diff --git a/internal/gateway/chat.go b/internal/gateway/chat.go
index 2e3af12..5a70914 100644
--- a/internal/gateway/chat.go
+++ b/internal/gateway/chat.go
@@ -452,6 +452,19 @@ func (g *Gateway) handleChat(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 	}
+	// A key whose model scope does not include AUTO cannot use AUTO at all,
+	// even when it has its own AUTO chain configured. That combination is
+	// easy to set up by accident and produced a misleading error: the request
+	// fell through to the generic "model %q is not configured" below, which
+	// claims AUTO does not exist — it does, this key just may not use it. Name
+	// the actual reason so the admin can fix the scope.
+	if isAuto(model) {
+		if allow := g.allowedModels(r.Context()); allow != nil && !g.hasScopeModel(allow, model) {
+			writeError(w, http.StatusForbidden, "model_not_allowed",
+				fmt.Sprintf("model %q is not in this key's model scope, so it cannot use AUTO; add %q to the key's models or remove the scope restriction", model, model))
+			return
+		}
+	}
 	cands, effective := g.resolveCands(r.Context(), &req)
 	if len(cands) == 0 {
 		writeError(w, http.StatusNotFound, "model_not_found", fmt.Sprintf("model %q is not configured", model))
diff --git a/internal/gateway/ui/index.html b/internal/gateway/ui/index.html
index 42328f1..f35a998 100644
--- a/internal/gateway/ui/index.html
+++ b/internal/gateway/ui/index.html
@@ -517,7 +517,20 @@
         #toast{left:12px;right:12px;bottom:12px;text-align:center}
         th,td{padding:8px 10px}
       }
-    </style>
+    
+    /* Shown when a key's model scope blocks AUTO: the chain editor can look
+       fine while every request 403s, so the conflict must be visible here. */
+    .warn-box {
+      margin: 0 0 10px;
+      padding: 8px 10px;
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      border: 1px solid rgba(224, 108, 51, 0.45);
+      background: rgba(224, 108, 51, 0.1);
+      color: #b45309;
+      font-size: 12.5px;
+      line-height: 1.5;
+    }
+</style>
   </head>
   <body>
     <div id="bgfx" aria-hidden="true">
@@ -835,6 +848,7 @@
           kAutoChainSeeded: "已复制全局 AUTO 链作为编辑起点，保存后该密钥将使用这条独立链",
           kAutoChainNewOwn: "该密钥当前跟随全局链，保存后改用这里配置的独立链",
           kAutoChainWillInherit: "保存后该密钥将恢复跟随全局 AUTO 链",
+          kAutoChainScopeWarn: "警告：该密钥的模型范围不包含 AUTO，配了独立 AUTO 链也用不了。当前范围：",
           kAutoChainBad: "已保存，但槽位无法解析（模型与源的组合不存在），AUTO 请求会失败",
           kName: "名称",
           kRole: "角色",
@@ -1109,6 +1123,7 @@
           kAutoChainSeeded: "Copied the global AUTO chain as a starting point — saving gives this key its own chain",
           kAutoChainNewOwn: "This key currently follows the global chain; saving switches it to the chain configured here",
           kAutoChainWillInherit: "Saving makes this key follow the global AUTO chain again",
+          kAutoChainScopeWarn: "Warning: this key\u2019s model scope does not include AUTO, so a per-key AUTO chain will still be rejected. Current scope: ",
           kAutoChainBad: "Saved, but the slot does not resolve (no source serves that model); AUTO requests will fail",
           kName: "Name",
           kRole: "Role",
@@ -4811,8 +4826,11 @@ function afterChainEdit() {
       async function loadKeys() {
         const el = $("#k-list");
         if (!el) return;
-        const j = await api("/api/keys");
+const j = await api("/api/keys");
         const ks = j.keys || [];
+        // Cached so the per-key AUTO editor can read a key's model scope
+        // without a second request (keyAutoScopeWarning).
