diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx
index 8724c27b41a..5122d54db9b 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/add_auto_router_tab.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   getSemanticConfigError,
 } from "./build_complexity_router_config";
 import { buildAutoRouterTestTargets, AutoRouterTestTarget } from "./build_auto_router_test_targets";
+import { getSemanticRouterError } from "./build_semantic_router_validation";
 import AutoRouterConnectionTest from "./auto_router_connection_test";
 import NotificationManager from "../molecules/notifications_manager";
 
@@ -164,23 +165,13 @@ const AddAutoRouterTab: React.FC<AddAutoRouterTabProps> = ({ form, handleOk, acc
   };
 
   const submitSemanticRouter = (name: string) => {
-    if (!form.getFieldValue("auto_router_default_model")) {
-      NotificationManager.fromBackend("Please select a Default Model");
-      return;
-    }
-
-    if (!routerConfig || !routerConfig.routes || routerConfig.routes.length === 0) {
-      NotificationManager.fromBackend("Please configure at least one route for the auto router");
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const invalidRoutes = routerConfig.routes.filter(
-      (route: any) => !route.name || !route.description || route.utterances.length === 0,
-    );
-    if (invalidRoutes.length > 0) {
-      NotificationManager.fromBackend(
-        "Please ensure all routes have a target model, description, and at least one utterance",
-      );
+    const validationError = getSemanticRouterError({
+      defaultModel: form.getFieldValue("auto_router_default_model"),
+      embeddingModel: form.getFieldValue("auto_router_embedding_model"),
+      routerConfig,
+    });
+    if (validationError) {
+      NotificationManager.fromBackend(validationError);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -358,18 +349,18 @@ const AddAutoRouterTab: React.FC<AddAutoRouterTabProps> = ({ form, handleOk, acc
               </Form.Item>
 
               <Form.Item
+                rules={[{ required: true, message: "Embedding model is required" }]}
                 label="Embedding Model"
                 name="auto_router_embedding_model"
-                tooltip="Optional: embedding model to use for semantic routing decisions"
+                tooltip="Embedding model to use for semantic routing decisions"
                 labelCol={{ span: 10 }}
                 labelAlign="left"
               >
                 <AntdSelect
-                  placeholder="Select an embedding model (optional)"
+                  placeholder="Select an embedding model"
                   options={modelGroupOptions}
                   style={{ width: "100%" }}
                   showSearch
-                  allowClear
                 />
               </Form.Item>
             </>
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/build_semantic_router_validation.test.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/build_semantic_router_validation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a5556813cf4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/build_semantic_router_validation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { getSemanticRouterError, SemanticRouterConfig } from "./build_semantic_router_validation";
+
+const validRouterConfig: SemanticRouterConfig = {
+  routes: [{ name: "gpt-4o", description: "general chat", utterances: ["hello there"] }],
+};
+
+describe("getSemanticRouterError", () => {
+  it("requires an embedding model once the default model and routes are configured", () => {
+    expect(
+      getSemanticRouterError({
+        defaultModel: "gpt-4o",
+        embeddingModel: undefined,
+        routerConfig: validRouterConfig,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("Please select an Embedding Model");
+  });
+
+  it("treats an empty embedding model string as missing", () => {
+    expect(
+      getSemanticRouterError({
+        defaultModel: "gpt-4o",
+        embeddingModel: "",
+        routerConfig: validRouterConfig,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("Please select an Embedding Model");
+  });
+
+  it("passes when an embedding model is selected", () => {
+    expect(
+      getSemanticRouterError({
+        defaultModel: "gpt-4o",
+        embeddingModel: "text-embedding-3-large",
+        routerConfig: validRouterConfig,
+      }),
+    ).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("flags a missing default model before checking the embedding model", () => {
+    expect(
+      getSemanticRouterError({
+        defaultModel: undefined,
+        embeddingModel: undefined,
+        routerConfig: validRouterConfig,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("Please select a Default Model");
+  });
+
+  it("flags missing routes before checking the embedding model", () => {
+    expect(
+      getSemanticRouterError({
+        defaultModel: "gpt-4o",
+        embeddingModel: undefined,
+        routerConfig: { routes: [] },
+      }),
+    ).toBe("Please configure at least one route for the auto router");
+  });
+
+  it("validates route completeness after the embedding model is set", () => {
+    expect(
+      getSemanticRouterError({
+        defaultModel: "gpt-4o",
+        embeddingModel: "text-embedding-3-large",
+        routerConfig: { routes: [{ name: "gpt-4o", description: "", utterances: [] }] },
+      }),
+    ).toBe("Please ensure all routes have a target model, description, and at least one utterance");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/build_semantic_router_validation.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/build_semantic_router_validation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..847ddee9ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/add_model/build_semantic_router_validation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+export interface SemanticRouterRoute {
+  name?: string;
+  description?: string;
+  utterances?: unknown[];
+}
+
+export interface SemanticRouterConfig {
+  routes?: SemanticRouterRoute[];
+}
+
+export interface SemanticRouterValidationParams {
+  defaultModel: string | undefined;
+  embeddingModel: string | undefined;
+  routerConfig: SemanticRouterConfig | null | undefined;
+}
+
+export const getSemanticRouterError = ({
+  defaultModel,
+  embeddingModel,
+  routerConfig,
+}: SemanticRouterValidationParams): string | null => {
+  if (!defaultModel) return "Please select a Default Model";
+  if (!routerConfig?.routes || routerConfig.routes.length === 0)
+    return "Please configure at least one route for the auto router";
+  if (!embeddingModel) return "Please select an Embedding Model";
+  if (routerConfig.routes.some((route) => !route.name || !route.description || (route.utterances?.length ?? 0) === 0))
+    return "Please ensure all routes have a target model, description, and at least one utterance";
+  return null;
+};
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/edit_auto_router/edit_auto_router_modal.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/edit_auto_router/edit_auto_router_modal.tsx
index ec54c9b7bad..f85cd16486a 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/edit_auto_router/edit_auto_router_modal.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/edit_auto_router/edit_auto_router_modal.tsx
@@ -367,15 +367,18 @@ const EditAutoRouterModal: React.FC<EditAutoRouterModalProps> = ({
               </Form.Item>
 
               {/* Embedding Model */}
-              <Form.Item label="Embedding Model" name="auto_router_embedding_model">
+              <Form.Item
+                label="Embedding Model"
+                name="auto_router_embedding_model"
+                rules={[{ required: true, message: "Embedding model is required" }]}
+              >
                 <AntdSelect
-                  placeholder="Select an embedding model (optional)"
+                  placeholder="Select an embedding model"
                   onChange={(value) => {
                     setShowCustomEmbeddingModel(value === "custom");
                   }}
                   options={[...modelOptions, { value: "custom", label: "Enter custom model name" }]}
                   showSearch={true}
-                  allowClear
                 />
               </Form.Item>
             </>