diff --git a/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.test.tsx b/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.test.tsx
index a094771be9..0dd2be46df 100644
--- a/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.test.tsx
+++ b/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.test.tsx
@@ -5,25 +5,30 @@ import { CreateFilesetStart } from '@studio/components/CreateFilesetStart';
 import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 
+const renderStart = () => {
+  const onContinue = vi.fn();
+  render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={onContinue} />);
+  return { onContinue };
+};
+
 describe('CreateFilesetStart', () => {
-  it('renders all four start options', () => {
-    render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={vi.fn()} />);
+  it('renders all start options', () => {
+    renderStart();
 
     expect(screen.getByText('Describe with AI')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText('Start from a template')).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByText('Build from scratch')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('shows no Continue footer until a selectable option is chosen', () => {
-    render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={vi.fn()} />);
+  it('shows no Continue footer until an option is chosen', () => {
+    renderStart();
 
     expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: /continue/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('does not select disabled options (they are no-ops)', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
-    const onContinue = vi.fn();
-    render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={onContinue} />);
+    const { onContinue } = renderStart();
 
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Describe with AI'));
 
@@ -33,56 +38,57 @@ describe('CreateFilesetStart', () => {
 
   it('selecting Build from scratch reveals Continue and invokes onContinue with "scratch"', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
-    const onContinue = vi.fn();
-    render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={onContinue} />);
+    const { onContinue } = renderStart();
 
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Build from scratch'));
 
     const continueButton = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i });
-    expect(continueButton).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(continueButton).toBeEnabled();
 
     await user.click(continueButton);
     expect(onContinue).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(onContinue).toHaveBeenCalledWith('scratch');
+    expect(onContinue).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ optionId: 'scratch' });
   });
 
-  it('reveals template cards but no Continue until a template is chosen', async () => {
+  it('reveals template cards but keeps Continue disabled until a template is chosen', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
-    render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={vi.fn()} />);
+    renderStart();
 
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Start from a template'));
 
     expect(screen.getByText('Instruction fine-tuning (SFT)')).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: /continue/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i })).toBeDisabled();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Pick a recipe to continue.')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('choosing a template reveals Continue and invokes onContinue with the template id', async () => {
+  it('choosing a template enables Continue and invokes onContinue with the template id', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
-    const onContinue = vi.fn();
-    render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={onContinue} />);
+    const { onContinue } = renderStart();
 
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Start from a template'));
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Instruction fine-tuning (SFT)'));
 
-    const continueButton = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i });
-    await user.click(continueButton);
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i }));
 
     expect(onContinue).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(onContinue).toHaveBeenCalledWith('template', 'sft-instruction');
+    expect(onContinue).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      optionId: 'template',
+      templateId: 'sft-instruction',
+    });
   });
 
   it('switching options clears a prior template selection', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
-    render(<CreateFilesetStart onContinue={vi.fn()} />);
+    renderStart();
 
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Start from a template'));
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Instruction fine-tuning (SFT)'));
-    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i })).toBeEnabled();
 
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Build from scratch'));
     await user.click(screen.getByText('Start from a template'));
 
-    // Template selection was reset when the option changed, so Continue is gone again.
-    expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: /continue/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    // Template selection was reset when the option changed, so Continue is blocked again.
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /continue/i })).toBeDisabled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.tsx b/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.tsx
index bd37b7c99e..a98b4a692e 100644
--- a/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.tsx
+++ b/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/index.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ import type {
 import { ArrowRight } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useState, type FC } from 'react';
 
+/** Why Continue is unavailable, shown next to the disabled button. */
+const BLOCKED_HINT: Partial<Record<StartOptionId, string>> = {
+  template: 'Pick a recipe to continue.',
+};
+
 export const CreateFilesetStart: FC<CreateFilesetStartProps> = ({ onContinue }) => {
   const [selectedId, setSelectedId] = useState<StartOptionId | null>(null);
   const [selectedTemplateId, setSelectedTemplateId] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -38,9 +43,9 @@ export const CreateFilesetStart: FC<CreateFilesetStartProps> = ({ onContinue })
   const handleContinue = () => {
     if (!selectedOption) return;
     if (selectedOption.id === 'template' && selectedTemplateId) {
-      onContinue(selectedOption.id, selectedTemplateId);
-    } else {
-      onContinue(selectedOption.id);
+      onContinue({ optionId: 'template', templateId: selectedTemplateId });
+    } else if (selectedOption.id === 'scratch') {
+      onContinue({ optionId: 'scratch' });
     }
   };
 
