diff --git a/apps/monitor/src/query.rs b/apps/monitor/src/query.rs
index f0365b8..3801883 100644
--- a/apps/monitor/src/query.rs
+++ b/apps/monitor/src/query.rs
@@ -75,45 +75,32 @@ pub fn evaluate(query: &Value, response: &Response) -> Result<bool> {
                 return eval_condition(cond, &val, response);
             }
 
-            // $json — JSONPath shorthand
-            if let Some(json_path) = map.get("$json") {
-                let path_str = json_path.as_str().unwrap_or("");
-                let resolved = resolve_json_path(&response.body, path_str);
-                for (op, val) in map {
-                    if op == "$json" { continue; }
-                    if !eval_op(op, &resolved, val, response)? { return Ok(false); }
+            // $json — { "$json": { "$.path": { "$op": val } } }
+            if let Some(json_path_map) = map.get("$json") {
+                let path_map = match json_path_map {
+                    Value::Object(m) => m,
+                    _ => bail!("$json expects an object {{ path: condition }}"),
+                };
+                for (path, condition) in path_map {
+                    let resolved = resolve_json_path(&response.body, path);
+                    if !eval_condition(condition, &resolved, response)? { return Ok(false); }
                 }
                 return Ok(true);
             }
 
-            // CSS selector shorthand: { "$select": "...", "$eq": "..." }
-            if let Some(sel) = map.get("$select") {
-                let sel_str = sel.as_str().unwrap_or("");
-                let selected = css_select(&response.body, sel_str);
-                if let Some(op_val) = map.get("$eq") {
-                    return Ok(selected.as_deref() == op_val.as_str());
+            // $select — { "$select": { "css.selector": { "$op": val } } }
+            if let Some(sel_map) = map.get("$select") {
+                let sel_obj = match sel_map {
+                    Value::Object(m) => m,
+                    _ => bail!("$select expects an object {{ selector: condition }}"),
+                };
+                for (selector, condition) in sel_obj {
+                    let selected = css_select(&response.body, selector)
+                        .map(Value::String)
+                        .unwrap_or(Value::Null);
+                    if !eval_condition(condition, &selected, response)? { return Ok(false); }
                 }
-                if let Some(op_val) = map.get("$ne") {
-                    return Ok(selected.as_deref() != op_val.as_str());
-                }
-                if let Some(op_val) = map.get("$contains") {
-                    let needle = op_val.as_str().unwrap_or("");
-                    return Ok(selected.map(|s| s.contains(needle)).unwrap_or(false));
-                }
-                if let Some(op_val) = map.get("$startsWith") {
-                    let needle = op_val.as_str().unwrap_or("");
-                    return Ok(selected.map(|s| s.starts_with(needle)).unwrap_or(false));
-                }
-                if let Some(op_val) = map.get("$endsWith") {
-                    let needle = op_val.as_str().unwrap_or("");
-                    return Ok(selected.map(|s| s.ends_with(needle)).unwrap_or(false));
-                }
-                if let Some(op_val) = map.get("$regex") {
-                    let pattern = op_val.as_str().unwrap_or("");
-                    let re = Regex::new(pattern).unwrap_or_else(|_| Regex::new("$^").unwrap());
-                    return Ok(selected.map(|s| re.is_match(&s)).unwrap_or(false));
-                }
-                return Ok(selected.is_some());
+                return Ok(true);
             }
 
             // Field-level checks
diff --git a/apps/web/src/dashboard/query-builder.js b/apps/web/src/dashboard/query-builder.js
index 9c669cb..7691581 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/dashboard/query-builder.js
+++ b/apps/web/src/dashboard/query-builder.js
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ class QueryBuilder {
       return { [field]: { [operator]: parsedVal } };
     }
     if (field === '$select') {
-      return { '$select': rule.selectorValue || '', [operator]: parsedVal };
+      return { '$select': { [rule.selectorValue || '*']: { [operator]: parsedVal } } };
     }
     if (field === '$json') {
-      return { '$json': rule.jsonPath || '', [operator]: parsedVal };
+      return { '$json': { [rule.jsonPath || '$']: { [operator]: parsedVal } } };
     }
     if (field === 'headers.*') {
       const headerField = `headers.${rule.headerName || 'content-type'}`;
@@ -117,19 +117,23 @@ class QueryBuilder {
     }
 
     if ('$select' in clause) {
-      const selectorValue = clause.$select;
-      for (const [op, val] of Object.entries(clause)) {
-        if (op !== '$select') {
-          return { field: '$select', operator: op, value: String(val), headerName: '', selectorValue, jsonPath: '' };
+      const selMap = clause.$select;
+      if (selMap && typeof selMap === 'object') {
+        const [selectorValue, condition] = Object.entries(selMap)[0] || ['*', {}];
+        if (condition && typeof condition === 'object') {
+          const [operator, value] = Object.entries(condition)[0] || ['$eq', ''];
+          return { field: '$select', operator, value: String(value), headerName: '', selectorValue, jsonPath: '' };
         }
       }
     }
 
     if ('$json' in clause) {
-      const jsonPath = clause.$json;
-      for (const [op, val] of Object.entries(clause)) {
-        if (op !== '$json') {
-          return { field: '$json', operator: op, value: String(val), headerName: '', selectorValue: '', jsonPath };
+      const pathMap = clause.$json;
+      if (pathMap && typeof pathMap === 'object') {
+        const [jsonPath, condition] = Object.entries(pathMap)[0] || ['$', {}];
+        if (condition && typeof condition === 'object') {
+          const [operator, value] = Object.entries(condition)[0] || ['$eq', ''];
+          return { field: '$json', operator, value: String(value), headerName: '', selectorValue: '', jsonPath };
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/query/index.ts b/apps/web/src/query/index.ts
index a85175a..70c1bd4 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/query/index.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/query/index.ts
@@ -117,22 +117,22 @@ export function evaluate(query: unknown, ctx: EvalContext): boolean {
     return evalCondition(q.$certExpiry, val);
   }
 
-  // $select — CSS selector shorthand
+  // $select — { "$select": { "css.selector": { "$op": val } } }
   if ("$select" in q) {
-    // Server-side: we don't have a DOM parser here, so we just validate structure.
-    // Actual evaluation happens in Rust runner. This returns true for validation purposes.
+    // Server-side: no DOM parser available, pass through (Rust runner evaluates)
+    // Validate structure only
+    const selMap = q.$select as Record<string, unknown>;
+    if (typeof selMap !== "object" || Array.isArray(selMap)) throw new Error("$select expects { selector: condition }");
     return true;
   }
 
-  // $json — JSONPath shorthand
+  // $json — { "$json": { "$.path": { "$op": val } } }
   if ("$json" in q) {
-    const expr = q.$json as string;
-    const cond = q as Record<string, unknown>;
-    const resolved = resolveJsonPath(ctx.body, expr);
-    // Apply operators from remaining keys
-    for (const [op, opVal] of Object.entries(cond)) {
-      if (op === "$json") continue;
-      if (!evalOp(op, resolved, opVal)) return false;
+    const pathMap = q.$json as Record<string, unknown>;
+    if (typeof pathMap !== "object" || Array.isArray(pathMap)) throw new Error("$json expects { path: condition }");
+    for (const [path, condition] of Object.entries(pathMap)) {
+      const resolved = resolveJsonPath(ctx.body, path);
+      if (!evalCondition(condition, resolved)) return false;
     }
     return true;
   }