diff --git a/src/specify_cli/presets/__init__.py b/src/specify_cli/presets/__init__.py
index e16a9d3258..527ec52a17 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/presets/__init__.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/presets/__init__.py
@@ -322,13 +322,37 @@ def _validate(self):
 
         # Validate provides section
         provides = self.data["provides"]
-        if "templates" not in provides or not provides["templates"]:
+        if "templates" not in provides:
             raise PresetValidationError(
                 "Preset must provide at least one template"
             )
 
-        # Validate templates
-        for tmpl in provides["templates"]:
+        # Validate templates. Guard the container and each entry's shape so a
+        # malformed third-party preset.yml (e.g. ``templates: 5`` or
+        # ``templates: [null]``) raises a clean PresetValidationError the
+        # install handler already catches, instead of a raw TypeError
+        # ('int'/'NoneType' object is not iterable) that escapes to an
+        # unhandled traceback. Mirrors the sibling ExtensionManifest guards.
+        #
+        # Order matters: the container's TYPE is checked before its emptiness,
+        # so a FALSY non-list (``templates: 0``/``false``/``null``/``''``/``{}``)
+        # reports the accurate type error rather than the misleading "must
+        # provide at least one template". An empty list still reports the
+        # latter, since that genuinely is a list with no templates.
+        templates = provides["templates"]
+        if not isinstance(templates, list):
+            raise PresetValidationError(
+                "Invalid provides.templates: expected a list"
+            )
+        if not templates:
+            raise PresetValidationError(
+                "Preset must provide at least one template"
+            )
+        for tmpl in templates:
+            if not isinstance(tmpl, dict):
+                raise PresetValidationError(
+                    "Each template entry in 'provides.templates' must be a mapping"
+                )
             if "type" not in tmpl or "name" not in tmpl or "file" not in tmpl:
                 raise PresetValidationError(
                     "Template missing 'type', 'name', or 'file'"
diff --git a/tests/test_presets.py b/tests/test_presets.py
index 5edd8ac712..eb3b2fee83 100644
--- a/tests/test_presets.py
+++ b/tests/test_presets.py
@@ -197,6 +197,45 @@ def test_non_mapping_yaml_raises_validation_error(self, temp_dir):
             with pytest.raises(PresetValidationError, match="YAML mapping"):
                 PresetManifest(manifest_path)
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "bad",
+        [
+            5, "oops", {"a": 1},   # truthy non-lists
+            0, False, None, "", {},  # FALSY non-lists: must not fall through to
+                                     # the misleading "at least one template"
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_non_list_templates_raises_validation_error(
+        self, temp_dir, valid_pack_data, bad
+    ):
+        """A non-list provides.templates raises the accurate type error, not a raw
+        'int object is not iterable' TypeError and not the misleading "must provide
+        at least one template" (which a falsy non-list hit while the type check
+        sat behind the emptiness check) — mirrors ExtensionManifest."""
+        valid_pack_data["provides"]["templates"] = bad
+        manifest_path = temp_dir / "preset.yml"
+        manifest_path.write_text(yaml.dump(valid_pack_data), encoding="utf-8")
+        with pytest.raises(PresetValidationError, match="templates.*expected a list"):
+            PresetManifest(manifest_path)
+
+    # NOTE: the empty-list case (a well-typed container with no templates, which
+    # must keep the "must provide at least one template" message after the
+    # type-before-emptiness reordering) is already covered by
+    # test_no_templates_provided below.
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("bad_entry", [None, 5, "oops", ["nested"]])
+    def test_non_mapping_template_entry_raises_validation_error(
+        self, temp_dir, valid_pack_data, bad_entry
+    ):
+        """A non-mapping template entry (null/scalar/list) raises PresetValidationError,
+        not a raw 'argument of type ... is not iterable' TypeError from the
+        `"type" not in tmpl` membership test — mirrors ExtensionManifest."""
+        valid_pack_data["provides"]["templates"] = [bad_entry]
+        manifest_path = temp_dir / "preset.yml"
+        manifest_path.write_text(yaml.dump(valid_pack_data), encoding="utf-8")
+        with pytest.raises(PresetValidationError, match="must be a mapping"):
+            PresetManifest(manifest_path)
+
     def test_missing_schema_version(self, temp_dir, valid_pack_data):
         """Test missing schema_version field."""
         del valid_pack_data["schema_version"]