diff --git a/frontend/src/views/geenforce/ManifestEditor.vue b/frontend/src/views/geenforce/ManifestEditor.vue
index 19bd160..2917e25 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/geenforce/ManifestEditor.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/geenforce/ManifestEditor.vue
@@ -334,7 +334,11 @@
           <!-- payload fields per type -->
           <div v-if="['MSI','EXE','CMD','BAT','INF'].includes(entryForm.Type)" class="settings-grid">
             <div class="setting-row">
-              <label><span>Installer (relative path)</span><input v-model="entryForm.Installer" /></label>
+              <label>
+                <span>Installer (relative path)</span>
+                <input v-model="entryForm.Installer" />
+                <small class="input-hint">Path under the scope payload folder on the share, or an inline payload attached below.</small>
+              </label>
             </div>
             <div class="setting-row">
               <label><span>Install args</span><input v-model="entryForm.InstallArgs" /></label>
@@ -350,7 +354,11 @@
           </div>
           <div v-if="entryForm.Type === 'File'" class="settings-grid">
             <div class="setting-row">
-              <label><span>Source (relative)</span><input v-model="entryForm.Source" /></label>
+              <label>
+                <span>Source (relative)</span>
+                <input v-model="entryForm.Source" />
+                <small class="input-hint">Path under the scope payload folder on the share, or an inline payload attached below.</small>
+              </label>
             </div>
             <div class="setting-row">
               <label><span>Destination (absolute)</span><input v-model="entryForm.Destination" /></label>
@@ -408,6 +416,7 @@
                 <option value="">(none: always installs)</option>
                 <option v-for="method in availableDetectionMethods" :key="method" :value="method">{{ method }}</option>
               </select>
+              <small v-if="detectionMethodHint" class="input-hint">{{ detectionMethodHint }}</small>
               <small v-if="isPreinstallScope" class="input-hint">Preinstall supports Registry/File detection only.</small>
             </label>
           </div>
@@ -497,6 +506,7 @@
                   <option value="">(none)</option>
                   <option v-for="behavior in INUSE_BEHAVIORS" :key="behavior" :value="behavior">{{ behavior }}</option>
                 </select>
+                <small class="input-hint">What to do when a process below is running: Defer skips this cycle, CloseAndReopen restarts it, ForceClose kills it, ScheduleForReboot defers to next reboot.</small>
               </label>
             </div>
             <div v-if="entryForm.inuseBehavior" class="process-editor">
@@ -569,7 +579,7 @@ import {
   describeEntry, availableEntryTypes as availableEntryTypesFor,
   availableDetectionMethods as availableDetectionMethodsFor,
   targetingGates as targetingGatesFor, targetingHint as targetingHintFor,
-  scopeSummary as scopeSummaryFor,
+  scopeSummary as scopeSummaryFor, detectionMethodHint as detectionMethodHintFor,
 } from './entryForm'
 
 const scopes = ref([])
@@ -588,6 +598,8 @@ const availableEntryTypes = computed(() =>
   availableEntryTypesFor(isPreinstallScope.value, entryForm.value?.Type))
 const availableDetectionMethods = computed(() =>
   availableDetectionMethodsFor(isPreinstallScope.value, entryForm.value?.DetectionMethod))
+const detectionMethodHint = computed(() =>
+  detectionMethodHintFor(entryForm.value?.DetectionMethod))
 const scopeSummary = computed(() => scopeSummaryFor(detail.value))
 const showAllTargeting = ref(false)
 const targetingGates = computed(() => targetingGatesFor(detail.value))
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.js b/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.js
index c5cbc17..7384f63 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.js
+++ b/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.js
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 // Pure, framework-free helpers for the GE-Enforce manifest editor.
 //
-// These functions are lifted verbatim (behavior-for-behavior) from
-// ManifestEditor.vue so they can be unit tested without mounting the whole
-// component. ManifestEditor.vue still hosts its own copies today; a follow-up
-// should point the component at this module (import from here) so the tested
-// code and the shipped code are the same source. Until then keep the two in
-// sync: any change to the editor logic must land here too.
+// ManifestEditor.vue imports these directly (the component no longer keeps its
+// own copies), so the unit tests in entryForm.spec.js exercise the shipped
+// code path. Change the editor logic HERE.
 //
 // Everything here is a plain function of its inputs. No Vue, no reactivity,
 // no network. That is the whole point - deterministic logic we can pin down.
@@ -16,6 +13,26 @@ export const DETECTION_METHODS = ['Registry', 'File', 'FileVersion', 'Hash', 'Ma
   'ValueMatches', 'pnputil', 'Always']
 export const INUSE_BEHAVIORS = ['Defer', 'CloseAndReopen', 'ForceClose', 'ScheduleForReboot']
 
+// Plain-language description of each detection method, shown under the Detection
+// method dropdown so a first-time site admin understands what "present" means
+// for the method they picked. Key '' is the no-detection case.
+export const DETECTION_METHOD_HINTS = {
+  '': 'No detection rule: the action runs every cycle.',
+  Registry: 'Already correct if the registry value at Detection path/name exists (and equals Detection value when one is set).',
+  File: 'Already correct if the file at Detection path exists.',
+  FileVersion: 'Already correct if the file at Detection path is at Detection value or newer. This target feeds the Compliance panel.',
+  Hash: 'Already correct if the file at Detection path matches the SHA256 in Detection value. Re-copies when the file changed.',
+  MarkerFile: 'Already correct if the marker file at Detection path exists. Installs once, then the marker suppresses reruns.',
+  ValueMatches: 'Already correct if the registry value at Detection path/name equals Detection value exactly.',
+  pnputil: 'Already correct if a driver matching Detection pattern is staged in the Windows driver store. For INF entries.',
+  Always: 'Never counts as present, so the action runs every cycle. Same effect as no detection rule.',
+}
+
+// Description for the currently selected detection method, or '' if unknown.
+export function detectionMethodHint(method) {
+  return DETECTION_METHOD_HINTS[method || ''] || ''
+}
+
 // One blank entry form, matching the shape ManifestEditor seeds for a new entry.
 export function blankEntry() {
   return { Type: 'MSI', DetectionMethod: '', RegType: 'String',
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.spec.js b/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.spec.js
index f5591a4..bd29923 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.spec.js
+++ b/frontend/src/views/geenforce/entryForm.spec.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   targetingHint,
   scopeSummary,
   describeEntry,
+  detectionMethodHint,
   ENTRY_TYPES,
   DETECTION_METHODS,
 } from './entryForm.js'
@@ -300,3 +301,21 @@ describe('describeEntry', () => {
     expect(describeEntry({ Type: 'Weird', Name: 'x' })).toMatch(/^Applies x/)
   })
 })
+
+describe('detectionMethodHint', () => {
+  it('has a non-empty hint for every detection method', () => {
+    for (const method of DETECTION_METHODS) {
+      expect(detectionMethodHint(method).length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    }
+  })
+  it('describes the no-detection case for empty/undefined', () => {
+    expect(detectionMethodHint('')).toMatch(/every cycle/)
+    expect(detectionMethodHint(undefined)).toMatch(/every cycle/)
+  })
+  it('ties FileVersion to the compliance panel', () => {
+    expect(detectionMethodHint('FileVersion')).toMatch(/Compliance/)
+  })
+  it('returns empty string for an unknown method', () => {
+    expect(detectionMethodHint('Nonsense')).toBe('')
+  })
+})