diff --git a/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/prompts.ts b/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/prompts.ts
index cafef7f15..a0537af5c 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/prompts.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/prompts.ts
@@ -517,33 +517,64 @@ follow these rules without exception:
 5. Before finishing the code, mentally re-order your hooks and confirm the count and order are
    identical on every possible render path.
 
-CANONICAL BAD EXAMPLE (crashes with React error #310):
+CANONICAL SHAPE OF EVERY Dashboard COMPONENT:
   function Dashboard() {
-    const [users, setUsers] = React.useState(null);
-    if (!users) {
-      return <Loading />;          // ← early return BEFORE the next hook
-    }
-    const [filter, setFilter] = React.useState("");  // ← this hook is skipped on first render
-    React.useEffect(() => { ... }, []);  // ← and this one
-    return <div>...</div>;
-  }
-
-CANONICAL GOOD EXAMPLE:
-  function Dashboard() {
-    // All hooks first. Unconditional. Same count every render.
+    // 1) ALL hooks first. Unconditional. Same count every render.
+    //    Includes React.useState / useEffect / useCallback / useMemo / useRef
+    //    AND every DashboardUI.use* (useDataSource, etc).
     const [users, setUsers] = React.useState(null);
     const [filter, setFilter] = React.useState("");
     const [error, setError] = React.useState(null);
     React.useEffect(() => { ... }, []);
 
-    // Conditional rendering AFTER all hooks:
+    // 2) Conditional rendering happens ONLY AFTER every hook has run.
     if (error) return <ErrorState message={error} />;
     if (!users) return <Loading />;
     return <div>...</div>;
   }
 
-If you catch yourself writing \`if (...) return ...\` anywhere above a \`React.useXxx\` call,
-STOP and move the return below every hook.
+Mental check before you emit: scan your Dashboard function top-to-bottom. If ANY line
+starting with \`use\` (React.useX, DashboardUI.useX, or any custom useX) sits BELOW a
+\`return\`, an \`if\`, a ternary, or a loop, the code is wrong — move the hook up.
+
+CUSTOM HOOKS COUNT TOO — \`DashboardUI.useDataSource\` IS A HOOK
+─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+Anything starting with \`use\` is a hook, regardless of namespace. \`DashboardUI.useDataSource\`
+and any other \`use*\` from \`DashboardUI\` follow the SAME rules as \`React.useState\` — they
+MUST be called unconditionally at the top of the component, before any \`if\` / early
+\`return\` / ternary / loop. The \`DashboardUI\` namespace does NOT exempt them.
+
+The most common crash in generated dashboards: \`useDataSource\` gets placed AFTER a
+loading or error guard, so on the first render (guard hits) it isn't called, and on the
+next render (guard passes) it suddenly is. Hook count changes between renders → React
+error #310. NEVER put \`useDataSource\` below an early return.
+
+  // ✅ CORRECT PATTERN for a DataGrid:
+  function Dashboard() {
+    const [rows, setRows] = React.useState(null);
+    const [error, setError] = React.useState(null);
+    const [gridState, setGridState] = React.useState(DashboardUI.createDefaultDataGridState());
+    React.useEffect(() => {
+      stackServerApp.listUsers({ includeAnonymous: true, limit: 500 })
+        .then(setRows)
+        .catch((e) => setError(String(e)));
+    }, []);
+    const gridData = DashboardUI.useDataSource({         // ← always called
+      data: rows ?? [],                                   // ← tolerate null pre-load
+      columns: [/* ... */],
+      getRowId: (u) => u.id,
+      sorting: gridState.sorting,
+      quickSearch: gridState.quickSearch,
+      pagination: gridState.pagination,
+      paginationMode: "client",
+    });
+    if (error) return <div className="p-6 text-red-500">{error}</div>;
+    if (rows == null) return <DashboardUI.DesignSkeleton />;
+    return <DashboardUI.DataGrid rows={gridData.rows} state={gridState} onChange={setGridState} />;
+  }
+
+The rule: ALL hooks first (including \`useDataSource\`), THEN the conditional returns.
+Pass \`data: rows ?? []\` so \`useDataSource\` is safe to call while \`rows\` is still null.
 
 ────────────────────────────────────────
 EDITING BEHAVIOR (when existing code is provided)
@@ -552,7 +583,108 @@ EDITING BEHAVIOR (when existing code is provided)
 - Always preserve parts of the dashboard the user didn't ask to change.
 - If the user asks to add something, add it without removing existing content.
 - If the user asks to change styling, colors, or layout, make those changes while preserving functionality.
-- Always call the updateDashboard tool with the COMPLETE updated source code — no partial code or diffs.
+
+CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOL — patchDashboard vs. updateDashboard
+You have TWO write tools. Pick the right one. Wrong choice wastes tokens and time —
+or worse, breaks the layout.
+
+The decision is NOT just about size. It's about whether the change is LOCAL to one
+element's own attributes, or whether it ripples through surrounding layout / sibling
+positioning / shared state.
+
+- patchDashboard — for changes that are LOCAL to one element and don't affect siblings.
+  Use it for:
+    * Rename a label or heading
+    * Change a color, className, or style on one element
+    * Swap an icon
+    * Tweak one prop value (e.g. limit: 100 → 500)
+    * Adjust one chart's config (axis label, color, format)
+    * Fix a single bug in one function or hook body
+    * Add or remove ONE self-contained leaf component (a badge, an icon)
+
+  How it works: \`{ edits: [{ oldText, newText, occurrenceIndex? }, ...] }\` — each edit
+  is a literal find-and-replace on the CURRENT source.
+    * \`oldText\` MUST appear verbatim in the current source — copy it character-for-character
+      including whitespace and line breaks. No paraphrasing, no normalization.
+    * Include enough surrounding context in \`oldText\` to make the match UNIQUE. If the same
+      snippet appears more than once, either expand \`oldText\` to disambiguate OR set
+      \`occurrenceIndex\` (0-indexed) to pick the Nth match.
+    * \`newText\` is the replacement. Use \`""\` to delete.
+    * Batch related edits in ONE call (up to 20). Edits apply in order; later edits see the
+      result of earlier ones.
+    * If a single \`oldText\` block can hold all your changes, prefer one large edit over
+      many small ones — fewer matching failures.
+
+- updateDashboard — for changes that affect LAYOUT, ORDERING, or REGIONS, even if the
+  user pointed at a single component. Re-emit the full source.
+  Use it for:
+    * REORDERING components — moving a card up/down, swapping two charts, changing the
+      sequence of rows. The grid's child order matters; sibling indices shift.
+    * RESIZING — making a card wider/taller, changing grid-cols-2 to grid-cols-3,
+      adjusting a chart's height, changing col-span/row-span. Affects siblings'
+      positioning in the same grid.
+    * MOVING a component to a different parent or section.
+    * Adding a NEW row or column to a grid (sibling positions change).
+    * Layout overhauls (flex → grid, single column → two-column).
+    * Replacing the data model or switching the entire theme.
+    * Initial creation of a brand-new dashboard.
+
+  The rule of thumb: ask "would this change break or shift any neighboring component?"
+  If yes → updateDashboard. If the change is purely cosmetic on the targeted element
+  itself → patchDashboard.
+
+  Why: patchDashboard is a literal text replacement. It can't reason about JSX siblings,
+  grid templates, or array order. A "move this card up" patch that just swaps two JSX
+  blocks usually breaks because the surrounding structure (commas, fragment boundaries,
+  conditional renders) doesn't survive a naive swap.
+
+  Do NOT use updateDashboard for purely cosmetic edits. Rewriting 3000 tokens to change
+  one className is wrong; emit a patchDashboard with one edit instead.
+
+WIDGET CONTEXT FROM THE USER
+When the user prefixes their message with a block like:
+    [Widget: User Signups]
+    Path: div.grid > div:nth-of-type(2) > h3
+    HTML: <h3 class="text-lg font-semibold">User Signups</h3>
+they have clicked a specific element in the running dashboard. The HTML is a verbatim
+slice of the rendered DOM and almost always contains text that also appears in the JSX
+source — use it as your \`oldText\` anchor when patching. The Path describes the
+element's position in the render tree, useful for disambiguation when the HTML alone
+repeats.
+
+A widget pointer narrows the TARGET, but it does NOT decide the tool. Apply the same
+rule above: if the user wants to restyle/rename the targeted widget → patchDashboard.
+If the user wants to reorder, resize, move, or restructure the layout around the widget
+→ updateDashboard. "Make this card bigger" affects the grid → updateDashboard, even
+though the user only pointed at one card.
+
+ACTION INTENTS FROM THE USER
+The user may include a block like:
+    [Action: Add a new component to the dashboard]
+This is a structural intent — the user wants something NEW added. Adding a component
+shifts sibling positions in the layout grid and is exactly the case that updateDashboard
+handles (per the rule above: structural change → full rewrite). Do NOT try to express
+"add a card" as a patchDashboard with a JSX fragment insertion — JSX commas, parent
+containers, and grid template-cols may all need adjustment together. Re-emit the full
+source via updateDashboard with the new component placed sensibly in the existing
+layout, preserving everything else.
+
+The user's typed text describes WHAT to add ("a metric card for active users",
+"a chart of weekly signups"). Combine the action intent with the typed text to decide
+what to build.
+
+RUNTIME ERROR REPORTS FROM THE USER
+The user may include a block like:
+    [Error: The dashboard crashed at runtime — please diagnose and fix.]
+    Message: <error message>
+    Stack: <stack trace>
+    Component stack: <react component stack>
+The dashboard threw at runtime. Localize the bug from the stack and component stack,
+identify the smallest possible fix in the source, and apply it. If the fix is a
+one-line change (a typo, a wrong prop name, a missing null check), use patchDashboard.
+If the fix requires restructuring (a hook ordering bug, a malformed JSX tree), use
+updateDashboard. Either way, preserve the rest of the dashboard. Don't strip out
+features the user didn't ask to remove just because they're near the crash site.
 
