diff --git a/tests/test_fred.py b/tests/test_fred.py
index f8a1f923a..367c28feb 100644
--- a/tests/test_fred.py
+++ b/tests/test_fred.py
@@ -61,6 +61,19 @@ class FredResolutionTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(fred._resolve_series_id("dgs30"), "DGS30")
         self.assertEqual(fred._resolve_series_id("MyCustomSeries"), "MYCUSTOMSERIES")
 
+    def test_descriptive_phrase_is_rejected(self):
+        # An LLM phrase (spaces / too long) is not a series ID — reject up front
+        # with guidance rather than 400ing the API.
+        for bad in ("bank of japan rate", "the unemployment number", "X" * 31):
+            with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+                fred._resolve_series_id(bad)
+
+    def test_get_macro_data_returns_guidance_on_bad_indicator(self):
+        # Invalid indicator -> actionable message, not a crash (no API call).
+        out = fred.get_macro_data("bank of japan rate", "2026-01-01")
+        self.assertIn("FRED", out)
+        self.assertIn("not a known macro alias", out)
+
 
 @pytest.mark.unit
 class FredConfigTests(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -99,11 +112,13 @@ class FredFormattingTests(unittest.TestCase):
             out = fred.get_macro_data("unemployment", "2025-09-30", 30)
         self.assertIn("No observations", out)
 
-    def test_unknown_series_raises(self):
+    def test_unknown_series_returns_not_found_message(self):
+        # A well-formed but unknown series ID returns guidance, not a crash, so
+        # the run is not aborted over an optional macro lookup.
         no_series = {"seriess": []}
-        with mock.patch.object(fred, "_request", side_effect=_request_stub(meta=no_series)), \
-                self.assertRaises(ValueError):
-            fred.get_macro_data("totally_unknown_xyz", "2025-09-30", 30)
+        with mock.patch.object(fred, "_request", side_effect=_request_stub(meta=no_series)):
+            out = fred.get_macro_data("totally_unknown_xyz", "2025-09-30", 30)
+        self.assertIn("not found", out)
 
     def test_long_series_is_truncated_but_change_uses_full_range(self):
         # Build > MAX_ROWS observations deterministically.
@@ -157,9 +172,10 @@ class FredRoutingTests(unittest.TestCase):
             out = interface.route_to_vendor("get_macro_indicators", "cpi", "2026-06-01", 365)
         self.assertEqual(out, "MACRO_OK")
 
-    def test_not_configured_surfaces_through_router(self):
-        # With only fred and no key, the router has no fallback and must surface
-        # the real "not configured" failure rather than masking it.
+    def test_not_configured_degrades_gracefully(self):
+        # macro_data is optional: with only fred and no key, the router degrades
+        # to a sentinel instead of aborting the run — a missing optional key must
+        # not crash an analysis.
         set_config({"data_vendors": {"macro_data": "fred"}})
 
         def _unconfigured(*a, **k):
@@ -169,8 +185,9 @@ class FredRoutingTests(unittest.TestCase):
             interface.VENDOR_METHODS,
             {"get_macro_indicators": {"fred": _unconfigured}},
             clear=False,
-        ), self.assertRaises(fred.FredNotConfiguredError):
-            interface.route_to_vendor("get_macro_indicators", "cpi", "2026-06-01", 365)
+        ):
+            out = interface.route_to_vendor("get_macro_indicators", "cpi", "2026-06-01", 365)
+        self.assertIn("DATA_UNAVAILABLE", out)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/tests/test_vendor_routing.py b/tests/test_vendor_routing.py
index 170f07705..757fc288b 100644
--- a/tests/test_vendor_routing.py
+++ b/tests/test_vendor_routing.py
@@ -96,6 +96,28 @@ class VendorRoutingTests(unittest.TestCase):
             result = interface.route_to_vendor("get_stock_data", "AAPL", "2026-01-01", "2026-01-10")
         self.assertEqual(result, "AV_DATA")
 
+    def _route_method(self, method, vendors):
+        return mock.patch.dict(interface.VENDOR_METHODS, {method: vendors}, clear=False)
+
+    def test_optional_category_degrades_instead_of_raising(self):
+        # An optional enrichment vendor (FRED macro) that raises must NOT abort
+        # the run — the router returns a sentinel so the analysis proceeds.
+        set_config({"data_vendors": {"macro_data": "fred"}})
+        with self._route_method(
+            "get_macro_indicators", {"fred": _raises(ValueError("FRED 400: bad series"))}
+        ):
+            result = interface.route_to_vendor("get_macro_indicators", "cpi", "2026-01-01")
+        self.assertIn("DATA_UNAVAILABLE", result)
+        self.assertIn("macro_data", result)
+
+    def test_core_category_still_raises_on_error(self):
+        # A core category (single configured vendor) propagates the error so a
+        # broken primary is loud, not silently degraded.
+        set_config({"data_vendors": {"core_stock_apis": "yfinance"}})
+        with self._route({"yfinance": _raises(ValueError("boom"))}), \
+                self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            interface.route_to_vendor("get_stock_data", "AAPL", "2026-01-01", "2026-01-10")
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/tradingagents/dataflows/fred.py b/tradingagents/dataflows/fred.py
index a7bf4a350..eb3856e6a 100644
--- a/tradingagents/dataflows/fred.py
+++ b/tradingagents/dataflows/fred.py
@@ -93,13 +93,26 @@ def get_api_key() -> str:
 
