diff --git a/backend/app/routes/playlists.py b/backend/app/routes/playlists.py
index 4d8e02a..d61a107 100644
--- a/backend/app/routes/playlists.py
+++ b/backend/app/routes/playlists.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 catalog. Foundation phase = local only (create / rename / delete, add / remove / reorder
 items). YouTube two-way sync (mirror existing playlists, push edits) lands in later phases."""
 from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
+from pydantic import BaseModel
 from sqlalchemy import func, select, and_
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session, aliased
 
@@ -197,13 +198,22 @@ def list_playlists(
     ]
 
 
+class CreatePlaylistIn(BaseModel):
+    name: str
+
+
+# Shared by the two "add a video" endpoints (Watch-later shortcut + explicit add-to-playlist).
+class VideoRefIn(BaseModel):
+    video_id: str
+
+
 @router.post("")
 def create_playlist(
-    payload: dict,
+    body: CreatePlaylistIn,
     user: User = Depends(current_user),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
 ) -> dict:
-    name = (payload.get("name") or "").strip()
+    name = body.name.strip()
     if not name:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="name is required")
     pl = Playlist(user_id=user.id, name=name, position=_next_playlist_position(db, user.id))
@@ -233,13 +243,13 @@ def _watch_later(db: Session, user: User) -> Playlist:
 
 @router.post("/watch-later")
 def add_watch_later(
-    payload: dict,
+    body: VideoRefIn,
     user: User = Depends(current_user),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
 ) -> dict:
     """Bookmark shortcut: add a video to the built-in Watch later playlist."""
-    video_id = payload.get("video_id")
-    if not video_id or db.get(Video, video_id) is None:
+    video_id = body.video_id
+    if db.get(Video, video_id) is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Unknown video")
     pl = _watch_later(db, user)
     _add_item(db, pl, video_id, mark_dirty=False)
@@ -394,16 +404,20 @@ def get_playlist(
     }
 
 
+class RenamePlaylistIn(BaseModel):
+    name: str | None = None
+
+
 @router.patch("/{playlist_id}")
 def rename_playlist(
     playlist_id: int,
-    payload: dict,
+    body: RenamePlaylistIn,
     user: User = Depends(current_user),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
 ) -> dict:
     pl = _own_playlist(db, user, playlist_id)
-    if "name" in payload:
-        name = (payload.get("name") or "").strip()
+    if "name" in body.model_fields_set:
+        name = (body.name or "").strip()
         if not name:
             raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="name cannot be empty")
         if name != pl.name:
@@ -462,13 +476,13 @@ def delete_playlist(
 @router.post("/{playlist_id}/items")
 def add_item(
     playlist_id: int,
-    payload: dict,
+    body: VideoRefIn,
     user: User = Depends(current_user),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
 ) -> dict:
     pl = _own_playlist(db, user, playlist_id)
-    video_id = payload.get("video_id")
-    if not video_id or db.get(Video, video_id) is None:
+    video_id = body.video_id
+    if db.get(Video, video_id) is None:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Unknown video")
     _add_item(db, pl, video_id, mark_dirty=True)
     return {"playlist_id": pl.id, "video_id": video_id}
@@ -486,15 +500,19 @@ def remove_item(
     return {"playlist_id": pl.id, "video_id": video_id}
 
 
+class ReorderItemsIn(BaseModel):
+    video_ids: list[str] = []
+
+
 @router.put("/{playlist_id}/order")
 def reorder_items(
     playlist_id: int,
-    payload: dict,
+    body: ReorderItemsIn,
     user: User = Depends(current_user),
     db: Session = Depends(get_db),
 ) -> dict:
     pl = _own_playlist(db, user, playlist_id)
-    order = payload.get("video_ids") or []
+    order = body.video_ids
     items = {
         it.video_id: it
         for it in db.execute(