diff --git a/crates/maestro-config/src/lib.rs b/crates/maestro-config/src/lib.rs
index d690b9b..4855e77 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-config/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-config/src/lib.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ pub struct MaestroConfigFile {
     pub web: WebSection,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "TuiSection::is_empty")]
     pub tui: TuiSection,
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "SpawnSection::is_empty")]
+    pub spawn: SpawnSection,
 }
 
 /// Fields consumed by more than one binary (CLI + daemon, daemon + registry).
@@ -256,6 +258,128 @@ impl TuiSection {
     }
 }
 
+/// `[spawn]` — command presets for the spawn form (#22, part of #21).
+///
+/// Defined in shared config so every binary sees the same list: the web reads
+/// it via the daemon's catalog advertisement (#26), the TUI adopts it later.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct SpawnSection {
+    /// Command presets offered as one-click tiles. When present, this list
+    /// **replaces** the [`builtin_presets`] defaults (the implicit `custom`
+    /// escape hatch is still appended by [`SpawnSection::resolve`]); when
+    /// absent, the built-ins are used. `presets = []` is "present but empty" —
+    /// it resolves to just the `custom` tile.
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub presets: Option<Vec<SpawnPreset>>,
+}
+
+impl SpawnSection {
+    fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
+        self.presets.is_none()
+    }
+
+    /// The presets to show, in order, with the implicit `custom` tile appended.
+    ///
+    /// Resolution: configured `presets` if present, else [`builtin_presets`];
+    /// then [`custom_preset`] is appended unconditionally as the "none of the
+    /// above" free-text escape hatch. The configured (or built-in) list is
+    /// validated first — see [`SpawnConfigError`].
+    pub fn resolve(&self) -> Result<Vec<SpawnPreset>, SpawnConfigError> {
+        let mut list = match &self.presets {
+            Some(p) => p.clone(),
+            None => builtin_presets(),
+        };
+        validate_presets(&list)?;
+        list.push(custom_preset());
+        Ok(list)
+    }
+}
+
+/// A single spawn-form command preset: a stable `id`, a human `label` for the
+/// tile, and the `command` to run. The implicit `custom` tile (see
+/// [`custom_preset`]) reuses this shape with an empty `command` the client
+/// fills from free-text input.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct SpawnPreset {
+    pub id: String,
+    pub label: String,
+    pub command: String,
+}
+
+/// Reserved id for the implicit free-text tile. A user-defined preset may not
+/// claim it (see [`SpawnConfigError::ReservedCustomId`]) since it's always
+/// appended by [`SpawnSection::resolve`].
+pub const CUSTOM_PRESET_ID: &str = "custom";
+
+/// Built-in default presets used when `[spawn].presets` is absent.
+pub fn builtin_presets() -> Vec<SpawnPreset> {
+    vec![
+        SpawnPreset {
+            id: "claude".into(),
+            label: "Claude".into(),
+            command: "claude".into(),
+        },
+        SpawnPreset {
+            id: "opencode".into(),
+            label: "opencode".into(),
+            command: "opencode".into(),
+        },
+        SpawnPreset {
+            id: "zsh".into(),
+            label: "Shell".into(),
+            command: "zsh".into(),
+        },
+    ]
+}
+
+/// The implicit `custom` tile appended after the resolved presets. Its empty
+/// `command` is the signal to the client to take a free-text command instead.
+pub fn custom_preset() -> SpawnPreset {
+    SpawnPreset {
+        id: CUSTOM_PRESET_ID.into(),
+        label: "Custom…".into(),
+        command: String::new(),
+    }
+}
+
+/// A `[spawn].presets` list that violates the schema invariants.
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum SpawnConfigError {
+    #[error("spawn preset has an empty id")]
+    EmptyId,
+    #[error("spawn preset {id:?} has an empty command")]
+    EmptyCommand { id: String },
+    #[error("duplicate spawn preset id {id:?}")]
+    DuplicateId { id: String },
+    #[error(
+        "spawn preset id {:?} is reserved for the implicit free-text tile",
+        CUSTOM_PRESET_ID
+    )]
+    ReservedCustomId,
+}
+
+/// Enforce: each `id` non-empty, not the reserved `custom`, unique; each
+/// `command` non-empty. Order of checks is per-field then cross-field so the
+/// first offending preset produces the most specific error.
