diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6e84f56..5599a39 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ The project is under active development. Core blogging workflows are broadly ava
 - Post and translation authoring with draft/published lifecycle, metadata, tags, categories, links, media, and batch gallery-image import.
 - Media import, thumbnails, metadata translations, filters, validation, post assignment, and sequential drag-and-drop insertion into post editors.
 - WordPress WXR migration with saved analyses, HTML-to-Markdown and shortcode conversion, conflict/taxonomy review, recoverable 500-item execution batches, media-parent linking, progress reporting, and optional AI-assisted taxonomy mapping.
-- Template and Lua script management with explicit syntax-check feedback, using a custom Ropey/Syntect/Cosmic Text editor and the documented, bDS2-signature-compatible project-scoped [`bds` host API](docs/scripting/API_REFERENCE.md) across utilities, rendered macros, and Blogmark transforms, including airplane-gated Git sync.
+- Post, Liquid template, and Lua script editing with dedicated syntax highlighting and explicit syntax-check feedback, using a custom Ropey/Syntect/Cosmic Text editor and the documented, bDS2-signature-compatible project-scoped [`bds` host API](docs/scripting/API_REFERENCE.md) across utilities, rendered macros, and Blogmark transforms, including airplane-gated Git sync.
 - SQLite and filesystem persistence with frontmatter, sidecars, rebuild, metadata diff/repair, and FTS5 search.
 - Optional on-device multilingual semantic search and tag suggestions backed by a persistent USearch index, with duplicate-post review and dismissal in the desktop workspace.
 - Read-only in-app browsers in the Help menu for the bundled global `DOCUMENTATION.md`, the generated Lua API reference with public types and runnable examples, the [CLI/server/TUI documentation](CLI.md), and the [MCP server documentation](MCP.md), with safe GFM rendering and confirmed external links.
diff --git a/crates/bds-editor/src/highlight.rs b/crates/bds-editor/src/highlight.rs
index 6f22b73..6d687f3 100644
--- a/crates/bds-editor/src/highlight.rs
+++ b/crates/bds-editor/src/highlight.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::sync::LazyLock;
 
 use syntect::highlighting::{Style, ThemeSet};
-use syntect::parsing::{SyntaxReference, SyntaxSet};
+use syntect::parsing::{SyntaxDefinition, SyntaxReference, SyntaxSet};
+
+const MARKDOWN_WITH_MACROS_SYNTAX: &str =
+    include_str!("../syntaxes/Markdown with Macros.sublime-syntax");
+const LIQUID_SYNTAX: &str = include_str!("../syntaxes/Liquid.sublime-syntax");
 
 /// Global highlighter singleton (expensive to create, safe to share).
 static GLOBAL_HIGHLIGHTER: LazyLock<Highlighter> = LazyLock::new(Highlighter::new);
@@ -17,7 +21,7 @@ pub struct Highlighter {
     syntax_set: SyntaxSet,
     theme_set: ThemeSet,
     theme_name: String,
-    /// Extension aliases (e.g. "liquid" → "html")
+    /// Extension aliases used by the application editors.
     extension_aliases: HashMap<String, String>,
 }
 
@@ -26,13 +30,24 @@ pub type HighlightedLine = Vec<(Style, String)>;
 
 impl Highlighter {
     pub fn new() -> Self {
+        let mut syntax_builder = SyntaxSet::load_defaults_newlines().into_builder();
+        for (definition, name) in [
+            (MARKDOWN_WITH_MACROS_SYNTAX, "Markdown with Macros"),
+            (LIQUID_SYNTAX, "Liquid"),
+        ] {
+            syntax_builder.add(
+                SyntaxDefinition::load_from_str(definition, true, Some(name))
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("invalid {name} syntax definition: {error}")),
+            );
+        }
+
         let mut extension_aliases = HashMap::new();
-        // Liquid templates use HTML syntax highlighting
-        extension_aliases.insert("liquid".into(), "html".into());
+        extension_aliases.insert("md".into(), "bds-md".into());
+        extension_aliases.insert("markdown".into(), "bds-md".into());
         extension_aliases.insert("njk".into(), "html".into());
 
         Self {
-            syntax_set: SyntaxSet::load_defaults_newlines(),
+            syntax_set: syntax_builder.build(),
             theme_set: ThemeSet::load_defaults(),
             theme_name: "base16-ocean.dark".to_string(),
             extension_aliases,
@@ -40,7 +55,7 @@ impl Highlighter {
     }
 
