diff --git a/src/components/video-editor/timeline/TimelineEditor.tsx b/src/components/video-editor/timeline/TimelineEditor.tsx
index 02f4a360..144913c4 100644
--- a/src/components/video-editor/timeline/TimelineEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/components/video-editor/timeline/TimelineEditor.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import KeyframeMarkers from "./KeyframeMarkers";
 import type { Range, Span } from "dnd-timeline";
 import type { ZoomRegion, TrimRegion, ClipRegion, AnnotationRegion, SpeedRegion, AudioRegion, CursorTelemetryPoint, ZoomFocus } from "../types";
 import { toFileUrl } from "../projectPersistence";
-import { detectInteractionCandidates, normalizeCursorTelemetry } from "./zoomSuggestionUtils";
+import { buildInteractionZoomSuggestions } from "./zoomSuggestionUtils";
 import { useAudioPeaks, type AudioPeaksData } from "./useAudioPeaks";
 import AudioWaveform from "./AudioWaveform";
 
@@ -34,9 +34,6 @@ const ANNOTATION_ROW_ID = "row-annotation";
 const AUDIO_ROW_ID = "row-audio";
 const FALLBACK_RANGE_MS = 1000;
 const TARGET_MARKER_COUNT = 12;
-const SUGGESTION_SPACING_MS = 1800;
-const MERGE_NEARBY_GAP_MS = 1500;
-
 interface TimelineEditorProps {
   videoDuration: number;
   currentTime: number;
@@ -1072,81 +1069,41 @@ export default function TimelineEditor({
       return;
     }
 
-    const reservedSpans = [...zoomRegions]
-      .map((region) => ({ start: region.startMs, end: region.endMs }))
-      .sort((a, b) => a.start - b.start);
+    const result = buildInteractionZoomSuggestions({
+      cursorTelemetry,
+      totalMs,
+      defaultDurationMs: defaultDuration,
+      reservedSpans: zoomRegions
+        .map((region) => ({ start: region.startMs, end: region.endMs }))
+        .sort((a, b) => a.start - b.start),
+    });
 
-    const normalizedSamples = normalizeCursorTelemetry(cursorTelemetry, totalMs);
-
-    if (normalizedSamples.length < 2) {
+    if (result.status === 'no-telemetry') {
       toast.info("No usable cursor telemetry", {
         description: "The recording does not include enough cursor movement data.",
       });
       return;
     }
 
-    const dwellCandidates = detectInteractionCandidates(normalizedSamples);
-
-    if (dwellCandidates.length === 0) {
+    if (result.status === 'no-interactions') {
       toast.info("No clear interaction moments found", {
         description: "Try a recording with pauses or clicks around important actions.",
       });
       return;
     }
 
-    const sortedCandidates = [...dwellCandidates].sort((a, b) => b.strength - a.strength);
-    const acceptedCenters: number[] = [];
-    const accepted: { start: number; end: number; focus: ZoomFocus }[] = [];
-
-    sortedCandidates.forEach((candidate) => {
-      const tooCloseToAccepted = acceptedCenters.some(
-        (center) => Math.abs(center - candidate.centerTimeMs) < SUGGESTION_SPACING_MS,
-      );
-
-      if (tooCloseToAccepted) {
-        return;
-      }
-
-      const centeredStart = Math.round(candidate.centerTimeMs - defaultDuration / 2);
-      const candidateStart = Math.max(0, Math.min(centeredStart, totalMs - defaultDuration));
-      const candidateEnd = candidateStart + defaultDuration;
-      const hasOverlap = reservedSpans.some(
-        (span) => candidateEnd > span.start && candidateStart < span.end,
-      );
-
-      if (hasOverlap) {
-        return;
-      }
-
-      reservedSpans.push({ start: candidateStart, end: candidateEnd });
-      acceptedCenters.push(candidate.centerTimeMs);
-      accepted.push({ start: candidateStart, end: candidateEnd, focus: candidate.focus });
-    });
-
-    // Merge nearby accepted regions (gap ≤ MERGE_NEARBY_GAP_MS) into single spans
-    const sorted = [...accepted].sort((a, b) => a.start - b.start);
-    const merged: typeof sorted = [];
-    for (const region of sorted) {
-      const prev = merged[merged.length - 1];
-      if (prev && region.start - prev.end <= MERGE_NEARBY_GAP_MS) {
-        prev.end = Math.max(prev.end, region.end);
-      } else {
-        merged.push({ ...region });
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (merged.length === 0) {
+    if (result.status === 'no-slots' || result.suggestions.length === 0) {
       toast.info("No auto-zoom slots available", {
         description: "Detected dwell points overlap existing zoom regions.",
       });
       return;
     }
 
-    for (const region of merged) {
+    for (const region of result.suggestions) {
       onZoomSuggested({ start: region.start, end: region.end }, region.focus);
     }
 
-    toast.success(`Added ${merged.length} interaction-based zoom suggestion${merged.length === 1 ? "" : "s"}`);
+    toast.success(`Added ${result.suggestions.length} interaction-based zoom suggestion${result.suggestions.length === 1 ? "" : "s"}`);
   }, [
     videoDuration,
     totalMs,
diff --git a/src/components/video-editor/timeline/zoomSuggestionUtils.ts b/src/components/video-editor/timeline/zoomSuggestionUtils.ts
index 02dada5c..1c38a32d 100644
--- a/src/components/video-editor/timeline/zoomSuggestionUtils.ts
+++ b/src/components/video-editor/timeline/zoomSuggestionUtils.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,26 @@ export interface CursorInteractionCandidate extends ZoomDwellCandidate {
   kind: 'dwell' | 'click-like' | 'double-click-like' | 'text-focus-like' | 'dropdown-open' | 'text-selection' | 'text-field-click';
 }
 
+export interface SuggestedZoomRegion {
+  start: number;
+  end: number;
+  focus: ZoomFocus;
+}
+
+export type InteractionZoomSuggestionStatus =
+  | 'ok'
+  | 'no-telemetry'
+  | 'no-interactions'
+  | 'no-slots';
+
+export interface InteractionZoomSuggestionResult {
+  status: InteractionZoomSuggestionStatus;
+  suggestions: SuggestedZoomRegion[];
+}
+
+const DEFAULT_SUGGESTION_SPACING_MS = 1800;
+const DEFAULT_MERGE_NEARBY_GAP_MS = 1500;
+
 function normalizeTelemetrySample(sample: CursorTelemetryPoint, totalMs: number): CursorTelemetryPoint {
   return {
     timeMs: Math.max(0, Math.min(sample.timeMs, totalMs)),
@@ -188,6 +208,91 @@ export function detectInteractionCandidates(samples: CursorTelemetryPoint[]): Cu
   return [...explicitInteractionCandidates, ...dwellCandidates, ...doubleClickCandidates];
 }
 
+export function buildInteractionZoomSuggestions(params: {
+  cursorTelemetry: CursorTelemetryPoint[];
+  totalMs: number;
+  defaultDurationMs: number;
+  reservedSpans?: Array<{ start: number; end: number }>;
+  spacingMs?: number;
+  mergeGapMs?: number;
+}): InteractionZoomSuggestionResult {
+  const {
+    cursorTelemetry,
+    totalMs,
+    defaultDurationMs,
+    reservedSpans = [],
+    spacingMs = DEFAULT_SUGGESTION_SPACING_MS,
+    mergeGapMs = DEFAULT_MERGE_NEARBY_GAP_MS,
+  } = params;
+
+  const defaultDuration = Math.min(defaultDurationMs, totalMs);
+  if (defaultDuration <= 0) {
+    return { status: 'no-slots', suggestions: [] };
+  }
+
+  const normalizedSamples = normalizeCursorTelemetry(cursorTelemetry, totalMs);
+  if (normalizedSamples.length < 2) {
+    return { status: 'no-telemetry', suggestions: [] };
+  }
+
+  const interactionCandidates = detectInteractionCandidates(normalizedSamples);
+  if (interactionCandidates.length === 0) {
+    return { status: 'no-interactions', suggestions: [] };
+  }
+
+  const sortedCandidates = [...interactionCandidates].sort((a, b) => b.strength - a.strength);
+  const acceptedCenters: number[] = [];
+  const accepted: SuggestedZoomRegion[] = [];
+  const reserved = [...reservedSpans].sort((a, b) => a.start - b.start);
+
+  sortedCandidates.forEach((candidate) => {
+    const tooCloseToAccepted = acceptedCenters.some(
+      (center) => Math.abs(center - candidate.centerTimeMs) < spacingMs,
+    );
+
+    if (tooCloseToAccepted) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const centeredStart = Math.round(candidate.centerTimeMs - defaultDuration / 2);
+    const candidateStart = Math.max(0, Math.min(centeredStart, totalMs - defaultDuration));
+    const candidateEnd = candidateStart + defaultDuration;
+    const hasOverlap = reserved.some(
+      (span) => candidateEnd > span.start && candidateStart < span.end,
+    );
+
+    if (hasOverlap) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    reserved.push({ start: candidateStart, end: candidateEnd });
+    acceptedCenters.push(candidate.centerTimeMs);
+    accepted.push({
+      start: candidateStart,
+      end: candidateEnd,
+      focus: candidate.focus,
+    });
+  });
+
+  const sortedAccepted = [...accepted].sort((a, b) => a.start - b.start);
+  const merged: SuggestedZoomRegion[] = [];
+  for (const region of sortedAccepted) {
+    const previous = merged[merged.length - 1];
+    if (previous && region.start - previous.end <= mergeGapMs) {
+      previous.end = Math.max(previous.end, region.end);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    merged.push({ ...region });
+  }
+
+  if (merged.length === 0) {
+    return { status: 'no-slots', suggestions: [] };
+  }
+
+  return { status: 'ok', suggestions: merged };
+}
+
 /**
  * Analyzes cursor movement after a click to classify the interaction pattern.
  *