diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5771545..53e03df 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,6 +43,18 @@ The CodeMirror decoration and statistics interaction patterns are adapted from [
 
 `DisplayList.description` prints identity effects, empty property effects, and platform effects with the same empty `(effect …)` form, while `minimalDescription` encodes them differently. Because the source text has already discarded that distinction, the converter renders an empty effect as identity and calls out the ambiguity in the interface.
 
+### Mask input subtrees
+
+SwiftUI prints the mask input DisplayList recursively in `description`, but prints only `M`
+for the mask effect in `minimalDescription`. The items that follow `M` inside `E` are the masked
+content, not the mask input. The converter follows this format. For example, identities repeated
+only inside two mask inputs will not appear in the compact output or its item statistics.
+
+The `M` source mapping covers the full `(mask …)` expression, including its input subtree.
+Inspect that source range to check mask identities. Reverse conversion uses `(mask *)`, because
+the compact encoding does not contain the input tree. Shared links also retain only the compact
+encoding, so use the full description when investigating repeated identities.
+
 ## Local development
 
 Prerequisites:
diff --git a/Sources/DisplayListDescription/EncodingReference.swift b/Sources/DisplayListDescription/EncodingReference.swift
index 3e53626..dd7d945 100644
--- a/Sources/DisplayListDescription/EncodingReference.swift
+++ b/Sources/DisplayListDescription/EncodingReference.swift
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public struct DisplayListEncodingReference: Equatable, Sendable {
         .init(id: "effect.opacity", token: "O", name: "Opacity", detail: "An opacity effect; the numeric value is omitted.", category: .effect),
         .init(id: "effect.blend-mode", token: "B", name: "Blend mode", detail: "A blend-mode effect. B is context-dependent: inside E it is not backdrop content.", category: .effect),
         .init(id: "effect.clip", token: "C", name: "Clip", detail: "A clipping path and style. C is context-dependent: inside E it is not color content.", category: .effect),
-        .init(id: "effect.mask", token: "M", name: "Mask", detail: "A mask effect.", category: .effect),
+        .init(id: "effect.mask", token: "M", name: "Mask", detail: "The mask input subtree and its item identities are omitted. Following items in E are the masked content. Inspect the full source to check mask identities.", category: .effect),
         .init(id: "effect.transform", token: "T", name: "Transform", detail: "A geometry transform. T is context-dependent: inside E it is not text content.", category: .effect),
         .init(id: "effect.filter", token: "F", name: "Graphics filter", detail: "Any graphics filter; the specific filter parameters are omitted.", category: .effect),
         .init(id: "effect.animation", token: "AN", name: "Animation", detail: "An animation effect.", category: .effect),
diff --git a/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListDescriptionConverterTests.swift b/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListDescriptionConverterTests.swift
index 4926d0b..b77b129 100644
--- a/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListDescriptionConverterTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListDescriptionConverterTests.swift
@@ -146,6 +146,58 @@ final class DisplayListDescriptionConverterTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertTrue(result.usedEncodingIDs.contains("effect.view"))
     }
 
+    func testMaskInputsAreOmittedButRemainInSourceMappings() throws {
+        // The full printer can place options before or after the mask input items.
+        for optionsFirst in [true, false] {
+            let options = "(options ClipOptions(rawValue: 0))"
+            func maskedItem(identity: Int, maskIdentity: Int, contentIdentity: Int) -> String {
+                """
+                (item #:identity \(identity) #:version 1
+                  (effect
+                    (mask
+                      \(optionsFirst ? options : "")
+                      (item #:identity \(maskIdentity) #:version 1
+                        (effect
+                          (item #:identity 815 #:version 1
+                            (effect #:blend-mode normal
+                              (item #:identity 814 #:version 1 (content-seed 1) (shape *))))
+                          (item #:identity 816 #:version 1
+                            (effect (transform *)
+                              (item #:identity 817 #:version 1
+                                (effect (transform *)
+                                  (item #:identity 819 #:version 1
+                                    (effect #:blend-mode normal
+                                      (item #:identity 818 #:version 1 (content-seed 1) (shape *))))))))))
+                      \(optionsFirst ? "" : options))
+                    (item #:identity \(contentIdentity) #:version 1 (content-seed 1) (color *))))
+                """
+            }
+            let description = """
+            (display-list
+              \(maskedItem(identity: 823, maskIdentity: 820, contentIdentity: 821))
+              \(maskedItem(identity: 834, maskIdentity: 831, contentIdentity: 832)))
+            """
+
+            let result = try DisplayListDescriptionConverter.convert(description)
+
+            XCTAssertEqual(result.minimalDescription, "(DL(I:823(E M(I:821 C)))(I:834(E M(I:832 C))))")
+            XCTAssertEqual(result.spans.filter { $0.encodingID == "structure.item" }.count, 4)
+            let masks = result.spans.filter { $0.encodingID == "effect.mask" }
+            XCTAssertEqual(masks.count, 2)
+            for mask in masks {
+                let source = utf16Slice(description, mask.sourceStart, mask.sourceEnd)
+                XCTAssertTrue(source.hasPrefix("(mask"))
+                XCTAssertTrue(source.contains(options))
+                for identity in 814...819 {
+                    XCTAssertTrue(source.contains("#:identity \(identity) "))
+                }
+                XCTAssertFalse(source.contains("(color"))
+                XCTAssertEqual(utf16Slice(result.minimalDescription, mask.outputStart, mask.outputEnd), "M")
+            }
+            XCTAssertEqual(Set(masks.map(\.occurrenceID)).count, 2)
+        }
+    }
+
     func testConvertsStates() throws {
         let description = """
         (display-list
diff --git a/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListMinimalDescriptionConverterTests.swift b/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListMinimalDescriptionConverterTests.swift
index b698409..fa7db41 100644
--- a/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListMinimalDescriptionConverterTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/DisplayListDescriptionTests/DisplayListMinimalDescriptionConverterTests.swift
@@ -63,6 +63,21 @@ final class DisplayListMinimalDescriptionConverterTests: XCTestCase {
         )
     }
 
+    func testReconstructsMaskInputAsUnknownAndPreservesMaskedContent() throws {
+        let minimalDescription = "(DL(I:823(E M(I:821 C)))(I:834(E M(I:832 C))))"
+
+        let result = try DisplayListMinimalDescriptionConverter.convert(minimalDescription)
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(result.description.components(separatedBy: "(mask *)").count - 1, 2)
+        XCTAssertEqual(result.description.components(separatedBy: "(item ").count - 1, 4)
+        XCTAssertTrue(result.description.contains("#:identity 821 "))
+        XCTAssertTrue(result.description.contains("#:identity 832 "))
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            try DisplayListDescriptionConverter.convert(result.description).minimalDescription,
+            minimalDescription
+        )
+    }
+
     func testRejectsNonMinimalDescriptionRoot() {
         XCTAssertThrowsError(try DisplayListMinimalDescriptionConverter.convert("(display-list)")) { error in
             XCTAssertEqual(