     /// Find the syntax definition for a file extension.
-    /// Resolves aliases (e.g. liquid → html) before lookup.
+    /// Resolves application aliases before lookup.
     pub fn syntax_for_extension(&self, ext: &str) -> &SyntaxReference {
         let resolved = self
             .extension_aliases
@@ -123,6 +138,18 @@ impl Default for Highlighter {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    fn foreground_for<'a>(
+        line: &'a HighlightedLine,
+        fragment: &str,
+    ) -> &'a syntect::highlighting::Color {
+        &line
+            .iter()
+            .find(|(_, text)| text.contains(fragment))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("missing highlighted fragment {fragment:?} in {line:?}"))
+            .0
+            .foreground
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn highlight_markdown() {
         let h = Highlighter::new();
@@ -142,11 +169,81 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn liquid_uses_html_syntax() {
+    fn markdown_uses_bds_macro_syntax() {
         let h = Highlighter::new();
-        let liquid_syntax = h.syntax_for_extension("liquid");
-        let html_syntax = h.syntax_for_extension("html");
-        assert_eq!(liquid_syntax.name, html_syntax.name);
+        assert_eq!(h.syntax_for_extension("md").name, "Markdown with Macros");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn liquid_uses_dedicated_syntax() {
+        let h = Highlighter::new();
+        assert_eq!(h.syntax_for_extension("liquid").name, "Liquid");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn markdown_macro_components_receive_distinct_styles() {
+        let h = Highlighter::new();
+        let lines = h.highlight_lines(
+            "plain\n[[gallery columns=\"3\"]]",
+            h.syntax_for_extension("md"),
+        );
+        let plain = foreground_for(&lines[0], "plain");
+        assert_ne!(
+            foreground_for(&lines[1], "[[gallery"),
+            plain,
+            "macro name should be highlighted: {:?}",
+            lines[1]
+        );
+        assert_ne!(
+            foreground_for(&lines[1], "columns"),
+            plain,
+            "attribute name should be highlighted: {:?}",
+            lines[1]
+        );
+        assert_ne!(
+            foreground_for(&lines[1], "\"3\""),
+            plain,
+            "attribute value should be highlighted: {:?}",
+            lines[1]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn markdown_constructs_receive_distinct_styles() {
+        let h = Highlighter::new();
+        let lines = h.highlight_lines(
+            "plain\n# Heading\n[link](https://example.com)\n`code`\n**strong**\n*emphasis*\n- item",
+            h.syntax_for_extension("md"),
+        );
+        let plain = foreground_for(&lines[0], "plain");
+        for (line, fragment) in [
+            (1, "Heading"),
+            (2, "link"),
+            (3, "code"),
+            (4, "strong"),
+            (5, "emphasis"),
+            (6, "- "),
+        ] {
+            assert_ne!(
+                foreground_for(&lines[line], fragment),
+                plain,
+                "Markdown fragment {fragment:?} should be colored: {:?}",
+                lines[line]
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn liquid_tags_filters_and_comments_receive_distinct_styles() {
+        let h = Highlighter::new();
+        let lines = h.highlight_lines(
+            "plain\n{{ post.title | escape }}\n{% if post %}body{% endif %}\n{% comment %}hidden{% endcomment %}",
+            h.syntax_for_extension("liquid"),
+        );
+        let plain = foreground_for(&lines[0], "plain");
+        assert_ne!(foreground_for(&lines[1], "escape"), plain);
+        assert_ne!(foreground_for(&lines[2], "if"), plain);
+        assert_ne!(foreground_for(&lines[3], "hidden"), plain);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -170,6 +267,30 @@ mod tests {
         assert_ne!(syntax.name, "Plain Text");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn editor_syntaxes_produce_distinct_foreground_colors() {
+        let h = Highlighter::new();
+        for (extension, source) in [
+            ("md", "# Heading\n[link](https://example.com)\n`code`"),
+            (
+                "liquid",
+                "<h1>{{ post.title }}</h1>\n{% if post %}Body{% endif %}",
+            ),
+            (
+                "lua",
+                "local answer = function(value)\n  -- comment\n  return value + 42\nend",
+            ),
+        ] {
+            let colors = h
+                .highlight_lines(source, h.syntax_for_extension(extension))
+                .into_iter()
+                .flatten()
+                .map(|(style, _)| style.foreground)
+                .collect::<std::collections::HashSet<_>>();
+            assert!(colors.len() > 1, "{extension} should use syntax colors");
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn highlight_visible_range_returns_subset() {
         let h = Highlighter::new();
diff --git a/crates/bds-editor/src/widget.rs b/crates/bds-editor/src/widget.rs
index 452fc6d..e6598a1 100644
--- a/crates/bds-editor/src/widget.rs
+++ b/crates/bds-editor/src/widget.rs
@@ -118,12 +118,23 @@ fn committed_text_input(text: Option<&str>, is_command_shortcut: bool) -> Option
 