 ────────────────────────────────────────
 CORE DATA FETCHING RULES (STACK)
@@ -974,11 +1106,14 @@ PRE-EMIT CHECKLIST (RUN THIS IN YOUR HEAD BEFORE CALLING updateDashboard)
 Before you call updateDashboard, silently walk through these four checks. If any fails, fix it
 FIRST and re-run the list.
 
-  [1] HOOK ORDER — Are all \`React.useState\` / \`React.useEffect\` / \`React.useCallback\` calls at
+  [1] HOOK ORDER — Is EVERY call starting with \`use\` (React.useState / useEffect /
+      useCallback / useMemo / useRef AND every DashboardUI.use* including useDataSource) at
       the top of the Dashboard component, before every \`if\` / early \`return\` / conditional?
-      If no, move them up. This prevents React error #310. Also check that any variable
-      referenced inside a hook initializer (e.g. \`useState(() => foo(columns))\`) is declared
-      ABOVE that hook — a TDZ error looks like a hook-order crash but isn't one.
+      If no, move them up — this is the #1 cause of React error #310 in generated dashboards.
+      For \`useDataSource\` specifically: pass \`data: rows ?? []\` so the hook is safe to call
+      while data is still loading, then guard on \`rows == null\` AFTER the hook. Also check
+      that any variable referenced inside a hook initializer (e.g. \`useState(() => foo(columns))\`)
+      is declared ABOVE that hook — a TDZ error looks like a hook-order crash but isn't one.
 
   [2] DATA HONESTY — Does every field the code references actually exist in the SDK types or
       ClickHouse schema shown in context? No made-up field names, no hardcoded sample arrays,
diff --git a/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/create-dashboard.ts b/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/create-dashboard.ts
index 380a8eb27..275337924 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/create-dashboard.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/create-dashboard.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,28 @@ import { z } from "zod";
  */
 export function updateDashboardTool(auth: SmartRequestAuth | null) {
   return tool({
-    description: "Update the dashboard with new source code. The source code must define a React functional component named 'Dashboard' (no props). It runs inside a sandboxed iframe with React, Recharts, DashboardUI, and stackServerApp available as globals. No imports, exports, or require statements.",
+    description: "Replace the entire dashboard source. Use ONLY for initial creation or large structural rewrites that touch most of the file. For any change smaller than ~30% of the file, use patchDashboard instead. The source must define a React functional component named 'Dashboard' (no props). Runs in a sandboxed iframe with React, Recharts, DashboardUI, and stackServerApp as globals. No imports, exports, or require statements.",
     inputSchema: z.object({
       content: z.string().describe("The complete updated JSX source code for the Dashboard component"),
     }),
   });
 }
+
+/**
+ * Tool for surgical edits to the existing dashboard source.
+ *
+ * Like updateDashboardTool, this is inert server-side - the call streams back to the
+ * client, which applies the patches against currentTsxSource and updates state.
+ */
+export function patchDashboardTool(auth: SmartRequestAuth | null) {
+  return tool({
+    description: "Apply one or more surgical text edits to the existing dashboard source. Prefer this over updateDashboard for any change smaller than ~30% of the file (rename, restyle, add/remove a single component, fix one bug). Each edit is a literal find-and-replace on the current source. Returns nothing - the client applies the patch.",
+    inputSchema: z.object({
+      edits: z.array(z.object({
+        oldText: z.string().min(1).describe("Exact substring to find in the current source. Must match verbatim including whitespace. Include enough surrounding context to make the match unique, OR set occurrenceIndex when oldText repeats."),
+        newText: z.string().describe("Replacement text. Empty string deletes the match."),
+        occurrenceIndex: z.number().int().min(0).optional().describe("0-indexed match to replace when oldText appears multiple times. Omit when oldText is unique in the source."),
+      })).min(1).max(20).describe("Edits applied in order against the running source. Later edits see the result of earlier ones."),
+    }),
+  });
+}
diff --git a/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/index.ts b/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/index.ts
index 8430b0ec0..116b3ba73 100644
--- a/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/index.ts
+++ b/apps/backend/src/lib/ai/tools/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { SmartRequestAuth } from "@/route-handlers/smart-request";
 import { ToolSet } from "ai";
-import { updateDashboardTool } from "./create-dashboard";
+import { patchDashboardTool, updateDashboardTool } from "./create-dashboard";
 import { createEmailDraftTool } from "./create-email-draft";
 import { createEmailTemplateTool } from "./create-email-template";
 import { createEmailThemeTool } from "./create-email-theme";
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ export type ToolName =
   | "create-email-theme"
   | "create-email-template"
   | "create-email-draft"
-  | "update-dashboard";
+  | "update-dashboard"
+  | "patch-dashboard";
 
 export type ToolContext = {
   auth: SmartRequestAuth | null,
@@ -62,6 +63,11 @@ export async function getTools(
         break;
       }
 
