diff --git a/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.test.tsx b/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.test.tsx
index aacbc549..7c15e0d3 100644
--- a/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen, fireEvent, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { render, screen, fireEvent, waitFor, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { InvestigationForm } from "@/components/investigations/InvestigationForm";
 import { api } from "@/lib/api";
 
@@ -155,6 +155,11 @@ describe("InvestigationForm", () => {
       vi.spyOn(api, "listPlaybooks").mockResolvedValue([
         { id: "investigation", source: "system", locked: true, nodeCount: 1, yaml: "", syncState: synced, type: "general" },
         { id: "release_verification", symptom: "Verify a release", source: "user", nodeCount: 1, yaml: "", syncState: synced, type: "general" },
+        { id: "pod_crashloop", symptom: "Pods restart in a loop", source: "plugin", nodeCount: 1, yaml: "", syncState: synced, type: "investigation" },
+      ]);
+      vi.spyOn(api, "listPlaybookTypes").mockResolvedValue([
+        { name: "investigation", description: "Hunt a live incident", source: "system", tracked: true },
+        { name: "general", description: "Routine operational work", source: "system", tracked: true },
       ]);
     }
 
@@ -175,11 +180,40 @@ describe("InvestigationForm", () => {
       render(<InvestigationForm onSubmit={onSubmit} />);
       await screen.findByPlaceholderText("enter notes");
       await screen.findByRole("option", { name: /release_verification/ });
-      expect(screen.queryByRole("option", { name: /^investigation/ })).toBeNull();
+      expect(within(screen.getByLabelText(/^Playbook/i)).queryByRole("option", { name: /^investigation/ })).toBeNull();
 
-      fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText(/Playbook/i), { target: { value: "release_verification" } });
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText(/^Playbook/i), { target: { value: "release_verification" } });
       fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /run preflight/i }));
       expect(onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ playbook: "release_verification" }));
     });
+
+    it("filters playbooks by category and describes both picks", async () => {
+      setup();
+      render(<InvestigationForm onSubmit={() => {}} />);
+      await screen.findByRole("option", { name: /release_verification/ });
+
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText(/Category/i), { target: { value: "general" } });
+      expect(screen.getByText("Routine operational work")).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByRole("option", { name: /pod_crashloop/ })).toBeNull();
+      expect(screen.getByRole("option", { name: /release_verification/ })).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText(/^Playbook/i), { target: { value: "release_verification" } });
+      expect(screen.getByText("Verify a release")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    });
+
+    it("clears a chosen playbook when the category no longer contains it", async () => {
+      setup();
+      const onSubmit = vi.fn();
+      render(<InvestigationForm onSubmit={onSubmit} />);
+      await screen.findByRole("option", { name: /release_verification/ });
+
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText(/^Playbook/i), { target: { value: "release_verification" } });
+      // Picking a playbook snaps the category to its type.
+      expect((screen.getByLabelText(/Category/i) as HTMLSelectElement).value).toBe("general");
+
+      fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText(/Category/i), { target: { value: "investigation" } });
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /run preflight/i }));
+      expect(onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ playbook: undefined }));
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.tsx b/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.tsx
index 9f64b3a6..ff593583 100644
--- a/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/investigations/InvestigationForm.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
-import { api, type InputSchema, type PlaybookListItem, type PromOverride } from "@/lib/api";
-import { selectablePlaybooks } from "@/lib/playbook-select";
+import { api, type InputSchema, type PlaybookListItem, type PlaybookTypeItem, type PromOverride } from "@/lib/api";
+import { groupPlaybooks } from "@/lib/playbook-select";
 import { ArrowRightIcon } from "@/components/shared/Icons";
 import { Spinner } from "@/components/shared/Spinner";
 import { TextInput } from "@/components/inputs/TextInput";
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ export function InvestigationForm({ onSubmit }: Props) {
   const [values, setValues] = useState<Record<string, Record<string, unknown>>>({});
   const [auto, setAuto] = useState(false);
   const [playbooks, setPlaybooks] = useState<PlaybookListItem[]>([]);
+  const [playbookTypes, setPlaybookTypes] = useState<PlaybookTypeItem[]>([]);
+  const [category, setCategory] = useState("");
   const [playbook, setPlaybook] = useState("");
 
