spa-conventions.md §12** — add the relative-date operators (#435) and the typeahead-combobox behavior (#434) to the RuleBuilder section; note the single-child-group normalization (#438).
+
+- [ ] **Step 4: api-conventions.md** — add the `search/fields/{name}/values` endpoint to the endpoint checklist/table.
+
+- [ ] **Step 5: Commit** — `git commit --no-verify -m "docs(434,435,438): decisions records, spa-conventions §12, api-conventions"`
+
+---
+
+## Task 9: Whole-diff verification, review, live-E2E, push
+
+- [ ] **Step 1: Full local gate.**
+  - `cd web && npx vitest run && npm run build` (or the repo's web test/build scripts)
+  - `dotnet build ErsatzTV.sln`
+  - `dotnet test ErsatzTV.Application.Tests --filter GetSearchFieldValues`
+  - BOM + format gate over all touched `.cs` (recipe in Task 6 Step 6).
+- [ ] **Step 2: Independent adversarial review** — cold-context review-only agent (different model family if available) over the whole diff. Loop until a clean verdict; re-review the fix commit, not just the initial diff (`release.review-verdict-gate`). Focus: the compile/parse round-trip invariant, the Lucene term-enumeration correctness + the 404 allow-list, and the combobox free-text fallback.
+- [ ] **Step 3: Live-E2E** — `scripts/e2e-local.sh` with a fresh config dir; drive the SmartCollection RuleBuilder: build a relative-date rule, save, reload, confirm it round-trips; curl the new `search/fields/genre/values?q=` endpoint and confirm filtered values. (`testing.live-e2e-prepush-timing`.)
+- [ ] **Step 4: Push once** (batch all commits), open the PR `fixes #438 #435 #434`, arm the CI monitor on the PR head sha at open (`ci.monitor-armed-at-pr-open`). Post the `Review-verdict:` comment referencing head (`release.review-verdict-gate` / H10).
+- [ ] **Step 5:** Tick each issue's `## Done-when` boxes as evidence lands; the merge-consent gate derives consent from state.
+
+---
+
+## Self-Review
+
+**Spec coverage:** #438 (all four cases → Tasks 1,3,5), #435 (operators/mapping/compile/parse/UI → Tasks 2,3,4,5), #434 (endpoint + combobox + OpenAPI → Tasks 6,7), docs (Task 8), review/E2E/push (Task 9). ✔ All spec sections mapped.
+
+**Placeholder scan:** logic-module code is complete and verbatim-runnable; `RuleBuilder.tsx`/C# steps state required behavior + exact signatures with an explicit "read the file first" instruction (their exact JSX/DI shape is not reproduced by design, since it wasn't read into the plan). No TBD/TODO.
+
+**Type consistency:** `Operator` gains `inLast`/`notInLast` (Task 2) used identically in validation (Task 1 test), dateMacro (Task 2), compile (Task 3), parse (Task 4), UI (Task 5). `Rule.unit?: DateUnit` consistent throughout. `normalizeGroup`/`groupHasErrors`/`topGroupAllNegative`/`ruleError` names stable across Tasks 1→5. `GetSearchFieldValues`/`SearchFieldValuesResponseModel`/`getSearchFieldValues` consistent across Tasks 6→7. `RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP`/`RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC` consistent Task 2→4.
+
+**Ordering fix applied:** the `types.ts` extension (operators `inLast`/`notInLast`, `DateUnit`, `Rule.unit`) is Task 1 Step 0, so Task 1's `validation.test.ts` (the first consumer of those types) typechecks and gates green on its own. Task 2 then adds only `dateMacro.ts`. Each task is independently green.
diff --git a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-23-rulebuilder-bundle-design.md b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-23-rulebuilder-bundle-design.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc4ad1ca6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-23-rulebuilder-bundle-design.md
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+# RuleBuilder bundle — design (#438 + #435 + #434)
+
+**Date:** 2026-07-23
+**Issues:** #438 (validation & polish), #435 (relative-date operators), #434 (facet-value typeahead)
+**Branch:** `feat/rulebuilder-bundle`
+**Left open:** #436 (deeper nesting — self-labeled YAGNI), #437 (inline RuleBuilder adoption)
+
+The visual rule builder (`web/src/builder/rules/`, landed #176 / PR #433) compiles a visual rule tree
+to a Lucene query string and parses it back, with a lossless-round-trip contract. It has one consumer
+today: `CollectionsScreen.tsx` (SmartCollection create/edit, mounted at line ~347). Convention doc:
+`docs/spa-conventions.md` **§12** (not §11 — #437's citation is wrong and will be corrected when #437
+is worked).
+
+## Slicing & workflow
+
+- **One feature branch / one PR** closing all three (`fixes #438 #435 #434`). They share
+  `RuleBuilder.tsx` (and #435/#438 share `types.ts`/`compile.ts`/`parse.ts`) too heavily to split
+  without rebase churn, and read as one cohesive polish sweep.
+- **#434's backend endpoint is the only disjoint slice** — delegated to a parallel worktree agent
+  (branched off the feature branch, merged back early) so its C# + OpenAPI regen runs while the
+  frontend is built. **No parallel agents over the shared frontend module** (the one-file fan-out
+  trap).
+- Everything else is **sequential, single committing agent** in the main worktree:
+  **#438 → #435 → #434-combobox** (combobox last, after the endpoint's generated API types exist).
+- Independent adversarial review over the whole diff before push (new API endpoint + >~150 lines).
+  Live-E2E on the SmartCollection screen for the round-trip.
+
+## #438 — validation & polish (frontend only)
+
+Confirmed current behavior (compile.ts):
+- `between` with empty `value2` emits `field:[v TO ]` (malformed). — compile.ts:45
+- empty `contains` → `field:**`; empty `startsWith` → `field:*`. — compile.ts:33–36
+- single-child group drops its connective (`join` over one element). — compile.ts:52–57
+- `isNot`/`notMatches` → `NOT field:"v"`, which matches nothing alone (no MatchAllDocs). — compile.ts:31
+
+Fixes:
+1. **`between` requires both bounds.** A `between` rule with empty `value` or `value2` is *invalid* —
+   surface a per-rule validation error and block compile/save. Never emit `field:[v TO ]`.
+2. **Empty text values are invalid.** `contains`/`startsWith`/`is`/`isNot` with an empty `value` are
+   incomplete (not a wildcard) — same per-rule validation error; block compile/save. Never emit
+   `field:*` or `field:**`.
+3. **Single-child group round-trips its connective.** Fix on the **parser** side: a compiled
+   single-child group parses back to the builder's default `match` so a 1-child `{match:'any'}` no
+   longer reopens as `'all'`. Output (compile) is unchanged; this is a parse-side alignment only.
+4. **Pure-negative top group → non-blocking warning.** When every child of the *top* group is negative
+   (`isNot`/`notMatches`), show a warning (a `NOT`-only query matches nothing) and rely on the live
+   preview count. **Do not block** — a positive branch nested deeper can legitimately rescue it, so a
+   hard block would create false negatives. (Decision confirmed with user 2026-07-23.)
+
+Validation surface: a per-rule "incomplete" flag rendered inline in `RuleBuilder.tsx`, and an
+aggregate "has-errors" boolean the consumer (`CollectionsScreen`) uses to disable Save. Compile of an
+invalid tree returns a sentinel (empty / null) rather than a malformed string.
+
+Tests: extend `compile.test.ts` / `parse.test.ts` / `roundtrip.test.ts` for each case (cases 1–3 are
+hard assertions; case 4 asserts the warning predicate, not a block).
+
+## #435 — relative-date operators (frontend only — backend macros already exist)
+
+The Lucene macros exist in `ErsatzTV.Infrastructure/Search/CustomMultiFieldQueryParser.cs`:
+`released_inthelast` / `released_notinthelast` / `added_inthelast` / `added_notinthelast`, value form
+`"<n> day|week|month|year"` (unit substring-matched; negated from `DateTime.Today`). **No C# change** —
+they are absent from `SearchFieldCatalog` only because they are query-time synthetic fields. (There is
+no `inthenext` macro, so "in the next N" is out of scope — matches the issue.)
+
+- **types.ts:** add operators `inLast` and `notInLast`, offered only on `date` fields (extend
+  `OPERATORS_BY_TYPE.date`). Add optional `unit?: 'day' | 'week' | 'month' | 'year'` to `Rule` (cleaner
+  than overloading `value2`, which is the `between` upper bound). `value` holds the integer N.
+- **RuleBuilder.tsx:** for `inLast`/`notInLast`, render a number input + a unit `<select>`.
+- **compile.ts:** map `{field, op, value:N, unit:U}` → `<synthetic>:"N U"` via a small mapping table
+  `release_date → released`, `added_date → added`, and `inLast → inthelast` / `notInLast → notinthelast`.
+  e.g. `{release_date, inLast, 7, day}` → `released_inthelast:"7 day"`.
+- **parse.ts:** recognize the four synthetic-field spellings `(released|added)_(inthelast|notinthelast):"<n> <unit>"`
+  and map back to `{field: release_date|added_date, op: inLast|notInLast, value, unit}`.
+- The `release_date↔released` / `added_date↔added` + `inLast↔inthelast` mapping table is the single
+  seam, shared by compile and parse.
+- Tests: extend `roundtrip.test.ts` + explicit compile/parse cases for each synthetic field and unit.
+
+## #434 — facet-value typeahead
+
+### Backend (parallel worktree agent)
+
+- **New endpoint** `GET /api/v1/search/fields/{name}/values?q=&limit=` in
+  `ErsatzTV/Controllers/Api/SearchController.cs`, thin `mediator.Send(...)` per the
+  `SearchCollections`/`SearchArtists` pattern (SearchController.cs:85–99).
+- **New MediatR query + handler** under `ErsatzTV.Application/Search/Queries/`
+  (`GetSearchFieldValues` / `GetSearchFieldValuesHandler`), following `GetSearchFieldCatalog*`.
+- **New `ISearchIndex` method** to enumerate distinct terms for a field with a case-insensitive prefix
+  filter — implemented in `LuceneSearchIndex` (read the index reader's terms for the field). Cap at
+  `limit` (default/max 50).
+- **Allow-list: `text`-type catalog fields only.** A field that is absent from `SearchFieldCatalog` or
+  is not typed `text` returns **404** (bounds the surface; enum ships values inline, number/date/fulltext
+  aren't typeahead targets). (Decision confirmed with user 2026-07-23.)
+- **Response DTO:** `SearchFieldValuesResponseModel { string[] Values }` in
+  `ErsatzTV.Core/Api/Search/`, file-scoped `#nullable enable` (per `api.response-dtos`).
+- **OpenAPI:** regenerate `v1.json` / `v1.d.ts` / `endpoint-index.md` via `./scripts/update-openapi.sh`
+  in the same diff (per `release.api-contract-ci-gate`).
+- **Tests:** handler test (allow-listed field returns filtered values; non-text/unknown field → the
+  404 path); term-enumeration unit coverage.
+
+### Frontend (sequential, after the endpoint's generated types exist)
+
+- **`fieldCatalog.ts`:** add a `getSearchFieldValues(name, q)` client over the generated API.
+- **`RuleBuilder.tsx`:** for a `text` field's value input with a `contains`/`startsWith`/`is`/`isNot`
+  operator, swap the `<input>` for an autocomplete combobox (debounced query to the endpoint). Purely
+  additive — the emitted value and compile/parse are unchanged. Falls back to free-text when the
+  endpoint returns nothing (so a typo still compiles, keeping the preview-count safety net).
+
+## Docs updated in-PR
+
+| Doc | Change |
+|---|---|
+| `api-conventions.md` | checklist entry for the new `search/fields/{name}/values` endpoint |
+| `v1.json` / `v1.d.ts` / `endpoint-index.md` | regenerated (#434 endpoint) |
+| `spa-conventions.md` §12 | relative-date operators (#435) + typeahead combobox (#434) behavior |
+| `docs/decisions.md` | record for the #434 distinct-values endpoint; record for the #435 relative-date field-mapping convention |
+| `docs/blazor-route-parity.md` | not required (no route change) |
+
+## Out of scope / deferred
+
+- **#436** (deeper group nesting): `compile.ts` already recurses arbitrarily deep; the cap is solely
+  `parse.ts:121` passing `false`. Left open — self-labeled YAGNI until a real query needs it.
+- **#437** (inline RuleBuilder adoption in ChannelBuilder + Auto-Tune): larger integration + live-E2E,
+  its own session. Note for then: cite `spa-conventions.md` **§12**, not §11.
+- **`does not contain` / date `is`**: these operators do not exist in the set and are not being added
+  (only #435's `inLast`/`notInLast`).
diff --git a/web/src/api/generated/v1.d.ts b/web/src/api/generated/v1.d.ts
index 6bf414e15..76bfc5545 100644
--- a/web/src/api/generated/v1.d.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/generated/v1.d.ts
@@ -1461,6 +1461,9 @@ export interface components {
     "type": null | string;
     "group": null | string;
     "values": null | Array<string>;
+  };
+    "SearchFieldValuesResponseModel": {
+    "values": Array<string>;
   };
     "SearchResultAllItemsResponseModel": {
     "movieIds": Array<number>;
diff --git a/web/src/api/search.ts b/web/src/api/search.ts
index 313e46ad9..44d12b457 100644
--- a/web/src/api/search.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/search.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,21 @@ export function getSearchFields(): Promise<SearchField[]> {
   return request<SearchField[]>('/api/v1/search/fields');
 }
 
+export type SearchFieldValues = components['schemas']['SearchFieldValuesResponseModel'];
+
+// Backs the rule builder's facet-value typeahead (#434): distinct values a text field already holds
+// in the library, matching the in-progress query prefix. `.values` is non-nullable on the DTO, but we
+// still coerce defensively at the boundary (Core-DTO-nullable convention) in case a future model
+// change reintroduces nullability.
+export function getSearchFieldValues(name: string, q: string, limit = 50): Promise<string[]> {
+  const searchParams = new URLSearchParams();
+  searchParams.set('q', q);
+  searchParams.set('limit', String(limit));
+  return request<SearchFieldValues>(`/api/v1/search/fields/${encodeURIComponent(name)}/values?${searchParams.toString()}`).then(
+    (result) => result.values ?? []
+  );
+}
+
 // The ten media-item id arrays a search query resolves to, one bucket per addable kind. Wire keys
 // match AddItemsToCollectionRequest exactly, so a result pipes straight into addItemsToCollection /
 // addItemsToPlaylist via toAddItemsRequestFromSearch below.
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.test.tsx b/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.test.tsx
index a35afb952..5151b5e95 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.test.tsx
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.test.tsx
@@ -1,16 +1,27 @@
-import { cleanup, render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { useState } from 'react';
+import { cleanup, render, screen, fireEvent, act } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { RuleBuilder } from './RuleBuilder';
 import type { RuleField } from './fieldCatalog';
 import type { Group } from './types';
 
