diff --git a/plugins/action/validate_inputs.py b/plugins/action/validate_inputs.py
index b2b19d2..2c24e3b 100644
--- a/plugins/action/validate_inputs.py
+++ b/plugins/action/validate_inputs.py
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 Each spec file's ``argument_specs.inputs.options`` declares top-level variables. Every one the host
 defines is checked without Ansible's lenient coercion: a string is never a list, bool or dict. A dict
-option whose only sub-option is named ``<name>`` is a collection keyed by name; each entry is checked
-against that sub-option, and a null entry means the entry is not managed. Messages name the key path
+option whose only sub-option is a placeholder such as ``<name>`` is a collection keyed by name; each
+entry is checked against that sub-option, and a null entry means the entry is not managed. Messages name the key path
 and the types involved but never a value, so secrets cannot leak into job output.
 """
 
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ from ansible.errors import AnsibleError
 from ansible.parsing.vault import EncryptedString
 from ansible.plugins.action import ActionBase
 
-KEYED = "<name>"
 SPEC_KEYS = {"type", "required", "default", "choices", "elements", "options", "description", "no_log"}
 UNRESOLVED = object()
 
@@ -91,10 +90,11 @@ class _Validator:
                 self.check(element, item, f"{path}[{index}]")
 
     def check_options(self, options, value, path):
-        if set(options) == {KEYED}:
+        if len(options) == 1 and next(iter(options)).startswith("<"):
+            entry_spec = next(iter(options.values()))
             for name, entry in value.items():
                 if entry is not None:
-                    self.check(options[KEYED], entry, f"{path}.{name}")
+                    self.check(entry_spec, entry, f"{path}.{name}")
             return
         for key in value:
             if key not in options:
diff --git a/tests/inputs/fixture_spec.yml b/tests/inputs/fixture_spec.yml
index 5b8938d..99e4e35 100644
--- a/tests/inputs/fixture_spec.yml
+++ b/tests/inputs/fixture_spec.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ argument_specs:
           users:
             type: dict
             options:
-              "<name>":
+              "<user>":
                 type: dict
                 options:
                   password: