diff --git a/src/App.jsx b/src/App.jsx
index 992b93b..c01faaf 100644
--- a/src/App.jsx
+++ b/src/App.jsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import JSZip from 'jszip';
 import { MetadataForm } from './components/MetadataForm.jsx';
 import { normalizeMetadata } from './metadata/normalizeMetadata.js';
 import { importGithubMetadata } from './services/githubImporter.js';
+import { importReviewHeadline } from './services/importReviewHeadline.js';
 import { pickPreferredOrcidCandidate, searchOrcidCandidates } from './services/orcidSearch.js';
 import { toCitationCff } from './services/citation.js';
 import { validateCitationCffText } from './services/citationValidation.js';
@@ -244,10 +245,7 @@ function buildImportReviewSummary(importStatus) {
 
   const uniqueWarnings = [...new Set(warnings)].filter(Boolean);
   const uniqueRecommendations = [...new Set(recommendations)].filter(Boolean);
-  const healthy = uniqueWarnings.length === 0 && (importStatus.errors || []).length === 0;
-
   return {
-    healthy,
     warningCount: uniqueWarnings.length,
     warnings: uniqueWarnings,
     recommendations: uniqueRecommendations,
@@ -403,7 +401,7 @@ export default function App() {
   const [orcidSuggestions, setOrcidSuggestions] = useState({});
   const [exportNotice, setExportNotice] = useState({ kind: '', message: '', details: [] });
   const [touchedFields, setTouchedFields] = useState({});
-  const [hasImportedMetadata, setHasImportedMetadata] = useState(false);
+  const [showValidationErrors, setShowValidationErrors] = useState(false);
   const [theme, setTheme] = useState(() => {
     if (typeof window === 'undefined') {
       return 'dark';
@@ -500,6 +498,7 @@ export default function App() {
   }, [normalizedForm.repositoryCode, hasMetadataCore, hasValidationErrors]);
 
   function showValidationNotice(errors) {
+    setShowValidationErrors(true);
     const details = formatValidationSummary(errors);
     const missingFields = getValidationMissingFields(errors);
     setExportNotice({
@@ -768,18 +767,6 @@ export default function App() {
         return;
       }
 
-      if (!importedMeaningfulMetadata) {
-        setTouchedFields((current) => ({
-          ...current,
-          title: true,
-          authors: true,
-          license: true,
-          version: true,
-          typeOfWork: true,
-          publicationDate: true,
-        }));
-      }
-
       setImportStatus({
         loading: false,
         warnings: result.warnings,
@@ -789,9 +776,10 @@ export default function App() {
         comparisons: importedMeaningfulMetadata ? (Array.isArray(result.comparisons) ? result.comparisons : []) : [],
       });
 
