diff --git a/client b/client
index 827e6a40..949b8c78 160000
--- a/client
+++ b/client
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 827e6a408a9f3df5f306461d3ade22f08e957c62
+Subproject commit 949b8c784d40e8889fb08b44dc591786412236fd
diff --git a/common/proto/table_validation.proto b/common/proto/table_validation.proto
index f3278cc8..c6187bc1 100644
--- a/common/proto/table_validation.proto
+++ b/common/proto/table_validation.proto
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ package komp_ac.table_validation;
 //
 // Important split:
 // - limits / pattern / allowed_values / required are validation rules.
-// - mask is presentation and input-shaping metadata for clients.
+// - mask is presentation/input-shaping metadata plus an optional storage policy.
 
 // Request validation rules for a table
 message GetTableValidationRequest {
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ message FieldValidation {
   // Client-side hint that this field participates in external/asynchronous validation UI.
   bool external_validation_enabled = 13;
 
-  // Client-side display mask metadata. The server stores raw data without mask literals.
+  // Client-side display mask metadata and persisted representation policy.
   DisplayMask mask = 3;
 
   // Field must be provided / treated as required by clients and server enforcement layers.
@@ -76,14 +76,18 @@ message CharacterLimits {
   CountMode countMode = 4; // defaults to CHARS if unspecified
 }
 
-// Mask for pretty display only.
-//
-// This is not a validation rule by itself. It exists so clients can render and
-// navigate masked input while still storing raw values server-side.
+enum MaskStorageMode {
+  MASK_STORAGE_MODE_RAW = 0;
+  MASK_STORAGE_MODE_FORMATTED = 1;
+}
+
+// Mask metadata used for rendering, input navigation, and optional persistence
+// of reached mask literals. Template placeholders are never persisted.
 message DisplayMask {
   string pattern = 1; // e.g., "(###) ###-####" or "####-##-##"
   string input_char = 2; // e.g., "#"
   optional string template_char = 3; // e.g., "_"
+  optional MaskStorageMode storage_mode = 4; // absent/default means raw
 }
 
 // Which positions a pattern rule applies to.
diff --git a/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin b/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin
index 9f6fc120..0077d896 100644
Binary files a/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin and b/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin differ
diff --git a/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_validation.rs b/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_validation.rs
index 08603730..e1f8cfa5 100644
--- a/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_validation.rs
+++ b/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_validation.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ pub struct FieldValidation {
     /// Client-side hint that this field participates in external/asynchronous validation UI.
     #[prost(bool, tag = "13")]
     pub external_validation_enabled: bool,
-    /// Client-side display mask metadata. The server stores raw data without mask literals.
+    /// Client-side display mask metadata and persisted representation policy.
     #[prost(message, optional, tag = "3")]
     pub mask: ::core::option::Option<DisplayMask>,
     /// Field must be provided / treated as required by clients and server enforcement layers.
@@ -63,10 +63,8 @@ pub struct CharacterLimits {
     #[prost(enumeration = "CountMode", tag = "4")]
     pub count_mode: i32,
 }
-/// Mask for pretty display only.
-///
-/// This is not a validation rule by itself. It exists so clients can render and
-/// navigate masked input while still storing raw values server-side.
+/// Mask metadata used for rendering, input navigation, and optional persistence
+/// of reached mask literals. Template placeholders are never persisted.
 #[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, ::prost::Message)]
 pub struct DisplayMask {
@@ -79,6 +77,9 @@ pub struct DisplayMask {
     /// e.g., "\_"
     #[prost(string, optional, tag = "3")]
     pub template_char: ::core::option::Option<::prost::alloc::string::String>,
+    /// absent/default means raw
+    #[prost(enumeration = "MaskStorageMode", optional, tag = "4")]
+    pub storage_mode: ::core::option::Option<i32>,
 }
 /// Which positions a pattern rule applies to.
 /// This exists instead of a string syntax like "0-3" so the server can validate
@@ -401,6 +402,32 @@ impl CountMode {
         }
     }
 }
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, PartialOrd, Ord, ::prost::Enumeration)]
+#[repr(i32)]
+pub enum MaskStorageMode {
+    Raw = 0,
+    Formatted = 1,
+}
+impl MaskStorageMode {
+    /// String value of the enum field names used in the ProtoBuf definition.
+    ///
+    /// The values are not transformed in any way and thus are considered stable
+    /// (if the ProtoBuf definition does not change) and safe for programmatic use.
+    pub fn as_str_name(&self) -> &'static str {
+        match self {
+            Self::Raw => "MASK_STORAGE_MODE_RAW",
+            Self::Formatted => "MASK_STORAGE_MODE_FORMATTED",
+        }
+    }
+    /// Creates an enum from field names used in the ProtoBuf definition.
+    pub fn from_str_name(value: &str) -> ::core::option::Option<Self> {
+        match value {
+            "MASK_STORAGE_MODE_RAW" => Some(Self::Raw),
+            "MASK_STORAGE_MODE_FORMATTED" => Some(Self::Formatted),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+}
 #[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE")]
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, PartialOrd, Ord, ::prost::Enumeration)]
diff --git a/server b/server
index e8c579bf..65e67fe7 160000
--- a/server
+++ b/server
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit e8c579bf55b20fec338507542c2bc7466ddfec9a
+Subproject commit 65e67fe785b76a647759ca7d7e3517d251dab235
diff --git a/tui-canvas b/tui-canvas
index dbec3130..f9d2a7a3 160000
--- a/tui-canvas
+++ b/tui-canvas
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit dbec3130b35b324737df56140d6b0005f65e9479
+Subproject commit f9d2a7a3121abe68aaa232624035539eaf029240
diff --git a/tui-pages b/tui-pages
index 8c66dedc..50e1145a 160000
--- a/tui-pages
+++ b/tui-pages
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 8c66dedc33d4c384977982b1115cb23a1d39e16c
+Subproject commit 50e1145a9ab5cb7374da1b812f243b14e75614d7
diff --git a/web/src/pages/add_validation/state.rs b/web/src/pages/add_validation/state.rs
index b4a0d5a5..aea97327 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/add_validation/state.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/add_validation/state.rs
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ impl ValidationForm {
                 self.mask_input_char.clone()
             },
             template_char: nonempty(&self.mask_template_char),
+            storage_mode: None,
         });
         let pattern = parse_pattern_rules(&self.pattern_rules, &self.pattern_description)?;
         Ok(FieldValidation {