+      case "patch-dashboard": {
+        tools["patchDashboard"] = patchDashboardTool(context.auth);
+        break;
+      }
+
       default: {
         // TypeScript will ensure this is unreachable if we handle all cases
         const _exhaustive: never = toolName;
@@ -89,6 +95,7 @@ export function validateToolNames(toolNames: unknown): toolNames is ToolName[] {
     "create-email-template",
     "create-email-draft",
     "update-dashboard",
+    "patch-dashboard",
   ];
 
   return toolNames.every((name) => validToolNames.includes(name as ToolName));
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/app/(main)/(protected)/projects/[projectId]/dashboards/[dashboardId]/page-client.tsx b/apps/dashboard/src/app/(main)/(protected)/projects/[projectId]/dashboards/[dashboardId]/page-client.tsx
index 17ad8f25b..a6f5a36ef 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/app/(main)/(protected)/projects/[projectId]/dashboards/[dashboardId]/page-client.tsx
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/app/(main)/(protected)/projects/[projectId]/dashboards/[dashboardId]/page-client.tsx
@@ -13,14 +13,17 @@ import {
   DashboardToolUI,
   type AssistantComposerApi,
 } from "@/components/vibe-coding";
-import { ToolCallContent } from "@/components/vibe-coding/chat-adapters";
+import { ToolCallContent, type DashboardChip, type DashboardPatchFailure, type DashboardPatchSnapshot } from "@/components/vibe-coding/chat-adapters";
+import { patchSnapshotKey, registerPatchSnapshot } from "@/components/vibe-coding/dashboard-tool-components";
 import { useUpdateConfig } from "@/lib/config-update";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import {
   ChatCircleIcon,
+  CursorClickIcon,
   FloppyDiskIcon,
   PencilSimpleIcon,
   TrashIcon,
+  WarningIcon,
   XIcon,
 } from "@phosphor-icons/react";
 import { ALL_APPS } from "@stackframe/stack-shared/dist/apps/apps-config";
@@ -28,6 +31,7 @@ import { typedEntries } from "@stackframe/stack-shared/dist/utils/objects";
 import { throwErr } from "@stackframe/stack-shared/dist/utils/errors";
 import type { AppId } from "@/lib/apps-frontend";
 import { runAsynchronouslyWithAlert } from "@stackframe/stack-shared/dist/utils/promises";
+import { generateUuid } from "@stackframe/stack-shared/dist/utils/uuids";
 import { getPublicEnvVar } from "@/lib/env";
 import { useUser } from "@stackframe/stack";
 import { usePathname } from "next/navigation";
@@ -144,8 +148,9 @@ function DashboardDetailContent({
 
   // Coalesce duplicate error reports — React re-renders a crashed component several times,
   // and uncaught-error listeners can fire twice for the same exception. We only surface the
-  // first unique error per 2-second window so the composer isn't stomped on repeatedly.
+  // first unique error per 2-second window so the chip bar isn't spammed.
   const lastErrorRef = useRef<{ signature: string, at: number } | null>(null);
+
   const handleDashboardRuntimeError = useCallback(
     (err: DashboardRuntimeError) => {
       const signature = `${err.message}::${(err.stack ?? "").slice(0, 200)}`;
@@ -155,55 +160,74 @@ function DashboardDetailContent({
       }
       lastErrorRef.current = { signature, at: now };
 
-      // Build a compact fix-request prompt. We keep the stack to ~1200 chars so the
-      // agent gets enough context to localize the bug without drowning in frame noise.
-      const stackSlice = (err.stack ?? "").trim().slice(0, 1200);
-      const componentStackSlice = (err.componentStack ?? "").trim().slice(0, 400);
-      const prefill = [
-        "The dashboard just crashed at runtime. Please diagnose and fix it.",
-        "",
-        "Error:",
-        err.message,
-        stackSlice ? `\nStack:\n${stackSlice}` : "",
-        componentStackSlice ? `\nComponent stack:${componentStackSlice}` : "",
-      ]
-        .filter(Boolean)
-        .join("\n");
-
-      // Open the chat panel if it's closed so the user sees the pre-filled composer.
-      // The iframe panel doesn't unmount when chat toggles, so no reload cost.
       setIsChatOpen(true);
-      composerApiRef.current?.setText(prefill);
+
+      const errorChip: DashboardChip = {
+        kind: "error",
+        id: generateUuid(),
+        message: err.message,
+        stack: err.stack,
+        componentStack: err.componentStack,
+      };
+      setPendingChips((prev) => [...prev, errorChip]);
+
+      const api = composerApiRef.current;
+      if (api && api.getText().trim().length === 0) {
+        api.setText("could you please fix this error");
+      }
 
       toast({
         variant: "destructive",
         title: "Dashboard crashed",
-        description: "Error added to chat — hit send to fix it.",
+        description: "Error added as a chip — hit send to fix it.",
       });
     },
     [toast],
   );
 
+  const [pendingChips, setPendingChips] = useState<DashboardChip[]>([]);
+  const pendingChipsRef = useRef<DashboardChip[]>([]);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    pendingChipsRef.current = pendingChips;
+  }, [pendingChips]);
+
+  const getPendingChips = useCallback(() => pendingChipsRef.current, []);
+  const consumePendingChips = useCallback(() => {
+    pendingChipsRef.current = [];
+    setPendingChips([]);
+  }, []);
+  const removePendingChip = useCallback((id: string) => {
+    setPendingChips((prev) => {
+      const next = prev.filter((c) => c.id !== id);
+      pendingChipsRef.current = next;
+      return next;
+    });
+  }, []);
+
   const handleWidgetSelected = useCallback(
     (selection: WidgetSelection) => {
-      const api = composerApiRef.current;
-      if (!api) return;
-
       setIsChatOpen(true);
+      const { heading, selectorPath, outerHTMLSnippet } = selection.metadata;
+      const name = (heading && heading.trim().length > 0 && heading.trim().length <= 60)
+        ? heading.trim()
+        : "Widget";
 
-      const { heading, tagName, rect, textPreview } = selection.metadata;
-      const name = heading ?? `${tagName} (${rect.width}×${rect.height})`;
-      const domContext = [
-        `[Widget: ${name}]`,
-        textPreview ? `Content: ${textPreview.slice(0, 200)}` : "",
-      ].filter(Boolean).join("\n");
-
-      const currentText = api.getText();
-      api.setText(domContext + "\n" + currentText);
+      setPendingChips((prev) => [
+        ...prev,
+        { kind: "widget", id: generateUuid(), name, selectorPath, outerHTMLSnippet },
+      ]);
     },
     [],
   );
 
+  const handleAddComponent = useCallback(() => {
+    setIsChatOpen(true);
+    setPendingChips((prev) => {
+      if (prev.some((c) => c.kind === "action-add-component")) return prev;
+      return [...prev, { kind: "action-add-component", id: generateUuid() }];
+    });
+  }, []);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!hasUnsavedChanges) return;
     setNeedConfirm(true);
@@ -252,6 +276,33 @@ function DashboardDetailContent({
     }
   }, []);
 
+  const handlePatchApplied = useCallback((updatedSource: string, failures: DashboardPatchFailure[], snapshots: DashboardPatchSnapshot[]) => {
+    setPendingCode(updatedSource);
+    setCurrentTsxSource(updatedSource);
+    clearTimeout(codePhaseTimerRef.current);
+    setCodePhase("typing");
+    codePhaseTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
+      setCodePhase("loading");
+      codePhaseTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
+        setCodePhase("done");
+      }, 1000);
+    }, 3000);
+    for (const snap of snapshots) {
+      registerPatchSnapshot(patchSnapshotKey(snap.edits), snap.resultSource);
+    }
+    if (failures.length > 0) {
+      const summary = failures.slice(0, 3).map((f) =>
+        `#${f.index + 1} ${f.reason} ("${f.oldTextPreview}${f.oldTextPreview.length >= 80 ? "…" : ""}")`,
+      ).join("; ");
+      const remainder = failures.length > 3 ? ` (+${failures.length - 3} more)` : "";
+      toast({
+        variant: "destructive",
+        title: `${failures.length} ${failures.length === 1 ? "edit" : "edits"} didn't apply`,
+        description: `${summary}${remainder}. Ask the AI to retry with more context.`,
+      });
+    }
+  }, [toast]);
+
   const handleRunStart = useCallback(() => {
     setIsGenerating(true);
     setPendingCode(null);
@@ -366,6 +417,7 @@ function DashboardDetailContent({
             onReady={handleIframeReady}
             onRuntimeError={handleDashboardRuntimeError}
             onWidgetSelected={handleWidgetSelected}
+            onAddComponentClicked={handleAddComponent}
             isChatOpen={isChatOpen}
           />
         </div>
@@ -448,7 +500,12 @@ function DashboardDetailContent({
               />
               <div className="flex-1 min-h-0">
                 <AssistantChat
-                  chatAdapter={createDashboardChatAdapter(backendBaseUrl, currentTsxSource, handleCodeUpdate, currentUser, enabledAppIds, projectId, handleRunStart, handleRunEnd)}
+                  chatAdapter={createDashboardChatAdapter(backendBaseUrl, currentTsxSource, handleCodeUpdate, currentUser, enabledAppIds, projectId, handleRunStart, handleRunEnd, handlePatchApplied, getPendingChips, consumePendingChips)}
+                  composerTopContent={
+                    pendingChips.length > 0
+                      ? <ChipBar chips={pendingChips} onRemove={removePendingChip} />
+                      : undefined
+                  }
                   historyAdapter={createHistoryAdapter(adminApp, dashboardId)}
                   toolComponents={<DashboardToolUI setCurrentCode={setCurrentTsxSource} currentCode={currentTsxSource} />}
                   useOffWhiteLightMode
@@ -494,6 +551,64 @@ const DASHBOARD_COMPOSER_PLACEHOLDER = {
   ],
 } as const;
 
+function ChipBar({
+  chips,
+  onRemove,
+}: {
+  chips: DashboardChip[],
+  onRemove: (id: string) => void,
+}) {
+  return (
+    <div className="shrink-0 px-3 pt-2.5 pb-1 flex items-center gap-1.5 flex-wrap">
+      {chips.map((c) => {
+        if (c.kind === "widget") {
+          return (
+            <button
+              key={c.id}
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() => onRemove(c.id)}
+              title={`${c.name} — click to remove. Sent with your next message.`}
+              className="group inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 max-w-[200px] pl-1.5 pr-1 py-0.5 rounded-full bg-primary/[0.08] hover:bg-primary/[0.14] ring-1 ring-primary/15 hover:ring-primary/25 text-primary text-xs transition-colors"
+            >
+              <CursorClickIcon className="h-3 w-3 shrink-0" weight="fill" />
+              <span className="truncate font-medium">{c.name}</span>
+              <XIcon className="h-2.5 w-2.5 shrink-0 opacity-50 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity" weight="bold" />
+            </button>
+          );
+        }
+        if (c.kind === "action-add-component") {
+          return (
+            <button
+              key={c.id}
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() => onRemove(c.id)}
+              title="Add a new component — click to remove."
+              className="group inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 max-w-[200px] pl-2 pr-1 py-0.5 rounded-full bg-emerald-500/10 hover:bg-emerald-500/15 ring-1 ring-emerald-500/20 hover:ring-emerald-500/30 text-emerald-700 dark:text-emerald-400 text-xs transition-colors"
+            >
+              <span className="truncate font-medium">Add component</span>
+              <XIcon className="h-2.5 w-2.5 shrink-0 opacity-50 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity" weight="bold" />
+            </button>
+          );
+        }
+        // error
+        return (
+          <button
+            key={c.id}
+            type="button"
+            onClick={() => onRemove(c.id)}
+            title={`${c.message} — click to remove. Sent with your next message.`}
+            className="group inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 max-w-[200px] pl-1.5 pr-1 py-0.5 rounded-full bg-red-500/10 hover:bg-red-500/15 ring-1 ring-red-500/20 hover:ring-red-500/30 text-red-700 dark:text-red-400 text-xs transition-colors"
+          >
+            <WarningIcon className="h-3 w-3 shrink-0" weight="fill" />
+            <span className="truncate font-medium">Error</span>
+            <XIcon className="h-2.5 w-2.5 shrink-0 opacity-50 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity" weight="bold" />
+          </button>
+        );
+      })}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 function ChatPanelHeader({
   displayName,
   isEditingName,
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/components/assistant-ui/thread.tsx b/apps/dashboard/src/components/assistant-ui/thread.tsx
index af27c79e4..8de0f7204 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/components/assistant-ui/thread.tsx
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/components/assistant-ui/thread.tsx
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ export const Thread: FC<{
   runningStatusMessages?: string[],
   composerAttachments?: boolean,
   attachmentAdapter?: AttachmentAdapter,
-}> = ({ useOffWhiteLightMode = false, composerPlaceholder, hideMessageActions = false, runningStatusMessages, composerAttachments = false, attachmentAdapter }) => {
+  composerTopContent?: React.ReactNode,
+}> = ({ useOffWhiteLightMode = false, composerPlaceholder, hideMessageActions = false, runningStatusMessages, composerAttachments = false, attachmentAdapter, composerTopContent }) => {
   return (
     <HideMessageActionsContext.Provider value={hideMessageActions}>
       <HasRunningStatusContext.Provider value={!!runningStatusMessages}>
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ export const Thread: FC<{
               : "from-background via-background",
           )}>
                   <ThreadScrollToBottom />
-                  <Composer placeholder={composerPlaceholder} />
+                  <Composer placeholder={composerPlaceholder} topContent={composerTopContent} />
                 </div>
               </ThreadPrimitive.Viewport>
             </ThreadPrimitive.Root>
@@ -537,11 +538,12 @@ const ComposerStaticInput: FC<{ placeholder?: string }> = ({ placeholder }) => {
   );
 };
 
-const Composer: FC<{ placeholder?: ComposerPlaceholder }> = ({ placeholder }) => {
+const Composer: FC<{ placeholder?: ComposerPlaceholder, topContent?: React.ReactNode }> = ({ placeholder, topContent }) => {
   const attachmentsEnabled = useComposerAttachmentsEnabled();
   return (
     <ComposerPrimitive.Root className="group/composer relative flex w-full flex-col rounded-2xl border border-border/20 dark:border-foreground/[0.08] bg-white dark:bg-background/90 backdrop-blur-xl shadow-sm dark:shadow-lg ring-1 ring-foreground/[0.04] transition-all duration-150 hover:transition-none focus-within:ring-2 focus-within:ring-blue-500/20 focus-within:border-blue-500/30">
       {attachmentsEnabled && <ComposerAttachmentsRow />}
+      {topContent}
       {typeof placeholder === "object" ? (
         <ComposerAnimatedInput
           prefix={placeholder.prefix}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/components/commands/create-dashboard/dashboard-sandbox-host.tsx b/apps/dashboard/src/components/commands/create-dashboard/dashboard-sandbox-host.tsx
index 30f5b5f90..a8ee9eac4 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/components/commands/create-dashboard/dashboard-sandbox-host.tsx
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/components/commands/create-dashboard/dashboard-sandbox-host.tsx
@@ -212,17 +212,33 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
         --ring: 240 4.9% 83.9%;
       }
       :root, .dark { --page-background: transparent; }
-      html, body {
+      html {
+        width: 100%;
+        height: 100%;
+        overflow-x: hidden;
+      }
+      body {
         margin: 0;
         padding: 0;
         width: 100%;
-        height: 100%;
+        min-height: 100%;
         overflow-x: hidden;
         font-family: Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, sans-serif;
         background: var(--page-background);
         color: hsl(var(--foreground));
+        /* Flex column so #root fills remaining height when content is short, and
+           the add-component button (last body child) sits naturally at the bottom
+           of the scrollable region when content is tall. Without flex, #root's
+           height:100% would push the button below the viewport unreachable. */
+        display: flex;
+        flex-direction: column;
+      }
+      #root {
+        width: 100%;
+        overflow-x: hidden;
+        flex: 1 0 auto;
+        min-height: 0;
       }
-      #root { width: 100%; height: 100%; overflow-x: hidden; }
       * { box-sizing: border-box; }
       .dark { color-scheme: dark; }
       html, body, #root { scrollbar-width: none; }
@@ -260,6 +276,39 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
       }
       .widget-overlay-btn:hover { transform: scale(1.08); }
       .widget-overlay.active .widget-overlay-btn { opacity: 1; }
+
+      /* "Add a component" affordance — sits at the bottom of the dashboard content,
+         inside the iframe so it scrolls naturally with the page (NOT sticky). Dashed
+         border matches the widget overlay so it reads as part of the same editor
+         language. Visible only in edit mode (chat open) — toggled via
+         window.__chatOpen. */
+      .add-component-btn {
+        display: none;
+        align-items: center;
+        justify-content: center;
+        gap: 8px;
+        flex-shrink: 0;
+        width: calc(100% - 48px);
+        max-width: calc(80rem - 48px);
+        margin: 16px auto 12px;
+        padding: 14px 16px;
+        background: transparent;
+        border: 2px dashed hsl(var(--primary) / 0.35);
+        border-radius: 12px;
+        color: hsl(var(--muted-foreground));
+        font-family: Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, sans-serif;
+        font-size: 13px;
+        font-weight: 500;
+        cursor: pointer;
+        transition: border-color 0.15s ease, color 0.15s ease, background 0.15s ease;
+      }
+      .add-component-btn.visible { display: flex; }
+      .add-component-btn:hover {
+        border-color: hsl(var(--primary) / 0.6);
+        color: hsl(var(--primary));
+        background: hsl(var(--primary) / 0.04);
+      }
+      .add-component-btn .plus-icon { width: 16px; height: 16px; }
     </style>
   </head>
   <body>
@@ -284,6 +333,13 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
       // Controls visibility flag — only true in the full dashboard viewer (not cmd+K preview)
       window.__showControls = ${showControls};
       window.__chatOpen = ${initialChatOpen};
+      // Inline <script> tags earlier in <body> (widget overlay, add-component button) run
+      // synchronously as the parser hits them — BEFORE this text/babel block runs on
+      // DOMContentLoaded. Those scripts install listeners for 'chat-state-change' and
+      // call their syncVisibility() once at install time, where window.__chatOpen is
+      // still undefined. Re-dispatch the event now so they pick up the real flag and
+      // show/hide themselves correctly on first mount.
+      window.dispatchEvent(new Event('chat-state-change'));
 
