diff --git a/.changeset/sweet-garlics-win.md b/.changeset/sweet-garlics-win.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d83fbf4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/sweet-garlics-win.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@clack/prompts": patch
+---
+
+fix: fix autocomplete bar color when validate
diff --git a/packages/prompts/src/autocomplete.ts b/packages/prompts/src/autocomplete.ts
index 6472a435..ae293139 100644
--- a/packages/prompts/src/autocomplete.ts
+++ b/packages/prompts/src/autocomplete.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ export const autocomplete = <Value>(opts: AutocompleteOptions<Value>) => {
 				}
 
 				default: {
+					const guidePrefix = `${(this.state === 'error' ? color.yellow : color.cyan)(S_BAR)}  `;
+					const guidePrefixEnd = (this.state === 'error' ? color.yellow : color.cyan)(S_BAR_END);
 					// Display cursor position - show plain text in navigation mode
 					let searchText = '';
 					if (this.isNavigating || showPlaceholder) {
@@ -132,15 +134,15 @@ export const autocomplete = <Value>(opts: AutocompleteOptions<Value>) => {
 					// No matches message
 					const noResults =
 						this.filteredOptions.length === 0 && userInput
-							? [`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${color.yellow('No matches found')}`]
+							? [`${guidePrefix}${color.yellow('No matches found')}`]
 							: [];
 
 					const validationError =
-						this.state === 'error' ? [`${color.yellow(S_BAR)}  ${color.yellow(this.error)}`] : [];
+						this.state === 'error' ? [`${guidePrefix}${color.yellow(this.error)}`] : [];
 
 					headings.push(
-						`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}`,
-						`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${color.dim('Search:')}${searchText}${matches}`,
+						`${guidePrefix.trimEnd()}`,
+						`${guidePrefix}${color.dim('Search:')}${searchText}${matches}`,
 						...noResults,
 						...validationError
 					);
@@ -153,8 +155,8 @@ export const autocomplete = <Value>(opts: AutocompleteOptions<Value>) => {
 					];
 
 					const footers = [
-						`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${color.dim(instructions.join(' • '))}`,
-						`${color.cyan(S_BAR_END)}`,
+						`${guidePrefix}${color.dim(instructions.join(' • '))}`,
+						`${guidePrefixEnd}`,
 					];
 
 					// Render options with selection
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ export const autocomplete = <Value>(opts: AutocompleteOptions<Value>) => {
 					// Return the formatted prompt
 					return [
 						...headings,
-						...displayOptions.map((option) => `${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${option}`),
+						...displayOptions.map((option) => `${guidePrefix}${option}`),
 						...footers,
 					].join('\n');
 				}
@@ -282,6 +284,7 @@ export const autocompleteMultiselect = <Value>(opts: AutocompleteMultiSelectOpti
 					return `${title}${color.gray(S_BAR)}  ${color.strikethrough(color.dim(userInput))}`;
 				}
 				default: {
+					const barColor = this.state === 'error' ? color.yellow : color.cyan;
 					// Instructions
 					const instructions = [
 						`${color.dim('↑/↓')} to navigate`,
@@ -293,22 +296,22 @@ export const autocompleteMultiselect = <Value>(opts: AutocompleteMultiSelectOpti
 					// No results message
 					const noResults =
 						this.filteredOptions.length === 0 && userInput
-							? [`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${color.yellow('No matches found')}`]
+							? [`${barColor(S_BAR)}  ${color.yellow('No matches found')}`]
 							: [];
 
 					const errorMessage =
-						this.state === 'error' ? [`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${color.yellow(this.error)}`] : [];
+						this.state === 'error' ? [`${barColor(S_BAR)}  ${color.yellow(this.error)}`] : [];
 
 					// Calculate header and footer line counts for rowPadding
 					const headerLines = [
 						...title.split('\n'),
-						`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${color.dim('Search:')} ${searchText}${matches}`,
+						`${barColor(S_BAR)}  ${color.dim('Search:')} ${searchText}${matches}`,
 						...noResults,
 						...errorMessage,
 					];
 					const footerLines = [
-						`${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${color.dim(instructions.join(' • '))}`,
-						`${color.cyan(S_BAR_END)}`,
+						`${barColor(S_BAR)}  ${color.dim(instructions.join(' • '))}`,
+						`${barColor(S_BAR_END)}`,
 					];
 
 					// Get limited options for display
@@ -325,7 +328,7 @@ export const autocompleteMultiselect = <Value>(opts: AutocompleteMultiSelectOpti
 					// Build the prompt display
 					return [
 						...headerLines,
-						...displayOptions.map((option) => `${color.cyan(S_BAR)}  ${option}`),
+						...displayOptions.map((option) => `${barColor(S_BAR)}  ${option}`),
 						...footerLines,
 					].join('\n');
 				}
diff --git a/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/autocomplete.test.ts.snap b/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/autocomplete.test.ts.snap
index e7c7fa35..b36a7677 100644
--- a/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/autocomplete.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/autocomplete.test.ts.snap
@@ -429,15 +429,15 @@ exports[`autocompleteMultiselect > renders error when empty selection & required
   "<erase.down>",
   "▲  Select a fruit
 
-│  Search: _
-│  Please select at least one item
-│  ◻ Apple
-│  ◻ Banana
-│  ◻ Cherry
-│  ◻ Grape
-│  ◻ Orange
-│  ↑/↓ to navigate • Tab: select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
-└",
+│  Search: _
+│  Please select at least one item
+│  ◻ Apple
+│  ◻ Banana
+│  ◻ Cherry
+│  ◻ Grape
+│  ◻ Orange
+│  ↑/↓ to navigate • Tab: select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
+└",
   "<cursor.backward count=999><cursor.up count=11>",
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
diff --git a/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/path.test.ts.snap b/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/path.test.ts.snap
index f96e4641..ff0ceef8 100644
--- a/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/path.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/prompts/test/__snapshots__/path.test.ts.snap
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ exports[`text (isCI = false) > cannot submit unknown value 1`] = `
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
   "▲  foo
-│
-│  Search: /tmp/_█
-│  No matches found
+│
+│  Search: /tmp/_█
+│  No matches found
 │  Please select a path
-│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
-└",
+│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
+└",
   "<cursor.backward count=999><cursor.up count=7>",
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
@@ -211,12 +211,12 @@ exports[`text (isCI = false) > validation errors render and clear (using Error)
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
   "▲  foo
-│
-│  Search: /tmp/r█
+│
+│  Search: /tmp/r█
 │  should be /tmp/bar
-│  ● /tmp/root.zip
-│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
-└",
+│  ● /tmp/root.zip
+│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
+└",
   "<cursor.backward count=999><cursor.up count=7>",
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
@@ -267,12 +267,12 @@ exports[`text (isCI = false) > validation errors render and clear 1`] = `
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
   "▲  foo
-│
-│  Search: /tmp/r█
+│
+│  Search: /tmp/r█
 │  should be /tmp/bar
-│  ● /tmp/root.zip
-│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
-└",
+│  ● /tmp/root.zip
+│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
+└",
   "<cursor.backward count=999><cursor.up count=7>",
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
@@ -345,12 +345,12 @@ exports[`text (isCI = true) > cannot submit unknown value 1`] = `
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
   "▲  foo
-│
-│  Search: /tmp/_█
-│  No matches found
+│
+│  Search: /tmp/_█
+│  No matches found
 │  Please select a path
-│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
-└",
+│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
+└",
   "<cursor.backward count=999><cursor.up count=7>",
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
@@ -512,12 +512,12 @@ exports[`text (isCI = true) > validation errors render and clear (using Error) 1
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
   "▲  foo
-│
-│  Search: /tmp/r█
+│
+│  Search: /tmp/r█
 │  should be /tmp/bar
-│  ● /tmp/root.zip
-│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
-└",
+│  ● /tmp/root.zip
+│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
+└",
   "<cursor.backward count=999><cursor.up count=7>",
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
@@ -568,12 +568,12 @@ exports[`text (isCI = true) > validation errors render and clear 1`] = `
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",
   "▲  foo
-│
-│  Search: /tmp/r█
+│
+│  Search: /tmp/r█
 │  should be /tmp/bar
-│  ● /tmp/root.zip
-│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
-└",
+│  ● /tmp/root.zip
+│  ↑/↓ to select • Enter: confirm • Type: to search
+└",
   "<cursor.backward count=999><cursor.up count=7>",
   "<cursor.down count=1>",
   "<erase.down>",