diff --git a/.github/scripts/check-issue-description.js b/.github/scripts/check-issue-description.js
index 2156082..a76ca29 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/check-issue-description.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/check-issue-description.js
@@ -91,6 +91,37 @@ module.exports = async ({ github, context, core }) => {
     // 'untyped' → only the common body-length check applies.
   }
 
+  // ── Unfilled dropdowns ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  // #2068 added a "-- Please Select --" default to every template dropdown, so
+  // a contributor who never opens the dropdown submits with that literal string
+  // as the section value. The per-section checks above only verify presence, so
+  // a placeholder value passes. Scan every section and flag the ones still
+  // showing the placeholder, as a single comma-separated line item.
+  const PLACEHOLDER = '-- Please Select --';
+  const headingRe = /^#+\s+(.+?)\s*$/gm;
+  const headings = [];
+  let headingMatch;
+  while ((headingMatch = headingRe.exec(body)) !== null) {
+    headings.push({
+      name: headingMatch[1].trim(),
+      headStart: headingMatch.index,
+      contentStart: headingMatch.index + headingMatch[0].length,
+    });
+  }
+  const unfilled = [];
+  for (let i = 0; i < headings.length; i++) {
+    const end = i + 1 < headings.length ? headings[i + 1].headStart : body.length;
+    if (body.slice(headings[i].contentStart, end).includes(PLACEHOLDER)) {
+      unfilled.push(headings[i].name);
+    }
+  }
+  if (unfilled.length > 0) {
+    failures.push(
+      `**Unfilled dropdowns** — please choose a value; these sections still show ` +
+      `the \`${PLACEHOLDER}\` placeholder: ${unfilled.join(', ')}.`,
+    );
+  }
+
   // ── Labels ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
   // These labels are expected to already exist in the repo — managing the
   // repo's label set is the maintainer's job, not this workflow's. We check a
diff --git a/.github/scripts/check-pr-description.js b/.github/scripts/check-pr-description.js
index 277d789..2a06c2b 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/check-pr-description.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/check-pr-description.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ module.exports = async ({ github, context, core }) => {
   //    keyword + #NNN, or a full issue URL (e.g. .../issues/123) — the strict
   //    keyword-prefixed form previously false-flagged correctly-linked PRs.
   const linkedSection = section('Linked Issue');
-  const hasIssueRef = /#\d+/.test(linkedSection) || /\/issues\/\d+/.test(linkedSection);
+  const hasIssueRef = /#\d+\b/.test(linkedSection) || /\/issues\/\d+/.test(linkedSection);
   if (!linkedSection || !hasIssueRef) {
     problems.push('**Linked Issue** — add a reference like `Fixes #NNN`, a bare `#NNN`, or a link to the issue.');
   }
@@ -48,10 +48,12 @@ module.exports = async ({ github, context, core }) => {
     problems.push('**Checklist** — check the duplicate-search box to confirm you searched existing issues and PRs.');
   }
 
-  // 5. How to Test must have at least one numbered step.
+  // 5. How to Test must contain enough real detail for a reviewer to act on.
+  //    Any format is fine — numbered steps, prose, the commands you ran, or a
+  //    code block — so we only require non-trivial content, not a specific shape.
   const howTo = section('How to Test');
-  if (!howTo || !/\d+\.\s*\S/.test(howTo)) {
-    problems.push('**How to Test** — add at least one numbered step a reviewer can follow to verify this works.');
+  if (howTo.length < 30) {
+    problems.push('**How to Test** — explain how a reviewer can verify this change. Numbered steps, the commands you ran, or a short code block all work — give a sentence or two of real detail (not just "tested locally").');
   }
 
   // ── Comment ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────