diff --git a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx
index 59535f57acc..b8c9b2fd3be 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/BaseTemplateParametersStep.tsx
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@ import {
 	TemplateBuilderSubtitle,
 	TemplateBuilderTitle,
 } from "#/pages/TemplateBuilder/TemplateBuilderHeader";
-import {
-	type ConfigurationFieldDefinition,
-	ConfigurationFieldLabel,
-} from "./ConfigurationField";
+import type { ConfigurationFieldDefinition } from "./ConfigurationField";
 import { defaultPlaceholder } from "./defaultPlaceholder";
 import { TemplateConfiguration } from "./TemplateConfiguration";
 
@@ -40,7 +37,7 @@ function variableToField(
 	error: boolean,
 ): ConfigurationFieldDefinition {
 	const id = `base-var-${variable.name}`;
-	const label = <ConfigurationFieldLabel variable={variable} />;
+	const label = variable.name;
 
 	if (variable.type === "bool") {
 		return {
@@ -63,7 +60,7 @@ function variableToField(
 		required: variable.required,
 		placeholder:
 			defaultPlaceholder(variable.default) ??
-			(variable.required ? "Required" : "Optional"),
+			(variable.required ? "Required" : ""),
 		field: {
 			name: variable.name,
 			id,
diff --git a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ConfigurationField.tsx b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ConfigurationField.tsx
index 4b00f78e715..263f5f7c497 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ConfigurationField.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ConfigurationField.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import type { FC, PropsWithChildren, ReactNode } from "react";
-import type { TemplateBuilderModuleVariable } from "#/api/typesGenerated";
 import { FormField } from "#/components/FormField/FormField";
 import { Label } from "#/components/Label/Label";
 import { RadioGroup, RadioGroupItem } from "#/components/RadioGroup/RadioGroup";
@@ -104,6 +103,7 @@ const TextField: FC<TextFieldDefinition> = ({
 		description={description}
 		required={required}
 		placeholder={placeholder}
+		className="placeholder:text-content-disabled"
 	/>
 );
 
@@ -123,15 +123,13 @@ const SelectField: FC<SelectFieldDefinition> = ({
 		<div className="col-end-1! flex flex-col gap-2">
 			<Label htmlFor={id}>
 				{label}
-				{required ? (
+				{required && (
 					<>
 						{" "}
 						<span className="text-sm font-bold text-content-destructive">
 							*
 						</span>
 					</>
-				) : (
-					<OptionalIndicator />
 				)}
 			</Label>
 			{description && (
@@ -173,15 +171,13 @@ const RadioField: FC<RadioFieldDefinition> = ({
 		<div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
 			<Label id={labelId}>
 				{label}
-				{required ? (
+				{required && (
 					<>
 						{" "}
 						<span className="text-sm font-bold text-content-destructive">
 							*
 						</span>
 					</>
-				) : (
-					<OptionalIndicator />
 				)}
 			</Label>
 			{description && (
@@ -298,15 +294,13 @@ const SwitchGroupField: FC<SwitchGroupFieldDefinition> = ({
 		<div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
 			<Label id={labelId}>
 				{label}
-				{required ? (
+				{required && (
 					<>
 						{" "}
 						<span className="text-sm font-bold text-content-destructive">
 							*
 						</span>
 					</>
-				) : (
-					<OptionalIndicator />
 				)}
 			</Label>
 			{description && (
@@ -342,23 +336,3 @@ export const ConfigurationFieldContainer: FC<PropsWithChildren> = ({
 		</div>
 	);
 };
-
-const OptionalIndicator: FC = () => {
-	return (
-		<>
-			{" "}
-			<span className="text-content-secondary">(optional)</span>
-		</>
-	);
-};
-
-export const ConfigurationFieldLabel: FC<{
-	variable: TemplateBuilderModuleVariable;
-}> = ({ variable }) => {
-	return (
-		<>
-			{variable.name}
-			{!variable.required && <OptionalIndicator />}
-		</>
-	);
-};
diff --git a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx
index 70ddd238fea..2b30c40b4dd 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx
+++ b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/ModuleSettingsStep.tsx
@@ -10,12 +10,10 @@ import {
 	TemplateBuilderSubtitle,
 	TemplateBuilderTitle,
 } from "#/pages/TemplateBuilder/TemplateBuilderHeader";
-import {
-	type ConfigurationFieldDefinition,
-	ConfigurationFieldLabel,
-} from "./ConfigurationField";
+import type { ConfigurationFieldDefinition } from "./ConfigurationField";
 import { defaultPlaceholder } from "./defaultPlaceholder";
 import { ModuleConfiguration } from "./ModuleConfiguration";
+import { getModuleFieldPlaceholder } from "./moduleFieldPlaceholders";
 