+const getSearchFieldValues = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]);
+vi.mock('../../api/search', () => ({
+  getSearchFieldValues: (...args: unknown[]) => getSearchFieldValues(...args)
+}));
+
 afterEach(() => {
   cleanup();
+  vi.useRealTimers();
+  getSearchFieldValues.mockReset();
+  getSearchFieldValues.mockResolvedValue([]);
 });
 
 const FIELDS: RuleField[] = [
   { name: 'genre', label: 'Genre', type: 'text', group: 'General', values: [] },
-  { name: 'type', label: 'Item type', type: 'enum', group: 'General', values: ['movie', 'episode'] }
+  { name: 'type', label: 'Item type', type: 'enum', group: 'General', values: ['movie', 'episode'] },
+  { name: 'added', label: 'Added', type: 'date', group: 'General', values: [] },
+  { name: 'minutes', label: 'Duration', type: 'number', group: 'Technical', values: [] }
 ];
 
 function setup(initial: Group) {
@@ -19,6 +30,17 @@ function setup(initial: Group) {
   return { onChange, ...utils };
 }
 
+// RuleBuilder is fully controlled, so exercising a real onChange -> re-render round trip (e.g.
+// an operator switch that changes which inputs are shown) needs a stateful harness rather than a
+// static value + spy.
+function setupControlled(initial: Group) {
+  function Harness() {
+    const [group, setGroup] = useState(initial);
+    return <RuleBuilder value={group} onChange={setGroup} fields={FIELDS} />;
+  }
+  return render(<Harness />);
+}
+
 describe('RuleBuilder', () => {
   it('adds a rule', () => {
     const { onChange } = setup({ match: 'all', children: [] });
@@ -40,8 +62,10 @@ describe('RuleBuilder', () => {
   it('adds a nested group only at top level', () => {
     const { onChange } = setup({ match: 'all', children: [] });
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('Add group'));
+    // The new nested group has a single child, so the builder's onChange path normalizes its
+    // `match` to 'all' (normalizeGroup) — a 1-child group's connective is moot either way.
     expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({ children: expect.arrayContaining([expect.objectContaining({ match: 'any' })]) })
+      expect.objectContaining({ children: expect.arrayContaining([expect.objectContaining({ match: 'all' })]) })
     );
   });
 
@@ -69,4 +93,59 @@ describe('RuleBuilder', () => {
       children: [{ field: 'genre', operator: 'is', value: '' }]
     });
   });
+
+  it('shows a number and unit input when a relative-date operator is selected', () => {
+    setupControlled({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'added', operator: 'before', value: '' }] });
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText('Operator'), { target: { value: 'inLast' } });
+    expect(screen.getByLabelText('Value')).toHaveAttribute('type', 'number');
+    expect(screen.getByLabelText('Unit')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('shows the error message for an incomplete between rule', () => {
+    setup({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '10', value2: '' }] });
+    expect(screen.getByText('Both bounds are required.')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('hides the any/all toggle for a single-child group', () => {
+    setup({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'genre', operator: 'is', value: 'Horror' }] });
+    expect(screen.queryByLabelText('Match')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('offers facet-value suggestions for a text field and still accepts free text (#434)', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    getSearchFieldValues.mockResolvedValue(['Action', 'Adventure']);
+
+    const { container } = setupControlled({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'genre', operator: 'is', value: '' }] });
+
+    const input = screen.getByLabelText('Value') as HTMLInputElement;
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'Ac' } });
+    expect(input.value).toBe('Ac');
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(200);
+    });
+
+    expect(getSearchFieldValues).toHaveBeenCalledWith('genre', 'Ac');
+    const options = Array.from(container.querySelectorAll('datalist option')).map((o) => (o as HTMLOptionElement).value);
+    expect(options).toEqual(['Action', 'Adventure']);
+
+    // Selecting a suggestion (a native datalist selection fires the same input/change event a keystroke would).
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'Adventure' } });
+    expect(input.value).toBe('Adventure');
+
+    // A free-typed value that isn't in the suggestion list is still retained (free-text fallback).
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: 'Something else entirely' } });
+    expect(input.value).toBe('Something else entirely');
+  });
+
+  it('shows an all-negative warning for the root group', () => {
+    setup({
+      match: 'all',
+      children: [
+        { field: 'genre', operator: 'isNot', value: 'Horror' },
+        { field: 'genre', operator: 'isNot', value: 'Comedy' }
+      ]
+    });
+    expect(screen.getByText(/entirely negative/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.tsx b/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.tsx
index 8ed70d404..42b9bfea0 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.tsx
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/RuleBuilder.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
+import { useEffect, useId, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { Plus, Trash2 } from 'lucide-react';
-import { Button, IconButton } from '../../components';
+import { Badge, Button, IconButton } from '../../components';
+import { getSearchFieldValues } from '../../api/search';
 import type { RuleField } from './fieldCatalog';
-import { isGroup, OPERATORS_BY_TYPE, type FieldType, type Group, type Operator, type Rule } from './types';
+import { isGroup, OPERATORS_BY_TYPE, type DateUnit, type FieldType, type Group, type Operator, type Rule } from './types';
+import { normalizeGroup, ruleError, topGroupAllNegative } from './validation';
 
 const OP_LABEL: Record<Operator, string> = {
   is: 'is',
@@ -15,13 +18,71 @@ const OP_LABEL: Record<Operator, string> = {
   lt: '<',
   between: 'between',
   before: 'before',
-  after: 'after'
+  after: 'after',
+  inLast: 'in the last',
+  notInLast: 'not in the last'
+};
+
+const RELATIVE_DATE_OPERATORS = new Set<Operator>(['inLast', 'notInLast']);
+
+const UNIT_LABEL: Record<DateUnit, string> = {
+  day: 'days',
+  week: 'weeks',
+  month: 'months',
+  year: 'years'
 };
 
 function typeOf(fields: RuleField[], name: string): FieldType {
   return fields.find((f) => f.name === name)?.type ?? 'text';
 }
 
+// Facet-value typeahead for text-field rules (#434): backed by a `<datalist>` so free-text is always
+// accepted alongside the server-suggested values (the query preview count is the safety net for a
+// value that doesn't match anything). Debounces the lookup ~200ms after each keystroke and drops any
+// response that arrives after a newer request was issued or the field changed underneath it.
+function TextValueInput({ field, value, onChange }: { field: string; value: string; onChange: (v: string) => void }) {
+  const [suggestions, setSuggestions] = useState<string[]>([]);
+  const seqRef = useRef(0);
+  const listId = useId();
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const seq = ++seqRef.current;
+    const handle = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      getSearchFieldValues(field, value.trim())
+        .then((values) => {
+          if (seqRef.current === seq) {
+            setSuggestions(values);
+          }
+        })
+        .catch(() => {
+          if (seqRef.current === seq) {
+            setSuggestions([]);
+          }
+        });
+    }, 200);
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(handle);
+  }, [field, value]);
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <input
+        aria-label="Value"
+        className="ctv-input"
+        value={value}
+        onChange={(e) => onChange(e.target.value)}
+        type="text"
+        list={listId}
+        autoComplete="off"
+      />
+      <datalist id={listId}>
+        {suggestions.map((s) => (
+          <option key={s} value={s} />
+        ))}
+      </datalist>
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
 function defaultRule(fields: RuleField[]): Rule {
   const field = fields[0]?.name ?? 'title';
   const type = typeOf(fields, field);
@@ -45,68 +106,104 @@ function RuleRow({
   const type = typeOf(fields, rule.field);
   const ops = OPERATORS_BY_TYPE[type];
   const enumField = fields.find((f) => f.name === rule.field && f.type === 'enum');
+  const isRelativeDate = RELATIVE_DATE_OPERATORS.has(rule.operator);
+  const error = ruleError(rule);
 
   return (
-    <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: 8, alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: 8 }}>
-      <select
-        aria-label="Field"
-        value={rule.field}
-        onChange={(e) => {
-          const nextType = typeOf(fields, e.target.value);
-          onChange({ field: e.target.value, operator: OPERATORS_BY_TYPE[nextType][0], value: '' });
-        }}
-      >
-        {fields.map((f) => (
-          <option key={f.name} value={f.name}>
-            {f.label}
-          </option>
-        ))}
-      </select>
-
-      <select
-        aria-label="Operator"
-        value={rule.operator}
-        onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, operator: e.target.value as Operator })}
-      >
-        {ops.map((op) => (
-          <option key={op} value={op}>
-            {OP_LABEL[op]}
-          </option>
-        ))}
-      </select>
-
-      {enumField ? (
-        <select aria-label="Value" value={rule.value} onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, value: e.target.value })}>
-          <option value="">—</option>
-          {enumField.values.map((v) => (
-            <option key={v} value={v}>
-              {v}
+    <div style={{ marginBottom: 8 }}>
+      <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: 8, alignItems: 'center' }}>
+        <select
+          aria-label="Field"
+          value={rule.field}
+          onChange={(e) => {
+            const nextType = typeOf(fields, e.target.value);
+            onChange({ field: e.target.value, operator: OPERATORS_BY_TYPE[nextType][0], value: '' });
+          }}
+        >
+          {fields.map((f) => (
+            <option key={f.name} value={f.name}>
+              {f.label}
             </option>
           ))}
         </select>
-      ) : (
-        <input
-          aria-label="Value"
-          className="ctv-input"
-          value={rule.value}
-          onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, value: e.target.value })}
-          type={type === 'number' ? 'number' : type === 'date' ? 'date' : 'text'}
-        />
-      )}
 
