diff --git a/src/components/filters/FilterDropdown.tsx b/src/components/filters/FilterDropdown.tsx
index 0ff5fa6c..8ac9069e 100644
--- a/src/components/filters/FilterDropdown.tsx
+++ b/src/components/filters/FilterDropdown.tsx
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ export function FilterDropdown(props: Readonly<FilterDropdownProps>) {
         setActiveCategoryIndex(0);
         onOpen?.();
         if (categories.length > 0) {
-          onCategorySelect?.(categories[0].label);
+          onCategorySelect?.(categories[0].id);
         }
       } else {
         onClose?.();
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export function FilterDropdown(props: Readonly<FilterDropdownProps>) {
     (index: number) => {
       if (index !== activeCategoryIndex) {
         setActiveCategoryIndex(index);
-        onCategorySelect?.(categories[index].label);
+        onCategorySelect?.(categories[index].id);
       }
     },
     [activeCategoryIndex, categories, onCategorySelect],
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ export function FilterDropdown(props: Readonly<FilterDropdownProps>) {
               {categories.map((category, index) => (
                 <FilterDropdownCategoryItem
                   isActive={index === activeCategoryIndex}
-                  key={category.label}
+                  key={category.id}
                   label={category.label}
                   onClick={() => handleCategoryClick(index)}
                   ref={categoryRegister(index)}
diff --git a/src/components/filters/FilterDropdownTypes.ts b/src/components/filters/FilterDropdownTypes.ts
index 3ca14721..c63e2187 100644
--- a/src/components/filters/FilterDropdownTypes.ts
+++ b/src/components/filters/FilterDropdownTypes.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ export interface FilterDropdownCategoryWithItems {
    * Use {@link FilterDropdownCategoryWithContent} to render custom content.
    */
   content?: never;
+  /**
+   * Unique identifier for this category.
+   * Used as the React key for the category list and passed to `onCategorySelect`.
+   */
+  id: string;
   /**
    * Whether items in this category support multi-selection (checkboxes).
    * When false, only one item can be selected at a time (radio buttons).
@@ -107,6 +112,11 @@ export interface FilterDropdownCategoryWithContent {
    * and `onSearch` must not be provided.
    */
   content: ReactNode;
+  /**
+   * Unique identifier for this category.
+   * Used as the React key for the category list and passed to `onCategorySelect`.
+   */
+  id: string;
   /**
    * Not applicable when using custom content.
    * @see FilterDropdownCategoryWithItems
@@ -218,7 +228,7 @@ export interface FilterDropdownProps {
    * Called every time the active category changes, including on initial open.
    * Use this to load or refresh items for the newly active category.
    */
-  onCategorySelect?: (categoryLabel: string) => void;
+  onCategorySelect?: (categoryId: string) => void;
   /**
    * Called when the user clicks Clear.
    */
diff --git a/src/components/filters/__tests__/FilterDropdown-test.tsx b/src/components/filters/__tests__/FilterDropdown-test.tsx
index 6416c296..a59d6056 100644
--- a/src/components/filters/__tests__/FilterDropdown-test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/filters/__tests__/FilterDropdown-test.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { FilterDropdown, FilterDropdownCategory, FilterDropdownProps } from '..'
 
 const CATEGORIES: FilterDropdownCategory[] = [
   {
+    id: 'severity',
     isMultiSelect: true,
     label: 'Severity',
     items: [
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ const CATEGORIES: FilterDropdownCategory[] = [
     ],
   },
   {
+    id: 'type',
     isMultiSelect: true,
     label: 'Type',
     items: [
@@ -73,10 +75,10 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
     const { user } = renderFilterDropdown({ onCategorySelect });
 
     await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Filters' }));
-    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Severity');
+    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('severity');
 
     await user.click(screen.getByRole('option', { name: /type/i }));
-    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Type');
+    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('type');
 
     await user.click(screen.getByRole('option', { name: /type/i }));
     expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
 
   it('shows a loading spinner when category items have never been loaded', async () => {
     const { user } = renderFilterDropdown({
-      categories: [{ label: 'Severity', items: undefined }],
+      categories: [{ id: 'severity', label: 'Severity', items: undefined }],
     });
 
     await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Filters' }));
@@ -164,6 +166,7 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
     const { user } = renderFilterDropdown({
       categories: [
         {
+          id: 'severity',
           isMultiSelect: false,
           label: 'Severity',
           items: [
@@ -199,12 +202,12 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
 
     onCategorySelect.mockClear();
     await user.keyboard('{ArrowDown}');
-    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Type');
+    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('type');
     expect(screen.getByRole('option', { name: /type/i })).toHaveFocus();
 
     onCategorySelect.mockClear();
     await user.keyboard('{ArrowUp}');
-    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Severity');
+    expect(onCategorySelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith('severity');
     expect(screen.getByRole('option', { name: /severity/i })).toHaveFocus();
   });
 
@@ -244,6 +247,7 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
       const { user } = renderFilterDropdown({
         categories: [
           {
+            id: 'severity',
             isMultiSelect,
             label: 'Severity',
             items: [
@@ -266,8 +270,9 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
   it('renders custom content in the right panel for a content category', async () => {
     const { user } = renderFilterDropdown({
       categories: [
-        { label: 'Severity', items: [{ label: 'High', value: 'high' }] },
+        { id: 'severity', label: 'Severity', items: [{ label: 'High', value: 'high' }] },
         {
+          id: 'date-range',
           label: 'Date Range',
           content: <button type="button">Pick date</button>,
           onFocusContent: jest.fn(),
@@ -286,8 +291,9 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
     const buttonRef = { current: null as HTMLButtonElement | null };
     const { user } = renderFilterDropdown({
       categories: [
-        { label: 'Severity', items: [{ label: 'High', value: 'high' }] },
+        { id: 'severity', label: 'Severity', items: [{ label: 'High', value: 'high' }] },
         {
+          id: 'date-range',
           label: 'Date Range',
           content: (
             <button ref={buttonRef} type="button">
@@ -314,6 +320,7 @@ describe('FilterDropdown', () => {
     const { user } = renderFilterDropdown({
       categories: [
         {
+          id: 'severity',
           isMultiSelect: true,
           isSearchable: true,
           label: 'Severity',
diff --git a/stories/filters/filter-dropdown-helpers.tsx b/stories/filters/filter-dropdown-helpers.tsx
index 8dba3c68..12e53002 100644
--- a/stories/filters/filter-dropdown-helpers.tsx
+++ b/stories/filters/filter-dropdown-helpers.tsx
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ export function useFilterDropdownCategories() {
   const [assigneeItems, setAssigneeItems] = useState<FilterDropdownCategory['items']>(undefined);
 
   const handleCategorySelect = useCallback(
-    (label: string) => {
-      if (label === 'Assignee' && assigneeItems === undefined) {
+    (id: string) => {
+      if (id === 'assignee' && assigneeItems === undefined) {
         setTimeout(
           () => setAssigneeItems(withRandomCounts(ALL_ASSIGNEE_ITEMS)),
           randomDelay(1000, 3000),
@@ -219,10 +219,11 @@ export function useFilterDropdownCategories() {
 
   const categories = useMemo<FilterDropdownCategory[]>(
     () => [
-      { isMultiSelect: true, label: 'Security', items: SECURITY_ITEMS },
-      { isMultiSelect: true, label: 'Duplications', items: DUPLICATION_ITEMS },
-      { isMultiSelect: false, label: 'Type', items: TYPE_ITEMS },
+      { id: 'security', isMultiSelect: true, label: 'Security', items: SECURITY_ITEMS },
+      { id: 'duplications', isMultiSelect: true, label: 'Duplications', items: DUPLICATION_ITEMS },
+      { id: 'type', isMultiSelect: false, label: 'Type', items: TYPE_ITEMS },
       {
+        id: 'assignee',
         isMultiSelect: true,
         isSearchable: true,
         items: assigneeItems,
@@ -231,6 +232,7 @@ export function useFilterDropdownCategories() {
         onSearch: handleAssigneeSearch,
       },
       {
+        id: 'date-range',
         content: <DateRangeContent ref={dateInputRef} />,
         onFocusContent: () => {
           dateInputRef.current?.focus();