diff --git a/studio/backend/routes/data_recipe.py b/studio/backend/routes/data_recipe.py
index 55a2e805b1..e05347b3d4 100644
--- a/studio/backend/routes/data_recipe.py
+++ b/studio/backend/routes/data_recipe.py
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ if str(backend_path) not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(0, str(backend_path))
 
 from core.data_recipe.jobs import get_job_manager
-from core.data_recipe.service import validate_recipe
+from core.data_recipe.service import (
+    build_config_builder,
+    create_data_designer,
+    validate_recipe,
+)
 from models.data_recipe import (
     JobCreateResponse,
     RecipePayload,
@@ -198,6 +202,55 @@ def _read_preview_rows_from_local_file(path: Path, preview_size: int) -> list[di
     return _serialize_preview_rows(rows)
 
 
+def _collect_validation_errors(recipe: dict[str, Any]) -> list[ValidateError]:
+    try:
+        from data_designer.engine.compiler import (
+            _add_internal_row_id_column_if_needed,
+            _get_allowed_references,
+            _resolve_and_add_seed_columns,
+        )
+        from data_designer.engine.validation import (
+            ViolationLevel,
+            validate_data_designer_config,
+        )
+    except Exception:
+        return []
+
+    try:
+        builder = build_config_builder(recipe)
+        designer = create_data_designer(recipe)
+        resource_provider = designer._create_resource_provider(  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+            "validate-configuration",
+            builder,
+        )
+        config = builder.build()
+        _resolve_and_add_seed_columns(config, resource_provider.seed_reader)
+        _add_internal_row_id_column_if_needed(config)
+        violations = validate_data_designer_config(
+            columns=config.columns,
+            processor_configs=config.processors or [],
+            allowed_references=_get_allowed_references(config),
+        )
+    except Exception:
+        return []
+
+    errors: list[ValidateError] = []
+    for violation in violations:
+        if violation.level != ViolationLevel.ERROR:
+            continue
+        code = getattr(violation.type, "value", None)
+        path = violation.column if violation.column else None
+        message = str(violation.message).strip() or "Validation failed."
+        errors.append(
+            ValidateError(
+                message=message,
+                path=path,
+                code=code,
+            )
+        )
+    return errors
+
+
 @router.post("/seed/inspect", response_model=SeedInspectResponse)
 def inspect_seed_dataset(payload: SeedInspectRequest) -> SeedInspectResponse:
     dataset_name = payload.dataset_name.strip()
@@ -327,9 +380,10 @@ def validate(payload: RecipePayload) -> ValidateResponse:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=503, detail=str(exc)) from exc
     except Exception as exc:
         detail = str(exc).strip() or "Validation failed."
+        parsed_errors = _collect_validation_errors(recipe)
         return ValidateResponse(
             valid=False,
-            errors=[ValidateError(message=detail)],
+            errors=parsed_errors or [ValidateError(message=detail)],
             raw_detail=detail,
         )
 
diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/blocks/definitions.ts b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/blocks/definitions.ts
index f19b4a84f6..461d119aae 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/blocks/definitions.ts
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/blocks/definitions.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ const BLOCK_DEFINITIONS: BlockDefinition[] = [
   {
     kind: "seed",
     type: "seed_hf",
-    title: "Seed (Hugging Face)",
+    title: "Hugginface dataset",
     description: "Load real rows from HF and use them as generation context.",
     icon: Plant01Icon,
     dialogKey: "seed",
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ const BLOCK_DEFINITIONS: BlockDefinition[] = [
   {
     kind: "seed",
     type: "seed_local",
-    title: "Seed (Local File)",
+    title: "Local file",
     description: "Upload CSV/JSON/JSONL and use rows as seed context.",
     icon: DocumentCodeIcon,
     dialogKey: "seed",
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ const BLOCK_DEFINITIONS: BlockDefinition[] = [
   {
     kind: "seed",
     type: "seed_unstructured",
-    title: "Seed (Unstructured)",
+    title: "Unstructured documents",
     description: "Upload PDF/DOCX/TXT, chunk to text rows, then seed.",
     icon: DocumentAttachmentIcon,
     dialogKey: "seed",
diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/components/recipe-graph-node.tsx b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/components/recipe-graph-node.tsx
index b571fec32d..807a2ad746 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/components/recipe-graph-node.tsx
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/components/recipe-graph-node.tsx
@@ -338,7 +338,8 @@ function RecipeGraphNodeBase({
   const showDataHandles =
     data.kind === "llm" ||
     data.kind === "expression" ||
-    data.kind === "sampler";
+    data.kind === "sampler" ||
+    data.kind === "seed";
   const showSemanticIn = data.kind === "llm" || data.kind === "model_config";
   const showSemanticOut = data.kind === "model_config" || data.kind === "model_provider";
   const {
diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/hooks/use-recipe-executions.ts b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/hooks/use-recipe-executions.ts
index 5605d52ae9..25f6d1337a 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/hooks/use-recipe-executions.ts
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/hooks/use-recipe-executions.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,22 @@ type UseRecipeExecutionsResult = {
   loadExecutionDatasetPage: (id: string, page: number) => Promise<void>;
 };
 
