diff --git a/.agents/skills/jaws/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/jaws/SKILL.md
index e28bad14..5ea4b711 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/jaws/SKILL.md
+++ b/.agents/skills/jaws/SKILL.md
@@ -92,6 +92,16 @@ These are the two usual building blocks for widget handlers passed to `$.Button`
   - `.Clicked(fn)` / `.ContextMenu(fn)` — attach click/context handlers to the same bound variable.
   - `.InitialHTMLAttr(fn)` — attach attribute hooks.
 - Use `bind.New` for input widgets and for content whose natural key is the backing variable. Multiple widgets bound to the same pointer share a tag automatically, so `Request.Dirty(&field)` refreshes all of them.
+- Writable setters used with `ui.NewText`, `ui.NewPassword`, `ui.NewTextarea`,
+  `ui.NewCheckbox`, `ui.NewRadio`, `ui.NewNumber`, `ui.NewRange`, and `ui.NewDate`
+  must give `Element.ApplyGetter` a dirty target that successfully expands to at
+  least one stable usable key. Prefer `bind.New`; otherwise use a pointer-valued
+  custom setter or implement `JawsGetTag`. A `JawsGetTag` result takes precedence
+  over the setter's own identity.
+- Input widgets retain only that setter-derived target for post-set dirtying. An
+  explicit render-param tag registers the Element but does not substitute for it;
+  without the setter-derived target, rejected or normalized browser values are not
+  automatically reconciled.
 
 ### When to use which
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 10072bcf..319d5308 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -601,6 +601,71 @@ Since all data access need to be protected with locks, you will usually use `bin
 that combines a (RW)Locker and a pointer to a value of type `T`. It also allows you to add chained setters,
 getters and on-success handlers.
 
+Writable setters used with `ui.NewText`, `ui.NewPassword`, `ui.NewTextarea`,
+`ui.NewCheckbox`, `ui.NewRadio`, `ui.NewNumber`, `ui.NewRange`, and `ui.NewDate`
+must also provide a stable dirty target. During rendering, the widget retains the
+target derived from the setter. After each set result that does not match
+`jaws.ErrValueUnchanged`, it dirties that target so the authoritative server
+value can reconcile rejected or normalized browser input. `bind.New(&mu, &value)`
+is the usual choice because it exposes the backing pointer. A custom setter can
+instead be passed as a stable pointer value or implement `JawsGetTag` and return a
+target that successfully expands to at least one stable usable key. When a setter
+implements `JawsGetTag`, that result takes precedence over the setter's own
+identity.
+
+For example, this validating setter contains a slice and is not comparable as a
+value, so `JawsGetTag` exposes its backing value pointer:
+
+```go
+var errValueNotAllowed = errors.New("value not allowed")
+
+type validatedText struct {
+	mu      *sync.RWMutex
+	value   *string
+	allowed []string // immutable
+}
+
+func (s validatedText) JawsGet(*jaws.Element) (value string) {
+	s.mu.RLock()
+	value = *s.value
+	s.mu.RUnlock()
+	return
+}
+
+func (s validatedText) JawsSet(_ *jaws.Element, value string) (err error) {
+	if !slices.Contains(s.allowed, value) {
+		err = errValueNotAllowed
+		return
+	}
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	if *s.value == value {
+		err = jaws.ErrValueUnchanged
+	} else {
+		*s.value = value
+	}
+	s.mu.Unlock()
+	return
+}
+
+func (s validatedText) JawsGetTag() any { return s.value }
+
+func newStatusInput(mu *sync.RWMutex, value *string) *ui.Text {
+	return ui.NewText(validatedText{
+		mu:      mu,
+		value:   value,
+		allowed: []string{"draft", "published"},
+	})
+}
+```
+
+Without a setter-derived dirty target, input events still reach `JawsSet`, but a
+rejected value can remain visible in the browser and a normalized accepted value
+is not reflected automatically. An explicit tag passed as a widget rendering
+parameter does not substitute for the setter-derived target: it registers the
+Element for external dirtying, but the input does not retain it for post-set
+dirtying. See [`ui.Input`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/linkdata/jaws/lib/ui#Input)
+for the complete contract.
+
 ### Session handling
 
 JaWS has non-persistent session handling integrated. Sessions won't 
diff --git a/lib/ui/README.md b/lib/ui/README.md
index 3d1ba6c3..5b5058eb 100644
--- a/lib/ui/README.md
+++ b/lib/ui/README.md
@@ -266,7 +266,9 @@ Each base handles:
 
 - tracking last rendered value
 - receiving `what.Input`
-- applying dirty tags on successful set
+- retaining the setter-derived tag for reconciliation after every set result
+  that does not match `jaws.ErrValueUnchanged`; see
+  [`Input`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/linkdata/jaws/lib/ui#Input)
 - update-driven `SetValue` pushes
 
 ## Adding a container widget
diff --git a/lib/ui/checkbox.go b/lib/ui/checkbox.go
index a5e8e88d..3a966977 100644
--- a/lib/ui/checkbox.go
+++ b/lib/ui/checkbox.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 type Checkbox struct{ InputBool }
 
 // NewCheckbox returns a checkbox input widget bound to g.
+//
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
 func NewCheckbox(g bind.Setter[bool]) *Checkbox { return &Checkbox{InputBool{Setter: g}} }
 
 // JawsRender renders ui as an HTML checkbox input.
diff --git a/lib/ui/date.go b/lib/ui/date.go
index 63ec3749..10939b73 100644
--- a/lib/ui/date.go
+++ b/lib/ui/date.go
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ type Date struct{ InputDate }
 
 // NewDate returns a date input widget bound to g.
 //
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
+//
 // The widget is date-only; see [InputDate.JawsInput] for how a browser edit
 // normalizes the bound [time.Time] to midnight UTC and which years round-trip.
 func NewDate(g bind.Setter[time.Time]) *Date { return &Date{InputDate{Setter: g}} }
diff --git a/lib/ui/input_widgets.go b/lib/ui/input_widgets.go
index 1206ec77..8896c454 100644
--- a/lib/ui/input_widgets.go
+++ b/lib/ui/input_widgets.go
@@ -21,6 +21,24 @@ import (
 // [jaws.Element]. A widget embedding Input must therefore back at most one live
 // Element. To render the same bound state more than once, construct distinct
 // widgets that share the setter.
+//
+// During rendering, Input retains the dirty target [jaws.Element.ApplyGetter]
+// derives from the bound setter. After [bind.Setter.JawsSet] returns a result that
+// does not match [jaws.ErrValueUnchanged], Input dirties that target so an update
+// can read the server value back and reconcile the browser. A writable setter must
+// therefore produce a target that expands to at least one stable usable key. If
+// the setter implements [github.com/linkdata/jaws/lib/tag.TagGetter], its
+// JawsGetTag result is used; otherwise the setter's dynamic value must be
+// comparable at runtime and equal to itself, typically a pointer. The selected
+// target must expand successfully through
+// [github.com/linkdata/jaws/lib/tag.TagExpand]. [bind.New] provides the backing
+// pointer as its target.
+//
+// If rendering registers no setter-derived keys, browser input events still reach
+// JawsSet, but a rejected or normalized value is not automatically reconciled and
+// can remain visible while server state differs. A tag supplied separately in
+// render params registers the Element for that tag, but Input does not retain it
+// as its post-set dirty target.
 type Input struct {
 	// tag is the dirty tag, written once during render and read on the event
 	// goroutine (JawsInput). The render-completes-before-events lifecycle makes
diff --git a/lib/ui/number.go b/lib/ui/number.go
index 5073e7e5..bda863d7 100644
--- a/lib/ui/number.go
+++ b/lib/ui/number.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ type Number struct{ InputFloat }
 
 // NewNumber returns a number input widget bound to g.
 //
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
+//
 // The bound value must be finite. A non-finite value (NaN or ±Inf) has no valid
 // rendering or wire representation, so rendering, updating, or receiving one from
 // the browser cancels the [jaws.Request] with a cause wrapping
diff --git a/lib/ui/password.go b/lib/ui/password.go
index 8f2d97a3..4c2d7e67 100644
--- a/lib/ui/password.go
+++ b/lib/ui/password.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 type Password struct{ InputText }
 
 // NewPassword returns a password input widget bound to g.
+//
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
 func NewPassword(g bind.Setter[string]) *Password { return &Password{InputText{Setter: g}} }
 
 // JawsRender renders ui as an HTML password input.
diff --git a/lib/ui/radio.go b/lib/ui/radio.go
index f2f1e4bd..fcd28e31 100644
--- a/lib/ui/radio.go
+++ b/lib/ui/radio.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 type Radio struct{ InputBool }
 
 // NewRadio returns a radio input widget bound to g.
+//
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
 func NewRadio(g bind.Setter[bool]) *Radio { return &Radio{InputBool{Setter: g}} }
 
 // JawsRender renders ui as an HTML radio input.
diff --git a/lib/ui/range.go b/lib/ui/range.go
index 753163f8..11514839 100644
--- a/lib/ui/range.go
+++ b/lib/ui/range.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ type Range struct{ InputFloat }
 
 // NewRange returns a range input widget bound to g.
 //
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
+//
 // The bound value must be finite. A non-finite value (NaN or ±Inf) has no valid
 // rendering or wire representation, so rendering, updating, or receiving one from
 // the browser cancels the [jaws.Request] with a cause wrapping
diff --git a/lib/ui/text.go b/lib/ui/text.go
index 2f003e20..d666be70 100644
--- a/lib/ui/text.go
+++ b/lib/ui/text.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 type Text struct{ InputText }
 
 // NewText returns a text input widget bound to g.
+//
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
 func NewText(g bind.Setter[string]) *Text { return &Text{InputText{Setter: g}} }
 
 // JawsRender renders ui as an HTML text input.
diff --git a/lib/ui/textarea.go b/lib/ui/textarea.go
index 47486cae..8a67a850 100644
--- a/lib/ui/textarea.go
+++ b/lib/ui/textarea.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ import (
 type Textarea struct{ InputText }
 
 // NewTextarea returns a textarea widget bound to g.
+//
+// g must meet the post-set dirty-tag requirement documented by [Input].
 func NewTextarea(g bind.Setter[string]) *Textarea { return &Textarea{InputText{Setter: g}} }
 
 // JawsRender renders ui as an HTML textarea.