diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/BoundariesPanel.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/BoundariesPanel.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26cfc46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/BoundariesPanel.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+<script>
+  let { prefs, onchange, onclose } = $props();
+
+  let term = $state('');
+
+  function addTerm() {
+    const v = term.trim();
+    if (v && !prefs.avoid_terms.includes(v)) {
+      prefs.avoid_terms.push(v);
+      onchange?.();
+    }
+    term = '';
+  }
+  function removeTerm(i) { prefs.avoid_terms.splice(i, 1); onchange?.(); }
+  function removePause(i) { prefs.pauses.splice(i, 1); onchange?.(); }
+  function removeMute(kind, value) {
+    const arr = kind === 'topic' ? prefs.mute_topics : prefs.mute_flavors;
+    const i = arr.indexOf(value);
+    if (i >= 0) arr.splice(i, 1);
+    onchange?.();
+  }
+  function reset() {
+    for (const k of ['avoid_terms', 'pauses', 'mute_topics', 'mute_flavors', 'include_topics', 'include_flavors'])
+      prefs[k].length = 0;
+    prefs.max_cortisol = null;
+    onchange?.();
+  }
+
+  function when(iso) {
+    try {
+      return new Date(iso).toLocaleString(undefined, { month: 'short', day: 'numeric', hour: 'numeric' });
+    } catch { return ''; }
+  }
+
+  let mutes = $derived([
+    ...prefs.mute_topics.map((v) => ['topic', v]),
+    ...prefs.mute_flavors.map((v) => ['flavor', v]),
+  ]);
+  let anything = $derived(prefs.avoid_terms.length || prefs.pauses.length || mutes.length);
+</script>
+
+<section class="panel rise">
+  <div class="head">
+    <h2>Your boundaries</h2>
+    <button class="close" onclick={() => onclose?.()} aria-label="close">done</button>
+  </div>
+  <p class="reassure">Kept on this device. Nothing leaves it, and there's no account.</p>
+
+  <div class="group">
+    <label class="label" for="avoid">Avoid words or phrases</label>
+    <div class="addrow">
+      <input id="avoid" type="text" bind:value={term} placeholder="a name, a condition, a topic you'd rather not meet"
+             onkeydown={(e) => e.key === 'Enter' && addTerm()} />
+      <button class="add" onclick={addTerm}>Add</button>
+    </div>
+    {#if prefs.avoid_terms.length}
+      <div class="pills">
+        {#each prefs.avoid_terms as t, i (t)}
+          <span class="pill">{t}<button onclick={() => removeTerm(i)} aria-label={`stop avoiding ${t}`}>×</button></span>
+        {/each}
+      </div>
+    {:else}
+      <p class="empty">Anything you'd rather not see — a person, a diagnosis, a subject — goes here and is hidden everywhere.</p>
+    {/if}
+  </div>
+
+  <div class="group">
+    <span class="label">Paused for now</span>
+    {#if prefs.pauses.length}
+      <div class="pills">
+        {#each prefs.pauses as p, i (p.kind + p.value + p.until)}
+          <span class="pill soft">{p.value}<small> · until {when(p.until)}</small><button onclick={() => removePause(i)} aria-label="resume">×</button></span>
+        {/each}
+      </div>
+    {:else}
+      <p class="empty">Nothing paused.</p>
+    {/if}
+  </div>
+
+  <div class="group">
+    <span class="label">Always hidden</span>
+    {#if mutes.length}
+      <div class="pills">
+        {#each mutes as [kind, v] (kind + v)}
+          <span class="pill">{v}<button onclick={() => removeMute(kind, v)} aria-label={`show ${v} again`}>×</button></span>
+        {/each}
+      </div>
+    {:else}
+      <p class="empty">Nothing hidden.</p>
+    {/if}
+  </div>
+
+  {#if anything}
+    <button class="reset" onclick={reset}>Clear all boundaries</button>
+  {/if}
+</section>
+
+<style>
+  .panel {
+    background: var(--surface);
+    border: 1px solid var(--line);
+    border-radius: var(--radius);
+    box-shadow: var(--shadow);
+    padding: 20px 22px;
+    margin: 8px 0 18px;
+  }
+  .head { display: flex; align-items: baseline; justify-content: space-between; }
+  .head h2 { font-size: 1.3rem; }
+  .close { background: none; border: none; color: var(--sage-deep); font-size: 0.85rem; text-decoration: underline; }
+  .reassure { margin: 4px 0 16px; color: var(--muted); font-size: 0.85rem; }
+  .group { margin-bottom: 16px; }
+  .label {
+    display: block; font-size: 0.78rem; text-transform: uppercase;
+    letter-spacing: 0.07em; color: var(--muted); margin-bottom: 8px; font-weight: 600;
+  }
+  .addrow { display: flex; gap: 8px; }
+  .addrow input {
+    flex: 1; border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 9px; padding: 9px 12px;
+    font-size: 0.92rem; background: var(--bg);
+  }
+  .addrow input:focus { outline: none; border-color: var(--sage); }
+  .add { border: 1px solid var(--sage); background: var(--sage); color: #fff; border-radius: 9px; padding: 9px 16px; font-size: 0.88rem; }
+  .pills { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 8px; margin-top: 10px; }
+  .pill {
+    display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 4px;
+    background: var(--sage-soft); color: var(--sage-deep);
+    border-radius: 999px; padding: 4px 6px 4px 12px; font-size: 0.85rem;
+  }
+  .pill small { color: var(--muted); }
+  .pill button { background: none; border: none; color: var(--sage-deep); font-size: 1.05rem; line-height: 1; cursor: pointer; padding: 0 4px; }
+  .empty { margin: 0; color: var(--muted); font-size: 0.85rem; font-style: italic; }
+  .reset { background: none; border: none; color: var(--muted); font-size: 0.82rem; text-decoration: underline; margin-top: 4px; }
+</style>
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte
index 160bc6f..4d29348 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   import MoodNav from '$lib/components/MoodNav.svelte';
   import Lane from '$lib/components/Lane.svelte';
   import ArticleCard from '$lib/components/ArticleCard.svelte';
+  import BoundariesPanel from '$lib/components/BoundariesPanel.svelte';
 