@@ -80,13 +85,18 @@ export const CreateFilesetStart: FC<CreateFilesetStartProps> = ({ onContinue })
         </Stack>
       </Block>
 
-      {canContinue ? (
+      {selectedOption ? (
         <Flex
           align="center"
           justify="end"
           className="shrink-0 gap-4 border-t border-base bg-surface-base px-10 py-4"
         >
-          <Button color="brand" kind="primary" onClick={handleContinue}>
+          {!canContinue && BLOCKED_HINT[selectedOption.id] ? (
+            <Text kind="body/regular/sm" className="text-secondary">
+              {BLOCKED_HINT[selectedOption.id]}
+            </Text>
+          ) : null}
+          <Button color="brand" kind="primary" onClick={handleContinue} disabled={!canContinue}>
             Continue
             <ArrowRight size={16} aria-hidden />
           </Button>
diff --git a/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/types.ts b/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/types.ts
index 5eca3139d2..4b94880f61 100644
--- a/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/types.ts
+++ b/web/packages/studio/src/components/CreateFilesetStart/types.ts
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ export interface StartOptionDetailProps {
   onSelectTemplate: (templateId: string) => void;
 }
 
+/** What the user confirmed via the Continue footer, carrying that option's payload. */
+export type StartSelection = { optionId: 'scratch' } | { optionId: 'template'; templateId: string };
+
 export interface CreateFilesetStartProps {
-  /**
-   * Fired when the user confirms a selected start option via the Continue footer. For
-   * the "template" option, the chosen template id is passed as the second argument.
-   */
-  onContinue: (optionId: StartOptionId, templateId?: string) => void;
+  /** Fired when the user confirms a selected start option via the Continue footer. */
+  onContinue: (selection: StartSelection) => void;
 }
diff --git a/web/packages/studio/src/routes/NewDataDesignerJobRoute/index.tsx b/web/packages/studio/src/routes/NewDataDesignerJobRoute/index.tsx
index f18bcc9bc8..c4d8385686 100644
--- a/web/packages/studio/src/routes/NewDataDesignerJobRoute/index.tsx
+++ b/web/packages/studio/src/routes/NewDataDesignerJobRoute/index.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 import { AccessibleTitle } from '@studio/components/AccessibleTitle';
 import { CreateFilesetStart } from '@studio/components/CreateFilesetStart';
-import type { StartOptionId } from '@studio/components/CreateFilesetStart/types';
+import type { StartSelection } from '@studio/components/CreateFilesetStart/types';
 import { useWorkspaceFromPath } from '@studio/hooks/useWorkspaceFromPath';
 import { useBreadcrumbs } from '@studio/providers/breadcrumbs/useBreadcrumbs';
 import { getDataDesignerJobBuildRoute, getDataDesignerJobListRoute } from '@studio/routes/utils';
@@ -21,11 +21,14 @@ export const NewDataDesignerJobRoute: FC = () => {
     ],
   });
 
-  const handleContinue = (optionId: StartOptionId, templateId?: string) => {
-    if (optionId === 'scratch') {
-      navigate(getDataDesignerJobBuildRoute(workspace));
-    } else if (optionId === 'template' && templateId) {
-      navigate(`${getDataDesignerJobBuildRoute(workspace)}?template=${templateId}`);
+  const handleContinue = (selection: StartSelection) => {
+    switch (selection.optionId) {
+      case 'scratch':
+        navigate(getDataDesignerJobBuildRoute(workspace));
+        break;
+      case 'template':
+        navigate(`${getDataDesignerJobBuildRoute(workspace)}?template=${selection.templateId}`);
+        break;
     }
   };