diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/db.ts b/frontend/src/ts/db.ts
index 43623d33b19f..a034bd6242f2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/db.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/db.ts
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ export async function initSnapshot(): Promise<Snapshot | false> {
     snap.tags =
       userData.tags?.map((tag) => ({
         ...tag,
-        display: tag.name.replaceAll("_", " "),
+        display: tag.name.replace(/_/g, " "),
       })) ?? [];
 
     snap.tags = snap.tags?.sort((a, b) => {
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ export async function initSnapshot(): Promise<Snapshot | false> {
       const presetsWithDisplay = presetsData.map((preset) => {
         return {
           ...preset,
-          display: preset.name.replace(/_/gi, " "),
+          display: preset.name.replace(/_/g, " "),
         };
       }) as SnapshotPreset[];
       snap.presets = presetsWithDisplay;
diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/elements/account/result-filters.ts b/frontend/src/ts/elements/account/result-filters.ts
index cc1a78ea7065..e2ccf7ecc702 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/elements/account/result-filters.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/elements/account/result-filters.ts
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ function addFilterPresetToSnapshot(filter: ResultFilters): void {
 export async function createFilterPreset(
   name: string,
 ): Promise<number | undefined> {
-  name = name.replace(/ /g, "_");
   showLoaderBar();
   const result = await Ape.users.addResultFilterPreset({
     body: { ...filters, name },
diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-preset.ts b/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-preset.ts
index de8d82d4b574..6b4d3f6e54d7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-preset.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-preset.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { ValidatedHtmlInputElement } from "../elements/input-validation";
 import { ElementWithUtils } from "../utils/dom";
 import { configMetadata } from "../config/metadata";
 import { getConfigChanges as getConfigChangesFromConfig } from "../config/utils";
+import { normalizeName } from "../utils/strings";
 
 const state = {
   presetType: "full" as PresetType,
@@ -46,7 +47,12 @@ export function show(action: string, id?: string, name?: string): void {
       presetNameEl ??= new ValidatedHtmlInputElement(
         modalEl.qsr("input[type=text]"),
         {
-          schema: PresetNameSchema,
+          isValid: async (name) => {
+            const parsed = PresetNameSchema.safeParse(normalizeName(name));
+            if (parsed.success) return true;
+            return parsed.error.errors.map((err) => err.message).join(", ");
+          },
+          debounceDelay: 0,
         },
       );
       if (action === "add") {
@@ -66,7 +72,7 @@ export function show(action: string, id?: string, name?: string): void {
         modalEl.setAttribute("data-preset-id", id);
         modalEl.qsr(".popupTitle").setHtml("Edit preset");
         modalEl.qsr(".submit").setHtml(`save`);
-        presetNameEl?.setValue(name.replaceAll(" ", "_"));
+        presetNameEl?.setValue(name);
         presetNameEl?.getParent()?.show();
 
         modalEl.qsa("input").show();
@@ -221,7 +227,7 @@ function hide(): void {
 async function apply(): Promise<void> {
   const modalEl = modal.getModal();
   const action = modalEl.getAttribute("data-action");
-  const presetName = modalEl
+  const propPresetName = modalEl
     .qsr<HTMLInputElement>(".group input[title='presets']")
     .getValue() as string;
   const presetId = modalEl.getAttribute("data-preset-id") as string;
@@ -248,22 +254,24 @@ async function apply(): Promise<void> {
   }
 
   const addOrEditAction = action === "add" || action === "edit";
-  if (addOrEditAction) {
-    //validate the preset name only in add or edit mode
 
-    const noPresetName: boolean =
-      presetName.replace(/^_+|_+$/g, "").length === 0; //all whitespace names are rejected
-    if (noPresetName) {
-      showNoticeNotification("Preset name cannot be empty");
-      return;
-    }
+  if (addOrEditAction && propPresetName.trim().length === 0) {
+    showNoticeNotification("Preset name cannot be empty");
+    return;
+  }
 
-    if (presetNameEl?.getValidationResult().status === "failed") {
-      showNoticeNotification("Preset name is not valid");
-      return;
-    }
+  const cleanedPresetName = normalizeName(propPresetName);
+  const parsedPresetName = addOrEditAction
+    ? PresetNameSchema.safeParse(cleanedPresetName)
+    : null;
+
+  if (parsedPresetName && !parsedPresetName.success) {
+    showNoticeNotification("Preset name is not valid");
+    return;
   }
 