 interface ModuleSettingsStepProps {
 	baseId: string;
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ function variableToField(
 	error: boolean,
 ): ConfigurationFieldDefinition {
 	const id = `mod-${moduleId}-${variable.name}`;
-	const label = <ConfigurationFieldLabel variable={variable} />;
+	const label = variable.name;
 
 	if (variable.type === "bool") {
 		return {
@@ -60,8 +58,9 @@ function variableToField(
 		description: variable.description || undefined,
 		required: variable.required,
 		placeholder:
+			getModuleFieldPlaceholder(moduleId, variable.name) ??
 			defaultPlaceholder(variable.default) ??
-			(variable.required ? "Required" : "Optional"),
+			(variable.required ? "Required" : ""),
 		field: {
 			name: variable.name,
 			id,
diff --git a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/moduleFieldPlaceholders.test.ts b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/moduleFieldPlaceholders.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..23ab0760c6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/moduleFieldPlaceholders.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { getModuleFieldPlaceholder } from "./moduleFieldPlaceholders";
+
+describe("getModuleFieldPlaceholder", () => {
+	it("returns the override for known module/variable pairs", () => {
+		expect(getModuleFieldPlaceholder("codex", "model_reasoning_effort")).toBe(
+			"none, minimal, low, medium, high, or xhigh",
+		);
+		expect(getModuleFieldPlaceholder("claude-code", "anthropic_api_key")).toBe(
+			"sk-ant-...",
+		);
+		expect(getModuleFieldPlaceholder("claude-code", "model")).toBe(
+			"e.g. claude-sonnet-5",
+		);
+		expect(getModuleFieldPlaceholder("git-clone", "base_dir")).toBe("$HOME");
+		expect(getModuleFieldPlaceholder("git-clone", "branch_name")).toBe(
+			"Default branch",
+		);
+		expect(getModuleFieldPlaceholder("dotfiles", "description")).toBe(
+			"e.g https://dotfiles.github.io or an SSH URL git@host:user/repo",
+		);
+	});
+
+	it("returns undefined for a module without overrides", () => {
+		expect(getModuleFieldPlaceholder("code-server", "port")).toBeUndefined();
+	});
+
+	it("returns undefined for an unmatched variable on a known module", () => {
+		expect(
+			getModuleFieldPlaceholder("codex", "does_not_exist"),
+		).toBeUndefined();
+	});
+});
diff --git a/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/moduleFieldPlaceholders.ts b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/moduleFieldPlaceholders.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e3a73f14f44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site/src/pages/TemplateBuilder/moduleFieldPlaceholders.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/**
+ * Per-module placeholder text overrides for the template builder's
+ * module configuration fields.
+ *
+ * The API delivers each module's variable defaults verbatim from its
+ * `module.json`. Some of those defaults are prose that is more useful as
+ * documentation than as placeholder text (for example the dotfiles
+ * `description` default is a two-sentence explanation). This table lets
+ * us substitute short, actionable placeholder hints for a specific set
+ * of variables without changing the underlying module manifest.
+ *
+ * Lookup order used by the module configuration step:
+ *   1. Override in this table (if present).
+ *   2. Variable's `default` value.
+ *   3. `Required` when the variable is required, otherwise empty.
+ */
+const MODULE_FIELD_PLACEHOLDERS: Readonly<
+	Record<string, Readonly<Record<string, string>>>
+> = {
+	codex: {
+		model_reasoning_effort: "none, minimal, low, medium, high, or xhigh",
+	},
+	"claude-code": {
+		anthropic_api_key: "sk-ant-...",
+		model: "e.g. claude-sonnet-5",
+	},
+	"git-clone": {
+		base_dir: "$HOME",
+		branch_name: "Default branch",
+	},
+	dotfiles: {
+		description:
+			"e.g https://dotfiles.github.io or an SSH URL git@host:user/repo",
+	},
+};
+
+export function getModuleFieldPlaceholder(
+	moduleId: string,
+	variableName: string,
+): string | undefined {
+	return MODULE_FIELD_PLACEHOLDERS[moduleId]?.[variableName];
+}