diff --git a/plugins/knowledge/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/knowledge/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 920baa472..5b87de7a7 100644
--- a/plugins/knowledge/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/knowledge/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/claude-code-plugin-manifest.json",
   "name": "knowledge",
-  "version": "0.8.0",
+  "version": "0.8.1",
   "description": "Ingest external knowledge into durable, synthesized artifacts. Ships a book-distillation pipeline (PDF/EPUB into concept-organized, author-attributed skill reference files), a YouTube pipeline (watch, transcript, link harvest, and repo-applicability synthesis), and a course-digest pipeline (extract and synthesize online video courses — Dometrain, Teachable — into repo-applicable recommendations), plus a re-runnable setup action; a configurable library directory governs where synthesized artifacts land in the consuming repo.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Melodic Software",
diff --git a/plugins/knowledge/CHANGELOG.md b/plugins/knowledge/CHANGELOG.md
index 5ff9f1458..c9a70419d 100644
--- a/plugins/knowledge/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/plugins/knowledge/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@ All notable changes to the `knowledge` plugin are recorded here. The `version` i
 `.claude-plugin/plugin.json` is the delivery vehicle — a consumer receives a change
 only after that version increases.
 
+## [0.8.1]
+
+### Changed
+
+- **youtube-digest: the `variation-matrix-backlog.json` manual smoke-test log is
+  demoted out of `evals/fixtures/`.** It is a tracking backlog of candidate videos
+  across footage variations (status notes, blocked-caption records), not an
+  input→expected-output graded fixture — no eval `files[]` entry or test consumed
+  it. Moved to the skill's `reference/`; `SKILL.md` and vendor `TUNING.md` prose now
+  point at the new path, and its grandfather line is removed from
+  `scripts/orphaned-fixtures-baseline.txt`.
+
 ## [0.8.0]
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/SKILL.md b/plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/SKILL.md
index 0ce4a37a9..9eae9b46a 100644
--- a/plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/SKILL.md
+++ b/plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/SKILL.md
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@ Driver video: `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zZy1QTvokM` — slug `stop-promp
 | --- | --- |
 | `evals/evals.json` | Skill behavior + driver golden eval cases |
 | `evals/fixtures/driver-video-goldens.json` | Q&A bank (≥1 `frame_only` question) |
-| `evals/fixtures/variation-matrix-backlog.json` | Code screencast / slide talk / talking-head / mixed — backlog only |
+
+Manual variation smoke-test backlog (code screencast / slide talk / talking-head / mixed — tracking only, not a graded fixture): `reference/variation-matrix-backlog.json`.
 
 D9 starting defaults: `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/vendor/video-digestion/TUNING.md`. Retune after first host watch.
diff --git a/plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/evals/fixtures/variation-matrix-backlog.json b/plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/reference/variation-matrix-backlog.json
similarity index 100%
rename from plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/evals/fixtures/variation-matrix-backlog.json
rename to plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/reference/variation-matrix-backlog.json
diff --git a/plugins/knowledge/vendor/video-digestion/TUNING.md b/plugins/knowledge/vendor/video-digestion/TUNING.md
index 7d29737d4..ce44b8327 100644
--- a/plugins/knowledge/vendor/video-digestion/TUNING.md
+++ b/plugins/knowledge/vendor/video-digestion/TUNING.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 Starting values from RESEARCH lane 2 and `design-threads.md` D9. Host e2e on driver
 (`7zZy1QTvokM`, 2026-06-11): dynamic coverage plan replaces soft cap; stratified + cue-anchor
-frames merged with scene-detect. Variation smokes in `evals/fixtures/variation-matrix-backlog.json`.
+frames merged with scene-detect. Variation smokes in `skills/youtube-digest/reference/variation-matrix-backlog.json`.
 
 **ffmpeg spawn:** local file inputs must omit `-user_agent`/`-headers` (ffmpeg 8+); remote
 HLS/HTTP URLs keep them (`isRemoteVideoInput` in `frames/scene-detect.js`).
diff --git a/scripts/orphaned-fixtures-baseline.txt b/scripts/orphaned-fixtures-baseline.txt
index 5a95e94ff..dbb633a20 100644
--- a/scripts/orphaned-fixtures-baseline.txt
+++ b/scripts/orphaned-fixtures-baseline.txt
@@ -21,10 +21,3 @@ plugins/autonomy/skills/setup/evals/fixtures/otlp-demo/pipeline.jsonl
 plugins/autonomy/skills/setup/evals/fixtures/otlp-demo/session-metrics.jsonl
 plugins/autonomy/skills/setup/evals/fixtures/otlp-demo/session-spans.jsonl
 plugins/autonomy/skills/setup/evals/fixtures/otlp-demo/trigger.jsonl
-
-# knowledge youtube-digest skill: this data file lives under evals/fixtures/ but
-# is named only from SKILL.md / vendor TUNING.md prose — no eval files[] entry
-# and no test consume it. Surfaced by this gate's initial discover run; tracked
-# by issue #688 (wire it into a grader, or move it out of evals/fixtures/ if it
-# is reference data rather than a fixture).
-plugins/knowledge/skills/youtube-digest/evals/fixtures/variation-matrix-backlog.json