       // Theme syncing and chat state from parent window
       window.addEventListener('message', (event) => {
@@ -405,7 +461,7 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
         render() {
           if (this.state.hasError) {
             return (
-              <div className="p-6 text-red-500">
+              <div className="p-6 text-red-500" data-stack-no-widget="true">
                 <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-2">Dashboard Error</h2>
                 <pre className="text-sm bg-red-950/20 p-4 rounded overflow-auto">
                   {this.state.error?.message || 'Unknown error'}
@@ -427,36 +483,36 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
       if (!rootElement) {
         throw new Error('Root element not found');
       }
-      
+
       // Initialize deps and boot the dashboard
       initializeStackApp().then(() => {
         const DashboardUI = window.DashboardUI;
         const Recharts = window.Recharts;
-        
+
         if (!DashboardUI) {
           throw new Error("Dashboard UI components failed to load in sandbox.");
         }
         if (!Recharts) {
           throw new Error("Recharts failed to load in sandbox.");
         }
-        
+
         // Execute AI-generated code with DashboardUI and Recharts in scope
         const Dashboard = (() => {
           ${sourceCode}
           return Dashboard;
         })();
-        
+
         if (typeof Dashboard !== 'function') {
           throw new Error('Dashboard component not found in generated code');
         }
-        
+
         const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(rootElement);
         root.render(
           <ErrorBoundary>
             <Dashboard />
           </ErrorBoundary>
         );
-        
+
         parent.postMessage({ type: "stack-ai-dashboard-ready" }, "*");
       }).catch(error => {
         const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Failed to initialize dashboard";
@@ -468,7 +524,7 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
         
         const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(rootElement);
         root.render(
-          <div className="p-6 text-red-500">
+          <div className="p-6 text-red-500" data-stack-no-widget="true">
             <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-2">Failed to load dashboard</h2>
             <pre className="text-sm bg-red-950/20 p-4 rounded">
               {message}
@@ -503,11 +559,20 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
       function findWidget(el) {
         var current = el;
         var root = document.getElementById('root');
+        // Error screens (ErrorBoundary fallback, init-failure UI) are marked with
+        // data-stack-no-widget so the user can't "chip" an error widget — that would
+        // just round-trip the rendered error text back to the AI, which is useless.
+        if (el && typeof el.closest === 'function' && el.closest('[data-stack-no-widget]')) {
+          return null;
+        }
         while (current && current !== root && current !== document.body) {
           if (current === overlay || overlay.contains(current)) {
             current = current.parentElement;
             continue;
           }
+          if (current.hasAttribute && current.hasAttribute('data-stack-no-widget')) {
+            return null;
+          }
           var rect = current.getBoundingClientRect();
           if (rect.width < 80 || rect.height < 50) { current = current.parentElement; continue; }
           if (rect.width > window.innerWidth * 0.85 && rect.height > window.innerHeight * 0.85) {
@@ -546,7 +611,10 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
         currentWidget = null;
       }
 
+      var lastCursor = null;
+
       document.addEventListener('mousemove', function (e) {
+        lastCursor = { x: e.clientX, y: e.clientY };
         if (!window.__chatOpen) return;
         if (overlay.contains(e.target)) return;
         var widget = findWidget(e.target);
@@ -554,23 +622,82 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
         else if (!widget) hideOverlay();
       });
 
+      /* Scroll doesn't fire mousemove, so without this the overlay stays pinned at
+         the old viewport coordinates while the widget underneath scrolls away. Use
+         elementFromPoint at the cursor's last known position to figure out what's
+         actually under the cursor now and re-target or hide accordingly. Captured
+         on scroll with passive:true so it doesn't slow scrolling. */
+      function reevaluateFromScroll() {
+        if (!window.__chatOpen) { hideOverlay(); return; }
+        if (!lastCursor) { hideOverlay(); return; }
+        var el = document.elementFromPoint(lastCursor.x, lastCursor.y);
+        if (!el || overlay.contains(el)) return;
+        var widget = findWidget(el);
+        if (widget) showOverlay(widget);
+        else hideOverlay();
+      }
+      window.addEventListener('scroll', reevaluateFromScroll, { passive: true, capture: true });
+
       document.addEventListener('mouseleave', function () { hideOverlay(); });
       window.addEventListener('chat-state-change', function () { if (!window.__chatOpen) hideOverlay(); });
 
+      /* Build a CSS-ish selector path from #root down to the widget, capped at 10
+         segments so it stays AI-digestible. Each segment is the tag plus the first
+         className token (if any), plus a nth-of-type suffix only when the parent has
+         sibling tags of the same name. The path lets the AI ground the patch on a
+         real chunk of structure rather than inferring from heading text alone. */
+      function buildSelectorPath(el) {
+        var rootEl = document.getElementById('root');
+        var segments = [];
+        var node = el;
+        while (node && node !== rootEl && node !== document.body && segments.length < 10) {
+          var tag = node.tagName.toLowerCase();
+          var classToken = '';
+          if (typeof node.className === 'string') {
+            var firstClass = node.className.trim().split(/\s+/)[0];
+            if (firstClass && !/^widget-overlay/.test(firstClass)) {
+              classToken = '.' + firstClass;
+            }
+          }
+          var nthSelector = '';
+          var parent = node.parentElement;
+          if (parent) {
+            var sameTagSiblings = [];
+            for (var i = 0; i < parent.children.length; i++) {
+              if (parent.children[i].tagName === node.tagName) {
+                sameTagSiblings.push(parent.children[i]);
+              }
+            }
+            if (sameTagSiblings.length > 1) {
+              var idx = sameTagSiblings.indexOf(node) + 1;
+              nthSelector = ':nth-of-type(' + idx + ')';
+            }
+          }
+          segments.unshift(tag + classToken + nthSelector);
+          node = node.parentElement;
+        }
+        return segments.join(' > ');
+      }
+
       /* ── Send DOM metadata to parent ── */
       btn.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
         e.stopPropagation();
         e.preventDefault();
         if (!currentWidget) return;
 