   let moods = $state([]);
   let selected = $state('today');
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@
   let feed = $state([]);
   let lanes = $state([]);
   let userPrefs = $state(P.blank());
+  let showBoundaries = $state(false);
   let loading = $state(true);
   let error = $state('');
 
@@ -52,16 +54,14 @@
     if (typeof window !== 'undefined') window.scrollTo({ top: 0, behavior: 'smooth' });
   }
 
-  function applyAction(kind, value) {
-    P[kind]?.(userPrefs, value);
+  function refreshPrefs() {
     userPrefs = { ...userPrefs };
     P.save(userPrefs);
     select(selected);
   }
-  function resetFilters() {
-    userPrefs = P.blank();
-    P.save(userPrefs);
-    select(selected);
+  function applyAction(kind, value) {
+    P[kind]?.(userPrefs, value);
+    refreshPrefs();
   }
 
   onMount(async () => {
@@ -80,11 +80,14 @@
   <MoodNav {moods} {selected} onselect={select} />
 {/if}
 
-{#if filtersOn}
-  <div class="calmbar">
-    <span>Calm filters on — your feed is personalized on this device.</span>
-    <button onclick={resetFilters}>reset</button>
-  </div>
+<div class="toptools">
+  <button class="boundaries" class:on={filtersOn} onclick={() => (showBoundaries = !showBoundaries)}>
+    {filtersOn ? 'Boundaries ·' : 'Boundaries'}
+  </button>
+</div>
+
+{#if showBoundaries}
+  <BoundariesPanel prefs={userPrefs} onchange={refreshPrefs} onclose={() => (showBoundaries = false)} />
 {/if}
 
 {#if loading}
@@ -131,13 +134,13 @@
 {/if}
 
 <style>
-  .calmbar {
-    display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 12px;
-    background: var(--sage-soft); color: var(--sage-deep);
-    border-radius: 999px; padding: 6px 16px; margin: 6px auto 0; width: fit-content;
-    font-size: 0.85rem;
+  .toptools { display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; margin: 2px 0 0; }
+  .boundaries {
+    background: none; border: none; color: var(--muted);
+    font-size: 0.82rem; padding: 4px 2px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;
   }
-  .calmbar button { background: none; border: none; color: var(--sage-deep); text-decoration: underline; font-size: 0.85rem; }
+  .boundaries:hover { color: var(--sage-deep); }
+  .boundaries.on { color: var(--sage-deep); font-weight: 600; }
   .kicker {
     font-size: 0.82rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.12em;
     color: var(--gold); margin: 22px 0 14px; font-family: var(--sans); font-weight: 700;