diff --git a/src/removals/selectors.ts b/src/removals/selectors.ts
index 31b466810..d226ee259 100644
--- a/src/removals/selectors.ts
+++ b/src/removals/selectors.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,70 @@ import { DebugRemoval } from '../types';
 import { textPreview, logDebug } from '../utils';
 import { getClassName, hasResponsiveShowClass } from '../utils/dom';
 
+const HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR = 'hero[_\\-a-z]';
+const HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR_REGEX = new RegExp(HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR, 'i');
+const NON_HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR_REGEXES = PARTIAL_SELECTORS
+	.filter(pattern => pattern !== HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR)
+	.map(pattern => new RegExp(pattern, 'i'));
+const CAPTION_CLASS_REGEX = /caption|credit/i;
+
+function getSelectorAttrs(el: Element): string {
+	const tag = el.tagName;
+	const isHeading = /^H[1-6]$/.test(tag);
+	return (isHeading
+		? getClassName(el)
+		: getClassName(el) + ' ' +
+			(el.id || '') + ' ' +
+			(el.getAttribute('data-component') || '') + ' ' +
+			(el.getAttribute('data-test') || '') + ' ' +
+			(el.getAttribute('data-testid') || '') + ' ' +
+			(el.getAttribute('data-test-id') || '') + ' ' +
+			(el.getAttribute('data-qa') || '') + ' ' +
+			(el.getAttribute('data-cy') || '')
+	).toLowerCase();
+}
+
+function hasCaptionClass(el: Element): boolean {
+	return CAPTION_CLASS_REGEX.test(getClassName(el));
+}
+
+function hasImageWithCaptionClass(el: Element): boolean {
+	if (!el.querySelector('img')) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	return Array.from(el.querySelectorAll('[class]')).some(hasCaptionClass);
+}
+
+function hasCaptionedFigure(el: Element): boolean {
+	const figure = el.tagName === 'FIGURE' ? el : el.closest('figure');
+	if (figure?.querySelector('figcaption')) {
+		return true;
+	}
+	return Array.from(el.querySelectorAll('figure')).some(figureEl => !!figureEl.querySelector('figcaption'));
+}
+
+function hasHeroMediaWithCaption(el: Element): boolean {
+	if (hasCaptionedFigure(el) || hasImageWithCaptionClass(el)) {
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	let ancestor = el.parentElement;
+	while (ancestor) {
+		if (
+			HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR_REGEX.test(getSelectorAttrs(ancestor)) &&
+			(hasCaptionedFigure(ancestor) || hasImageWithCaptionClass(ancestor))
+		) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		ancestor = ancestor.parentElement;
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
+function hasNonHeroPartialSelector(attrs: string): boolean {
+	return NON_HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR_REGEXES.some(regex => regex.test(attrs));
+}
+
 export function removeBySelector(doc: Document, debug: boolean, removeExact: boolean = true, removePartial: boolean = true, mainContent?: Element | null, debugRemovals?: DebugRemoval[], skipHiddenExactSelectors: boolean = false) {
 	const startTime = Date.now();
 	let exactSelectorCount = 0;
@@ -83,18 +147,7 @@ export function removeBySelector(doc: Document, debug: boolean, removeExact: boo
 			// (Hardcoded to match TEST_ATTRIBUTES in constants.ts — avoids array allocation per element)
 			// For headings, only check class — IDs are auto-slugs and data-testid
 			// values (e.g. "article-header") cause false positives.
-			const isHeading = /^H[1-6]$/.test(tag);
-			const attrs = (isHeading
-				? getClassName(el)
-				: getClassName(el) + ' ' +
-					(el.id || '') + ' ' +
-					(el.getAttribute('data-component') || '') + ' ' +
-					(el.getAttribute('data-test') || '') + ' ' +
-					(el.getAttribute('data-testid') || '') + ' ' +
-					(el.getAttribute('data-test-id') || '') + ' ' +
-					(el.getAttribute('data-qa') || '') + ' ' +
-					(el.getAttribute('data-cy') || '')
-			).toLowerCase();
+			const attrs = getSelectorAttrs(el);
 
 			// Skip if no attributes to check
 			if (!attrs.trim()) {
@@ -106,6 +159,13 @@ export function removeBySelector(doc: Document, debug: boolean, removeExact: boo
 				const matchedPattern = individualRegexes
 					? individualRegexes.find(r => r.regex.test(attrs))?.pattern
 					: undefined;
+				if (
+					HERO_PARTIAL_SELECTOR_REGEX.test(attrs) &&
+					hasHeroMediaWithCaption(el) &&
+					!hasNonHeroPartialSelector(attrs)
+				) {
+					return;
+				}
 				elementsToRemove.set(el, { type: 'partial', selector: matchedPattern });
 				partialSelectorCount++;
 			}
diff --git a/tests/expected/content-patterns--webflow-hero-image-with-caption.md b/tests/expected/content-patterns--webflow-hero-image-with-caption.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aefd1c038
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/expected/content-patterns--webflow-hero-image-with-caption.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+```json
+{
+  "title": "Artificial Life in Practice",
+  "author": "",
+  "site": "",
+  "published": ""
+}
+```
+
+![Artificial organisms moving through a simulated environment](https://cdn.example.com/images/artificial-life-hero.jpg)
+
+Artificial organisms move through a simulated environment. Credit: Example Lab.
+
+Artificial life research studies simple systems that produce complex behavior over time.
+
+Researchers use these models to compare how local rules can create lifelike global patterns.
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/content-patterns--webflow-hero-image-with-caption.html b/tests/fixtures/content-patterns--webflow-hero-image-with-caption.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6cf4f6de0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/content-patterns--webflow-hero-image-with-caption.html
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<!-- {"url":"https://example.com/blog/artificial-life"} -->
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+<title>Artificial Life in Practice</title>
+<meta name="description" content="A short article about artificial life systems.">
+<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn.example.com/social/artificial-life-card.jpg">
+</head>
+<body>
+<header class="site-header">
+	<a href="/">Example Lab</a>
+</header>
+<main>
+	<article class="blog-post-wrap">
+		<h1>Artificial Life in Practice</h1>
+		<div class="blog-hero-image-wrap">
+			<img class="blog-hero-image" src="https://cdn.example.com/images/artificial-life-hero.jpg" alt="Artificial organisms moving through a simulated environment">
+			<div class="blogherocaption">Artificial organisms move through a simulated environment. Credit: Example Lab.</div>
+		</div>
+		<div class="rich-text-element">
+			<p>Artificial life research studies simple systems that produce complex behavior over time.</p>
+			<p>Researchers use these models to compare how local rules can create lifelike global patterns.</p>
+		</div>
+	</article>
+</main>
+<footer class="site-footer">
+	<a href="/privacy">Privacy</a>
+</footer>
+</body>
+</html>