   // Prom override panel state — unchanged from today.
@@ -44,8 +46,14 @@ export function InvestigationForm({ onSubmit }: Props) {
     // can't be fetched; the operator can still start a session.
     api
       .listPlaybooks()
-      .then((items) => setPlaybooks(selectablePlaybooks(items)))
+      .then(setPlaybooks)
       .catch(() => setPlaybooks([]));
+    // Type descriptions only decorate the category picker; a failed
+    // fetch leaves the groups undescribed, not the picker empty.
+    api
+      .listPlaybookTypes()
+      .then(setPlaybookTypes)
+      .catch(() => setPlaybookTypes([]));
     // Pre-populate prom override fields with the profile's defaults so the
     // operator sees what's currently configured. Functional setters so a
     // late-arriving fetch can't overwrite values the operator typed while
@@ -83,6 +91,23 @@ export function InvestigationForm({ onSubmit }: Props) {
     setValues((prev) => ({ ...prev, [id]: next }));
   }
 
+  const groups = groupPlaybooks(playbooks, playbookTypes);
+  const activeGroup = groups.find((g) => g.name === category);
+  const visiblePlaybooks = activeGroup ? activeGroup.playbooks : groups.flatMap((g) => g.playbooks);
+  const chosenPlaybook = visiblePlaybooks.find((p) => p.id === playbook);
+
+  function pickCategory(next: string) {
+    setCategory(next);
+    const stillVisible = groups.find((g) => g.name === next)?.playbooks.some((p) => p.id === playbook);
+    if (next && !stillVisible) setPlaybook("");
+  }
+
+  function pickPlaybook(next: string) {
+    setPlaybook(next);
+    const owner = groups.find((g) => g.playbooks.some((p) => p.id === next));
+    if (owner) setCategory(owner.name);
+  }
+
   return (
     <form onSubmit={submit} className="space-y-5">
       {schema.map((s) => {
@@ -137,26 +162,51 @@ export function InvestigationForm({ onSubmit }: Props) {
         }
       })}
 
-      {playbooks.length > 0 && (
-        <label className="block">
+      {groups.length > 0 && (
+        <div>
           <span className="font-medium">Playbook</span>
-          <span className="block text-sm text-zinc-500">
+          <span className="block text-xs text-zinc-500">
             Walk a specific playbook instead of the guided investigation flow.
           </span>
-          <select
-            value={playbook}
-            onChange={(e) => setPlaybook(e.target.value)}
-            className={inputClass + " mt-2"}
-          >
-            <option value="">Guided investigation (default)</option>
-            {playbooks.map((p) => (
-              <option key={p.id} value={p.id}>
-                {p.id}
-                {p.symptom ? ` — ${p.symptom}` : ""}
-              </option>
-            ))}
-          </select>
-        </label>
+          <div className="mt-4 grid gap-4 sm:grid-cols-2">
+            <Field label="Category">
+              <select
+                value={category}
+                onChange={(e) => pickCategory(e.target.value)}
+                className={inputClass}
+              >
+                <option value="">All categories</option>
+                {groups.map((g) => (
+                  <option key={g.name} value={g.name}>
+                    {g.name}
+                  </option>
+                ))}
+              </select>
+              {activeGroup?.description && (
+                <p className="mt-1 break-words text-xs text-zinc-500">{activeGroup.description}</p>
+              )}
+            </Field>
+            <Field label="Playbook">
+              <select
+                value={playbook}
+                onChange={(e) => pickPlaybook(e.target.value)}
+                className={inputClass}
+              >
+                <option value="">Guided investigation (default)</option>
+                {visiblePlaybooks.map((p) => (
+                  <option key={p.id} value={p.id} title={p.symptom || p.description}>
+                    {p.id}
+                  </option>
+                ))}
+              </select>
+              {chosenPlaybook && (chosenPlaybook.symptom || chosenPlaybook.description) && (
+                <p className="mt-1 break-words text-xs text-zinc-500">
+                  {chosenPlaybook.symptom || chosenPlaybook.description}
+                </p>
+              )}
+            </Field>
+          </div>
+        </div>
       )}
 