+        window._keyRows = ks;
         el.innerHTML = ks.length
           ? ks.map((k) => keyCanvasHtml(k)).join("")
           : `<div class="muted">${t("kEmpty")}</div>`;
@@ -5268,6 +5286,7 @@ function afterChainEdit() {
         wrap.innerHTML = `<div class="card" style="width:900px;max-width:100%">
     <h2>${esc(t("kAutoChainTitle"))} \u00b7 ${esc(name || key)}</h2>
     <div class="muted" style="margin-bottom:10px">${esc(t("kAutoChainHint"))}</div>
+    <div id="ka-scope-warn"></div>
     <div id="ka-canvas-host"></div>
     <p><button class="ghost small" onclick="scrAddModal()">+ ${esc(t("sortAdd"))}</button>
        <button class="ghost small" onclick="keyAutoInherit()">${esc(t("kAutoChainInherit"))}</button>
@@ -5309,6 +5328,7 @@ try {
             renderSortEditor($("#ka-canvas-host"), { canvasId: "key-auto-canvas" });
             keyAutoState.seeded = seededFromGlobal;
             keyAutoInheritNotice();
+            keyAutoScopeWarning(key);
           } catch (e) {
             toast(String(e));
           }
@@ -5364,6 +5384,31 @@ try {
         paintSort();
         keyAutoInheritNotice();
       }
+      // keyAutoScopeWarning tells the admin when the key's model scope blocks
+      // AUTO outright. Configuring a per-key AUTO chain for such a key looks
+      // like it works, yet every request 403s — the scope filter runs before
+      // the chain is consulted. We deliberately do NOT widen the scope
+      // automatically: that would silently grant access nobody asked for.
+      function keyAutoScopeWarning(key) {
+        const host = $("#ka-scope-warn");
+        if (!host) return;
+        const rec = (window._keyRows || []).find((k) => k.key === key);
+        const models = (rec && rec.models) || [];
+        if (!models.length) {
+          host.innerHTML = "";
+          return;
+        }
+        const hasAuto = models.some(
+          (m) => (m.model || "").toUpperCase() === "AUTO",
+        );
+        host.innerHTML = hasAuto
+          ? ""
+          : '<div class="warn-box">' +
+            esc(t("kAutoChainScopeWarn")) +
+            " " +
+            esc(models.map((m) => m.model).join(", ")) +
+            "</div>";
+      }
       function keyAutoClose() {
         const m = document.getElementById("key-auto-modal");
         if (m) m.remove();
diff --git a/internal/gateway/ui_key_auto_test.go b/internal/gateway/ui_key_auto_test.go
index 7ada43d..c83c70e 100644
--- a/internal/gateway/ui_key_auto_test.go
+++ b/internal/gateway/ui_key_auto_test.go
@@ -329,3 +329,36 @@ func TestUIKeyAutoNoticeDistinguishesSavedFromCopied(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// A key whose model scope excludes AUTO cannot use AUTO at all — the scope
+// filter runs before the chain — yet the editor happily lets an admin
+// configure a per-key chain. That combination is easy to create by accident
+// and produces a 403 with no visible cause, so the dialog must say so.
+//
+// We deliberately do NOT widen the scope automatically: silently granting a
+// model the operator did not ask for is worse than a loud warning.
+func TestUIKeyAutoWarnsOnScopeConflict(t *testing.T) {
+	src := uiSource(t)
+	if !strings.Contains(src, "function keyAutoScopeWarning(") {
+		t.Fatal("no scope-conflict check in the per-key editor")
+	}
+	body := readFuncBody(t, src, "keyAutoScopeWarning")
+	if !strings.Contains(body, "AUTO") {
+		t.Fatal("keyAutoScopeWarning must test whether the scope lists AUTO")
+	}
+	// It must not write anything back to the key: reporting only.
+	for _, forbidden := range []string{"PUT", "POST", "fetch(", "api("} {
+		if strings.Contains(body, forbidden) {
+			t.Fatalf("keyAutoScopeWarning calls %s — it must only report the "+
+				"conflict, never widen the scope itself", forbidden)
+		}
+	}
+	// Empty scope means unrestricted, so no warning is correct there.
+	if !strings.Contains(body, "if (!models.length)") {
+		t.Fatal("an unrestricted key (no models) must not be warned")
+	}
+	// Both languages.
+	if n := strings.Count(src, "kAutoChainScopeWarn"); n < 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("i18n key kAutoChainScopeWarn appears %d time(s), want zh+en", n)
+	}
+}