diff --git a/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.stories.tsx b/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.stories.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b14fbf93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.stories.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+// Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+import type { Meta, StoryObj } from "@storybook/react-vite";
+import { http, HttpResponse } from "msw";
+import { expect } from "storybook/test";
+
+import { CriteriaGraphView } from "./CriteriaGraphView";
+
+const graph = {
+  nodes: [
+    { id: "root", prompt: "The project builds", dependsOn: [] },
+    { id: "child", prompt: "Tests pass", dependsOn: ["root"] },
+    { id: "standalone", prompt: "The README is clear", dependsOn: [] },
+  ],
+  edges: [{ source: "root", target: "child" }],
+};
+
+const meta = {
+  component: CriteriaGraphView,
+  parameters: {
+    msw: { handlers: [http.get("*/api/v1/criteria/graph", () => HttpResponse.json(graph))] },
+  },
+} satisfies Meta<typeof CriteriaGraphView>;
+
+export default meta;
+type Story = StoryObj<typeof meta>;
+
+export const WithIndependentCriterion: Story = {
+  play: async ({ canvas }) => {
+    await expect(await canvas.findByText("Independent criteria (1)")).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(canvas.getByRole("link", { name: /standalone/ })).toHaveAttribute("href", "/criteria/standalone");
+  },
+};
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.test.tsx b/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.test.tsx
index 5e9616f12..7e1867233 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.test.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { layoutGraph, edgePath } from "./CriteriaGraphView";
+import { layoutGraph, edgePath, separateIndependentCriteria } from "./CriteriaGraphView";
 import type { CriteriaGraphData } from "@/types";
 
 function node(id: string) {
@@ -16,6 +16,23 @@ function graphOf(ids: string[], edges: Array<[string, string]>): CriteriaGraphDa
   } as unknown as CriteriaGraphData;
 }
 
+describe("separateIndependentCriteria", () => {
+  it("keeps only connected criteria in the graph and lists isolated criteria", () => {
+    const graph = graphOf(["root", "child", "standalone"], [["root", "child"]]);
+    const { linkedGraph, independentNodes } = separateIndependentCriteria(graph);
+
+    expect(linkedGraph.nodes.map((node) => node.id)).toEqual(["root", "child"]);
+    expect(linkedGraph.edges).toEqual(graph.edges);
+    expect(independentNodes.map((node) => node.id)).toEqual(["standalone"]);
+  });
+
+  it("supports a selection with only independent criteria", () => {
+    const { linkedGraph, independentNodes } = separateIndependentCriteria(graphOf(["a", "b"], []));
+    expect(linkedGraph.nodes).toEqual([]);
+    expect(independentNodes.map((node) => node.id)).toEqual(["a", "b"]);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("layoutGraph", () => {
   it("lays out an acyclic graph with all nodes positioned", () => {
     const graph = graphOf(["a", "b", "c"], [
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.tsx b/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.tsx
index a15235463..d6b346529 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/pages/CriteriaGraphView.tsx
@@ -111,6 +111,18 @@ export function layoutGraph(graph: CriteriaGraphData) {
   return { nodeMap, positions, nodeWidths, NODE_MIN_W, NODE_H, totalW, totalH, minX, edges, cycleEdges, cycleNodes, cycleGroups };
 }
 
+/** Keep criteria with no visible dependency edge out of the graph layout. */
+export function separateIndependentCriteria(graph: CriteriaGraphData) {
+  const connectedIds = new Set(graph.edges.flatMap((edge) => [edge.source, edge.target]));
+  return {
+    linkedGraph: {
+      nodes: graph.nodes.filter((node) => connectedIds.has(node.id)),
+      edges: graph.edges,
+    },
+    independentNodes: graph.nodes.filter((node) => !connectedIds.has(node.id)),
+  };
+}
+
 export interface EdgeRenderSpec {
   /** Straight edges keep the exact `<line>` geometry used for acyclic DAGs. */
   straight: boolean;
@@ -211,8 +223,15 @@ export function CriteriaGraphView() {
     return { nodes, edges };
   }, [graph, selectedGates]);
 
