diff --git a/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml b/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml
index 28f1f02b..03ed9092 100644
--- a/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml
+++ b/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml
@@ -205,6 +205,8 @@
                                          TextAlignment="Center"/>
                                 <TextBlock Text="x historical average" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                             </StackPanel>
+                            <TextBlock x:Name="AlertPreviewText" FontSize="11" FontStyle="Italic" Foreground="Gray"
+                                       TextWrapping="Wrap" Margin="0,12,0,0"/>
                         </StackPanel>
                     </StackPanel>
                 </ScrollViewer>
@@ -322,6 +324,8 @@
                             <StackPanel Grid.Row="6" Grid.Column="1" Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,4,0,0">
                                 <Button x:Name="TestEmailButton" Content="Send Test Email" Padding="10,3"
                                         Click="TestEmailButton_Click"/>
+                                <Button x:Name="ValidateSmtpButton" Content="Validate Settings" Padding="10,3" Margin="8,0,0,0"
+                                        Click="ValidateSmtpButton_Click"/>
                                 <TextBlock x:Name="TestEmailStatusText" FontStyle="Italic" Foreground="Gray"
                                            VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="10,0,0,0" FontSize="11"/>
                             </StackPanel>
diff --git a/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs b/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs
index 2136fd96..c6d4de91 100644
--- a/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/Dashboard/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -256,6 +256,31 @@ private void RestoreAlertDefaultsButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
             LongRunningQueryThresholdTextBox.Text = "30";
             TempDbSpaceThresholdTextBox.Text = "80";
             LongRunningJobMultiplierTextBox.Text = "3";
+            UpdateAlertPreviewText();
+        }
+
+        private void UpdateAlertPreviewText()
+        {
+            var parts = new System.Collections.Generic.List<string>();
+
+            if (NotifyOnBlockingCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+                parts.Add($"blocking > {BlockingThresholdTextBox.Text}s");
+            if (NotifyOnDeadlockCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+                parts.Add($"deadlocks >= {DeadlockThresholdTextBox.Text}");
+            if (NotifyOnHighCpuCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+                parts.Add($"CPU > {CpuThresholdTextBox.Text}%");
+            if (NotifyOnPoisonWaitsCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+                parts.Add($"poison waits >= {PoisonWaitThresholdTextBox.Text}ms avg");
+            if (NotifyOnLongRunningQueriesCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+                parts.Add($"queries > {LongRunningQueryThresholdTextBox.Text}min");
+            if (NotifyOnTempDbSpaceCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+                parts.Add($"TempDB > {TempDbSpaceThresholdTextBox.Text}%");
+            if (NotifyOnLongRunningJobsCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+                parts.Add($"jobs > {LongRunningJobMultiplierTextBox.Text}x avg");
+
+            AlertPreviewText.Text = parts.Count > 0
+                ? $"Will alert when: {string.Join(", ", parts)}"
+                : "No alerts enabled";
         }
 
         private void UpdateAlertNotificationStates()
@@ -275,6 +300,7 @@ private void UpdateAlertNotificationStates()
             TempDbSpaceThresholdTextBox.IsEnabled = notificationsEnabled && NotifyOnTempDbSpaceCheckBox.IsChecked == true;
             NotifyOnLongRunningJobsCheckBox.IsEnabled = notificationsEnabled;
             LongRunningJobMultiplierTextBox.IsEnabled = notificationsEnabled && NotifyOnLongRunningJobsCheckBox.IsChecked == true;
+            UpdateAlertPreviewText();
         }
 
         private void UpdateNotificationCheckboxStates()
@@ -561,6 +587,35 @@ private void UpdateSmtpControlStates()
             SmtpFromTextBox.IsEnabled = enabled;
             SmtpRecipientsTextBox.IsEnabled = enabled;
             TestEmailButton.IsEnabled = enabled;
+            ValidateSmtpButton.IsEnabled = enabled;
+        }
+
+        private void ValidateSmtpButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+        {
+            var errors = new System.Collections.Generic.List<string>();
+
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SmtpServerTextBox.Text))
+                errors.Add("SMTP server is required");
+            if (!int.TryParse(SmtpPortTextBox.Text, out var port) || port < 1 || port > 65535)
+                errors.Add("Port must be between 1 and 65535");
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SmtpFromTextBox.Text))
+                errors.Add("From address is required");
+            else if (!SmtpFromTextBox.Text.Trim().Contains('@'))
+                errors.Add("From address must be a valid email");
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SmtpRecipientsTextBox.Text))
+                errors.Add("At least one recipient is required");
+
+            if (errors.Count == 0)
+            {
+                TestEmailStatusText.Text = "Settings look good. Use 'Send Test Email' to verify delivery.";
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                TestEmailStatusText.Text = "";
+                MessageBox.Show(
+                    "SMTP configuration has issues:\n\n" + string.Join("\n", errors),
+                    "SMTP Validation", MessageBoxButton.OK, MessageBoxImage.Warning);
+            }
         }
 
         private async void TestEmailButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
diff --git a/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml b/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml
index d6501a29..63686803 100644
--- a/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml
+++ b/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@
                     <TextBox x:Name="AlertCpuThresholdBox" Width="45" Text="80" Margin="6,0,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
                     <TextBlock Text="%" VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="2,0,0,0"
                                Foreground="{DynamicResource ForegroundBrush}"/>
+                    <TextBlock Text="(default 80% — Lite collects directly from DMVs so catches spikes faster than Dashboard)"
+                               FontSize="10" FontStyle="Italic" Foreground="{DynamicResource ForegroundMutedBrush}"
+                               VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="8,0,0,0"/>
                 </StackPanel>
                 <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="20,6,0,0">
                     <CheckBox x:Name="AlertBlockingCheckBox" Content="Blocking sessions &#x2265;" VerticalAlignment="Center"
@@ -152,6 +155,8 @@
                     <TextBlock Text="x historical average" VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="2,0,0,0"
                                Foreground="{DynamicResource ForegroundBrush}"/>
                 </StackPanel>
+                <TextBlock x:Name="AlertPreviewText" FontSize="11" FontStyle="Italic"
+                           Foreground="{DynamicResource ForegroundMutedBrush}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Margin="20,10,0,0"/>
             </StackPanel>
         </Border>
 
@@ -206,8 +211,13 @@
                     <TextBox Grid.Row="5" Grid.Column="1" x:Name="SmtpRecipientsBox" Margin="0,0,0,4"
                              ToolTip="Comma-separated email addresses"/>
 
-                    <Button Grid.Row="6" Grid.Column="1" x:Name="TestEmailButton" Content="Send Test Email"
-                            Click="TestEmailButton_Click" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="0,4,0,0"/>
+                    <StackPanel Grid.Row="6" Grid.Column="1" Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,4,0,0">
+                        <Button x:Name="TestEmailButton" Content="Send Test Email" Click="TestEmailButton_Click"/>
+                        <Button x:Name="ValidateSmtpButton" Content="Validate Settings" Margin="8,0,0,0"
+                                Click="ValidateSmtpButton_Click"/>
+                        <TextBlock x:Name="SmtpStatusText" FontSize="11" FontStyle="Italic"
+                                   Foreground="{DynamicResource ForegroundMutedBrush}" VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="8,0,0,0"/>
+                    </StackPanel>
                 </Grid>
             </StackPanel>
         </Border>
diff --git a/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs b/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs
index 8c014d51..7e52f9bf 100644
--- a/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/Lite/Windows/SettingsWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -323,6 +323,31 @@ private void RestoreAlertDefaultsButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
         AlertLongRunningQueryThresholdBox.Text = "30";
         AlertTempDbSpaceThresholdBox.Text = "80";
         AlertLongRunningJobMultiplierBox.Text = "3";
+        UpdateAlertPreviewText();
+    }
+
+    private void UpdateAlertPreviewText()
+    {
+        var parts = new System.Collections.Generic.List<string>();
+
+        if (AlertCpuCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+            parts.Add($"CPU > {AlertCpuThresholdBox.Text}%");
+        if (AlertBlockingCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+            parts.Add($"blocking >= {AlertBlockingThresholdBox.Text}");
+        if (AlertDeadlockCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+            parts.Add($"deadlocks >= {AlertDeadlockThresholdBox.Text}");
+        if (AlertPoisonWaitCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+            parts.Add($"poison waits >= {AlertPoisonWaitThresholdBox.Text}ms avg");
+        if (AlertLongRunningQueryCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+            parts.Add($"queries > {AlertLongRunningQueryThresholdBox.Text}min");
+        if (AlertTempDbSpaceCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+            parts.Add($"TempDB > {AlertTempDbSpaceThresholdBox.Text}%");
+        if (AlertLongRunningJobCheckBox.IsChecked == true)
+            parts.Add($"jobs > {AlertLongRunningJobMultiplierBox.Text}x avg");
+
+        AlertPreviewText.Text = parts.Count > 0
+            ? $"Will alert when: {string.Join(", ", parts)}"
+            : "No alerts enabled";
     }
 
     private void UpdateAlertControlStates()
@@ -343,6 +368,7 @@ private void UpdateAlertControlStates()
         AlertTempDbSpaceThresholdBox.IsEnabled = enabled;
         AlertLongRunningJobCheckBox.IsEnabled = enabled;
         AlertLongRunningJobMultiplierBox.IsEnabled = enabled;
+        UpdateAlertPreviewText();
     }
 
     private void LoadSmtpSettings()
@@ -430,6 +456,35 @@ private void UpdateSmtpControlStates()
         SmtpFromBox.IsEnabled = enabled;
         SmtpRecipientsBox.IsEnabled = enabled;
         TestEmailButton.IsEnabled = enabled;
+        ValidateSmtpButton.IsEnabled = enabled;
+    }
+
+    private void ValidateSmtpButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
+    {
+        var errors = new System.Collections.Generic.List<string>();
+
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SmtpServerBox.Text))
+            errors.Add("SMTP server is required");
+        if (!int.TryParse(SmtpPortBox.Text, out var port) || port < 1 || port > 65535)
+            errors.Add("Port must be between 1 and 65535");
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SmtpFromBox.Text))
+            errors.Add("From address is required");
+        else if (!SmtpFromBox.Text.Trim().Contains('@'))
+            errors.Add("From address must be a valid email");
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SmtpRecipientsBox.Text))
+            errors.Add("At least one recipient is required");
+
+        if (errors.Count == 0)
+        {
+            SmtpStatusText.Text = "Settings look good. Use 'Send Test Email' to verify delivery.";
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            SmtpStatusText.Text = "";
+            MessageBox.Show(
+                "SMTP configuration has issues:\n\n" + string.Join("\n", errors),
+                "SMTP Validation", MessageBoxButton.OK, MessageBoxImage.Warning);
+        }
     }
 
     private async void TestEmailButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)