diff --git a/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder-v1.ts b/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder-v1.ts
index 6a07052ab..93417da44 100644
--- a/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder-v1.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder-v1.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ export interface ImagePlaceholderV1Params {
    * - `'system'`: emits `$color-*` refs for all fill fields.
    */
   theme?: V1Theme;
+  /**
+   * 2-3 English keywords to search for when the auto-search pass replaces
+   * this placeholder with a real photo (e.g. "burger fries", "modern
+   * office"). Stamped onto the frame as `imageSearchQuery`; consumed by
+   * the web app's `image-search-pipeline`. Without it the pipeline falls
+   * back to `label` then a generic "placeholder" query.
+   */
+  image_search_query?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -73,7 +81,7 @@ export function buildImagePlaceholderV1(params: ImagePlaceholderV1Params): Eleme
     });
   }
 
-  return {
+  const frame: ElementTree = {
     type: 'frame',
     name: 'Image Placeholder',
     role: 'image-placeholder',
@@ -87,4 +95,9 @@ export function buildImagePlaceholderV1(params: ImagePlaceholderV1Params): Eleme
     fill: [{ type: 'solid', color: frameBg }],
     children,
   };
+  if (typeof params.image_search_query === 'string' && params.image_search_query.length > 0) {
+    (frame as ElementTree & { imageSearchQuery?: string }).imageSearchQuery =
+      params.image_search_query;
+  }
+  return frame;
 }
diff --git a/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder.ts b/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder.ts
index 1ecf215db..3f324e193 100644
--- a/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-core/src/element-builders/image-placeholder.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ export interface ImagePlaceholderParams {
    * placeholder, but `add_avatar_v0` is a cleaner fit for that.
    */
   corner_radius?: number;
+  /**
+   * 2-3 English keywords to search for when the auto-search pass replaces
+   * this placeholder with a real photo (e.g. "burger fries", "modern
+   * office"). Stamped onto the frame as `imageSearchQuery`; consumed by
+   * the web app's `image-search-pipeline`. Without it the pipeline falls
+   * back to `label` then a generic "placeholder" query.
+   */
+  image_search_query?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -72,7 +80,7 @@ export function buildImagePlaceholder(params: ImagePlaceholderParams): ElementTr
     });
   }
 
-  return {
+  const frame: ElementTree = {
     type: 'frame',
     name: 'Image Placeholder',
     role: 'image-placeholder',
@@ -86,4 +94,9 @@ export function buildImagePlaceholder(params: ImagePlaceholderParams): ElementTr
     fill: [{ type: 'solid', color: '#F1F5F9' }],
     children,
   };
+  if (typeof params.image_search_query === 'string' && params.image_search_query.length > 0) {
+    (frame as ElementTree & { imageSearchQuery?: string }).imageSearchQuery =
+      params.image_search_query;
+  }
+  return frame;
 }
diff --git a/packages/pen-mcp/src/__tests__/add-image-placeholder-v0.test.ts b/packages/pen-mcp/src/__tests__/add-image-placeholder-v0.test.ts
index 7ddf75410..3dce41f61 100644
--- a/packages/pen-mcp/src/__tests__/add-image-placeholder-v0.test.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-mcp/src/__tests__/add-image-placeholder-v0.test.ts
@@ -108,4 +108,28 @@ describe('add_image_placeholder_v0', () => {
     );
     expect(await readFile(fp, 'utf-8')).toBe(before);
   });
+
+  it('image_search_query is stamped onto the frame as imageSearchQuery', async () => {
+    const fp = await fresh('a.op');
+    await handleAddImagePlaceholderV0({
+      filePath: fp,
+      image_search_query: 'burger fries',
+    });
+    const ph = getRoot(await readDoc(fp));
+    expect(ph.imageSearchQuery).toBe('burger fries');
+  });
+
+  it('omitting image_search_query leaves the field undefined', async () => {
+    const fp = await fresh('a.op');
+    await handleAddImagePlaceholderV0({ filePath: fp });
+    const ph = getRoot(await readDoc(fp));
+    expect(ph.imageSearchQuery).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('empty-string image_search_query is treated as missing', async () => {
+    const fp = await fresh('a.op');
+    await handleAddImagePlaceholderV0({ filePath: fp, image_search_query: '' });
+    const ph = getRoot(await readDoc(fp));
+    expect(ph.imageSearchQuery).toBeUndefined();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-2.ts b/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-2.ts
index 7629009d8..9ece3410d 100644
--- a/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-2.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-2.ts
@@ -206,7 +206,9 @@ export const ELEMENT_TOOL_DEFINITIONS_EXT_2 = [
       'The "this will be an image later" affordance. Use for "photo slot", "hero image area", ' +
       '"upload zone", "cover placeholder", "图片占位". Separate from G() (which fetches real ' +
       'images via search) — this emits a visual placeholder frame, not an image node. ' +
-      'schemaVersion 1.0',
+      'When the canvas runs its auto-search pass, an image_search_query (or label) lets it ' +
+      'fetch a relevant photo to replace the gray box; without one it falls back to a ' +
+      'generic stock photo. schemaVersion 1.0',
     inputSchema: {
       type: 'object' as const,
       properties: {
@@ -226,6 +228,14 @@ export const ELEMENT_TOOL_DEFINITIONS_EXT_2 = [
           type: 'number',
           description: 'Corner radius (default 8). Use larger for card-style, 0 for sharp.',
         },
+        image_search_query: {
+          type: 'string',
+          description:
+            '2-3 English keywords for the auto-search pass to fetch a photo with ' +
+            '(e.g. "burger fries", "modern office workspace", "yoga sunset"). Strongly ' +
+            'recommended for restaurant cards, product photos, hero banners, etc — ' +
+            'without it the pipeline searches for the label or a generic placeholder.',
+        },
         parent_id: parentIdProp,
         pageId: pageIdProp,
       },
diff --git a/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-6.ts b/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-6.ts
index 701290bd2..c53b958d8 100644
--- a/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-6.ts
+++ b/packages/pen-mcp/src/routes/element-tool-defs-ext-6.ts
@@ -388,7 +388,9 @@ export const ELEMENT_TOOL_DEFINITIONS_EXT_6 = [
       'Theme-aware image placeholder (v1). theme="light" (default): byte-parity with ' +
       'add_image_placeholder_v0. theme="dark": bg → bgDeep, icon → textMuted, label → textMuted. ' +
       'theme="system": $color-* refs. Gray box + centered icon + optional caption. ' +
-      'schemaVersion 1.0',
+      'When the canvas runs its auto-search pass, an image_search_query (or label) lets ' +
+      'it fetch a relevant photo to replace the gray box; without one it falls back to a ' +
+      'generic stock photo. schemaVersion 1.0',
     inputSchema: {
       type: 'object' as const,
       properties: {
@@ -404,6 +406,14 @@ export const ELEMENT_TOOL_DEFINITIONS_EXT_6 = [
           enum: ['light', 'dark', 'system'],
           description: 'Theme variant. Default "light".',
         },
+        image_search_query: {
+          type: 'string',
+          description:
+            '2-3 English keywords for the auto-search pass to fetch a photo with ' +
+            '(e.g. "burger fries", "modern office workspace", "yoga sunset"). Strongly ' +
+            'recommended for restaurant cards, product photos, hero banners, etc — ' +
+            'without it the pipeline searches for the label or a generic placeholder.',
+        },
         parent_id: parentIdProp,
         pageId: pageIdProp,
       },