diff --git a/.changeset/breezy-seas-exist.md b/.changeset/breezy-seas-exist.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b061f11a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/breezy-seas-exist.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-scaffolder': patch
+---
+
+The template editor now shows the cause of request errors that happen during a dry-run.
diff --git a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateEditorPage/TemplateEditorForm.tsx b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateEditorPage/TemplateEditorForm.tsx
index 11b4da246d..d802ab07dc 100644
--- a/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateEditorPage/TemplateEditorForm.tsx
+++ b/plugins/scaffolder/src/components/TemplateEditorPage/TemplateEditorForm.tsx
@@ -212,11 +212,17 @@ export function TemplateEditorFormDirectoryEditorDryRun(
       return;
     }
 
-    await dryRun.execute({
-      templateContent: selectedFile.content,
-      values: data,
-      files: directoryEditor.files,
-    });
+    try {
+      await dryRun.execute({
+        templateContent: selectedFile.content,
+        values: data,
+        files: directoryEditor.files,
+      });
+      setErrorText();
+    } catch (e) {
+      setErrorText(String(e.cause || e));
+      throw e;
+    }
   };
 
   const content =