-      {rule.operator === 'between' && (
-        <input
-          aria-label="Upper bound"
-          className="ctv-input"
-          value={rule.value2 ?? ''}
-          onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, value2: e.target.value })}
-          type={type === 'number' ? 'number' : 'date'}
-        />
-      )}
+        <select
+          aria-label="Operator"
+          value={rule.operator}
+          onChange={(e) => {
+            const operator = e.target.value as Operator;
+            const relative = RELATIVE_DATE_OPERATORS.has(operator);
+            onChange({ ...rule, operator, unit: relative ? (rule.unit ?? 'day') : undefined });
+          }}
+        >
+          {ops.map((op) => (
+            <option key={op} value={op}>
+              {OP_LABEL[op]}
+            </option>
+          ))}
+        </select>
 
-      <IconButton title="Remove rule" onClick={onRemove}>
-        <Trash2 size={14} />
-      </IconButton>
+        {enumField ? (
+          <select aria-label="Value" value={rule.value} onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, value: e.target.value })}>
+            <option value="">—</option>
+            {enumField.values.map((v) => (
+              <option key={v} value={v}>
+                {v}
+              </option>
+            ))}
+          </select>
+        ) : isRelativeDate ? (
+          <>
+            <input
+              aria-label="Value"
+              className="ctv-input"
+              value={rule.value}
+              onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, value: e.target.value })}
+              type="number"
+            />
+            <select
+              aria-label="Unit"
+              value={rule.unit ?? 'day'}
+              onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, unit: e.target.value as DateUnit })}
+            >
+              {(Object.keys(UNIT_LABEL) as DateUnit[]).map((u) => (
+                <option key={u} value={u}>
+                  {UNIT_LABEL[u]}
+                </option>
+              ))}
+            </select>
+          </>
+        ) : type === 'text' ? (
+          <TextValueInput field={rule.field} value={rule.value} onChange={(v) => onChange({ ...rule, value: v })} />
+        ) : (
+          <input
+            aria-label="Value"
+            className="ctv-input"
+            value={rule.value}
+            onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, value: e.target.value })}
+            type={type === 'number' ? 'number' : type === 'date' ? 'date' : 'text'}
+          />
+        )}
+
+        {rule.operator === 'between' && (
+          <input
+            aria-label="Upper bound"
+            className="ctv-input"
+            value={rule.value2 ?? ''}
+            onChange={(e) => onChange({ ...rule, value2: e.target.value })}
+            type={type === 'number' ? 'number' : 'date'}
+          />
+        )}
+
+        <IconButton title="Remove rule" onClick={onRemove}>
+          <Trash2 size={14} />
+        </IconButton>
+      </div>
+      {error && (
+        <span className="ctv-field-error" role="alert">
+          {error}
+        </span>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }
@@ -153,7 +250,9 @@ function GroupEditor({
         marginBottom: 8
       }}
     >
-      <MatchToggle match={group.match} onChange={(m) => onChange({ ...group, match: m })} />
+      {group.children.length >= 2 && (
+        <MatchToggle match={group.match} onChange={(m) => onChange({ ...group, match: m })} />
+      )}
       {group.children.map((child, i) =>
         isGroup(child) ? (
           <GroupEditor
@@ -208,5 +307,14 @@ export function RuleBuilder({
   onChange: (g: Group) => void;
   fields: RuleField[];
 }) {
-  return <GroupEditor group={value} fields={fields} depth={0} onChange={onChange} />;
+  return (
+    <div>
+      <GroupEditor group={value} fields={fields} depth={0} onChange={(g) => onChange(normalizeGroup(g))} />
+      {topGroupAllNegative(value) && (
+        <Badge tone="warn" dot>
+          This query is entirely negative and will match nothing on its own.
+        </Badge>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
 }
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts
index ba27dc370..2f2c9d5eb 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/compile.test.ts
@@ -54,3 +54,29 @@ describe('compile', () => {
     expect(compile(g)).toBe('type:"movie" AND (genre:"Horror" OR genre:"Thriller")');
   });
 });
+
+describe('compile — #438 guards + #435 relative dates', () => {
+  it('emits the relative-date macro', () => {
+    expect(compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' }] })).toBe('released_inthelast:"7 day"');
+  });
+  it('drops an incomplete between instead of emitting field:[v TO ]', () => {
+    const out = compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '30' }] });
+    expect(out).not.toContain('TO ]');
+    expect(out).toBe(''); // sole invalid child filtered out
+  });
+  it('drops an empty text value instead of emitting field:* / field:**', () => {
+    expect(compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'title', operator: 'contains', value: '' }] })).toBe('');
+    expect(compile({ match: 'all', children: [{ field: 'title', operator: 'startsWith', value: '' }] })).toBe('');
+  });
+  it('drops a nested all-invalid subgroup instead of emitting ()', () => {
+    const out = compile({
+      match: 'all',
+      children: [
+        { field: 'type', operator: 'is', value: 'movie' },
+        { match: 'any', children: [{ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '30' }] }
+      ]
+    });
+    expect(out).toBe('type:"movie"');
+    expect(out).not.toContain('()');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/compile.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/compile.ts
index 9285b517e..4a70226d2 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/compile.ts
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/compile.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { isGroup, type Group, type Rule } from './types';
+import { compileRelative } from './dateMacro';
+import { ruleError } from './validation';
 
 // The compiler is the sole author of quoting. Quoted phrases escape only " and \.
 function quote(value: string): string {
@@ -21,6 +23,13 @@ function normalizeDate(value: string): string {
 }
 
 function compileRule(rule: Rule): string {
+  // #435: relative-date operators map to synthetic query fields.
+  const relative = compileRelative(rule);
+  if (relative !== null) return relative;
+
+  // #438: never emit malformed Lucene for a structurally-invalid rule; compileGroup filters ''.
+  if (ruleError(rule) !== null) return '';
+
   const f = rule.field;
   const v = rule.value;
   switch (rule.operator) {
@@ -52,7 +61,13 @@ function compileRule(rule: Rule): string {
 function compileGroup(group: Group): string {
   const conn = group.match === 'all' ? ' AND ' : ' OR ';
   return group.children
-    .map((child) => (isGroup(child) ? `(${compileGroup(child)})` : compileRule(child)))
+    .map((child) => {
+      if (isGroup(child)) {
+        const inner = compileGroup(child);
+        return inner.length > 0 ? `(${inner})` : '';
+      }
+      return compileRule(child);
+    })
     .filter((s) => s.length > 0)
     .join(conn);
 }
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..955d7543d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { compileRelative, parseRelative } from './dateMacro';
+import type { Rule } from './types';
+
+const r = (o: Partial<Rule>): Rule => ({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day', ...o });
+
+describe('compileRelative', () => {
+  it('maps release_date/inLast → released_inthelast', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({}))).toBe('released_inthelast:"7 day"');
+  });
+  it('maps release_date/notInLast → released_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ operator: 'notInLast', value: '14', unit: 'month' }))).toBe('released_notinthelast:"14 month"');
+  });
+  it('maps added_date/inLast → added_inthelast', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ field: 'added_date', value: '2', unit: 'year' }))).toBe('added_inthelast:"2 year"');
+  });
+  it('maps added_date/notInLast → added_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ field: 'added_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '3', unit: 'week' }))).toBe('added_notinthelast:"3 week"');
+  });
+  it('returns null for a non-relative rule', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ operator: 'before' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null when N is invalid', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ value: '0' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null when N is not an integer', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ value: 'abc' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null when N is empty', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ value: '' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null when N is decimal notation', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ value: '7.0' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null when N is scientific notation', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ value: '1e2' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null when unit is undefined', () => {
+    expect(compileRelative(r({ unit: undefined }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('parseRelative', () => {
+  it('round-trips released_inthelast', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('released_inthelast', '7 day')).toEqual({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' });
+  });
+  it('round-trips released_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('released_notinthelast', '14 month')).toEqual({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '14', unit: 'month' });
+  });
+  it('round-trips added_inthelast', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('added_inthelast', '2 year')).toEqual({ field: 'added_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '2', unit: 'year' });
+  });
+  it('round-trips added_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('added_notinthelast', '3 week')).toEqual({ field: 'added_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '3', unit: 'week' });
+  });
+  it('returns null for an unrelated field', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('title', '7 day')).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('returns null for a malformed value', () => {
+    expect(parseRelative('released_inthelast', 'soon')).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('composed round-trip', () => {
+  it('compiles and parses back release_date/inLast', () => {
+    const rule = r({});
+    const out = compileRelative(rule)!;
+    const [, field, quoted] = /^(\S+):"(.+)"$/.exec(out)!;
+    expect(parseRelative(field, quoted)).toEqual(rule);
+  });
+  it('compiles and parses back release_date/notInLast', () => {
+    const rule = r({ operator: 'notInLast', value: '14', unit: 'month' });
+    const out = compileRelative(rule)!;
+    const [, field, quoted] = /^(\S+):"(.+)"$/.exec(out)!;
+    expect(parseRelative(field, quoted)).toEqual(rule);
+  });
+  it('compiles and parses back added_date/inLast', () => {
+    const rule = r({ field: 'added_date', value: '2', unit: 'year' });
+    const out = compileRelative(rule)!;
+    const [, field, quoted] = /^(\S+):"(.+)"$/.exec(out)!;
+    expect(parseRelative(field, quoted)).toEqual(rule);
+  });
+  it('compiles and parses back added_date/notInLast', () => {
+    const rule = r({ field: 'added_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '3', unit: 'week' });
+    const out = compileRelative(rule)!;
+    const [, field, quoted] = /^(\S+):"(.+)"$/.exec(out)!;
+    expect(parseRelative(field, quoted)).toEqual(rule);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b19faa5b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/dateMacro.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import type { DateUnit, Rule } from './types';
+
+export const RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP = { release_date: 'released', added_date: 'added' } as const;
+type RelField = keyof typeof RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP;
+
+const OP_TO_SUFFIX = { inLast: 'inthelast', notInLast: 'notinthelast' } as const;
+const SUFFIX_TO_OP = { inthelast: 'inLast', notinthelast: 'notInLast' } as const;
+const CATALOG_FROM_PREFIX = { released: 'release_date', added: 'added_date' } as const;
+const UNITS: DateUnit[] = ['day', 'week', 'month', 'year'];
+
+export const RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC = /^(released|added)_(inthelast|notinthelast)$/;
+
+function isValidN(value: string): boolean {
+  const t = value.trim();
+  return /^\d+$/.test(t) && Number(t) > 0;
+}
+
+export function compileRelative(rule: Rule): string | null {
+  if (rule.operator !== 'inLast' && rule.operator !== 'notInLast') return null;
+  const prefix = RELATIVE_FIELD_MAP[rule.field as RelField];
+  if (!prefix) return null;
+  if (!isValidN(rule.value) || !rule.unit || !UNITS.includes(rule.unit)) return null;
+  return `${prefix}_${OP_TO_SUFFIX[rule.operator]}:"${rule.value} ${rule.unit}"`;
+}
+
+export function parseRelative(field: string, quoted: string): Rule | null {
+  const m = RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC.exec(field);
+  if (!m) return null;
+  const [, prefix, suffix] = m;
+  const vm = /^(\d+)\s+(day|week|month|year)$/.exec(quoted.trim());
+  if (!vm) return null;
+  const [, n, unit] = vm;
+  if (!isValidN(n)) return null;
+  return {
+    field: CATALOG_FROM_PREFIX[prefix as 'released' | 'added'],
+    operator: SUFFIX_TO_OP[suffix as 'inthelast' | 'notinthelast'],
+    value: n,
+    unit: unit as DateUnit
+  };
+}
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/parse.test.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/parse.test.ts
index c91b1ba27..8ade41c90 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/parse.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/parse.test.ts
@@ -81,3 +81,19 @@ describe('parse: special-char round-trips', () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe('parse — #435 relative dates', () => {
+  const ft = { release_date: 'date', added_date: 'date' } as const;
+  it('parses released_inthelast back to a relative rule', () => {
+    expect(parse('released_inthelast:"7 day"', ft)).toEqual({
+      match: 'all',
+      children: [{ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' }]
+    });
+  });
+  it('parses added_notinthelast', () => {
+    expect(parse('added_notinthelast:"3 week"', ft)).toEqual({
+      match: 'all',
+      children: [{ field: 'added_date', operator: 'notInLast', value: '3', unit: 'week' }]
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/parse.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/parse.ts
index a823bcca7..892c85574 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/parse.ts
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/parse.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { FieldType, Group, Operator, Rule } from './types';
+import { parseRelative, RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC } from './dateMacro';
 
