diff --git a/css/styles.css b/css/styles.css
index eaafb42..8adb14f 100644
--- a/css/styles.css
+++ b/css/styles.css
@@ -161,11 +161,56 @@
         .xyz-content-edit {
             display: none;
         }
-        textarea.xyz-editor {
+        /* XYZ edit textarea + highlight overlay. The backdrop sits behind a
+           transparent-background textarea and tints the lines of selected
+           atoms; both share identical metrics so the text lines up exactly. */
+        #xyz-edit-wrap {
+            position: relative;
+            margin: 10px 0;
+        }
+        #xyz-content-edit.xyz-editor,
+        #xyz-edit-backdrop {
             width: 100%;
-            min-height: 200px;
+            box-sizing: border-box;
+            margin: 0;
+            padding: 6px;
+            border: 1px solid #ccc;
             font-family: monospace;
-            margin: 10px 0;
+            font-size: 13px;
+            line-height: 1.4;
+            white-space: pre;
+            letter-spacing: normal;
+            tab-size: 4;
+        }
+        #xyz-content-edit.xyz-editor {
+            position: relative;
+            z-index: 1;
+            display: block;
+            min-height: 200px;
+            resize: vertical;
+            overflow: auto;
+            background: transparent;
+            color: #000;
+        }
+        #xyz-edit-backdrop {
+            position: absolute;
+            top: 0;
+            left: 0;
+            right: 0;
+            bottom: 0;
+            z-index: 0;
+            overflow: hidden;
+            pointer-events: none;
+            border-color: transparent;
+            background: #fff;
+            color: transparent;
+        }
+        #xyz-edit-highlights {
+            min-height: 200px;
+        }
+        #xyz-edit-highlights .xyz-edit-hl {
+            background: #fff3a0;
+            border-radius: 2px;
         }
         .mode-buttons {
             margin: 10px 0;
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 0269834..98ca1b7 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -160,7 +160,10 @@ <h3>XYZ Editor</h3>
         </div>
         <div class="selection-hint">Click atoms in the 3D structure or the rows below to select them.</div>
         <div id="xyz-content"></div>
-        <textarea id="xyz-content-edit" class="xyz-editor"></textarea>
+        <div id="xyz-edit-wrap">
+            <div id="xyz-edit-backdrop"><div id="xyz-edit-highlights"></div></div>
+            <textarea id="xyz-content-edit" class="xyz-editor"></textarea>
+        </div>
         <div class="action-buttons">
             <button onclick="updateStructure()" title="Update molecular structure with current XYZ coordinates">Update Structure</button>
             <button onclick="optimizeStructure()" title="Optimize molecular geometry using built-in force field">Optimize Structure</button>
diff --git a/js/selection.js b/js/selection.js
index 7ae084a..f654210 100644
--- a/js/selection.js
+++ b/js/selection.js
@@ -10,6 +10,16 @@ function updateSelectionUI() {
         const n = selectedAtoms.size;
         countEl.textContent = n > 0 ? `${n} selected` : '';
     }
+    refreshEditHighlightsIfVisible();
+}
+
+// When the XYZ editor's text edit mode is open, keep its highlight overlay in
+// sync with the current selection (e.g. atoms picked in the 3D structure).
+function refreshEditHighlightsIfVisible() {
+    const wrap = document.getElementById('xyz-edit-wrap');
+    if (wrap && wrap.style.display !== 'none' && typeof renderXYZEditHighlights === 'function') {
+        renderXYZEditHighlights();
+    }
 }
 
 // Turn the 3D halo on/off for a single atom (atomIndex is 0-based).
diff --git a/js/xyz-editor.js b/js/xyz-editor.js
index 1d1d1bf..f6f7dd4 100644
--- a/js/xyz-editor.js
+++ b/js/xyz-editor.js
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ function showXYZEditor() {
         // Update textarea content
         const editArea = document.getElementById('xyz-content-edit');
         editArea.value = lastXYZData;
-        editArea.style.display = 'none';  // Ensure we start in selection mode
+        initXYZEditHighlights();
+        renderXYZEditHighlights();
+        document.getElementById('xyz-edit-wrap').style.display = 'none';  // Ensure we start in selection mode
         xyzContent.style.display = 'block';
         document.getElementById('toggle-edit-mode').textContent = 'Switch to Edit Mode';
         
@@ -126,16 +128,16 @@ function showXYZEditor() {
 
 function toggleEditMode() {
     const selectionView = document.getElementById('xyz-content');
-    const editView = document.getElementById('xyz-content-edit');
+    const editView = document.getElementById('xyz-edit-wrap');
     const editButton = document.getElementById('toggle-edit-mode');
-    
+
     if (selectionView.style.display !== 'none') {
-        // Switch to edit mode
+        // Switch to edit mode. Keep the current selection so the chosen atoms
+        // stay highlighted in the textarea, making them easy to edit.
         selectionView.style.display = 'none';
         editView.style.display = 'block';
         editButton.textContent = 'Switch to Selection Mode';
-        // Clear any existing selections (keeps state Set, rows and halos in sync)
-        clearAtomSelection();
+        renderXYZEditHighlights();
     } else {
         // Switch to selection mode
         selectionView.style.display = 'block';
@@ -146,6 +148,51 @@ function toggleEditMode() {
     }
 }
 
+// Escape text so user-entered atom names/coordinates can't inject markup into
+// the highlight overlay.
+function escapeHtmlForHighlight(s) {
+    return s.replace(/&/g, '&amp;').replace(/</g, '&lt;').replace(/>/g, '&gt;');
+}
+
+// Re-draw the edit-mode highlight overlay: tint the textarea lines that belong
+// to currently selected atoms. Atom i (0-based) lives on text line i + 2
+// (line 0 = atom count, line 1 = comment).
+function renderXYZEditHighlights() {
+    const textarea = document.getElementById('xyz-content-edit');
+    const backdrop = document.getElementById('xyz-edit-backdrop');
+    const highlights = document.getElementById('xyz-edit-highlights');
+    if (!textarea || !backdrop || !highlights) return;
+
+    const selectedLines = new Set(Array.from(selectedAtoms).map(i => i + 2));
+    const lines = textarea.value.split('\n');
+    highlights.innerHTML = lines.map((line, idx) => {
+        const safe = escapeHtmlForHighlight(line);
+        return selectedLines.has(idx) ? `<span class="xyz-edit-hl">${safe}</span>` : safe;
+    }).join('\n');
+
+    // Keep the overlay scroll-aligned with the textarea.
+    backdrop.scrollTop = textarea.scrollTop;
+    backdrop.scrollLeft = textarea.scrollLeft;
+}
+
+// Attach the textarea listeners that keep the highlight overlay in sync. Runs
+// once; guarded by a data flag so repeated showXYZEditor() calls don't stack
+// listeners.
+function initXYZEditHighlights() {
+    const textarea = document.getElementById('xyz-content-edit');
+    if (!textarea || textarea.dataset.hlInit) return;
+    textarea.dataset.hlInit = '1';
+
+    const backdrop = document.getElementById('xyz-edit-backdrop');
+    textarea.addEventListener('input', renderXYZEditHighlights);
+    textarea.addEventListener('scroll', function() {
+        if (backdrop) {
+            backdrop.scrollTop = textarea.scrollTop;
+            backdrop.scrollLeft = textarea.scrollLeft;
+        }
+    });
+}
+
 function updateStructure() {
     const editView = document.getElementById('xyz-content-edit');
     try {