-  // Compute layout
-  const layout = useMemo(() => (filteredGraph ? layoutGraph(filteredGraph) : null), [filteredGraph]);
+  // Split after gate filtering so a criterion with no visible edge is listed separately.
+  const separated = useMemo(
+    () => (filteredGraph ? separateIndependentCriteria(filteredGraph) : null),
+    [filteredGraph],
+  );
+  const layout = useMemo(
+    () => (separated?.linkedGraph.nodes.length ? layoutGraph(separated.linkedGraph) : null),
+    [separated],
+  );
 
   if (isLoading) {
     return (
@@ -261,8 +280,8 @@ export function CriteriaGraphView() {
       <div>
         <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight">Criteria Graph</h1>
         <p className="text-muted-foreground">
-          Dependency DAG — {filteredGraph!.nodes.length}
-          {selectedGates.length > 0 ? ` of ${graph.nodes.length}` : ""} criteria, {filteredGraph!.edges.length} edges
+          Dependency DAG — {separated!.linkedGraph.nodes.length} connected criteria, {filteredGraph!.edges.length} edges
+          {separated!.independentNodes.length > 0 && ` · ${separated!.independentNodes.length} independent`}
         </p>
       </div>
       <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
@@ -280,7 +299,25 @@ export function CriteriaGraphView() {
     </div>
   );
 
-  if (!layout || filteredGraph!.nodes.length === 0) {
+  const independentList = separated!.independentNodes.length > 0 && (
+    <Card>
+      <CardContent className="p-4">
+        <h2 className="mb-3 text-sm font-semibold">
+          Independent criteria ({separated!.independentNodes.length})
+        </h2>
+        <div className="grid gap-2 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
+          {separated!.independentNodes.map((node) => (
+            <Link key={node.id} to={`/criteria/${node.id}`} className="min-w-0 rounded-md border p-3 hover:bg-accent">
+              <span className="block truncate font-mono text-sm font-medium">{node.id}</span>
+              <span className="block truncate text-xs text-muted-foreground" title={node.prompt}>{node.prompt}</span>
+            </Link>
+          ))}
+        </div>
+      </CardContent>
+    </Card>
+  );
+
+  if (filteredGraph!.nodes.length === 0) {
     return (
       <div className="space-y-6">
         {header}
@@ -292,6 +329,10 @@ export function CriteriaGraphView() {
     );
   }
 
+  if (!layout) {
+    return <div className="space-y-6">{header}{gateFilterBar}{independentList}</div>;
+  }
+
   const { nodeMap, positions, nodeWidths, NODE_MIN_W, NODE_H, totalW, totalH, minX, edges, cycleEdges, cycleNodes, cycleGroups } = layout;
   const PADDING = 60;
   const viewBox = `${minX - PADDING} ${-PADDING} ${totalW + PADDING * 2} ${totalH + PADDING * 2 + NODE_H}`;
@@ -514,6 +555,8 @@ export function CriteriaGraphView() {
         </CardContent>
       </Card>
 
+      {independentList}
+
       {/* Legend */}
       <div className="flex items-center gap-4 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
         <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
diff --git a/docs/architecture/app-design.md b/docs/architecture/app-design.md
index f1a243262..de757808b 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/app-design.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/app-design.md
@@ -647,6 +647,11 @@ reusable badge components provide a consistent **hover-to-preview + click-to-nav
 | `components/TaskPromptBadge.tsx` | Task prompt (any type) | `/task-prompts/:id` | Type label, text snippet, list of detected features, created date, **Open details** button |
 | `components/AgentBadge.tsx` | Coding agent | `/agents/:id` | Registry name, internal ID, deleted state, version, **View agent** button |
 
+The Criteria management graph lays out only criteria with a visible dependency
+edge. Criteria without a parent or child in the current gate filter appear in a
+linked **Independent criteria** list below the graph, so they remain accessible
+without widening the DAG canvas.
+
 Both follow the same rules:
 
 - **Self-contained tooltip.** Each wraps its trigger in a Radix `Tooltip` (a local