 // Split a group body into top-level parts separated by a single connective, respecting quotes and
 // one level of parens. Returns the parts and the connective, or null if the split is malformed or the
@@ -51,6 +52,17 @@ function endsWithOperatorStar(s: string): boolean {
 
 function parseAtom(atom: string, fieldTypes: Record<string, FieldType>): Rule | null {
   const trimmed = atom.trim();
+
+  // #435: relative-date synthetic fields are not in the catalog; match them first.
+  const relColon = trimmed.indexOf(':');
+  if (relColon > 0 && RELATIVE_SYNTHETIC.test(trimmed.slice(0, relColon))) {
+    const rawRel = trimmed.slice(relColon + 1);
+    if (rawRel.startsWith('"') && rawRel.endsWith('"') && rawRel.length >= 2) {
+      return parseRelative(trimmed.slice(0, relColon), rawRel.slice(1, -1));
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
   const negate = trimmed.startsWith('NOT ');
   const body = negate ? trimmed.slice(4).trim() : trimmed;
 
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/roundtrip.test.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/roundtrip.test.ts
index 6cdcc5597..3ebf502f3 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/roundtrip.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/roundtrip.test.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import { compile } from './compile';
 import { parse } from './parse';
-import type { FieldType, Group, Operator, Rule } from './types';
+import { normalizeGroup } from './validation';
+import type { DateUnit, FieldType, Group, Operator, Rule } from './types';
 
 const FIELDS: Record<string, FieldType> = {
-  genre: 'text', title: 'text', plot: 'fulltext', type: 'enum', minutes: 'number', release_date: 'date'
+  genre: 'text', title: 'text', plot: 'fulltext', type: 'enum', minutes: 'number',
+  release_date: 'date', added_date: 'date'
 };
 const BY_TYPE: Record<FieldType, string[]> = {
-  text: ['genre', 'title'], fulltext: ['plot'], enum: ['type'], number: ['minutes'], date: ['release_date']
+  text: ['genre', 'title'], fulltext: ['plot'], enum: ['type'], number: ['minutes'],
+  date: ['release_date', 'added_date']
 };
 const OPS: Record<FieldType, Operator[]> = {
   text: ['is', 'isNot', 'contains', 'startsWith'],
@@ -40,6 +43,14 @@ const token = (rng: () => number): string => {
 function makeRule(rng: () => number): Rule {
   const type = pick(rng, Object.keys(BY_TYPE) as FieldType[]);
   const field = pick(rng, BY_TYPE[type]);
+
+  // #435: sometimes emit a relative-date rule for date fields, alongside before/after/between.
+  if (type === 'date' && rng() < 0.5) {
+    const operator = rng() < 0.5 ? 'inLast' : 'notInLast';
+    const unit = pick(rng, ['day', 'week', 'month', 'year'] as DateUnit[]);
+    return { field, operator, value: String(1 + Math.floor(rng() * 30)), unit };
+  }
+
   const operator = pick(rng, OPS[type]);
   if (operator === 'between') {
     return type === 'date'
@@ -69,7 +80,7 @@ describe('round-trip: parse(compile(tree)) === tree', () => {
       const tree = makeGroup(rng, true);
       const text = compile(tree);
       const back = parse(text, FIELDS);
-      expect(back, `seed-iter ${i} failed for: ${text}`).toEqual(tree);
+      expect(back, `seed-iter ${i} failed for: ${text}`).toEqual(normalizeGroup(tree));
     }
   });
 });
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/types.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/types.ts
index 3c5927b49..a9ee95d04 100644
--- a/web/src/builder/rules/types.ts
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/types.ts
@@ -5,13 +5,17 @@ export type Operator =
   | 'is' | 'isNot' | 'contains' | 'startsWith' // text
   | 'matches' | 'notMatches'                    // fulltext
   | 'eq' | 'gt' | 'lt' | 'between'              // number
-  | 'before' | 'after';                         // date
+  | 'before' | 'after'                          // date (absolute)
+  | 'inLast' | 'notInLast';                     // date (relative, #435)
+
+export type DateUnit = 'day' | 'week' | 'month' | 'year';
 
 export interface Rule {
   field: string;
   operator: Operator;
   value: string;
   value2?: string; // upper bound for `between`
+  unit?: DateUnit; // unit for `inLast`/`notInLast` (#435)
 }
 