-        var heading = currentWidget.querySelector('h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6');
+        var heading = currentWidget.querySelector('h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6')
+          || currentWidget.querySelector('span.font-semibold');
         var widgetRect = currentWidget.getBoundingClientRect();
+        var outerHTML = '';
+        try { outerHTML = (currentWidget.outerHTML || '').slice(0, 300); } catch (_) {}
         var metadata = {
           heading: heading ? heading.textContent.trim() : null,
           tagName: currentWidget.tagName.toLowerCase(),
           classes: (typeof currentWidget.className === 'string' ? currentWidget.className : '').slice(0, 300),
           textPreview: (currentWidget.textContent || '').trim().slice(0, 500),
           rect: { width: Math.round(widgetRect.width), height: Math.round(widgetRect.height) },
+          selectorPath: buildSelectorPath(currentWidget),
+          outerHTMLSnippet: outerHTML,
         };
 
         window.parent.postMessage({ type: 'dashboard-widget-selected', metadata: metadata }, '*');
@@ -578,6 +705,28 @@ function getSandboxDocument(artifact: DashboardArtifact, baseUrl: string, dashbo
       });
     })();
     </script>
+
+    <!-- "Add a component" button — appended as a sibling of #root so it sits at the
+         bottom of the dashboard content and scrolls into view (NOT sticky/fixed).
+         Visibility tracks window.__chatOpen so it only appears in edit mode. -->
+    <script>
+    (function () {
+      var btn = document.createElement('button');
+      btn.type = 'button';
+      btn.className = 'add-component-btn';
+      btn.innerHTML = '<svg class="plus-icon" viewBox="0 0 256 256" fill="currentColor"><path d="M224,128a8,8,0,0,1-8,8H136v80a8,8,0,0,1-16,0V136H40a8,8,0,0,1,0-16h80V40a8,8,0,0,1,16,0v80h80A8,8,0,0,1,224,128Z"/></svg><span>Add a component</span>';
+      function syncVisibility() {
+        if (window.__chatOpen) btn.classList.add('visible');
+        else btn.classList.remove('visible');
+      }
+      btn.addEventListener('click', function () {
+        window.parent.postMessage({ type: 'dashboard-add-component-clicked' }, '*');
+      });
+      document.body.appendChild(btn);
+      syncVisibility();
+      window.addEventListener('chat-state-change', syncVisibility);
+    })();
+    </script>
   </body>
 </html>`;
 }
@@ -605,6 +754,12 @@ export type WidgetSelection = {
     classes: string,
     textPreview: string,
     rect: { width: number, height: number },
+    /** CSS-style selector chain from #root down to the clicked widget. Capped at 10
+        segments. Lets the AI ground a patch on a real chunk of structure. */
+    selectorPath: string,
+    /** First ~300 chars of the widget's outerHTML — verbatim rendered markup the AI
+        can match against when locating the JSX node in source. */
+    outerHTMLSnippet: string,
   },
 };
 
@@ -616,6 +771,7 @@ export const DashboardSandboxHost = memo(function DashboardSandboxHost({
   onReady,
   onRuntimeError,
   onWidgetSelected,
+  onAddComponentClicked,
   isChatOpen,
 }: {
   artifact: DashboardArtifact,
@@ -628,6 +784,9 @@ export const DashboardSandboxHost = memo(function DashboardSandboxHost({
   onRuntimeError?: (err: DashboardRuntimeError) => void,
   /** Fires when the user clicks "Add to chat" on a widget overlay in the iframe. */
   onWidgetSelected?: (selection: WidgetSelection) => void,
+  /** Fires when the user clicks the in-iframe "Add a component" button at the bottom
+      of the dashboard. Parent pushes an action chip into the composer chip bar. */
+  onAddComponentClicked?: () => void,
   isChatOpen?: boolean,
 }) {
   const iframeRef = useRef<HTMLIFrameElement>(null);
@@ -643,6 +802,8 @@ export const DashboardSandboxHost = memo(function DashboardSandboxHost({
   onRuntimeErrorRef.current = onRuntimeError;
   const onWidgetSelectedRef = useRef(onWidgetSelected);
   onWidgetSelectedRef.current = onWidgetSelected;
+  const onAddComponentClickedRef = useRef(onAddComponentClicked);
+  onAddComponentClickedRef.current = onAddComponentClicked;
   const user = useUser({ or: "redirect" });
   const { resolvedTheme } = useTheme();
 
@@ -768,11 +929,18 @@ export const DashboardSandboxHost = memo(function DashboardSandboxHost({
               width: typeof event.data.metadata?.rect?.width === "number" ? event.data.metadata.rect.width : 0,
               height: typeof event.data.metadata?.rect?.height === "number" ? event.data.metadata.rect.height : 0,
             },
+            selectorPath: typeof event.data.metadata?.selectorPath === "string" ? event.data.metadata.selectorPath : "",
+            outerHTMLSnippet: typeof event.data.metadata?.outerHTMLSnippet === "string" ? event.data.metadata.outerHTMLSnippet : "",
           },
         });
         return;
       }
 
+      if (type === "dashboard-add-component-clicked") {
+        onAddComponentClickedRef.current?.();
+        return;
+      }
+
       if (type === "stack-ai-dashboard-ready") {
         onReadyRef.current?.();
         return;
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/assistant-chat.tsx b/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/assistant-chat.tsx
index aa9ad1e33..6b222f2e9 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/assistant-chat.tsx
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/assistant-chat.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ type AssistantChatProps = {
   runningStatusMessages?: string[],
   /** Enable image attachment UI (subject to shared MAX_IMAGES_PER_MESSAGE/MAX_IMAGE_BYTES_PER_FILE). */
   composerAttachments?: boolean,
+  /** Content rendered inside the composer box, above the textarea. Used for widget chips. */
+  composerTopContent?: React.ReactNode,
   /**
    * Called once the composer runtime is mounted. Parent stores the handle in a ref
    * and can then call `setText(...)` imperatively. Fires inside the runtime provider
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ export default function AssistantChat({
   hideMessageActions = false,
   runningStatusMessages,
   composerAttachments = false,
+  composerTopContent,
   onComposerReady,
 }: AssistantChatProps) {
   const attachmentAdapter = useMemo(
@@ -92,6 +95,7 @@ export default function AssistantChat({
             runningStatusMessages={runningStatusMessages}
             composerAttachments={composerAttachments}
             attachmentAdapter={attachmentAdapter}
+            composerTopContent={composerTopContent}
           />
         </TooltipProvider>
         {toolComponents}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/chat-adapters.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/chat-adapters.ts
index d05baf31e..464a46f7c 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/chat-adapters.ts
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/chat-adapters.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,116 @@ const isToolCall = (content: { type: string }): content is ToolCallContent => {
   return content.type === "tool-call";
 };
 
+export type DashboardWidgetContext = {
+  kind: "widget",
+  id: string,
+  name: string,
+  selectorPath: string,
+  outerHTMLSnippet: string,
+};
+
+export type DashboardActionContext = {
+  kind: "action-add-component",
+  id: string,
+};
+
+export type DashboardErrorContext = {
+  kind: "error",
+  id: string,
+  message: string,
+  stack?: string,
+  componentStack?: string,
+};
+
+export type DashboardChip =
+  | DashboardWidgetContext
+  | DashboardActionContext
+  | DashboardErrorContext;
+
+export type DashboardPatchEdit = {
+  oldText: string,
+  newText: string,
+  occurrenceIndex?: number,
+};
+
+export type DashboardPatchFailure = {
+  index: number,
+  reason: "not-found" | "ambiguous",
+  oldTextPreview: string,
+};
+
+export type DashboardPatchResult = {
+  updatedSource: string,
+  applied: number,
+  failures: DashboardPatchFailure[],
+};
+
+export type DashboardPatchSnapshot = {
+  edits: DashboardPatchEdit[],
+  resultSource: string,
+};
+
+export function applyDashboardPatches(source: string, edits: DashboardPatchEdit[]): DashboardPatchResult {
+  let running = source;
+  let applied = 0;
+  const failures: DashboardPatchFailure[] = [];
+
+  edits.forEach((edit, index) => {
+    const preview = edit.oldText.slice(0, 80).replace(/\s+/g, " ");
+
+    const matches: number[] = [];
+    let from = 0;
+    while (from <= running.length) {
+      const at = running.indexOf(edit.oldText, from);
+      if (at === -1) break;
+      matches.push(at);
+      from = at + Math.max(edit.oldText.length, 1);
+    }
+
+    if (matches.length === 0) {
+      failures.push({ index, reason: "not-found", oldTextPreview: preview });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let chosenIndex: number;
+    if (edit.occurrenceIndex != null) {
+      if (edit.occurrenceIndex < 0 || edit.occurrenceIndex >= matches.length) {
+        failures.push({ index, reason: "not-found", oldTextPreview: preview });
+        return;
+      }
+      chosenIndex = matches[edit.occurrenceIndex];
+    } else if (matches.length > 1) {
+      failures.push({ index, reason: "ambiguous", oldTextPreview: preview });
+      return;
+    } else {
+      chosenIndex = matches[0];
+    }
+
+    running = running.slice(0, chosenIndex) + edit.newText + running.slice(chosenIndex + edit.oldText.length);
+    applied += 1;
+  });
+
+  return { updatedSource: running, applied, failures };
+}
+
+function parsePatchEdits(args: unknown): DashboardPatchEdit[] | null {
+  if (typeof args !== "object" || args === null) return null;
+  const editsRaw = (args as { edits?: unknown }).edits;
+  if (!Array.isArray(editsRaw)) return null;
+  const edits: DashboardPatchEdit[] = [];
+  for (const e of editsRaw) {
+    if (typeof e !== "object" || e === null) return null;
+    const { oldText, newText, occurrenceIndex } = e as { oldText?: unknown, newText?: unknown, occurrenceIndex?: unknown };
+    if (typeof oldText !== "string" || typeof newText !== "string") return null;
+    edits.push({
+      oldText,
+      newText,
+      occurrenceIndex: typeof occurrenceIndex === "number" ? occurrenceIndex : undefined,
+    });
+  }
+  return edits;
+}
+
 /** Maps thread messages to the backend wire format; merges `attachments` into `content`. */
 function formatThreadMessagesForBackend(
   messages: readonly { role: string, content: readonly { type: string }[], attachments?: readonly { content?: readonly unknown[] }[] }[],
@@ -250,8 +360,8 @@ export async function* streamDashboardCode(
   // Only give the agent the sql-query tool when we know which project to scope it to.
   // Without projectId, the tool would fall back to the internal project — wrong target.
   const tools = options?.projectId
-    ? ["update-dashboard", "sql-query"]
-    : ["update-dashboard"];
+    ? ["update-dashboard", "patch-dashboard", "sql-query"]
+    : ["update-dashboard", "patch-dashboard"];
 
   const chunkStream = await sendAiStreamRequest(
     backendBaseUrl,
@@ -296,8 +406,8 @@ export async function generateDashboardCode(
     options?.enabledAppIds,
   );
   const tools = options?.projectId
-    ? ["update-dashboard", "sql-query"]
-    : ["update-dashboard"];
+    ? ["update-dashboard", "patch-dashboard", "sql-query"]
+    : ["update-dashboard", "patch-dashboard"];
   const rawContent = await sendAiRequest(
     backendBaseUrl,
     currentUser,
@@ -391,14 +501,46 @@ export function createDashboardChatAdapter(
   projectId?: string,
   onRunStart?: () => void,
   onRunEnd?: () => void,
+  onPatchApplied?: (updatedSource: string, failures: DashboardPatchFailure[], snapshots: DashboardPatchSnapshot[]) => void,
+  getPendingChips?: () => DashboardChip[],
+  consumePendingChips?: () => void,
 ): ChatModelAdapter {
   return {
     async *run({ messages, abortSignal }: ChatModelRunOptions): AsyncGenerator<ChatModelRunResult, void> {
       onRunStart?.();
       try {
         const formattedMessages = formatThreadMessagesForBackend(messages);
+        const chips = getPendingChips?.() ?? [];
+        if (chips.length > 0) {
+          const chipBlock = chips.map((c) => {
+            if (c.kind === "widget") {
+              return `[Widget: ${c.name}]\nPath: ${c.selectorPath}\nHTML: ${c.outerHTMLSnippet}`;
+            }
+            if (c.kind === "action-add-component") {
+              return `[Action: Add a new component to the dashboard]`;
+            }
+            // Bound stack/componentStack so a 5KB trace can't blow up the prompt.
+            const stackSlice = c.stack ? `\nStack:\n${c.stack.slice(0, 1200)}` : "";
+            const componentStackSlice = c.componentStack
+              ? `\nComponent stack:${c.componentStack.slice(0, 400)}`
+              : "";
+            return `[Error: The dashboard crashed at runtime — please diagnose and fix.]\nMessage: ${c.message}${stackSlice}${componentStackSlice}`;
+          }).join("\n\n");
+
+          for (let i = formattedMessages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+            if (formattedMessages[i].role !== "user") continue;
+            const orig = formattedMessages[i].content;
+            const chipPart = { type: "text" as const, text: chipBlock };
+            formattedMessages[i] = {
+              ...formattedMessages[i],
+              content: Array.isArray(orig) ? [chipPart, ...orig] : [chipPart],
+            };
+            break;
+          }
+        }
 
         let latestContent: ChatContent = [];
+        let chipsConsumed = chips.length === 0;
         for await (const content of streamDashboardCode(
           backendBaseUrl,
           currentUser,
@@ -410,15 +552,45 @@ export function createDashboardChatAdapter(
             projectId,
           },
         )) {
+          if (!chipsConsumed) {
+            consumePendingChips?.();
+            chipsConsumed = true;
+          }
           latestContent = content;
           yield { content };
         }
 
-        const finalToolCall = latestContent.find(
-          (item): item is ToolCallContent => isToolCall(item) && item.toolName === "updateDashboard",
-        );
-        if (finalToolCall) {
-          onToolCall(finalToolCall);
+        let runningSource = currentTsxSource;
+        let lastFullReplacement: ToolCallContent | null = null;
+        const aggregatedFailures: DashboardPatchFailure[] = [];
+        const snapshots: DashboardPatchSnapshot[] = [];
+        let anyPatchApplied = false;
+
+        for (const item of latestContent) {
+          if (!isToolCall(item)) continue;
+          if (item.toolName === "updateDashboard") {
+            if (typeof item.args?.content === "string") {
+              runningSource = item.args.content;
+              lastFullReplacement = item;
+            }
+          } else if (item.toolName === "patchDashboard") {
+            const edits = parsePatchEdits(item.args);
+            if (!edits) continue;
+            const result = applyDashboardPatches(runningSource, edits);
+            runningSource = result.updatedSource;
+            anyPatchApplied = true;
+            snapshots.push({ edits, resultSource: runningSource });
+            for (const f of result.failures) {
+              aggregatedFailures.push(f);
+            }
+          }
+        }
+
+        if (lastFullReplacement) {
+          onToolCall(lastFullReplacement);
+        }
+        if (anyPatchApplied || aggregatedFailures.length > 0) {
+          onPatchApplied?.(runningSource, aggregatedFailures, snapshots);
         }
       } catch (error) {
         if (abortSignal.aborted) {
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/dashboard-tool-components.tsx b/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/dashboard-tool-components.tsx
index 488359cf2..01a05f1d2 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/dashboard-tool-components.tsx
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/components/vibe-coding/dashboard-tool-components.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   CheckCircleIcon,
   EyeIcon,
   MagnifyingGlassIcon,
+  PencilSimpleIcon,
   WarningIcon,
 } from "@phosphor-icons/react";
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useState, useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
@@ -36,6 +37,47 @@ function useCurrentCode() {
   return useSyncExternalStore(subscribe, () => currentCodeRef);
 }
 
