diff --git a/backend/tests/test_rc10_data_operations.py b/backend/tests/test_rc10_data_operations.py
index 6cf7c88a..ac1affc0 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_rc10_data_operations.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_rc10_data_operations.py
@@ -173,6 +173,30 @@ def test_ordinary_json_export_is_not_treated_as_an_artifact_manifest(tmp_path: P
     assert expanded == {export.resolve()}
 
 
+def test_manifest_ids_dates_and_labels_are_not_treated_as_paths(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    audit = load_script("audit_data_operations.py")
+    storage = tmp_path / "storage"
+    manifest = storage / "operator-data" / "scope" / "scope.manifest.json"
+    actual = manifest.parent / "scope.geojson"
+    manifest.parent.mkdir(parents=True)
+    actual.write_text("{}", encoding="utf-8")
+    manifest.write_text(
+        json.dumps(
+            {
+                "municipality_ids": ["13025", "11001"],
+                "generated_at": "2026-07-18T00:00:00Z",
+                "label": "Belgium",
+                "output_path": "scope.geojson",
+            }
+        ),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    expanded = audit.expand_manifest_references({manifest.resolve()}, storage)
+
+    assert expanded == {manifest.resolve(), actual.resolve()}
+
+
 def test_disk_pressure_uses_absolute_headroom_for_large_arrays(
     tmp_path: Path,
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
diff --git a/scripts/audit_data_operations.py b/scripts/audit_data_operations.py
index a8f88a74..1765f9ad 100644
--- a/scripts/audit_data_operations.py
+++ b/scripts/audit_data_operations.py
@@ -143,6 +143,23 @@ def _iter_strings(value: Any) -> Iterable[str]:
             yield from _iter_strings(nested)
 
 
+def _iter_manifest_path_values(value: Any, parent_key: str = "") -> Iterable[str]:
+    path_tokens = ("path", "file", "artifact", "manifest", "output")
+    if isinstance(value, dict):
+        for key, nested in value.items():
+            normalized_key = str(key).strip().lower()
+            if isinstance(nested, str) and any(token in normalized_key for token in path_tokens):
+                yield nested
+            else:
+                yield from _iter_manifest_path_values(nested, normalized_key)
+    elif isinstance(value, (list, tuple)):
+        for nested in value:
+            if isinstance(nested, str) and any(token in parent_key for token in path_tokens):
+                yield nested
+            else:
+                yield from _iter_manifest_path_values(nested, parent_key)
+
+
 def normalize_storage_reference(value: str | None, storage_root: Path) -> Path | None:
     if not value:
         return None
@@ -182,7 +199,7 @@ def expand_manifest_references(references: set[Path], storage_root: Path) -> set
             payload = json.loads(manifest.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
         except (OSError, UnicodeDecodeError, json.JSONDecodeError):
             continue
-        for value in _iter_strings(payload):
+        for value in _iter_manifest_path_values(payload):
             normalized = normalize_storage_reference(value, root)
             if normalized is None and "://" not in value:
                 try: