diff --git a/.changeset/import-dryrun-hook-boundary-docs.md b/.changeset/import-dryrun-hook-boundary-docs.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..34ae2a8399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/import-dryrun-hook-boundary-docs.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+"@objectstack/spec": patch
+---
+
+docs(spec): `ImportRequest.dryRun` states the boundary an import preview has — no automations run (#6537)
+
+An import dry run routes through the engine's own write-path validation
+(`DataProtocol.validateData`, #6037 / #4633 ruling D) and applies no
+`runAutomations` gate, because gating it would leave the common dry run with no
+validation at all — the false all-clear that work set out to close. The engine's
+validate-only path deliberately runs **no hooks**: a preview that fired
+user-authored side effects (mail, outbound calls, writes to other objects) would
+be the retired `BatchOptions.validateOnly` defect (#4052) in a new spelling.
+
+The consequence an author can meet is narrow and, until now, written down only in
+the engine's and the import runner's source comments: on an object whose
+`beforeInsert` hook derives a **required business field**, a dry run with
+`runAutomations: true` can report `required` for a row the real import would have
+created. Audit and ownership stamps (`created_by`, `owner_id`,
+`organization_id`, …) are `system`/`readonly` and skipped by validation anyway, so
+they cannot produce this.
+
+`ImportRequest.dryRun`'s description now says so, which puts it on the reference
+page an author reads before sending the request — the same schema backs
+`CreateImportJobRequest`, so the synchronous route and the async import job both
+carry it. **Zero behaviour change**: one description string, and the
+`content/docs/references/api/export.mdx` cells regenerated from it by
+`gen:schema && gen:docs` (no hand edits).
diff --git a/content/docs/references/api/export.mdx b/content/docs/references/api/export.mdx
index 6575db0e5b..8b9fba1bd4 100644
--- a/content/docs/references/api/export.mdx
+++ b/content/docs/references/api/export.mdx
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ const result = CreateExportJobRequestSchema.parse(data);
 | **xlsxBase64** | `string` | optional | Base64-encoded .xlsx workbook bytes (when format = xlsx); parsed server-side |
 | **sheet** | `string \| integer` | optional | Worksheet name or 1-based index to read (xlsx; defaults to the first sheet) |
 | **mapping** | `Record<string, string> \| { sourceField: string; targetField: string; targetLabel?: string; transform: Enum<'none' \| 'uppercase' \| 'lowercase' \| 'trim' \| 'date_format' \| 'lookup'>; … }[]` | optional | Source column → target field mapping |
-| **dryRun** | `boolean` | ✅ | Validate + coerce every row without persisting |
+| **dryRun** | `boolean` | ✅ | Validate + coerce every row without persisting. The verdict is the engine's own write-path validation, with one boundary an author should know: a preview runs NO automations. Hooks never fire in a dry run (#6037) — a preview that executed user-authored side effects (mail, outbound calls, writes to other objects) would be the retired `validateOnly` defect in a new spelling. So a dry run with `runAutomations: true` can report `required` for a field a `beforeInsert` hook would populate during the real import; for hook-derived fields the real write is authoritative. |
 | **writeMode** | `Enum<'insert' \| 'update' \| 'upsert'>` | ✅ | insert / update / upsert semantics |
 | **matchFields** | `string[]` | optional | Fields that identify an existing record (required for update/upsert) |
 | **runAutomations** | `boolean` | ✅ | Fire triggers/hooks for each imported row (off by default for bulk) |
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ Type: `{ sourceField: string; targetField: string; targetLabel?: string; transfo
 | **xlsxBase64** | `string` | optional | Base64-encoded .xlsx workbook bytes (when format = xlsx); parsed server-side |
 | **sheet** | `string \| integer` | optional | Worksheet name or 1-based index to read (xlsx; defaults to the first sheet) |
 | **mapping** | `Record<string, string> \| { sourceField: string; targetField: string; targetLabel?: string; transform: Enum<'none' \| 'uppercase' \| 'lowercase' \| 'trim' \| 'date_format' \| 'lookup'>; … }[]` | optional | Source column → target field mapping |
-| **dryRun** | `boolean` | ✅ | Validate + coerce every row without persisting |
+| **dryRun** | `boolean` | ✅ | Validate + coerce every row without persisting. The verdict is the engine's own write-path validation, with one boundary an author should know: a preview runs NO automations. Hooks never fire in a dry run (#6037) — a preview that executed user-authored side effects (mail, outbound calls, writes to other objects) would be the retired `validateOnly` defect in a new spelling. So a dry run with `runAutomations: true` can report `required` for a field a `beforeInsert` hook would populate during the real import; for hook-derived fields the real write is authoritative. |
 | **writeMode** | `Enum<'insert' \| 'update' \| 'upsert'>` | ✅ | insert / update / upsert semantics |
 | **matchFields** | `string[]` | optional | Fields that identify an existing record (required for update/upsert) |
 | **runAutomations** | `boolean` | ✅ | Fire triggers/hooks for each imported row (off by default for bulk) |
diff --git a/packages/spec/src/api/export.zod.ts b/packages/spec/src/api/export.zod.ts
index 0ca0022383..2c8c073464 100644
--- a/packages/spec/src/api/export.zod.ts
+++ b/packages/spec/src/api/export.zod.ts
@@ -328,7 +328,14 @@ export const ImportRequestSchema = lazySchema(() => z.object({
   mapping: ImportMappingSchema.optional()
     .describe('Source column → target field mapping'),
   dryRun: z.boolean().default(false)
-    .describe('Validate + coerce every row without persisting'),
+    .describe(
+      'Validate + coerce every row without persisting. The verdict is the engine\'s own write-path ' +
+      'validation, with one boundary an author should know: a preview runs NO automations. Hooks never ' +
+      'fire in a dry run (#6037) — a preview that executed user-authored side effects (mail, outbound ' +
+      'calls, writes to other objects) would be the retired `validateOnly` defect in a new spelling. So a ' +
+      'dry run with `runAutomations: true` can report `required` for a field a `beforeInsert` hook would ' +
+      'populate during the real import; for hook-derived fields the real write is authoritative.',
+    ),
   writeMode: ImportWriteMode.default('insert')
     .describe('insert / update / upsert semantics'),
   matchFields: z.array(z.string()).optional()