+function formatValidationMessages(input: {
+  errors: Array<{ message: string; path?: string | null; code?: string | null }>;
+}): string[] {
+  return input.errors.map((item) => {
+    const path = item.path?.trim();
+    const code = item.code?.trim();
+    const prefix = [
+      code ? code.toUpperCase() : null,
+      path ? `column ${path}` : null,
+    ]
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .join(" · ");
+    return prefix ? `${prefix}: ${item.message}` : item.message;
+  });
+}
+
 export function useRecipeExecutions({
   recipeId,
   currentSignature,
@@ -310,7 +326,7 @@ export function useRecipeExecutions({
       try {
         const validation = await validateRecipe(executionPayload);
         if (!validation.valid) {
-          const errors = validation.errors.map((item) => item.message);
+          const errors = formatValidationMessages({ errors: validation.errors });
           const fallback = validation.raw_detail ?? "Validation failed.";
           const nextErrors = errors.length > 0 ? errors : [fallback];
           setRunErrors(nextErrors);
@@ -343,6 +359,7 @@ export function useRecipeExecutions({
   }, [fullRows, runWithValidation]);
 
   const runFromDialog = useCallback(async (): Promise<boolean> => {
+    setValidateResult(null);
     if (runDialogKind === "preview") {
       return runPreview();
     }
@@ -350,6 +367,7 @@ export function useRecipeExecutions({
   }, [runDialogKind, runFull, runPreview]);
 
   const validateFromDialog = useCallback(async (): Promise<boolean> => {
+    setRunErrors([]);
     const payload = readPayload();
     if (!payload) {
       const nextErrors = payloadResult.errors.length > 0
@@ -375,7 +393,7 @@ export function useRecipeExecutions({
     setValidateLoading(true);
     try {
       const validation = await validateRecipe(executionPayload);
-      const errors = validation.errors.map((item) => item.message);
+      const errors = formatValidationMessages({ errors: validation.errors });
       setValidateResult({
         valid: validation.valid,
         errors,
diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/graph/recipe-graph-connection.ts b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/graph/recipe-graph-connection.ts
index 54b6f0014f..5251e508df 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/graph/recipe-graph-connection.ts
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/graph/recipe-graph-connection.ts
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ export function applyRecipeConnection(
   }
   if (
     isLlmConfig(target) &&
+    source.kind !== "seed" &&
     source.kind !== "model_provider" &&
     source.kind !== "model_config"
   ) {
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ export function applyRecipeConnection(
   }
   if (
     isExpressionConfig(target) &&
+    source.kind !== "seed" &&
     source.kind !== "model_provider" &&
     source.kind !== "model_config"
   ) {
diff --git a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/import/importer.ts b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/import/importer.ts
index 21166e7a48..c47d2bd715 100644
--- a/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/import/importer.ts
+++ b/studio/frontend/src/features/recipe-studio/utils/import/importer.ts
@@ -275,6 +275,11 @@ export function importRecipePayload(input: string): ImportResult {
       unstructured_chunk_overlap: uiUnstructuredChunkOverlap,
     });
     if (seedConfig) {
+      if (nameToId.has(seedConfig.name)) {
+        errors.push(`Duplicate column name: ${seedConfig.name}.`);
+      } else {
+        nameToId.set(seedConfig.name, seedConfig.id);
+      }
       configs.push(seedConfig);
     }
   }