diff --git a/.github/workflows/feature-ideation-reusable.yml b/.github/workflows/feature-ideation-reusable.yml
index a582231f..1fe12762 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/feature-ideation-reusable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/feature-ideation-reusable.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #     place propagates to every BMAD-enabled repo after the v1 tag is bumped
 #     and their next scheduled run executes. Repos tracking @main pick it up
 #     immediately on their next run.
-#   - The two critical gotchas (github_token override, ANTHROPIC_MODEL env var)
+#   - The two critical gotchas (github_token override, the `model` input)
 #     are baked in here so callers cannot accidentally regress them.
 #
 # Standard: https://github.com/petry-projects/.github/blob/main/standards/ci-standards.md#8-feature-ideation-feature-ideationyml--bmad-method-repos
@@ -50,9 +50,12 @@ on:
         default: 'standard'
         type: string
       model:
-        description: 'Anthropic model ID. Opus 4.6 is the default and recommended — Sonnet produces shallower adversarial passes.'
+        description: >
+          Model family — `opus` (default, recommended), `sonnet`, or `haiku`.
+          The resolver/CLI maps the family to the current version ID. An
+          operator MAY override with a concrete model ID for a one-off pin.
         required: false
-        default: 'claude-opus-4-6'
+        default: 'opus'
         type: string
       timeout_minutes:
         description: 'Timeout for the analyst job (the gather-signals job has its own short timeout).'
@@ -464,7 +467,7 @@ jobs:
               avoid missing major developments.
 
             This keeps each weekly run focused on genuinely new signal rather than
-            re-processing the same content at Opus 4.6 cost.
+            re-processing the same content at Opus cost.
 
             Using the **Project Context** above as your starting point and the
             source list as your seed, research the competitive landscape and
diff --git a/standards/agent-standards.md b/standards/agent-standards.md
index 0a206901..45904d1b 100644
--- a/standards/agent-standards.md
+++ b/standards/agent-standards.md
@@ -114,6 +114,44 @@ The AgentShield action adds the agent-specific security layer on top.
 See [AGENTS.md § Decision Logic Lives in a Pure, Tested Script](../AGENTS.md#decision-logic-lives-in-a-pure-tested-script)
 for the full standard, exemplars, and rationale.
 
+## Model selection
+
+Agent code names a **model family**, never a pinned version ID. A caller MAY
+suggest the family best suited to the task — **`opus`**, **`sonnet`**, or
+**`haiku`** — but MUST NOT hard-code a specific version ID such as
+`claude-opus-4-6`. A single resolver/CLI maps a family to the current model ID,
+and version changes roll out centrally through the normal release channels — so
+moving the whole fleet to a newer model is one change in the resolver, not a
+find-and-replace of pinned IDs across every workflow, script, and prompt.
+
+**Why family, not version.** A hard-coded version ID is drift waiting to happen:
+every place that names `claude-opus-4-6` must be found and edited on each model
+bump, migrations land unevenly, and a stale ID silently pins a repo to an
+outdated model. Naming the family defers the ID to the one resolver, so the
+version lives in exactly one place and is promoted like any other release.
+
+### Allowed exceptions — each needs an audit marker
+
+A literal version ID is permitted **only** in these four cases, and each
+occurrence MUST carry an audit marker so the pin is auditable and intentional:
+
+| # | Exception | Why a real ID is required | Audit marker |
+|---|-----------|---------------------------|--------------|
+| a | **The resolver itself** | It is the one place that maps family → current ID, so it must name the IDs. | Inline `# model-pin-ok: <reason>` |
+| b | **Price data keyed by real IDs** | Cost is per concrete model, so the table is keyed by the actual version IDs. | Inline `# model-pin-ok: <reason>` for comment-supporting formats; metadata field or sidecar file for formats that don't support comments (e.g. a JSON price table). |
+| c | **Recorded data** (fixtures, eval sets, baselines) | A captured artifact records the ID that produced it; rewriting it would falsify the record. | Inline `# model-pin-ok: <reason>` for comment-supporting formats; metadata field or sidecar file for formats that don't support comments. |
+| d | **A fixed eval judge** | The judge must stay pinned so A/B results stay comparable across runs. | Inline `# model-pin-ok: <reason>` |
+
+Anything outside these four names a family and lets the resolver supply the ID.
+
+### Operator override
+
+An **operator-supplied full model ID** — a workflow input or an Actions variable
+set by a human operator — is an operator choice and stays allowed; it is not a
+code default. The rule constrains **defaults in code**: those MUST name a family.
+An operator MAY still pass a concrete ID to override for a one-off experiment or
+pin, without that ID ever becoming the hard-coded default.
+
 ## BMAD Method Workflows
 
 Repositories with BMAD Method installed (presence of `_bmad/`, `_bmad-output/`,
@@ -123,6 +161,6 @@ the market and produce evidence-grounded feature proposals as GitHub Discussions
 
 See [CI Standards §8 — Feature Ideation](ci-standards.md#8-feature-ideation-feature-ideationyml--bmad-method-repos)
 for the full standard, including the multi-skill ideation pipeline and the
-critical configuration gotchas (Opus 4.6 model selection, GitHub token override,
-log-secret hygiene). The template is at
+critical configuration gotchas (Opus-family [model selection](#model-selection),
+GitHub token override, log-secret hygiene). The template is at
 [`standards/workflows/feature-ideation.yml`](workflows/feature-ideation.yml).
diff --git a/standards/ci-standards.md b/standards/ci-standards.md
index 46871952..9e8d1b5a 100644
--- a/standards/ci-standards.md
+++ b/standards/ci-standards.md
@@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@ These workflows are required only when a specific ecosystem is detected.
 (warning) by the audit. The BMAD Method framing below reflects the original
 pilot; the pipeline itself is not BMAD-specific.
 
-Scheduled weekly workflow that runs the BMAD Analyst (Mary) on **Claude Opus 4.6**
+Scheduled weekly workflow that runs the BMAD Analyst (Mary) on the **Claude Opus family**
 through a 5-phase multi-skill ideation pipeline, producing evidence-grounded
 feature proposals as GitHub Discussions in the **Ideas** category. Each proposal
 is a separate Discussion, updated by subsequent runs as the market and project
@@ -1331,13 +1331,13 @@ The adversarial pass is the load-bearing part: ideas that survive it are
 
 | Setting | Value |
 |---------|-------|
-| **Model** | `claude-opus-4-6` (set via `ANTHROPIC_MODEL` env var on the step) |
+| **Model** | `opus` family by default (the reusable workflow's `model` input, passed as `--model`) |
 | **Schedule** | Weekly (template uses Friday 07:00 UTC) |
 | **Output** | GitHub Discussions in the Ideas category, one per proposal |
 | **Inputs** | `focus_area` (optional), `research_depth` (quick/standard/deep) |
 | **Permissions** | `contents: read`, `discussions: write`, `id-token: write` |
 | **Required secrets** | `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` (org-level) |
-| **Typical cost** | ~$2-3 per run on Opus 4.6, standard depth, 25-40 turns |
+| **Typical cost** | ~$2-3 per run on Opus, standard depth, 25-40 turns |
 
 **Prerequisite:** Discussions must be enabled with an "Ideas" category
 (see [Discussions Configuration](github-settings.md#discussions-configuration)).
@@ -1407,12 +1407,15 @@ understanding why they exist:**
    no Discussions. Passing the workflow's `GITHUB_TOKEN` makes the job-level
    `permissions: discussions: write` grant apply.
 
-2. **`ANTHROPIC_MODEL: claude-opus-4-6` is set as a step env var.**
-   The action does not expose model selection as an input — it reads the
-   `ANTHROPIC_MODEL` environment variable. Opus is required for the depth
-   the multi-skill pipeline expects; Sonnet runs cheaper but produces
-   noticeably shallower adversarial passes. The reusable workflow exposes
-   this as the optional `model` input for callers that need an override.
+2. **The `model` input defaults to the `opus` family.**
+   The reusable workflow passes this via `--model ${{ inputs.model }}` to the
+   Claude Code action, which then resolves the family to the current version ID.
+   Opus is required for the depth the multi-skill pipeline expects; Sonnet runs
+   cheaper but produces noticeably shallower adversarial passes. The `model`
+   input is optional — callers may override it per the
+   [operator override](agent-standards.md#operator-override)
+   described in agent-standards.md, which is the canonical family-not-version
+   rule this gotcha follows.
 
 3. **`show_full_output: true` is NOT enabled.**
    It echoes raw tool results to public action logs, which can leak secrets.
@@ -1430,7 +1433,7 @@ understanding why they exist:**
 | `project_context` | yes | — | 3-5 sentence project description; the only required input |
 | `focus_area` | no | `''` | Optional research focus, typically wired to `workflow_dispatch` input |
 | `research_depth` | no | `'standard'` | `quick` / `standard` / `deep` |
-| `model` | no | `'claude-opus-4-6'` | Override only for cost experiments — see gotcha #2 |
+| `model` | no | `'opus'` | Model family; override only for cost experiments — see gotcha #2 |
 | `timeout_minutes` | no | `60` | Analyst job timeout (signal collection has its own short timeout) |
 
 | Secret | Required | Notes |