 
 def _resolve_series_id(indicator: str) -> str:
-    """Map a friendly alias to a FRED series ID, or pass a raw ID through."""
+    """Map a friendly alias to a FRED series ID, or pass a raw ID through.
+
+    Raises ``ValueError`` when the input is neither a known alias nor a plausible
+    series ID — typically a descriptive phrase the LLM passed instead (e.g.
+    "bank of japan rate"). FRED IDs are short and alphanumeric, so this rejects
+    it up front with guidance rather than letting it 400 the API.
+    """
     key = indicator.strip().lower().replace(" ", "_").replace("-", "_")
     if key in MACRO_SERIES:
         return MACRO_SERIES[key]
-    # Not a known alias: treat the input as a raw FRED series ID (FRED IDs are
-    # conventionally uppercase, e.g. "DGS10", "CPIAUCSL").
-    return indicator.strip().upper()
+    candidate = indicator.strip().upper()
+    # FRED series IDs never contain whitespace and are short; reject anything
+    # else (a descriptive phrase the LLM passed) rather than 400ing the API.
+    if not candidate or len(candidate) > 30 or any(c.isspace() for c in candidate):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"'{indicator}' is not a known macro alias or a valid FRED series ID. "
+            f"Use an alias (e.g. 'cpi', 'unemployment', '10y_treasury') or a raw "
+            f"FRED series ID (e.g. 'CPIAUCSL')."
+        )
+    return candidate
 
 
 def _request(path: str, params: dict) -> dict:
@@ -143,11 +156,18 @@ def get_macro_data(
 
     end_dt = datetime.strptime(curr_date, "%Y-%m-%d")
     start_date = (end_dt - timedelta(days=look_back_days)).strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
-    series_id = _resolve_series_id(indicator)
+
+    # Invalid LLM-supplied indicator: return guidance rather than raising, so a
+    # bad argument doesn't abort the run (the routing layer also degrades macro
+    # data, but a specific message is more useful to the analyst).
+    try:
+        series_id = _resolve_series_id(indicator)
+    except ValueError as e:
+        return f"FRED: {e}"
 
     meta = _request("series", {"series_id": series_id}).get("seriess") or []
     if not meta:
-        raise ValueError(
+        return (
             f"FRED series '{series_id}' not found. Pass a known alias "
             f"(e.g. 'cpi', 'unemployment') or a valid FRED series ID."
         )
diff --git a/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py b/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py
index 094d83bd1..281c83747 100644
--- a/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py
+++ b/tradingagents/dataflows/interface.py
@@ -84,6 +84,13 @@ VENDOR_LIST = [
     "alpha_vantage",
 ]
 
+# Optional enrichment categories. These add macro/event context to the news
+# analyst but are not core to a decision, so a vendor failure here degrades to a
+# sentinel instead of aborting the run (a bad LLM-supplied indicator, a missing
+# key, or a network blip should not crash an analysis over flavour data). Core
+# categories (prices, fundamentals, news) still raise so a broken primary is loud.
+OPTIONAL_CATEGORIES = {"macro_data", "prediction_markets"}
+
 # Mapping of methods to their vendor-specific implementations
 VENDOR_METHODS = {
     # core_stock_apis
@@ -240,8 +247,16 @@ def route_to_vendor(method: str, *args, **kwargs):
         )
 
     # No vendor returned data and none reported clean "no data" — surface the
-    # first real error (e.g. the primary vendor's network failure).
+    # first real error (e.g. the primary vendor's network failure). Optional
+    # enrichment categories degrade to a sentinel instead, so flavour data can't
+    # abort the run.
     if first_error is not None:
+        if category in OPTIONAL_CATEGORIES:
+            logger.warning("Optional %s unavailable for %s: %s", category, method, first_error)
+            return (
+                f"DATA_UNAVAILABLE: optional {category} could not be retrieved "
+                f"({first_error}). Proceed without it; do not fabricate values."
+            )
         raise first_error
 
     raise RuntimeError(f"No available vendor for '{method}'")