 /// Convert syntect RGBA color to Iced Color.
 fn syntect_to_iced(c: syntect::highlighting::Color) -> Color {
-    Color::from_rgba(
-        c.r as f32 / 255.0,
-        c.g as f32 / 255.0,
-        c.b as f32 / 255.0,
-        c.a as f32 / 255.0,
-    )
+    let (red, green, blue) = match (c.r, c.g, c.b) {
+        // Translate the base16-ocean theme to the bDS2/VS Dark editor palette.
+        (0x65, 0x73, 0x7E) => (0x6A, 0x99, 0x55), // comments
+        (0xB4, 0x8E, 0xAD) => (0xC5, 0x86, 0xC0), // keywords
+        (0xA3, 0xBE, 0x8C) => (0xCE, 0x91, 0x78), // strings
+        (0xD0, 0x87, 0x70) => (0xB5, 0xCE, 0xA8), // numbers
+        (0xEB, 0xCB, 0x8B) => (0xDC, 0xDC, 0xAA), // functions
+        (0x96, 0xB5, 0xB4) => (0x4E, 0xC9, 0xB0), // types
+        (0xBF, 0x61, 0x6A) => (0x56, 0x9C, 0xD6), // tags
+        (0x8F, 0xA1, 0xB3) => (0x9C, 0xDC, 0xFE), // attributes and links
+        (0xAB, 0x79, 0x67) => (0xCE, 0x91, 0x78), // attribute values
+        (0xC0, 0xC5, 0xCE) | (0xA7, 0xAD, 0xBA) | (0xDF, 0xE1, 0xE8) | (0xEF, 0xF1, 0xF5) => {
+            (0xD4, 0xD4, 0xD4)
+        }
+        _ => (c.r, c.g, c.b),
+    };
+    rgba8(red, green, blue, c.a as f32 / 255.0)
 }
 
 /// Compute word-wrap break offsets for a line. Returns the char offsets where
@@ -1103,7 +1114,8 @@ where
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use super::committed_text_input;
+    use super::{committed_text_input, rgb8, syntect_to_iced};
+    use syntect::highlighting::Color as SyntectColor;
 