+  const presetName = parsedPresetName?.data ?? "";
+
   hide();
 
   showLoaderBar();
@@ -291,7 +299,7 @@ async function apply(): Promise<void> {
         ...(state.presetType === "partial" && {
           settingGroups: activeSettingGroups,
         }),
-        display: presetName.replaceAll("_", " "),
+        display: presetName.replace(/_/g, " "),
         _id: response.body.data.presetId,
       } as SnapshotPreset);
     }
@@ -323,7 +331,7 @@ async function apply(): Promise<void> {
       showSuccessNotification("Preset updated");
 
       preset.name = presetName;
-      preset.display = presetName.replaceAll("_", " ");
+      preset.display = presetName.replace(/_/g, " ");
       if (updateConfig) {
         preset.config = configChanges;
         if (state.presetType === "partial") {
diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-tag.ts b/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-tag.ts
index 41bda4879a13..d42507fd7d76 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-tag.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/modals/edit-tag.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@ import { SimpleModal, TextInput } from "../elements/simple-modal";
 import { TagNameSchema } from "@monkeytype/schemas/users";
 import { SnapshotUserTag } from "../constants/default-snapshot";
 import { IsValidResponse } from "../types/validation";
+import { normalizeName } from "../utils/strings";
 
 function getTagFromSnapshot(tagId: string): SnapshotUserTag | undefined {
   return DB.getSnapshot()?.tags.find((tag) => tag._id === tagId);
 }
 
-const cleanTagName = (tagName: string): string => tagName.replaceAll(" ", "_");
 const tagNameValidation = async (tagName: string): Promise<IsValidResponse> => {
-  const validationResult = TagNameSchema.safeParse(cleanTagName(tagName));
+  const validationResult = TagNameSchema.safeParse(normalizeName(tagName));
   if (validationResult.success) return true;
   return validationResult.error.errors.map((err) => err.message).join(", ");
 };
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const actionModals: Record<Action, SimpleModal> = {
     ],
     buttonText: "add",
     execFn: async (_thisPopup, propTagName) => {
-      const tagName = cleanTagName(propTagName);
+      const tagName = TagNameSchema.parse(normalizeName(propTagName));
       const response = await Ape.users.createTag({ body: { tagName } });
 
       if (response.status !== 200) {
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ const actionModals: Record<Action, SimpleModal> = {
       }
 
       DB.getSnapshot()?.tags?.push({
-        display: propTagName,
-        name: response.body.data.name,
+        display: tagName.replace(/_/g, " "),
+        name: tagName,
         _id: response.body.data._id,
         personalBests: {
           time: {},
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ const actionModals: Record<Action, SimpleModal> = {
       (_thisPopup.inputs[0] as TextInput).initVal = _thisPopup.parameters[0];
     },
     execFn: async (_thisPopup, propTagName) => {
-      const tagName = cleanTagName(propTagName);
+      const tagName = TagNameSchema.parse(normalizeName(propTagName));
       const tagId = _thisPopup.parameters[1] as string;
 
       const response = await Ape.users.editTag({
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ const actionModals: Record<Action, SimpleModal> = {
 
       if (matchingTag !== undefined) {
         matchingTag.name = tagName;
-        matchingTag.display = propTagName;
+        matchingTag.display = tagName.replace(/_/g, " ");
       }
 
       void Settings.update();
diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/modals/new-filter-preset.ts b/frontend/src/ts/modals/new-filter-preset.ts
index 3cd94d5b6e23..7a6b6c0efab8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/modals/new-filter-preset.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/modals/new-filter-preset.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { ResultFiltersSchema } from "@monkeytype/schemas/users";
 import { createFilterPreset } from "../elements/account/result-filters";
 import { SimpleModal } from "../elements/simple-modal";
+import { normalizeName } from "../utils/strings";
 
 export function show(): void {
   newFilterPresetModal.show(undefined, {});
@@ -15,13 +16,23 @@ const newFilterPresetModal = new SimpleModal({
       type: "text",
       initVal: "",
       validation: {
-        schema: ResultFiltersSchema.shape.name,
+        isValid: async (name) => {
+          const parsed = ResultFiltersSchema.shape.name.safeParse(
+            normalizeName(name),
+          );
+          if (parsed.success) return true;
+          return parsed.error.errors.map((err) => err.message).join(", ");
+        },
+        debounceDelay: 0,
       },
     },
   ],
   buttonText: "add",
   execFn: async (_thisPopup, name) => {
-    const status = await createFilterPreset(name);
+    const cleanedName = ResultFiltersSchema.shape.name.parse(
+      normalizeName(name),
+    );
+    const status = await createFilterPreset(cleanedName);
 
     if (status === 1) {
       return { status: "success", message: "Filter preset created" };
diff --git a/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts b/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts
index 6d134f881407..ecbe51568316 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ts/utils/strings.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,14 @@ export function capitalizeFirstLetter(str: string): string {
   return str.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + str.slice(1);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Normalizes free-form names to canonical storage format.
+ * Trims edge whitespace and collapses all inner whitespace runs to underscores.
+ */
+export function normalizeName(name: string): string {
+  return name.trim().replace(/\s+/g, "_");
+}
+
 /**
  * @param text String to split
  * @param delimiters Single character delimiters.