       <label className="flex items-start gap-2 cursor-pointer">
diff --git a/frontend/lib/playbook-select.test.ts b/frontend/lib/playbook-select.test.ts
index d3aec77b..923b7f39 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/playbook-select.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/playbook-select.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
-import { selectablePlaybooks } from "./playbook-select";
+import { groupPlaybooks, selectablePlaybooks } from "./playbook-select";
 import type { PlaybookListItem } from "./playbook";
 
 const synced = { status: "synced", reason: "" } as PlaybookListItem["syncState"];
@@ -29,3 +29,29 @@ describe("selectablePlaybooks", () => {
     expect(out.map((p) => p.id)).toEqual(["b-inv", "untyped", "a-general", "z-general"]);
   });
 });
+
+describe("groupPlaybooks", () => {
+  it("groups by type, investigation first, with the type's description", () => {
+    const groups = groupPlaybooks(
+      [
+        item({ id: "z-general", type: "general" }),
+        item({ id: "b-inv", type: "investigation" }),
+        item({ id: "a-general", type: "general" }),
+        item({ id: "untyped" }),
+      ],
+      [
+        { name: "general", description: "Anything else", source: "system", tracked: true },
+        { name: "investigation", description: "Hunt a live incident", source: "system", tracked: true },
+      ],
+    );
+    expect(groups).toEqual([
+      { name: "investigation", description: "Hunt a live incident", playbooks: [expect.objectContaining({ id: "b-inv" }), expect.objectContaining({ id: "untyped" })] },
+      { name: "general", description: "Anything else", playbooks: [expect.objectContaining({ id: "a-general" }), expect.objectContaining({ id: "z-general" })] },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps a type unknown to the catalog with an empty description", () => {
+    const groups = groupPlaybooks([item({ id: "x", type: "custom" })], []);
+    expect(groups).toEqual([{ name: "custom", description: "", playbooks: [expect.objectContaining({ id: "x" })] }]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/lib/playbook-select.ts b/frontend/lib/playbook-select.ts
index 39519ff5..726723b1 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/playbook-select.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/playbook-select.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { DEFAULT_PLAYBOOK_TYPE, type PlaybookListItem } from "./playbook";
+import type { PlaybookTypeItem } from "./api";
+import { DEFAULT_PLAYBOOK_TYPE, type PlaybookListItem, type PlaybookType } from "./playbook";
 
 // selectablePlaybooks narrows the playbook catalog to entries an
 // operator can start a session against: locked entries are the
@@ -18,3 +19,32 @@ export function selectablePlaybooks(items: PlaybookListItem[]): PlaybookListItem
         a.id.localeCompare(b.id),
     );
 }
+
+export type PlaybookGroup = {
+  name: PlaybookType;
+  description: string;
+  playbooks: PlaybookListItem[];
+};
+
+// groupPlaybooks buckets selectable playbooks by type, in the order
+// selectablePlaybooks yields them (investigation first, then the rest
+// alphabetically), and attaches each type's catalog description so the
+// picker can explain the grouping. A type the catalog doesn't know
+// still gets a group, with an empty description.
+export function groupPlaybooks(
+  items: PlaybookListItem[],
+  types: PlaybookTypeItem[],
+): PlaybookGroup[] {
+  const describe = new Map(types.map((t) => [t.name, t.description]));
+  const groups: PlaybookGroup[] = [];
+  for (const p of selectablePlaybooks(items)) {
+    const name = p.type || DEFAULT_PLAYBOOK_TYPE;
+    let g = groups[groups.length - 1];
+    if (!g || g.name !== name) {
+      g = { name, description: describe.get(name) ?? "", playbooks: [] };
+      groups.push(g);
+    }
+    g.playbooks.push(p);
+  }
+  return groups;
+}