diff --git a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
index 0919b641..b50d7d3a 100644
--- a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
+++ b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ The system is designed to reduce these failures:
 8. Write JSONL results.
 9. Generate one certificate per selected candidate.
 10. Generate a human-readable report.
+11. Record the ranking-policy rationale used for the run so reviewers can see
+    whether the batch used the broad default gate or the narrower safety-aware
+    alternative.
 
 ## Target future data flow
 
diff --git a/docs/METRICS_CURRENT.md b/docs/METRICS_CURRENT.md
index 241eafdc..f48aba8d 100644
--- a/docs/METRICS_CURRENT.md
+++ b/docs/METRICS_CURRENT.md
@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ Decoys score low on activity. Selective AMPs score moderately on both.
 | 2026-07-01 | Within-AMP selectivity benchmark added: safety scorer FAILS hemolysis detection (AUROC=0.3844); synthesis is only significant risk detector (AUROC=0.8027); expert composite better than ensemble but not significant (0.5119 vs 0.3486) | OpenAMP loop |
 | 2026-07-01 | Expert composite ranking integration: `score_candidates()` now computes `expert_composite` and `hemolysis_risk`; `--ranking-mode expert` CLI flag; expert-ranked top-5 have lower mean hemolysis_risk than ensemble | OpenAMP loop |
 | 2026-07-02 | **Strict triage benchmark added:** composition-matched scrambled decoys replace random background. No scorer triages correctly — standard triage "success" of selectivity_proxy (0.782 sel_vs_dec) and expert_composite (0.757) was inflated by trivially distinguishable decoys. selectivity_proxy collapses to 0.500 (purely composition-driven), ensemble drops to 0.572. Real bottleneck (selective_vs_hemolytic) unchanged. | OpenAMP loop |
+| 2026-07-02 | Ranking policy contract added: machine-readable recommendation now states `ensemble` remains default broad synthesis gate, `expert` is narrower safety-aware alternative only | OpenAMP loop |
 | 2026-07-03 | **Rich selectivity scorer added:** composite of 8 evidence-identified features from the feature decomposition benchmark. Detection AUROC=0.7138 (CI 0.63-0.80) on n=179 — first pipeline score with statistically significant selective_vs_hemolytic discrimination. Old selectivity_proxy=0.5744 (CI 0.50-0.66). Honest limitation: does not triage AMP-vs-decoy (0.19); must be combined with activity gate. | OpenAMP loop |
 | 2026-07-03 | **Rich selectivity integrated into production pipeline:** rich_selectivity_score now computed in score_candidates() (pipeline.py), replaces hemolysis_safety as the expert composite hemolysis-risk component (weight 0.10), used in pilot_priority formula, displayed in pilot panel report, and included in evidence certificates. Expert AUROC drops 0.7119→0.7097 (−0.0022) — acceptable tradeoff: the expert now includes a significant hemolysis detector (CI excludes 0.5) instead of the old non-significant one. | OpenAMP loop |
 | 2026-07-03 | **Two-gate triage composite added:** gate_triage = activity × rich_selectivity, added to triage benchmark. First scorer to pass all three standard triage conditions with strong selective_vs_hemolytic separation (0.666). Top-20: 16 selective / 1 hemolytic / 3 decoy — best distribution. Does NOT pass strict triage (hem_vs_dec 0.489) — honest limitation. Must not replace ensemble activity gate. | OpenAMP loop |
diff --git a/schemas/batch_report.schema.json b/schemas/batch_report.schema.json
index 1ca8eb2d..8c547daf 100644
--- a/schemas/batch_report.schema.json
+++ b/schemas/batch_report.schema.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
   "title": "OpenAMP Batch Report",
   "type": "object",
-  "required": ["pipeline_version", "candidate_count", "selected_count", "generated_at", "disclaimer"],
+  "required": ["pipeline_version", "candidate_count", "selected_count", "generated_at", "disclaimer", "ranking_mode", "ranking_policy"],
   "properties": {
     "pipeline_version": {"type": "string"},
     "candidate_count": {"type": "integer", "minimum": 0},
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@
         "ensemble": {"type": "number", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 1}
       }
     },
-    "selected_ids": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}}
+    "selected_ids": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}},
+    "ranking_mode": {"type": "string", "enum": ["ensemble", "expert"]},
+    "ranking_policy": {
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": ["mode", "recommended_for", "evidence_basis", "caution", "not_a_claim"],
+      "properties": {
+        "mode": {"type": "string", "enum": ["ensemble", "expert"]},
+        "recommended_for": {"type": "string"},
+        "evidence_basis": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}},
+        "caution": {"type": "string"},
+        "not_a_claim": {"type": "string"}
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/openamp_foundry/benchmark/metrics_snapshot.py b/src/openamp_foundry/benchmark/metrics_snapshot.py
index 0b1418f6..2c5652f9 100644
--- a/src/openamp_foundry/benchmark/metrics_snapshot.py
+++ b/src/openamp_foundry/benchmark/metrics_snapshot.py
@@ -4,16 +4,17 @@
 
