diff --git a/docs/request-validation.md b/docs/request-validation.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e50d51d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/request-validation.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Request Validation
+
+The repository includes a reference validation toolkit for future Express routes.
+
+## Goals
+
+- normalize request validation behavior
+- return a consistent `400` error payload
+- keep validators testable outside route files
+
+## Current location
+
+`tooling/request-validation-template`
+
+## Included pattern
+
+- `Validator<T>` for schema-like parsing
+- `validateRequest()` middleware wrapper
+- shared validation error payload formatting
+
+This implementation is intentionally dependency-light so it can merge before any framework or package decisions are finalized.
diff --git a/tooling/request-validation-template/README.md b/tooling/request-validation-template/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8790e1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/request-validation-template/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Request Validation Template
+
+This template provides a lightweight validation pattern for future Express routes.
+
+## Included pieces
+
+- schema-like validator helpers
+- request payload guards
+- normalized error formatting
+
+## Intended usage
+
+Copy these files into the API app when route handlers are added.
+
+The template avoids coupling to a specific validation library so it can merge safely before the API package exists.
diff --git a/tooling/request-validation-template/example-validator.ts b/tooling/request-validation-template/example-validator.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3861283
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/request-validation-template/example-validator.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import type { ValidationResult } from "./validation.types";
+
+export interface CreateCapsuleShape {
+  title: string;
+  unlockDate: string;
+}
+
+export const validateCreateCapsule = (
+  value: unknown
+): ValidationResult<CreateCapsuleShape> => {
+  const issues = [];
+
+  if (typeof value !== "object" || value === null) {
+    return {
+      success: false,
+      issues: [{ field: "body", message: "Request body must be an object" }]
+    };
+  }
+
+  const record = value as Record<string, unknown>;
+
+  if (typeof record.title !== "string" || record.title.trim().length < 3) {
+    issues.push({
+      field: "title",
+      message: "Title must be at least 3 characters long"
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (typeof record.unlockDate !== "string" || Number.isNaN(Date.parse(record.unlockDate))) {
+    issues.push({
+      field: "unlockDate",
+      message: "Unlock date must be a valid ISO date string"
+    });
+  }
+
+  if (issues.length > 0) {
+    return { success: false, issues };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    success: true,
+    data: {
+      title: record.title.trim(),
+      unlockDate: record.unlockDate
+    }
+  };
+};
diff --git a/tooling/request-validation-template/index.ts b/tooling/request-validation-template/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..283f35b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/request-validation-template/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export * from "./validation.types";
+export * from "./validation.errors";
+export * from "./validate-request";
diff --git a/tooling/request-validation-template/validate-request.ts b/tooling/request-validation-template/validate-request.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..693042d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/request-validation-template/validate-request.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import type { NextFunction, Request, Response } from "express";
+import { toValidationErrorPayload } from "./validation.errors";
+import type { Validator } from "./validation.types";
+
+type RequestTarget = "body" | "params" | "query";
+
+export const validateRequest =
+  <T>(target: RequestTarget, validator: Validator<T>) =>
+  (request: Request, response: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
+    const result = validator(request[target]);
+
+    if (!result.success) {
+      response.status(400).json(toValidationErrorPayload(result.issues ?? []));
+      return;
+    }
+
+    request[target] = result.data as Request[typeof target];
+    next();
+  };
diff --git a/tooling/request-validation-template/validation.errors.ts b/tooling/request-validation-template/validation.errors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e394d15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/request-validation-template/validation.errors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import type { ValidationIssue } from "./validation.types";
+
+export interface ValidationErrorPayload {
+  error: "validation_error";
+  issues: ValidationIssue[];
+}
+
+export const toValidationErrorPayload = (
+  issues: ValidationIssue[]
+): ValidationErrorPayload => ({
+  error: "validation_error",
+  issues
+});
diff --git a/tooling/request-validation-template/validation.types.ts b/tooling/request-validation-template/validation.types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..079526c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tooling/request-validation-template/validation.types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+export interface ValidationIssue {
+  field: string;
+  message: string;
+}
+
+export interface ValidationResult<T> {
+  success: boolean;
+  data?: T;
+  issues?: ValidationIssue[];
+}
+
+export type Validator<T> = (value: unknown) => ValidationResult<T>;