-      setHasImportedMetadata(importedMeaningfulMetadata);
-
       if (result.errors.length === 0) {
+        setTouchedFields({});
+        setShowValidationErrors(false);
+        clearExportNotice();
         setForm(nextForm);
         setOrcidSuggestions(nextSuggestions);
       }
@@ -1158,9 +1146,9 @@ export default function App() {
           <div className="export-notice export-notice-info" role="status" aria-live="polite">
             <strong>Reviewed metadata loaded in editor.</strong>
             <ul>
-              <li>Warnings: {healthScanSummary.warning}</li>
-              <li>Passing checks: {healthScanSummary.pass}</li>
-              <li>Errors: {healthScanSummary.error}</li>
+              <li>Health checks needing review: {healthScanSummary.warning}</li>
+              <li>Passing health checks: {healthScanSummary.pass}</li>
+              <li>Health checks with errors: {healthScanSummary.error}</li>
             </ul>
           </div>
         )}
@@ -1253,9 +1241,7 @@ export default function App() {
               <div className="feedback-block feedback-summary">
                 <strong>Citation Review</strong>
                 <p className="review-summary">
-                  {importReviewSummary.healthy
-                    ? '✓ Repository metadata looks healthy'
-                    : `Warnings (${importReviewSummary.warningCount})`}
+                  {importReviewHeadline(importStatus, importReviewSummary.warningCount)}
                 </p>
                 {importReviewSummary.warnings.length > 0 && (
                   <ul>
@@ -1297,9 +1283,9 @@ export default function App() {
               )}
               {importStatus.review && (
                 <div className="feedback-block feedback-review">
-                  <strong>Metadata review</strong>
+                  <strong>Metadata field review</strong>
                   <p className="review-summary">
-                    Correct: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.correct ?? 0} | Missing: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.missing ?? 0} | Outdated: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.outdated ?? 0} | Invalid: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.invalid ?? 0}
+                    Correct fields: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.correct ?? 0} | Missing fields: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.missing ?? 0} | Outdated fields: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.outdated ?? 0} | Invalid fields: {importStatus.review.summary?.byStatus?.invalid ?? 0}
                   </p>
                   {Array.isArray(importStatus.review.recommendations?.actions) && importStatus.review.recommendations.actions.length > 0 && (
                     <ul>
@@ -1324,7 +1310,7 @@ export default function App() {
                 <div className="feedback-block feedback-health">
                   <strong>Citation health scan</strong>
                   <p className="review-summary">
-                    Passing checks: {healthScanSummary.pass} | Warnings to review: {healthScanSummary.warning} | Errors to fix: {healthScanSummary.error}
+                    Passing checks: {healthScanSummary.pass} | Checks needing review: {healthScanSummary.warning} | Checks with errors: {healthScanSummary.error}
                   </p>
                   <div className="actions">
                     <button type="button" onClick={openReviewedMetadataInGenerator}>
@@ -1334,7 +1320,7 @@ export default function App() {
 
                   {healthErrorChecks.length > 0 && (
                     <div className="health-group">
-                      <h3>Errors (Fix first)</h3>
+                      <h3>Health check errors</h3>
                       <ul className="health-list">
                         {healthErrorChecks.map((check, index) => renderHealthCheckCard(check, `health-error-${index}`))}
                       </ul>
@@ -1343,7 +1329,7 @@ export default function App() {
 
                   {healthWarningChecks.length > 0 && (
                     <div className="health-group">
-                      <h3>Warnings (Recommended updates)</h3>
+                      <h3>Health checks needing review</h3>
                       <ul className="health-list">
                         {healthWarningChecks.map((check, index) => renderHealthCheckCard(check, `health-warning-${index}`))}
                       </ul>
@@ -1352,7 +1338,7 @@ export default function App() {
 
                   {healthPassChecks.length > 0 && (
                     <div className="health-group">
-                      <h3>Done Well</h3>
+                      <h3>Passing health checks</h3>
                       <ul className="health-list">
                         {healthPassChecks.map((check, index) => renderHealthCheckCard(check, `health-pass-${index}`))}
                       </ul>
@@ -1392,7 +1378,7 @@ export default function App() {
               grantSuggestions={grantSuggestions}
               errors={validationErrors}
               touchedFields={touchedFields}
-              importedMetadataAvailable={hasImportedMetadata}
+              showValidationErrors={showValidationErrors}
               orcidSuggestions={orcidSuggestions}
               updateField={updateField}
               appendGrantSuggestion={appendGrantSuggestion}
diff --git a/src/components/MetadataForm.jsx b/src/components/MetadataForm.jsx
index 6b77225..6cfc95d 100644
--- a/src/components/MetadataForm.jsx
+++ b/src/components/MetadataForm.jsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
   grantSuggestions = [],
   errors = {},
   touchedFields = {},
-  importedMetadataAvailable = false,
+  showValidationErrors = false,
   orcidSuggestions = {},
   updateField,
   appendGrantSuggestion,
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ export function MetadataForm({
   const hiddenAuthorCount = Math.max(0, totalAuthors - visibleAuthorCount);
   const hasTouchedField = (field) => Boolean(touchedFields[field]);
   const hasTouchedAuthorField = (index, field) => Boolean(touchedFields[`authors.${index}.${field}`]);
-  const shouldShowFieldError = (field) => Boolean(errors[field]) && (hasTouchedField(field) || importedMetadataAvailable);
-  const shouldShowAuthorFieldError = (index, field) => Boolean(errors[`authorOrcid`]?.[index]) && (hasTouchedAuthorField(index, field) || importedMetadataAvailable);
+  const shouldShowFieldError = (field) => Boolean(errors[field]) && (hasTouchedField(field) || showValidationErrors);
+  const shouldShowAuthorFieldError = (index, field) => Boolean(errors[`authorOrcid`]?.[index]) && (hasTouchedAuthorField(index, field) || showValidationErrors);
 
   function toggleAuthorExpanded(index) {
     setExpandedAuthors((current) => ({
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
               placeholder="Project title"
               aria-invalid={Boolean(shouldShowFieldError('title'))}
             />
-            {(hasTouchedField('title') || importedMetadataAvailable) && errors.title ? <small className="error-text">{errors.title}</small> : null}
+            {shouldShowFieldError('title') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.title}</small> : null}
           </label>
 
           <label className="full-width">
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
                         className={shouldShowAuthorFieldError(index, 'orcid') ? 'input-error' : ''}
                         aria-invalid={Boolean(shouldShowAuthorFieldError(index, 'orcid'))}
                       />
-                      {(hasTouchedAuthorField(index, 'orcid') || importedMetadataAvailable) && errors.authorOrcid?.[index] ? <small className="error-text">{errors.authorOrcid[index]}</small> : null}
+                      {shouldShowAuthorFieldError(index, 'orcid') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.authorOrcid[index]}</small> : null}
                       <div className="orcid-tools">
                         <button
                           type="button"
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
           <button type="button" className="secondary" onClick={addAuthor}>
             Add author
           </button>
-          {(hasTouchedField('authors') || importedMetadataAvailable) && errors.authors ? <small className="error-text">{errors.authors}</small> : null}
+          {shouldShowFieldError('authors') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.authors}</small> : null}
         </label>
       </section>
 
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
                 </option>
               ))}
             </select>
-            {(hasTouchedField('typeOfWork') || importedMetadataAvailable) && errors.typeOfWork ? <small className="error-text">{errors.typeOfWork}</small> : null}
+            {shouldShowFieldError('typeOfWork') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.typeOfWork}</small> : null}
           </label>
 
           {form.typeOfWork === 'other' && (
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
               <a href="https://semver.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">semver.org</a>
               .
             </small>
-            {(hasTouchedField('version') || importedMetadataAvailable) && errors.version ? <small className="error-text">{errors.version}</small> : null}
+            {shouldShowFieldError('version') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.version}</small> : null}
           </label>
 
           <label className={shouldShowFieldError('publicationDate') ? 'field-error' : ''}>
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
               placeholder="YYYY-MM-DD"
               aria-invalid={Boolean(shouldShowFieldError('publicationDate'))}
             />
-            {(hasTouchedField('publicationDate') || importedMetadataAvailable) && errors.publicationDate ? <small className="error-text">{errors.publicationDate}</small> : null}
+            {shouldShowFieldError('publicationDate') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.publicationDate}</small> : null}
           </label>
 
           <label className={shouldShowFieldError('license') ? 'field-error' : ''}>
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
                 </option>
               ))}
             </select>
-            {(hasTouchedField('license') || importedMetadataAvailable) && errors.license ? <small className="error-text">{errors.license}</small> : null}
+            {shouldShowFieldError('license') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.license}</small> : null}
           </label>
 
           <label>
@@ -351,16 +351,16 @@ export function MetadataForm({
           <p className="section-step">5. Funding</p>
           <h3 id="section-funding-title">Grant IDs and acknowledgements</h3>
         </header>
-        <label className={`full-width ${hasTouchedField('grants') && errors.grants ? 'field-error' : ''}`}>
+        <label className={`full-width ${shouldShowFieldError('grants') ? 'field-error' : ''}`}>
           <span>Grants</span>
           <textarea
-            className={hasTouchedField('grants') && errors.grants ? 'input-error' : ''}
+            className={shouldShowFieldError('grants') ? 'input-error' : ''}
             name="grants"
             value={form.grants}
             onChange={updateField}
             rows="3"
             placeholder="One grant ID per line"
-            aria-invalid={Boolean(hasTouchedField('grants') && errors.grants)}
+            aria-invalid={Boolean(shouldShowFieldError('grants'))}
           />
           <div className="grant-suggestions">
             {grantSuggestions.map((grant) => (
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ export function MetadataForm({
             ))}
           </ul>
           <small>Format: &lt;funder-code&gt;::&lt;grant-number&gt; (e.g., 021nxhr62::2118240)</small>
-          {hasTouchedField('grants') && errors.grants ? <small className="error-text">{errors.grants}</small> : null}
+          {shouldShowFieldError('grants') ? <small className="error-text">{errors.grants}</small> : null}
         </label>
       </section>
     </form>
diff --git a/src/services/importReviewHeadline.js b/src/services/importReviewHeadline.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cefb002
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/services/importReviewHeadline.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export function importReviewHeadline(importStatus, findingCount) {
+  if (findingCount > 0) return `Review findings (${findingCount})`;
+  if (importStatus.errors.length > 0) return `Import errors (${importStatus.errors.length})`;
+  if (importStatus.warnings.length > 0) return `Import warnings (${importStatus.warnings.length})`;
+  return 'No health or comparison findings';
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/services/importReviewHeadline.test.js b/tests/services/importReviewHeadline.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..271c3ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/services/importReviewHeadline.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+
+import { importReviewHeadline } from '../../src/services/importReviewHeadline.js';
+
+test('review headlines count their own category rather than import and validation together', () => {
+  const status = { errors: [{ message: 'Import failed' }], warnings: [{ message: 'Missing file' }] };
+  assert.equal(importReviewHeadline(status, 2), 'Review findings (2)');
+  assert.equal(importReviewHeadline(status, 0), 'Import errors (1)');
+  assert.equal(importReviewHeadline({ errors: [], warnings: status.warnings }, 0), 'Import warnings (1)');
+  assert.equal(importReviewHeadline({ errors: [], warnings: [] }, 0), 'No health or comparison findings');
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/validation/validationDisplay.test.js b/tests/validation/validationDisplay.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c36082
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/validation/validationDisplay.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { createElement } from 'react';
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from 'react-dom/server';
+import { createServer } from 'vite';
+
+test('required fields stay neutral until touched or export validation is requested', async () => {
+  const vite = await createServer({ server: { middlewareMode: true }, appType: 'custom' });
+  try {
+    const { MetadataForm } = await vite.ssrLoadModule('/src/components/MetadataForm.jsx');
+    const form = {
+      title: '', authors: [], typeOfWork: 'software', version: '0.1.0',
+      publicationDate: '', license: '', grants: '', abstract: '', keywords: '',
+      repositoryCode: '', doi: '', references: '',
+    };
+    const errors = { title: 'Title is required', authors: 'Author is required' };
+    const props = {
+      form, errors, typeOptions: [], licenseOptions: [], orcidSuggestions: {}, grantSuggestions: [],
+      updateField: () => {}, updateAuthorField: () => {},
+    };
+
+    const initial = renderToStaticMarkup(createElement(MetadataForm, props));
+    assert.match(initial, /Title\*/);
+    assert.match(initial, /Authors\*/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(initial, /Title is required|Author is required|input-error/);
+    assert.match(initial, /name="title"[^>]*aria-invalid="false"/);
+
+    const touched = renderToStaticMarkup(createElement(MetadataForm, { ...props, touchedFields: { title: true } }));
+    assert.match(touched, /Title is required/);
+    assert.doesNotMatch(touched, /Author is required/);
+
+    const attemptedExport = renderToStaticMarkup(createElement(MetadataForm, { ...props, showValidationErrors: true }));
+    assert.match(attemptedExport, /Title is required/);
+    assert.match(attemptedExport, /Author is required/);
+    assert.match(attemptedExport, /name="title"[^>]*aria-invalid="true"/);
+  } finally {
+    await vite.close();
+  }
+});
\ No newline at end of file