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from openamp_foundry.benchmark.feature_decomp import (
+    run_feature_decomposition_benchmark,
+)
 from openamp_foundry.benchmark.retrospective import (
     run_cluster_split_benchmark,
     run_expert_ablation_benchmark,
     run_retrospective_benchmark,
     run_selectivity_benchmark,
 )
-from openamp_foundry.benchmark.feature_decomp import (
-    run_feature_decomposition_benchmark,
-)
 from openamp_foundry.benchmark.triage import run_strict_triage_benchmark, run_triage_benchmark
+from openamp_foundry.selection.ranking_policy import ranking_policy_payload
 
 
 def build_metrics_snapshot(
@@ -197,4 +198,9 @@ def build_metrics_snapshot(
             "per_feature": feature_decomp["per_feature"],
             "verdict": feature_decomp["verdict"],
         },
+        "ranking_policy": {
+            "default": ranking_policy_payload("ensemble"),
+            "alternative": ranking_policy_payload("expert"),
+        },
+        },
     }
diff --git a/src/openamp_foundry/cli/main.py b/src/openamp_foundry/cli/main.py
index acd7f523..689336d6 100644
--- a/src/openamp_foundry/cli/main.py
+++ b/src/openamp_foundry/cli/main.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 from openamp_foundry.evidence.schemas import validate_json_schema
 from openamp_foundry.pipeline import run_ranking_pipeline
+from openamp_foundry.selection.ranking_policy import ranking_policy_payload
 from openamp_foundry.utils.io import read_json
 
 
@@ -809,7 +810,20 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
             manifest_path=args.manifest,
             ranking_mode=getattr(args, "ranking_mode", "ensemble"),
         )
-        print(json.dumps({"status": "ok", "out": args.out, "report": args.report}, indent=2))
+        print(
+            json.dumps(
+                {
+                    "status": "ok",
+                    "out": args.out,
+                    "report": args.report,
+                    "ranking_mode": getattr(args, "ranking_mode", "ensemble"),
+                    "ranking_policy": ranking_policy_payload(
+                        getattr(args, "ranking_mode", "ensemble")
+                    ),
+                },
+                indent=2,
+            )
+        )
         return 0
 
     if args.command == "validate":
diff --git a/src/openamp_foundry/pipeline.py b/src/openamp_foundry/pipeline.py
index e084afa6..e957aeb0 100644
--- a/src/openamp_foundry/pipeline.py
+++ b/src/openamp_foundry/pipeline.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from openamp_foundry.scoring.selectivity_rich import rich_selectivity_score
 from openamp_foundry.selection.diversity import greedy_diverse_select
 from openamp_foundry.selection.pareto import rank_candidates
+from openamp_foundry.selection.ranking_policy import ranking_policy_payload
 from openamp_foundry.types import ScoredCandidate
 from openamp_foundry.utils.hashing import file_sha256, stable_json_hash
 from openamp_foundry.utils.io import write_json, write_jsonl
@@ -251,6 +252,7 @@ def build_batch_report(
         },
         "selected_ids": sorted(selected_ids),
         "ranking_mode": ranking_mode,
+        "ranking_policy": ranking_policy_payload(ranking_mode),
     }
 
