diff --git a/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/CommandPalette.tsx b/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/CommandPalette.tsx
index 5cdb0d1..43a2d57 100644
--- a/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/CommandPalette.tsx
+++ b/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/CommandPalette.tsx
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ interface CommandPaletteProps {
   onSubmit?: (query: string) => void
 }
 
-const CATEGORY_LABELS: Record<SearchCategory | 'all', string> = {
-  all: 'All',
+const KNOWN_CATEGORY_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
   application: 'Applications',
   exchange: 'Exchanges',
   attribute: 'Attributes',
@@ -28,8 +27,8 @@ const CATEGORY_LABELS: Record<SearchCategory | 'all', string> = {
   agent: 'Agents',
 }
 
-const ALL_CATEGORIES: Array<SearchCategory | 'all'> = [
-  'all',
+/** Preferred display order for known categories */
+const KNOWN_CATEGORY_ORDER: string[] = [
   'application',
   'exchange',
   'attribute',
@@ -37,6 +36,13 @@ const ALL_CATEGORIES: Array<SearchCategory | 'all'> = [
   'agent',
 ]
 
+function categoryLabel(cat: string): string {
+  if (cat === 'all') return 'All'
+  if (KNOWN_CATEGORY_LABELS[cat]) return KNOWN_CATEGORY_LABELS[cat]
+  // Title-case unknown categories: "my-thing" → "My Thing", "foo_bar" → "Foo Bar"
+  return cat.replace(/[-_]/g, ' ').replace(/\b\w/g, (c) => c.toUpperCase())
+}
+
 function highlightText(text: string, query: string, matchRanges?: [number, number][]): ReactNode {
   if (!query && (!matchRanges || matchRanges.length === 0)) return text
 
@@ -69,7 +75,7 @@ function highlightText(text: string, query: string, matchRanges?: [number, numbe
 
 export function CommandPalette({ open, onClose, onSelect, data, onOpen, onQueryChange, onSubmit }: CommandPaletteProps) {
   const [query, setQuery] = useState('')
-  const [activeCategory, setActiveCategory] = useState<SearchCategory | 'all'>('all')
+  const [activeCategory, setActiveCategory] = useState<string>('all')
   const [scopeFilters, setScopeFilters] = useState<ScopeFilter[]>([])
   const [focusedIdx, setFocusedIdx] = useState(0)
   const [expandedId, setExpandedId] = useState<string | null>(null)
@@ -128,7 +134,7 @@ export function CommandPalette({ open, onClose, onSelect, data, onOpen, onQueryC
 
   // Group results by category
   const grouped = useMemo(() => {
-    const map = new Map<SearchCategory, SearchResult[]>()
+    const map = new Map<string, SearchResult[]>()
     for (const r of filtered) {
       if (!map.has(r.category)) map.set(r.category, [])
       map.get(r.category)!.push(r)
@@ -148,6 +154,19 @@ export function CommandPalette({ open, onClose, onSelect, data, onOpen, onQueryC
     return counts
   }, [queryFiltered])
 
+  // Build tab list dynamically: 'all' + known categories (in order) + any unknown categories found in data
+  const visibleCategories = useMemo(() => {
+    const dataCategories = new Set(data.map((r) => r.category))
+    const tabs: string[] = ['all']
+    for (const cat of KNOWN_CATEGORY_ORDER) {
+      if (dataCategories.has(cat)) tabs.push(cat)
+    }
+    for (const cat of dataCategories) {
+      if (!tabs.includes(cat)) tabs.push(cat)
+    }
+    return tabs
+  }, [data])
+
   function handleKeyDown(e: React.KeyboardEvent) {
     switch (e.key) {
       case 'Escape':
@@ -246,7 +265,7 @@ export function CommandPalette({ open, onClose, onSelect, data, onOpen, onQueryC
 
         {/* Category tabs */}
         <div className={styles.tabs} role="tablist">
-          {ALL_CATEGORIES.map((cat) => (
+          {visibleCategories.map((cat) => (
             <button
               key={cat}
               role="tab"
@@ -262,7 +281,7 @@ export function CommandPalette({ open, onClose, onSelect, data, onOpen, onQueryC
                 setFocusedIdx(0)
               }}
             >
-              {CATEGORY_LABELS[cat]}
+              {categoryLabel(cat)}
               {categoryCounts[cat] != null && (
                 <span className={styles.tabCount}>{categoryCounts[cat]}</span>
               )}
@@ -283,7 +302,7 @@ export function CommandPalette({ open, onClose, onSelect, data, onOpen, onQueryC
             Array.from(grouped.entries()).map(([category, items]) => (
               <div key={category} className={styles.group}>
                 <div className={styles.groupHeader}>
-                  <SectionHeader>{CATEGORY_LABELS[category]}</SectionHeader>
+                  <SectionHeader>{categoryLabel(category)}</SectionHeader>
                 </div>
                 {items.map((result) => {
                   const flatIdx = flatResults.indexOf(result)
diff --git a/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/types.ts b/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/types.ts
index ace9c74..078dace 100644
--- a/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/types.ts
+++ b/src/design-system/composites/CommandPalette/types.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { ReactNode } from 'react'
 
-export type SearchCategory = 'application' | 'exchange' | 'attribute' | 'route' | 'agent'
+/** Known categories: 'application' | 'exchange' | 'attribute' | 'route' | 'agent'. Custom categories are rendered with title-cased labels and a default icon. */
+export type SearchCategory = string
 
 export interface SearchResult {
   id: string