diff --git a/providers/cohere/src/airflow/providers/cohere/operators/embedding.py b/providers/cohere/src/airflow/providers/cohere/operators/embedding.py
index 62270e7570857..312f9237c5517 100644
--- a/providers/cohere/src/airflow/providers/cohere/operators/embedding.py
+++ b/providers/cohere/src/airflow/providers/cohere/operators/embedding.py
@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@ def __init__(
         **kwargs: Any,
     ):
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
-        if isinstance(input_text, str):
-            input_text = [input_text]
         self.conn_id = conn_id
         self.input_text = input_text
         self.timeout = timeout
@@ -88,7 +86,10 @@ def hook(self) -> CohereHook:
 
     def execute(self, context: Context) -> list[list[float]]:
         """Embed texts using Cohere embed services."""
-        embedding_response = self.hook.create_embeddings(self.input_text)
+        # input_text is a template field, so normalize a single string into a list here
+        # (after rendering) rather than in __init__, where it would act on the un-rendered value.
+        input_text = [self.input_text] if isinstance(self.input_text, str) else self.input_text
+        embedding_response = self.hook.create_embeddings(input_text)
         # NOTE: Return type `EmbedByTypeResponseEmbeddings` was removed temporarily due to limitations
         # in XCom serialization/deserialization of complex types like Cohere embeddings and Pydantic models.
         #
diff --git a/providers/cohere/tests/unit/cohere/operators/test_embedding.py b/providers/cohere/tests/unit/cohere/operators/test_embedding.py
index 1b6bf810e93d7..be971bde88399 100644
--- a/providers/cohere/tests/unit/cohere/operators/test_embedding.py
+++ b/providers/cohere/tests/unit/cohere/operators/test_embedding.py
@@ -56,3 +56,29 @@ def test_cohere_embedding_operator(cohere_client, get_connection):
     val = op.execute(context={})
     cohere_client.assert_called_once_with(api_key=api_key, base_url=base_url, timeout=timeout)
     assert val == embedded_obj
+
+
+@patch("airflow.providers.cohere.operators.embedding.CohereEmbeddingOperator.hook")
+def test_single_string_input_text_normalized_at_execute(mock_hook):
+    """
+    A single-string ``input_text`` is wrapped into a list in ``execute()`` (after templating),
+    not in ``__init__``. ``input_text`` is a template field, so wrapping it in the constructor
+    would operate on the un-rendered Jinja expression.
+    """
+    op = CohereEmbeddingOperator(task_id="embed", conn_id="some_conn", input_text="single text")
+
+    # __init__ keeps the value verbatim; the list normalization is deferred to execute().
+    assert op.input_text == "single text"
+
+    op.execute(context={})
+    mock_hook.create_embeddings.assert_called_once_with(["single text"])
+
+
+@patch("airflow.providers.cohere.operators.embedding.CohereEmbeddingOperator.hook")
+def test_list_input_text_passed_through_at_execute(mock_hook):
+    """A list ``input_text`` is passed to the hook unchanged."""
+    texts = ["first", "second"]
+    op = CohereEmbeddingOperator(task_id="embed", conn_id="some_conn", input_text=texts)
+
+    op.execute(context={})
+    mock_hook.create_embeddings.assert_called_once_with(texts)
diff --git a/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt b/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt
index db9e1ad7ce87d..7f5f7bc618cd1 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt
+++ b/scripts/ci/prek/validate_operators_init_exemptions.txt
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ providers/apache/hive/src/airflow/providers/apache/hive/sensors/named_hive_parti
 providers/apache/kafka/src/airflow/providers/apache/kafka/operators/produce.py::ProduceToTopicOperator
 providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/operators/kueue.py::KubernetesInstallKueueOperator
 providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/operators/pod.py::KubernetesPodOperator
-providers/cohere/src/airflow/providers/cohere/operators/embedding.py::CohereEmbeddingOperator
 providers/databricks/src/airflow/providers/databricks/operators/databricks_repos.py::DatabricksReposCreateOperator
 providers/databricks/src/airflow/providers/databricks/operators/databricks_repos.py::DatabricksReposDeleteOperator
 providers/databricks/src/airflow/providers/databricks/operators/databricks_repos.py::DatabricksReposUpdateOperator