diff --git a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/playground-runner.tsx b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/playground-runner.tsx
index 6fbf7b98b..6bee3e4e5 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/playground-runner.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/playground-runner.tsx
@@ -209,11 +209,21 @@ export function PlaygroundRunner({ workspaceId, platform, verb }: PlaygroundRunn
 		}
 
 		if (run.status === "error") {
-			setFieldErrors(fieldErrorsFromError(run.error));
+			const nextFieldErrors = fieldErrorsFromError(run.error);
+			setFieldErrors(nextFieldErrors);
 			const key = `${run.runId ?? "run"}:error`;
 			if (notifiedRunRef.current === key) return;
 			notifiedRunRef.current = key;
-			toast.error(getRunErrorMessage(run.error));
+			// Field-level failures are shown inline (the form reveals + focuses the
+			// first one), so only toast global failures that have no field to anchor to.
+			// Keep run errors until dismissed — they're actionable and shouldn't
+			// vanish before the user reads them.
+			if (Object.keys(nextFieldErrors).length === 0) {
+				toast.error(getRunErrorMessage(run.error), {
+					duration: Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
+					closeButton: true,
+				});
+			}
 		}
 	}, [run.status, run.runId, run.error]);
 
diff --git a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/schema-form.tsx b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/schema-form.tsx
index c86dd9839..b8eb72c66 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/schema-form.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/app/dashboard/[workspace_id]/playground/components/schema-form.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { ChevronDown } from "lucide-react";
-import { useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
 import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
 import { Label } from "@/components/ui/label";
@@ -205,6 +205,25 @@ export function SchemaForm({
 		return { primary: primaryFields, advanced: advancedFields };
 	}, [fields]);
 
+	// First invalid field in display order; drives reveal + focus below.
+	const firstErrorName = useMemo(
+		() => (fieldErrors ? fields.find((f) => fieldErrors[f.name])?.name : undefined),
+		[fields, fieldErrors]
+	);
+
+	// Reveal the section holding an invalid field, then move focus to it, so an
+	// error is never left hidden inside the collapsed "Advanced" group.
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (!firstErrorName) return;
+		if (advanced.some((f) => f.name === firstErrorName)) setShowAdvanced(true);
+		const raf = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+			const el = document.getElementById(`field-${firstErrorName}`);
+			el?.focus();
+			el?.scrollIntoView({ block: "center", behavior: "smooth" });
+		});
+		return () => cancelAnimationFrame(raf);
+	}, [firstErrorName, advanced]);
+
 	return (
 		<div className="space-y-5">
 			{primary.map((field) => (