+fn validate_presets(presets: &[SpawnPreset]) -> Result<(), SpawnConfigError> {
+    let mut seen: std::collections::HashSet<&str> = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+    for p in presets {
+        if p.id.trim().is_empty() {
+            return Err(SpawnConfigError::EmptyId);
+        }
+        if p.id == CUSTOM_PRESET_ID {
+            return Err(SpawnConfigError::ReservedCustomId);
+        }
+        if p.command.trim().is_empty() {
+            return Err(SpawnConfigError::EmptyCommand { id: p.id.clone() });
+        }
+        if !seen.insert(p.id.as_str()) {
+            return Err(SpawnConfigError::DuplicateId { id: p.id.clone() });
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 impl MaestroConfigFile {
     /// Strict load — error with [`ConfigError::MissingFile`] if absent.
     pub fn load(path: &Path) -> Result<Self, ConfigError> {
@@ -472,11 +596,166 @@ mod tests {
                 keymap_normal: BTreeMap::from([("i".into(), "ShowHelp".into())]),
                 keymap_insert: BTreeMap::new(),
             },
+            spawn: SpawnSection {
+                presets: Some(vec![SpawnPreset {
+                    id: "claude".into(),
+                    label: "Claude".into(),
+                    command: "claude --resume".into(),
+                }]),
+            },
         };
         cfg.save(&path).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(MaestroConfigFile::load(&path).unwrap(), cfg);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn spawn_presets_default_to_builtins_plus_custom() {
+        // Absent [spawn].presets → built-ins, with the implicit custom tile last.
+        let resolved = SpawnSection::default().resolve().unwrap();
+        let ids: Vec<&str> = resolved.iter().map(|p| p.id.as_str()).collect();
+        assert_eq!(ids, ["claude", "opencode", "zsh", "custom"]);
+        // The custom tile carries an empty command — the free-text signal.
+        let custom = resolved.last().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(custom.label, "Custom…");
+        assert!(custom.command.is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn spawn_presets_override_replaces_builtins() {
+        // Present list replaces the built-ins entirely; custom still appended.
+        let section = SpawnSection {
+            presets: Some(vec![SpawnPreset {
+                id: "fish".into(),
+                label: "fish".into(),
+                command: "fish".into(),
+            }]),
+        };
+        let ids: Vec<String> = section
+            .resolve()
+            .unwrap()
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|p| p.id)
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(ids, ["fish", "custom"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn spawn_presets_empty_list_resolves_to_just_custom() {
+        // `presets = []` is present-but-empty: it replaces with nothing, leaving
+        // only the implicit custom tile.
+        let section = SpawnSection {
+            presets: Some(vec![]),
+        };
+        let ids: Vec<String> = section
+            .resolve()
+            .unwrap()
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|p| p.id)
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(ids, ["custom"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn spawn_presets_reject_empty_id_and_command() {
+        let empty_id = SpawnSection {
+            presets: Some(vec![SpawnPreset {
+                id: "  ".into(),
+                label: "x".into(),
+                command: "x".into(),
+            }]),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(empty_id.resolve().unwrap_err(), SpawnConfigError::EmptyId);
+
+        let empty_cmd = SpawnSection {
+            presets: Some(vec![SpawnPreset {
+                id: "x".into(),
+                label: "x".into(),
+                command: "".into(),
+            }]),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            empty_cmd.resolve().unwrap_err(),
+            SpawnConfigError::EmptyCommand { id: "x".into() }
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn spawn_presets_reject_duplicate_and_reserved_id() {
+        let dup = SpawnSection {
+            presets: Some(vec![
+                SpawnPreset {
+                    id: "a".into(),
+                    label: "a".into(),
+                    command: "a".into(),
+                },
+                SpawnPreset {
+                    id: "a".into(),
+                    label: "a2".into(),
+                    command: "a2".into(),
+                },
+            ]),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            dup.resolve().unwrap_err(),
+            SpawnConfigError::DuplicateId { id: "a".into() }
+        );
+
+        let reserved = SpawnSection {
+            presets: Some(vec![SpawnPreset {
+                id: "custom".into(),
+                label: "Custom".into(),
+                command: "whatever".into(),
+            }]),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            reserved.resolve().unwrap_err(),
+            SpawnConfigError::ReservedCustomId
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn spawn_section_parses_from_toml_table() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("config.toml");
+        std::fs::write(
+            &path,
+            r#"
+[spawn]
+presets = [
+  { id = "claude", label = "Claude", command = "claude" },
+  { id = "zsh",    label = "Shell",  command = "zsh" },
+]
+"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let cfg = MaestroConfigFile::load(&path).unwrap();
+        let ids: Vec<String> = cfg
+            .spawn
+            .resolve()
+            .unwrap()
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|p| p.id)
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(ids, ["claude", "zsh", "custom"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn save_omits_empty_spawn_section() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let path = dir.path().join("config.toml");
+        MaestroConfigFile {
+            shared: SharedSection {
+                token: Some("t".into()),
+                ..Default::default()
+            },
+            ..Default::default()
+        }
+        .save(&path)
+        .unwrap();
+        let body = std::fs::read_to_string(&path).unwrap();
+        assert!(!body.contains("[spawn]"), "body: {body}");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn partial_file_loads_with_section_defaults() {
         // Only [shared] + [registry] present (typical registry host).