+/* ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+ * Patch snapshot registry. Each successful patchDashboard call stores the
+ * post-patch source under a stable key (the JSON-serialized edits array). The
+ * patch tool's chat row reads this to offer a "restore this version" action.
+ *
+ * Limitation: snapshots live in-memory and only cover patches applied during
+ * the current session. Patches loaded from saved chat history won't have a
+ * snapshot until the user re-runs them — the dialog still shows the edit text
+ * either way. Cross-reload restore would require persisting the result source
+ * with the tool call, which the inert-tool architecture doesn't currently do.
+ * ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+const patchSnapshots = new Map<string, string>();
+const patchSnapshotListeners: Set<() => void> = new Set();
+
+export function registerPatchSnapshot(editsKey: string, resultSource: string) {
+  patchSnapshots.set(editsKey, resultSource);
+  for (const l of patchSnapshotListeners) l();
+}
+
+function subscribePatchSnapshots(listener: () => void) {
+  patchSnapshotListeners.add(listener);
+  return () => {
+    patchSnapshotListeners.delete(listener);
+  };
+}
+
+function usePatchSnapshot(editsKey: string): string | undefined {
+  return useSyncExternalStore(
+    subscribePatchSnapshots,
+    () => patchSnapshots.get(editsKey),
+  );
+}
+
+export function patchSnapshotKey(edits: unknown): string {
+  try {
+    return JSON.stringify(edits);
+  } catch {
+    return "";
+  }
+}
+
 function ToolRender({ args, isRunning }: { args: { content: string }, isRunning: boolean }) {
   const currentCode = useCurrentCode();
   const isActive = args.content === currentCode;
@@ -114,6 +156,121 @@ const ToolUI = makeAssistantToolUI<
   render: (props) => <ToolRender args={props.args} isRunning={props.status.type === "running"} />,
 });
 
+type PatchEditArg = { oldText?: string, newText?: string, occurrenceIndex?: number };
+type PatchToolArgs = { edits?: PatchEditArg[] };
+
+function PatchToolRender({ args, isRunning }: { args: PatchToolArgs, isRunning: boolean }) {
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
+  const edits = Array.isArray(args.edits) ? args.edits : [];
+  const count = edits.length;
+  const currentCode = useCurrentCode();
+  const snapshot = usePatchSnapshot(patchSnapshotKey(edits));
+  // Snapshot may be missing for patches loaded from saved chat history (the in-memory
+  // map only covers the current session). When absent, hide the restore button rather
+  // than offering something we can't fulfill.
+  const canRestore = snapshot !== undefined && !isRunning;
+  const isActive = snapshot !== undefined && snapshot === currentCode;
+  const label = isRunning
+    ? "Editing dashboard..."
+    : count === 0
+      ? "Edited dashboard"
+      : `Edited dashboard · ${count} ${count === 1 ? "change" : "changes"}`;
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <div className={cn(
+        "group flex items-stretch rounded-lg overflow-hidden",
+        "bg-foreground/[0.015] hover:bg-foreground/[0.035]",
+        "ring-1 ring-foreground/[0.05] hover:ring-foreground/[0.09]",
+        "transition-colors",
+        isActive && "ring-primary/30 bg-primary/[0.03]",
+      )}>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          onClick={() => setOpen(true)}
+          className="flex-1 flex items-center gap-3 py-2 pl-2.5 pr-2 text-left min-w-0"
+          aria-label="View edit details"
+        >
+          <div className={cn(
+            "size-6 shrink-0 rounded-md flex items-center justify-center",
+            isActive ? "bg-primary/10 text-primary" : "bg-foreground/[0.05] text-muted-foreground",
+          )}>
+            {isRunning ? (
+              <span className="size-1.5 rounded-full bg-current" style={{ animation: "pulse 1.2s ease-in-out infinite" }} />
+            ) : isActive ? (
+              <CheckCircleIcon className="size-3.5" weight="fill" />
+            ) : (
+              <PencilSimpleIcon className="size-3.5" />
+            )}
+          </div>
+          <div className="flex-1 min-w-0">
+            <div className="text-[10px] uppercase tracking-[0.08em] text-muted-foreground/70 font-medium">
+              {label}
+            </div>
+            <code className="block text-xs font-mono text-foreground/75 truncate">
+              {edits[0]?.oldText ? edits[0].oldText.replace(/\s+/g, " ").slice(0, 80) : "(pending)"}
+            </code>
+          </div>
+        </button>
+        {canRestore && !isActive && (
+          <SimpleTooltip tooltip="Restore this version">
+            <Button
+              variant="ghost"
+              size="icon"
+              className="h-auto w-8 rounded-none text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
+              onClick={() => setCurrentCodeRef?.(snapshot)}
+              aria-label="Restore this version"
+            >
+              <ArrowCounterClockwiseIcon className="size-4" />
+            </Button>
+          </SimpleTooltip>
+        )}
+      </div>
+
+      <Dialog open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen}>
+        <DialogContent className="max-w-3xl">
+          <DialogHeader>
+            <DialogTitle>Dashboard edits</DialogTitle>
+            <DialogDescription>
+              {isRunning ? "Streaming edits from the model…" : `${count} ${count === 1 ? "edit" : "edits"} applied to the source.`}
+            </DialogDescription>
+          </DialogHeader>
+          <DialogBody>
+            <div className="flex flex-col gap-3">
+              {edits.length === 0 && (
+                <div className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">Waiting for edits…</div>
+              )}
+              {edits.map((edit, i) => (
+                <div key={i} className="rounded-lg ring-1 ring-foreground/[0.06] overflow-hidden">
+                  <div className="px-3 py-1.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-[0.08em] text-muted-foreground/70 bg-foreground/[0.02] border-b border-foreground/[0.05]">
+                    Edit {i + 1}{typeof edit.occurrenceIndex === "number" ? ` · occurrence ${edit.occurrenceIndex}` : ""}
+                  </div>
+                  <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 divide-y md:divide-y-0 md:divide-x divide-foreground/[0.05]">
+                    <pre className="p-3 text-xs font-mono whitespace-pre-wrap break-words text-red-500/90 bg-red-500/[0.03] max-h-48 overflow-auto">
+                      {edit.oldText ?? ""}
+                    </pre>
+                    <pre className="p-3 text-xs font-mono whitespace-pre-wrap break-words text-emerald-600/90 bg-emerald-500/[0.03] max-h-48 overflow-auto">
+                      {edit.newText ?? ""}
+                    </pre>
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+              ))}
+            </div>
+          </DialogBody>
+        </DialogContent>
+      </Dialog>
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
+const PatchToolUI = makeAssistantToolUI<
+  PatchToolArgs,
+  "success"
+>({
+  toolName: "patchDashboard",
+  render: (props) => <PatchToolRender args={props.args} isRunning={props.status.type === "running"} />,
+});
+
 /* ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  * queryAnalytics tool UI — inspection steps the agent takes before/between
  * writes. Visual weight is DELIBERATELY lighter than the updateDashboard card:
@@ -363,6 +520,7 @@ export const DashboardToolUI = ({ setCurrentCode, currentCode }: DashboardToolUI
   return (
     <>
       <ToolUI />
+      <PatchToolUI />
       <QueryAnalyticsToolUI />
     </>
   );