diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/scheduled-maintenance.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/scheduled-maintenance.md
index 3fba39844..c74ced540 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/scheduled-maintenance.md
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/scheduled-maintenance.md
@@ -7,17 +7,18 @@ assignees: ""
 ---
 
 > **Required:** Replace both 2000 timestamps with the approved UTC start/end.
-> List only genuinely affected slugs after `expectedDown` or
-> `expectedDegraded`; leave the value empty when that impact is not expected.
+> Add `expectedDown` or `expectedDegraded` inside the metadata comment only
+> when that impact is expected. Never leave either key with an empty value;
+> the pinned monitor cannot parse an empty `key:` line.
 
 <!--
 start: 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z
 end: 2000-01-01T00:30:00Z
-expectedDown:
-expectedDegraded:
 -->
 
 Valid component slugs: `website`, `api`, `scan-gateway`.
+Optional metadata examples: `expectedDown: api` and
+`expectedDegraded: website, scan-gateway`.
 
 ## Summary
 
diff --git a/scripts/validate.rb b/scripts/validate.rb
index 87a4d2d17..f7532f62d 100755
--- a/scripts/validate.rb
+++ b/scripts/validate.rb
@@ -165,8 +165,14 @@ def check(condition, message)
       "first maintenance comment needs a safe start placeholder")
 check(first_metadata.include?("end: 2000-01-01T00:30:00Z"),
       "first maintenance comment needs a safe end placeholder")
-check(first_metadata.include?("expectedDown:") && first_metadata.include?("expectedDegraded:"),
-      "first maintenance comment needs optional impact metadata")
+blank_impact_metadata = first_metadata.lines.any? do |line|
+  line.match?(/^\s*expected(?:Down|Degraded):\s*$/)
+end
+check(!blank_impact_metadata,
+      "maintenance metadata must not contain blank expectedDown/expectedDegraded values")
+check(issue_template.include?("expectedDown: api") &&
+      issue_template.include?("expectedDegraded: website, scan-gateway"),
+      "maintenance template needs safe optional impact examples")
 
 if ERRORS.empty?
   puts "Status configuration validation passed (#{sites.length} components, full-SHA workflows)."