diff --git a/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/galleryimport.go b/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/galleryimport.go
index 9231f02b..341232a1 100644
--- a/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/galleryimport.go
+++ b/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/galleryimport.go
@@ -60,6 +60,23 @@ func ImportHandler(ctx *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// The bot token can post anywhere the bot is, so both IDs must be proven to belong to this guild
+	// before anything is sent or stored, otherwise a panel can be planted in another server.
+	if body.ChannelId != nil || body.CategoryId != nil {
+		chCtx, cancel := app.DefaultContext()
+		channels, err := botContext.GetGuildChannels(chCtx, guildId)
+		cancel()
+		if err != nil {
+			_ = ctx.AbortWithError(http.StatusInternalServerError, app.NewError(err, "Failed to fetch guild channels from Discord"))
+			return
+		}
+
+		if msg := validateImportTargets(channels, body.ChannelId, body.CategoryId); msg != "" {
+			ctx.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, utils.ErrorStr("%s", msg))
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Check panel quota
 	premiumTier, err := rpc.PremiumClient.GetTierByGuildId(ctx, guildId, false, botContext.Token, botContext.RateLimiter)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/importvalidation.go b/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/importvalidation.go
index b0a51d37..fd0bcb84 100644
--- a/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/importvalidation.go
+++ b/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/importvalidation.go
@@ -4,9 +4,47 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 
 	"github.com/TicketsBot-cloud/database"
+	"github.com/TicketsBot-cloud/gdl/objects/channel"
 	"github.com/ticketsbot-cloud/dashboard/backend/utils/types"
 )
 
+// validateImportTargets returns a user-facing error message, or "" if both targets are valid.
+func validateImportTargets(channels []channel.Channel, channelId, categoryId *uint64) string {
+	find := func(id uint64) (channel.Channel, bool) {
+		for _, ch := range channels {
+			if ch.Id == id {
+				return ch, true
+			}
+		}
+		return channel.Channel{}, false
+	}
+
+	if channelId != nil {
+		ch, ok := find(*channelId)
+		if !ok {
+			return "Panel channel not found"
+		}
+		if ch.IsObfuscated() {
+			return "Panel channel is not visible to the bot - grant it the View Channel permission"
+		}
+		if ch.Type != channel.ChannelTypeGuildText && ch.Type != channel.ChannelTypeGuildNews {
+			return "Panel channel must be a text or announcement channel"
+		}
+	}
+
+	if categoryId != nil {
+		ch, ok := find(*categoryId)
+		if !ok || ch.Type != channel.ChannelTypeGuildCategory {
+			return "Invalid ticket category"
+		}
+		if ch.IsObfuscated() {
+			return "Ticket category is not visible to the bot - grant it the View Channel permission"
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ""
+}
+
 // Snapshots may predate URL validation, and the importer cannot edit someone else's listing.
 func validateListingUrls(e *database.CustomEmbed, panelUrls ...*string) error {
 	for _, url := range panelUrls {
diff --git a/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/importvalidation_test.go b/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/importvalidation_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7719ddf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/app/http/endpoints/api/gallery/importvalidation_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package gallery
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/TicketsBot-cloud/gdl/objects/channel"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestValidateImportTargets(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		textId     uint64 = 1
+		newsId     uint64 = 2
+		voiceId    uint64 = 3
+		categoryId uint64 = 4
+		foreignId  uint64 = 999
+	)
+
+	channels := []channel.Channel{
+		{Id: textId, Type: channel.ChannelTypeGuildText},
+		{Id: newsId, Type: channel.ChannelTypeGuildNews},
+		{Id: voiceId, Type: channel.ChannelTypeGuildVoice},
+		{Id: categoryId, Type: channel.ChannelTypeGuildCategory},
+	}
+
+	ptr := func(v uint64) *uint64 { return &v }
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		channels []channel.Channel
+		channel  *uint64
+		category *uint64
+		wantErr  bool
+	}{
+		{name: "neither supplied", channels: channels},
+		{name: "text channel", channels: channels, channel: ptr(textId)},
+		{name: "announcement channel", channels: channels, channel: ptr(newsId)},
+		{name: "channel and category", channels: channels, channel: ptr(textId), category: ptr(categoryId)},
+		{name: "channel from another guild", channels: channels, channel: ptr(foreignId), wantErr: true},
+		{name: "category from another guild", channels: channels, category: ptr(foreignId), wantErr: true},
+		{name: "valid channel, foreign category", channels: channels, channel: ptr(textId), category: ptr(foreignId), wantErr: true},
+		{name: "voice channel as panel channel", channels: channels, channel: ptr(voiceId), wantErr: true},
+		{name: "category as panel channel", channels: channels, channel: ptr(categoryId), wantErr: true},
+		{name: "text channel as category", channels: channels, category: ptr(textId), wantErr: true},
+		{name: "zero channel id", channels: channels, channel: ptr(0), wantErr: true},
+		{name: "empty guild channel list", channels: nil, channel: ptr(textId), wantErr: true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			msg := validateImportTargets(tt.channels, tt.channel, tt.category)
+			if tt.wantErr {
+				require.NotEmpty(t, msg)
+			} else {
+				require.Empty(t, msg)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}