diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/docs/api/page.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/docs/api/page.tsx
index deb5ce6a4..b359ffe68 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/docs/api/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/docs/api/page.tsx
@@ -110,6 +110,12 @@ export default function ApiDocsPage() {
             Pack via <code className="text-teal-300">/api/video/pack</code>, then{' '}
             <code className="text-teal-300">/api/workflows/video-to-actions</code>.
           </p>
+          <ol className="mt-4 list-decimal space-y-1 pl-5 text-sm text-ink/60">
+            <li>Paste a YouTube URL on Home.</li>
+            <li>Home redirects to <code className="text-teal-300">/studio?video=...</code>.</li>
+            <li>Studio auto-starts analysis once for that handoff URL.</li>
+            <li>Transcript and events flow into actions and output publishing.</li>
+          </ol>
         </section>
       </main>
       <Footer />
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/OneLoopStudio.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/OneLoopStudio.tsx
index 090f81f03..975dd032d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/OneLoopStudio.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/OneLoopStudio.tsx
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ import {
 } from '@/lib/video-to-actions-input';
 import {
   applyStudioQueryAutoStart,
+  resetStudioQueryAutoStart,
   resolveStudioHandoff,
   studioQueryFromSearchParams,
 } from '@/lib/studio-handoff';
@@ -366,6 +367,16 @@ export default function OneLoopStudio({
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [searchParams]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // Release the module-level Strict Mode guard when Studio truly unmounts so
+    // re-entering /studio?video= with the same id (re-paste, or retry after a
+    // failed run) auto-starts again. Deferred so React's synchronous Strict
+    // Mode unmount/remount still sees the guard and does not double-start.
+    return () => {
+      window.setTimeout(() => resetStudioQueryAutoStart(), 0);
+    };
+  }, []);
+
   const analyze = (event?: FormEvent) => {
     event?.preventDefault();
     void runAnalysis(url);
diff --git a/apps/web/src/lib/__tests__/studio-handoff.test.ts b/apps/web/src/lib/__tests__/studio-handoff.test.ts
index 995c9aa4b..b28482fb3 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/lib/__tests__/studio-handoff.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/lib/__tests__/studio-handoff.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import {
   applyStudioQueryAutoStart,
+  resetStudioQueryAutoStart,
   resolveStudioHandoff,
   studioQueryFromSearchParams,
   studioVideoHref,
@@ -72,6 +73,55 @@ describe('submitHomePaste kicks pack emit then hands off to Studio', () => {
 });
 
 describe('applyStudioQueryAutoStart (?video= one-shot, Strict Mode safe)', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    // Release the module-level Strict Mode guard so tests stay isolated.
+    resetStudioQueryAutoStart();
+  });
+
+  it('re-starts the same video after a genuine unmount clears the guard', () => {
+    const start = vi.fn();
+    const firstMountKey = { current: null as string | null };
+    const first = applyStudioQueryAutoStart({
+      query: FIXTURE_WATCH,
+      startedKey: firstMountKey,
+      start,
+    });
+    expect(first).toBe('started');
+
+    // Genuine unmount releases the module-level guard.
+    resetStudioQueryAutoStart();
+
+    // Fresh mount (fresh ref) re-navigates to the same video.
+    const remountKey = { current: null as string | null };
+    const remount = applyStudioQueryAutoStart({
+      query: FIXTURE_WATCH,
+      startedKey: remountKey,
+      start,
+    });
+    expect(remount).toBe('started');
+    expect(start).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('suppresses duplicate start when a Strict Mode remount gets a fresh ref object', () => {
+    const remountWatchUrl = 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBsT6v-ciO8';
+    const firstMountKey = { current: null as string | null };
+    const remountKey = { current: null as string | null };
+    const start = vi.fn();
+    const first = applyStudioQueryAutoStart({
+      query: remountWatchUrl,
+      startedKey: firstMountKey,
+      start,
+    });
+    const remount = applyStudioQueryAutoStart({
+      query: remountWatchUrl,
+      startedKey: remountKey,
+      start,
+    });
+    expect(first).toBe('started');
+    expect(remount).toBe('already');
+    expect(start).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it('starts once with the canonical watch URL across a Strict Mode double effect', () => {
     const startedKey = { current: null as string | null };
     const start = vi.fn();
diff --git a/apps/web/src/lib/studio-handoff.ts b/apps/web/src/lib/studio-handoff.ts
index 08be98249..71b2f4f6a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/lib/studio-handoff.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/lib/studio-handoff.ts
@@ -43,10 +43,22 @@ export function submitHomePaste(raw: string): string | null {
 }
 
 export type StudioQueryStartedKey = { current: string | null };
+let strictModeAutoStartedVideoId: string | null = null;
 
 /**
- * One-shot ?video= / ?url= kick. Safe under Strict Mode: the same startedKey
- * ref suppresses a second start() for the same video id.
+ * Clear the module-level Strict Mode auto-start guard. Studio calls this on a
+ * genuine unmount so re-navigating to the same ?video= later in the same SPA
+ * session (or retrying after a failed run) can auto-start again. The guard only
+ * exists to swallow React's synchronous Strict Mode double-mount, so it must be
+ * released once the component truly leaves the tree.
+ */
+export function resetStudioQueryAutoStart(): void {
+  strictModeAutoStartedVideoId = null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * One-shot ?video= / ?url= kick. Safe under Strict Mode remounts: both the
+ * caller ref and a module-level key suppress duplicate start() calls.
  */
 export type StudioSearchParams = {
   get(name: string): string | null;
@@ -94,8 +106,14 @@ export function applyStudioQueryAutoStart(input: {
     return 'invalid';
   }
   input.onResolved?.(handoff.watchUrl);
-  if (input.startedKey.current === handoff.videoId) return 'already';
+  if (
+    input.startedKey.current === handoff.videoId ||
+    strictModeAutoStartedVideoId === handoff.videoId
+  ) {
+    return 'already';
+  }
   input.startedKey.current = handoff.videoId;
+  strictModeAutoStartedVideoId = handoff.videoId;
   input.start(handoff.watchUrl);
   return 'started';
 }