     #[test]
     fn committed_text_input_accepts_regular_and_ime_text() {
@@ -1119,4 +1131,35 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(committed_text_input(Some("\u{7f}"), false), None);
         assert_eq!(committed_text_input(None, false), None);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn syntax_palette_uses_the_bds2_editor_colors() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            syntect_to_iced(SyntectColor {
+                r: 101,
+                g: 115,
+                b: 126,
+                a: 255,
+            }),
+            rgb8(0x6A, 0x99, 0x55)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            syntect_to_iced(SyntectColor {
+                r: 180,
+                g: 142,
+                b: 173,
+                a: 255,
+            }),
+            rgb8(0xC5, 0x86, 0xC0)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            syntect_to_iced(SyntectColor {
+                r: 163,
+                g: 190,
+                b: 140,
+                a: 255,
+            }),
+            rgb8(0xCE, 0x91, 0x78)
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/bds-editor/syntaxes/Liquid.sublime-syntax b/crates/bds-editor/syntaxes/Liquid.sublime-syntax
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edc732f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/bds-editor/syntaxes/Liquid.sublime-syntax
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+%YAML 1.2
+---
+name: Liquid
+file_extensions:
+  - liquid
+scope: text.html.liquid
+contexts:
+  main:
+    - match: '\{\{-?'
+      scope: punctuation.section.embedded.begin.liquid
+      push: liquid-output
+    - match: '\{%-?\s*comment\b[^%]*-?%\}'
+      scope: comment.block.liquid
+      push: liquid-comment
+    - match: '\{%-?'
+      scope: punctuation.section.embedded.begin.liquid
+      push: liquid-tag
+    - include: scope:text.html.basic
+
+  liquid-output:
+    - meta_scope: meta.embedded.liquid
+    - match: '-?\}\}'
+      scope: punctuation.section.embedded.end.liquid
+      pop: true
+    - include: liquid-values
+
+  liquid-tag:
+    - meta_scope: meta.embedded.liquid
+    - match: '-?%\}'
+      scope: punctuation.section.embedded.end.liquid
+      pop: true
+    - match: '\b(assign|capture|case|comment|cycle|decrement|echo|elsif|else|endcase|endcapture|endif|endfor|endunless|endcomment|for|if|include|increment|liquid|paginate|raw|render|tablerow|unless|when)\b'
+      scope: keyword.control.liquid
+    - match: '[><=!]=?|\.|:'
+      scope: keyword.operator.liquid
+    - include: liquid-values
+
+  liquid-values:
+    - match: '\|\s*[a-zA-Z_][\w-]*'
+      scope: support.function.filter.liquid
+    - match: '\b(true|false|nil|blank|empty|contains)\b'
+      scope: constant.language.liquid
+    - match: '\b\d+(\.\d+)?\b'
+      scope: constant.numeric.liquid
+    - match: '"([^"\\]|\\.)*"'
+      scope: string.quoted.double.liquid
+    - match: "'([^'\\\\]|\\\\.)*'"
+      scope: string.quoted.single.liquid
+    - match: '[a-zA-Z_][\w.-]*'
+      scope: variable.other.liquid
+    - match: '[,()\[\]]'
+      scope: punctuation.separator.liquid
+
+  liquid-comment:
+    - meta_scope: comment.block.liquid
+    - match: '\{%-?\s*endcomment\s*-?%\}'
+      scope: comment.block.liquid
+      pop: true
diff --git a/crates/bds-editor/syntaxes/Markdown with Macros.sublime-syntax b/crates/bds-editor/syntaxes/Markdown with Macros.sublime-syntax
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..350d63f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/bds-editor/syntaxes/Markdown with Macros.sublime-syntax	
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+%YAML 1.2
+---
+name: Markdown with Macros
+file_extensions:
+  - bds-md
+scope: text.html.markdown.bds
+contexts:
+  main:
+    - match: '\[\[[a-zA-Z][\w-]*'
+      scope: keyword.control.macro.bds
+      push: macro-parameters
+    - match: '^#{1,6}\s.*$'
+      scope: keyword.control.heading.markdown
+    - match: '^\s*>+'
+      scope: string.quoted.block.markdown
+    - match: '^\s*[-+*]\s'
+      scope: keyword.control.list.unnumbered.markdown
+    - match: '^\s*\d+\.\s'
+      scope: keyword.control.list.numbered.markdown
+    - match: '^\s*```\w*'
+      scope: keyword.control.code-fence.markdown
+      push: fenced-code
+    - match: '\*\*[^*]+\*\*|__[^_]+__'
+      scope: entity.name.function.strong.markdown
+    - match: '\*[^*]+\*|_[^_]+_'
+      scope: string.quoted.emphasis.markdown
+    - match: '`[^`]+`'
+      scope: string.quoted.inline-code.markdown
+    - match: '!?\[[^\]]*\]\([^)]*\)'
+      scope: string.quoted.link.inline.markdown
+    - match: '!?\[[^\]]*\]\[[^\]]*\]'
+      scope: string.quoted.link.reference.markdown
+
+  macro-parameters:
+    - meta_scope: meta.macro.bds
+    - match: '\]\]'
+      scope: keyword.control.macro.bds
+      pop: true
+    - match: '[a-zA-Z][\w-]*(?=\s*=)'
+      scope: entity.other.attribute-name.bds
+    - match: '='
+      scope: punctuation.separator.key-value.bds
+    - match: '"[^"\n]*"'
+      scope: string.quoted.double.bds
+    - match: '\s+'
+    - match: '[^\]"=\s]+'
+      scope: string.unquoted.attribute-value.bds
+
+  fenced-code:
+    - meta_scope: string.unquoted.code-block.markdown
+    - match: '^\s*```\s*$'
+      scope: keyword.control.code-fence.markdown
+      pop: true