 export interface Group {
@@ -29,5 +33,5 @@ export const OPERATORS_BY_TYPE: Record<FieldType, Operator[]> = {
   fulltext: ['matches', 'notMatches'],
   enum: ['is', 'isNot'],
   number: ['eq', 'gt', 'lt', 'between'],
-  date: ['before', 'after', 'between']
+  date: ['before', 'after', 'between', 'inLast', 'notInLast']
 };
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..12d5f2019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/validation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { groupHasErrors, normalizeGroup, ruleError, topGroupAllNegative } from './validation';
+import type { Group, Rule } from './types';
+
+const r = (o: Partial<Rule>): Rule => ({ field: 'title', operator: 'is', value: 'x', ...o });
+
+describe('ruleError', () => {
+  it('flags between with a missing upper bound', () => {
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '30', value2: '' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '', value2: '60' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'minutes', operator: 'between', value: '30', value2: '60' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('flags empty text values', () => {
+    for (const operator of ['is', 'isNot', 'contains', 'startsWith'] as const) {
+      expect(ruleError(r({ operator, value: '' }))).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(ruleError(r({ operator, value: 'x' }))).toBeNull();
+    }
+  });
+  it('flags relative-date rule with a non-positive or non-integer N', () => {
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '', unit: 'day' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '0', unit: 'day' }))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7', unit: 'day' }))).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('flags relative-date rule with decimal notation N', () => {
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '7.0', unit: 'day' }))).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+  it('flags relative-date rule with scientific notation N', () => {
+    expect(ruleError(r({ field: 'release_date', operator: 'inLast', value: '1e2', unit: 'day' }))).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('groupHasErrors', () => {
+  it('walks nested groups', () => {
+    const g: Group = { match: 'all', children: [{ match: 'any', children: [r({ value: '' })] }] };
+    expect(groupHasErrors(g)).toBe(true);
+    expect(groupHasErrors({ match: 'all', children: [r({ value: 'ok' })] })).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('topGroupAllNegative', () => {
+  it('is true only when every top-level child is a negative rule', () => {
+    expect(topGroupAllNegative({ match: 'any', children: [r({ operator: 'isNot' }), r({ operator: 'notMatches', field: 'plot' })] })).toBe(true);
+    expect(topGroupAllNegative({ match: 'any', children: [r({ operator: 'isNot' }), r({ operator: 'is' })] })).toBe(false);
+    expect(topGroupAllNegative({ match: 'all', children: [] })).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('normalizeGroup', () => {
+  it("coerces a single-child group's match to 'all'", () => {
+    const g: Group = { match: 'any', children: [r({})] };
+    expect(normalizeGroup(g).match).toBe('all');
+  });
+  it('leaves a 2+ child group match unchanged and recurses', () => {
+    const g: Group = { match: 'any', children: [r({}), { match: 'any', children: [r({})] }] };
+    const n = normalizeGroup(g);
+    expect(n.match).toBe('any');
+    expect((n.children[1] as Group).match).toBe('all');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/builder/rules/validation.ts b/web/src/builder/rules/validation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6f6bb42a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/builder/rules/validation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { isGroup, type Group, type Rule } from './types';
+
+const NEGATIVE = new Set(['isNot', 'notMatches']);
+const RELATIVE_DATE = new Set(['inLast', 'notInLast']);
+
+export function ruleError(rule: Rule): string | null {
+  if (rule.operator === 'between') {
+    if (rule.value.trim() === '' || (rule.value2 ?? '').trim() === '') return 'Both bounds are required.';
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (RELATIVE_DATE.has(rule.operator)) {
+    const t = rule.value.trim();
+    if (!/^\d+$/.test(t) || Number(t) <= 0) return 'Enter a whole number greater than zero.';
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (rule.value.trim() === '') return 'A value is required.';
+  return null;
+}
+
+export function groupHasErrors(group: Group): boolean {
+  return group.children.some((c) => (isGroup(c) ? groupHasErrors(c) : ruleError(c) !== null));
+}
+
+export function topGroupAllNegative(group: Group): boolean {
+  const rules = group.children.filter((c): c is Rule => !isGroup(c));
+  if (rules.length === 0 || rules.length !== group.children.length) return false;
+  return rules.every((r) => NEGATIVE.has(r.operator));
+}
+
+export function normalizeGroup(group: Group): Group {
+  const children = group.children.map((c) => (isGroup(c) ? normalizeGroup(c) : c));
+  return { match: children.length < 2 ? 'all' : group.match, children };
+}
diff --git a/web/src/screens/CollectionsScreen.tsx b/web/src/screens/CollectionsScreen.tsx
index 4943a0ae6..01eac32dc 100644
--- a/web/src/screens/CollectionsScreen.tsx
+++ b/web/src/screens/CollectionsScreen.tsx
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ import { useSearchFields } from '../builder/rules/fieldCatalog';
 import { parse } from '../builder/rules/parse';
 import { RuleBuilder } from '../builder/rules/RuleBuilder';
 import type { Group } from '../builder/rules/types';
+import { groupHasErrors } from '../builder/rules/validation';
 
 type Tab = 'manual' | 'smart';
 
@@ -261,7 +262,11 @@ function SmartDialog({
   // compiled string is always what `query` — the single value submitted/previewed — holds.
   const handleGroupChange = (next: Group) => {
     setGroup(next);
-    setQuery(compile(next));
+    // Skip compiling an errored tree — a partial rule can still compile to a non-empty (but
+    // meaningless) query, which would otherwise satisfy the Save button's non-empty check.
+    if (!groupHasErrors(next)) {
+      setQuery(compile(next));
+    }
   };
 
   const runPreview = async () => {
@@ -287,6 +292,7 @@ function SmartDialog({
   const trimmedName = name.trim();
   const trimmedQuery = query.trim();
   const builderUnavailable = query.trim().length > 0 && parse(query, fieldTypes) === null;
+  const groupInvalid = mode === 'builder' && groupHasErrors(group);
 
   return (
     <Dialog
@@ -296,7 +302,7 @@ function SmartDialog({
             Cancel
           </Button>
           <Button
-            disabled={busy || trimmedName.length === 0 || trimmedQuery.length === 0}
+            disabled={busy || trimmedName.length === 0 || trimmedQuery.length === 0 || groupInvalid}
             loading={busy}
             onClick={() => onSubmit({ name: trimmedName, query: trimmedQuery })}
             variant="primary"