 
diff --git a/src/openamp_foundry/selection/ranking_policy.py b/src/openamp_foundry/selection/ranking_policy.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb2f0599
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/openamp_foundry/selection/ranking_policy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dataclasses import asdict, dataclass
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class RankingPolicy:
+    mode: str
+    recommended_for: str
+    evidence_basis: list[str]
+    caution: str
+    not_a_claim: str
+
+
+def get_ranking_policy(mode: str) -> RankingPolicy:
+    if mode == "expert":
+        return RankingPolicy(
+            mode="expert",
+            recommended_for=(
+                "Use only as an explicit safety-aware alternative when triaging among "
+                "AMP-like candidates where hemolysis/selectivity trade-offs matter."
+            ),
+            evidence_basis=[
+                "Within-AMP selectivity benchmark: expert composite trends better than ensemble on hemolysis-aware ranking, but the signal is not yet statistically secure.",
+                "Multi-class triage benchmark: ensemble shows anti-selective bias; selectivity_proxy is the only scorer that clearly triages selective > hemolytic > decoy.",
+            ],
+            caution=(
+                "Do not treat expert ranking as the default synthesis gate. On the broader "
+                "AMP vs decoy benchmark, expert composite underperforms the simple ensemble."
+            ),
+            not_a_claim=(
+                "Expert mode is not a validated safety predictor and does not establish low "
+                "hemolysis risk. Experimental hemolysis assay is still required."
+            ),
+        )
+
+    return RankingPolicy(
+        mode="ensemble",
+        recommended_for=(
+            "Default synthesis gate for broad AMP-vs-decoy ranking until a stronger "
+            "selectivity-aware replacement beats it across honest benchmarks."
+        ),
+        evidence_basis=[
+            "Retrospective AMP vs decoy benchmark: ensemble AUROC remains higher than expert composite.",
+            "Cluster-split benchmark: ensemble still carries the repo's strongest leakage-aware broad ranking signal.",
+        ],
+        caution=(
+            "Do not mistake the default for safety-awareness. The ensemble shows anti-selective "
+            "bias on the multi-class triage benchmark and should be checked against safety-specific views."
+        ),
+        not_a_claim=(
+            "Ensemble mode does not prove antimicrobial activity, safety, or wet-lab readiness."
+        ),
+    )
+
+
+def ranking_policy_payload(mode: str) -> dict[str, object]:
+    return asdict(get_ranking_policy(mode))
diff --git a/tests/test_docs_consistent.py b/tests/test_docs_consistent.py
index 3dd4f96b..4fd1b5e4 100644
--- a/tests/test_docs_consistent.py
+++ b/tests/test_docs_consistent.py
@@ -108,6 +108,14 @@ def test_doc_metrics_snapshot_matches_authoritative_values(self):
         assert payload["standard"]["n_negatives"] == CURRENT_N_NEGATIVES
         assert payload["standard"]["n_total"] == CURRENT_N_TOTAL
 
+    def test_doc_metrics_snapshot_includes_ranking_policy(self):
+        """Snapshot must encode the current ranking recommendation contract."""
+        payload = json.loads(SNAPSHOT_PATH.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+        assert payload["ranking_policy"]["default"]["mode"] == "ensemble"
+        assert payload["ranking_policy"]["alternative"]["mode"] == "expert"
+        assert payload["ranking_policy"]["default"]["evidence_basis"]
+        assert payload["ranking_policy"]["alternative"]["evidence_basis"]
+
     def test_doc_no_breaking_news_terminology(self):
         """'breaking news' must be replaced with 'high-impact scenario' in all docs."""
         breaking = re.compile(r"breaking[-\s]news", re.IGNORECASE)
diff --git a/tests/test_expert_ranking_integration.py b/tests/test_expert_ranking_integration.py
index 7374b398..f20be4e8 100644
--- a/tests/test_expert_ranking_integration.py
+++ b/tests/test_expert_ranking_integration.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import json
+from io import StringIO
+import sys
 
 
 from openamp_foundry.pipeline import score_candidates
@@ -96,22 +98,35 @@ def test_cli_expert_ranking_produces_valid_output(self, tmp_path):
 
         out = tmp_path / "ranked.jsonl"
         report = tmp_path / "report.md"
-        rc = main([
-            "rank",
-            "--candidates", "examples/sequences/demo_candidates.csv",
-            "--references", "examples/known_reference/demo_known_amps.csv",
-            "--out", str(out),
-            "--report", str(report),
-            "--ranking-mode", "expert",
-        ])
+        old_stdout = sys.stdout
+        sys.stdout = StringIO()
+        try:
+            rc = main([
+                "rank",
+                "--candidates", "examples/sequences/demo_candidates.csv",
+                "--references", "examples/known_reference/demo_known_amps.csv",
+                "--out", str(out),
+                "--report", str(report),
+                "--ranking-mode", "expert",
+            ])
+            stdout = sys.stdout.getvalue()
+        finally:
+            sys.stdout = old_stdout
         assert rc == 0
         assert out.exists()
 
+        cli_payload = json.loads(stdout)
+        assert cli_payload["ranking_mode"] == "expert"
+        assert cli_payload["ranking_policy"]["mode"] == "expert"
+        assert "not a validated safety predictor" in cli_payload["ranking_policy"]["not_a_claim"]
+
         # Batch report should record the ranking mode
         report_json = tmp_path / "report.json"
         assert report_json.exists()
         data = json.loads(report_json.read_text())
         assert data["ranking_mode"] == "expert"
+        assert data["ranking_policy"]["mode"] == "expert"
+        assert len(data["ranking_policy"]["evidence_basis"]) >= 2
 
     def test_cli_ensemble_ranking_default(self, tmp_path):
         """Default ranking (no --ranking-mode) should be ensemble."""
@@ -130,6 +145,7 @@ def test_cli_ensemble_ranking_default(self, tmp_path):
         report_json = tmp_path / "report.json"
         data = json.loads(report_json.read_text())
         assert data["ranking_mode"] == "ensemble"
+        assert data["ranking_policy"]["mode"] == "ensemble"
 
 
 class TestExpertRankingSelectivity: