diff --git a/docs/syntax.md b/docs/syntax.md
index ae6a8508..0811699a 100644
--- a/docs/syntax.md
+++ b/docs/syntax.md
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ tweak:  # optional tweaking of .gv output
   # loops
   loops: <List>  # every list item is itself a list of exactly two pins
                  # on the connector that are to be shorted
+
+  # optional tweaking of .gv output executed for each instance of this connector
+  tweak:  # see tweak section below
 ```
 
 ## Cable attributes
@@ -148,6 +151,8 @@ tweak:  # optional tweaking of .gv output
   show_wirecount: <bool>    # defaults to true
   show_wirenumbers: <bool>  # defaults to true for cables; false for bundles
 
+  # optional tweaking of .gv output executed for each instance of this cable
+  tweak:  # see tweak section below
 ```
 
 ## Connection sets
@@ -457,6 +462,12 @@ Alternatively items can be added to just the BOM by putting them in the section
   # This feature is experimental and might change
   # or be removed in future versions.
 
+  placeholder: <str>  # Substring to be replaced with the node name in
+    # any per-connector / per-cable tweak overrides and append entries.
+    # An empty string disables placeholder substitution for that node.
+    # When omitted at the per-node level, the global placeholder
+    # (in the top-level tweak: section) is used as the fallback.
+
   override:  # dict of .gv entries to override
     # Each entry is identified by its leading string
     # in lines beginning with a TAB character.
diff --git a/src/wireviz/DataClasses.py b/src/wireviz/DataClasses.py
index 66b92c38..68ec326d 100644
--- a/src/wireviz/DataClasses.py
+++ b/src/wireviz/DataClasses.py
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ def __post_init__(self):
 
 @dataclass
 class Tweak:
+    placeholder: Optional[PlainText] = None
     override: Optional[Dict[Designator, Dict[str, Optional[str]]]] = None
     append: Union[str, List[str], None] = None
 
@@ -170,10 +171,13 @@ class Connector:
     loops: List[List[Pin]] = field(default_factory=list)
     ignore_in_bom: bool = False
     additional_components: List[AdditionalComponent] = field(default_factory=list)
+    tweak: Optional[Tweak] = None
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         if isinstance(self.image, dict):
             self.image = Image(**self.image)
+        if isinstance(self.tweak, dict):
+            self.tweak = Tweak(**self.tweak)
 
         self.ports_left = False
         self.ports_right = False
@@ -335,10 +339,13 @@ class Cable:
     show_wirenumbers: Optional[bool] = None
     ignore_in_bom: bool = False
     additional_components: List[AdditionalComponent] = field(default_factory=list)
+    tweak: Optional[Tweak] = None
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         if isinstance(self.image, dict):
             self.image = Image(**self.image)
+        if isinstance(self.tweak, dict):
+            self.tweak = Tweak(**self.tweak)
 
         if isinstance(self.gauge, str):  # gauge and unit specified
             try:
diff --git a/src/wireviz/Harness.py b/src/wireviz/Harness.py
index c753cae1..66461362 100644
--- a/src/wireviz/Harness.py
+++ b/src/wireviz/Harness.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     component_table_entry,
     generate_bom,
     get_additional_component_table,
+    make_list,
     pn_info_string,
 )
 from wireviz.wv_colors import get_color_hex, translate_color
@@ -84,9 +85,57 @@ def __post_init__(self):
     def add_connector(self, name: str, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
         check_old(f"Connector '{name}'", OLD_CONNECTOR_ATTR, kwargs)
         self.connectors[name] = Connector(name, *args, **kwargs)
+        self._extend_tweak(self.connectors[name])
 
     def add_cable(self, name: str, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
         self.cables[name] = Cable(name, *args, **kwargs)
+        self._extend_tweak(self.cables[name])
+
+    def _extend_tweak(self, node: Union[Connector, Cable]) -> None:
+        """Fold ``node.tweak`` into ``self.tweak`` after substituting the
+        node's name for the placeholder string.
+
+        Per-connector / per-cable ``tweak:`` entries let users author a
+        single template and have its ``override`` keys / ``append`` lines
+        rewritten with the actual designator at instantiation time. This
+        is the only place the placeholder substitution happens — the
+        global tweak is applied unchanged at graph emission time.
+        """
+        if not node.tweak:
+            return
+        ph = node.tweak.placeholder
+        # An empty string is a legal value to opt out of the global
+        # placeholder; only None falls back.
+        if ph is None:
+            ph = self.tweak.placeholder
+        # The replacement target may be None when an override deletes a
+        # key (``key: null`` in YAML), so guard the str.replace call.
+        if ph:
+            rph = lambda s: s.replace(ph, node.name) if isinstance(s, str) else s
+        else:
+            rph = lambda s: s
+
+        n_override = node.tweak.override or {}
+        s_override = self.tweak.override or {}
+        for ident, n_dict in n_override.items():
+            ident = rph(ident)
+            s_dict = s_override.get(ident, {})
+            for k, v in n_dict.items():
+                k, v = rph(k), rph(v)
+                if k in s_dict and v != s_dict[k]:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"{node.name}.tweak.override.{ident}.{k} conflicts with another"
+                    )
+                s_dict[k] = v
+            # Keep the empty dict rather than collapsing to None — the
+            # graph-emission code (Harness.create_graph) expects values
+            # in self.tweak.override to be dicts, not None.
+            s_override[ident] = s_dict
+        self.tweak.override = s_override or None
+        self.tweak.append = (
+            make_list(self.tweak.append)
+            + [rph(v) for v in make_list(node.tweak.append)]
+        ) or None
 
     def add_mate_pin(self, from_name, from_pin, to_name, to_pin, arrow_type) -> None:
         self.mates.append(MatePin(from_name, from_pin, to_name, to_pin, arrow_type))