diff --git a/public/css/styles.css b/public/css/styles.css
index bea9e79..d50e709 100644
--- a/public/css/styles.css
+++ b/public/css/styles.css
@@ -409,6 +409,23 @@ code.inline { background: var(--bg-3); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-rad
 .modal .mbody { padding: 16px 18px; }
 .modal .mfoot { padding: 12px 18px; border-top: 1px solid var(--line); display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; gap: 8px; }
 .field { margin-bottom: 12px; }
+/* checkbox dropdown (multi-select, e.g. tags) */
+.cbdrop { position: relative; }
+.cbdrop-btn { width: 100%; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; gap: 8px;
+  background: var(--bg-3); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 6px; padding: 8px 10px;
+  color: var(--txt); font-size: 13px; cursor: pointer; }
+.cbdrop-btn:hover { border-color: var(--accent); }
+.cbdrop-btn > span:first-child { overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; text-align: left; }
+.cbdrop-caret { color: var(--txt-faint); flex: none; }
+.cbdrop-menu { margin-top: 6px; background: var(--bg-2); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 8px;
+  padding: 6px; max-height: 200px; overflow: auto; }
+.cbdrop-item { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px; padding: 5px 8px; border-radius: 5px;
+  cursor: pointer; color: var(--txt); font-size: 13px; }
+.cbdrop-item:hover { background: var(--bg-3); }
+.cbdrop-item input { accent-color: var(--accent); }
+.cbdrop-new { display: flex; gap: 6px; padding-top: 6px; margin-top: 4px; border-top: 1px solid var(--line); }
+.cbdrop-new input { flex: 1; background: var(--bg-1); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 6px;
+  padding: 5px 8px; color: var(--txt); font-size: 12px; }
 .field label { display: block; color: var(--txt-dim); margin-bottom: 4px; font-size: 12px; }
 .field input[type=text], .field input[type=password], .field textarea, .field select {
   width: 100%; background: var(--bg); border: 1px solid var(--line); border-radius: 6px; padding: 7px 10px;
diff --git a/public/js/app.js b/public/js/app.js
index 3e0bc0b..66eedf5 100644
--- a/public/js/app.js
+++ b/public/js/app.js
@@ -496,6 +496,8 @@ async function confirmDelete(hashes) {
 function openAddModal() {
   const cats = '<option value="" selected>Uncategorized</option>' +
     state.meta.categories.map((c) => `<option value="${f.esc(c.name)}">${f.esc(c.name || 'Uncategorized')}</option>`).join('');
+  const tagOpts = state.meta.tags.map((t) =>
+    `<label class="cbdrop-item"><input type="checkbox" value="${f.esc(t)}"><span>${f.esc(t)}</span></label>`).join('');
   openModal('Add torrent', `
     <div class="field"><label>Magnet link / URL</label>
       <input type="text" id="addMagnet" placeholder="magnet:?xt=urn:btih:…" /></div>
@@ -504,9 +506,15 @@ function openAddModal() {
       <div id="addFileInfo" class="dim" style="margin-top:6px;font-size:12px"></div></div>
     <div class="field"><label>Category</label><select id="addCat">${cats}</select></div>
     <div class="field"><label>Tags</label>
-      <input type="text" id="addTags" placeholder="comma-separated, e.g. anime, airing"${
-        state.meta.tags.length ? ` list="addTagList"` : ''} />
-      ${state.meta.tags.length ? `<datalist id="addTagList">${state.meta.tags.map((t) => `<option value="${f.esc(t)}">`).join('')}</datalist>` : ''}</div>
+      <div class="cbdrop">
+        <button type="button" class="cbdrop-btn" id="addTagsBtn">
+          <span id="addTagsLabel">No tags selected</span><span class="cbdrop-caret">▾</span></button>
+        <div class="cbdrop-menu" id="addTagsMenu" hidden>
+          <div id="addTagsList">${tagOpts || '<div class="dim" style="padding:4px 4px 8px">No tags yet — add one below.</div>'}</div>
+          <div class="cbdrop-new"><input type="text" id="addTagNew" placeholder="New tag…" />
+            <button type="button" class="btn" id="addTagAdd">Add</button></div>
+        </div>
+      </div></div>
     <div class="field"><label>Save path</label>
       <input type="text" id="addPath" value="${f.esc(state.meta.preferences.save_path || '/data/downloads')}" /></div>
     <div class="checks">
@@ -519,7 +527,7 @@ function openAddModal() {
         const magnet = document.getElementById('addMagnet').value.trim();
         const common = {
           category: document.getElementById('addCat').value,
-          tags: document.getElementById('addTags').value.split(',').map((s) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean),
+          tags: [...document.querySelectorAll('#addTagsList input:checked')].map((c) => c.value),
           savePath: document.getElementById('addPath').value.trim(),
           paused: document.getElementById('addPaused').checked,
           seqDl: document.getElementById('addSeq').checked,
@@ -536,6 +544,39 @@ function openAddModal() {
         closeModal();
       }, 'Failed to add torrent'),
     }]);
+  // tags checkbox dropdown: toggle, live label, inline new-tag creation
+  (() => {
+    const menu = document.getElementById('addTagsMenu');
+    const list = document.getElementById('addTagsList');
+    const label = document.getElementById('addTagsLabel');
+    const input = document.getElementById('addTagNew');
+    const refresh = () => {
+      const sel = [...list.querySelectorAll('input:checked')].map((c) => c.value);
+      label.textContent = sel.length ? sel.join(', ') : 'No tags selected';
+    };
+    const addTag = () => {
+      const name = input.value.trim();
+      if (!name) return;
+      let cb = [...list.querySelectorAll('input')].find((c) => c.value === name);
+      if (!cb) {
+        const ph = list.querySelector('.dim'); if (ph) ph.remove();
+        const lbl = document.createElement('label');
+        lbl.className = 'cbdrop-item';
+        lbl.innerHTML = '<input type="checkbox"><span></span>';
+        cb = lbl.querySelector('input');
+        cb.value = name;
+        lbl.querySelector('span').textContent = name;
+        list.appendChild(lbl);
+      }
+      cb.checked = true;
+      input.value = '';
+      refresh();
+    };
+    document.getElementById('addTagsBtn').addEventListener('click', () => { menu.hidden = !menu.hidden; });
+    list.addEventListener('change', refresh);
+    document.getElementById('addTagAdd').addEventListener('click', addTag);
+    input.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter') { e.preventDefault(); addTag(); } });
+  })();
   // live readout of the chosen file(s)
   document.getElementById('addFile').addEventListener('change', async (e) => {
     const info = document.getElementById('addFileInfo');