diff --git a/cmd/symkerneld/routes.go b/cmd/symkerneld/routes.go
index 664f692..288ce02 100644
--- a/cmd/symkerneld/routes.go
+++ b/cmd/symkerneld/routes.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ func RegisterRoutes(mux *http.ServeMux) {
 	mux.Handle("POST /v1/verify/cel", cellib.Handler())
 	mux.Handle("POST /v1/verify/z3", verify.Handler(&verify.Z3Solver{}))
 	mux.Handle("POST /v1/verify/criterion", criterion.Handler())
+	mux.Handle("POST /v1/verify/symbolic", verify.SymbolicHandler())
 
 	orchestrator.NewRouter().RegisterRoutes(mux)
 	audit.New().RegisterRoutes(mux)
diff --git a/cmd/symkerneld/routes_test.go b/cmd/symkerneld/routes_test.go
index 510535a..4f1e008 100644
--- a/cmd/symkerneld/routes_test.go
+++ b/cmd/symkerneld/routes_test.go
@@ -54,4 +54,22 @@ func TestRegisterRoutes(t *testing.T) {
 	if zrec.Code == http.StatusNotFound {
 		t.Errorf("POST /v1/verify/z3 status = 404; route not mounted by RegisterRoutes")
 	}
+
+	// The POST /v1/verify/symbolic placeholder route is mounted and responds
+	// 200 with its placeholder body, proving RegisterRoutes wired it.
+	sreq := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/v1/verify/symbolic", nil)
+	srec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	mux.ServeHTTP(srec, sreq)
+	if srec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("POST /v1/verify/symbolic status = %d, want %d; route not mounted or wrong handler; body = %s", srec.Code, http.StatusOK, srec.Body.String())
+	}
+	var sbody struct {
+		Message string `json:"message"`
+	}
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(srec.Body).Decode(&sbody); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decode symbolic placeholder body: %v; body = %s", err, srec.Body.String())
+	}
+	if sbody.Message != "Symbolic execution endpoint placeholder" {
+		t.Errorf("symbolic message = %q, want %q", sbody.Message, "Symbolic execution endpoint placeholder")
+	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/verify/symbolic.go b/internal/verify/symbolic.go
index aeb8ab5..870932c 100644
--- a/internal/verify/symbolic.go
+++ b/internal/verify/symbolic.go
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ package verify
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"net/http"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 )
@@ -62,3 +64,30 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, in SymbolicInput) (SymbolicResult, error) {
 	_ = in
 	return SymbolicResult{DecisionID: uuid.NewString()}, ErrNotImplemented
 }
+
+// symbolicPlaceholderResponse is the fixed acknowledgement body returned by
+// SymbolicHandler while the symbolic execution engine is being built.
+type symbolicPlaceholderResponse struct {
+	Message string `json:"message"`
+}
+
+// SymbolicHandler returns an http.HandlerFunc for the POST /v1/verify/symbolic
+// endpoint.
+//
+// It is a placeholder: the route contract, middleware wiring, and content
+// type are exercised end-to-end, but no symbolic exploration is performed.
+// It always responds 200 OK with
+// {"message": "Symbolic execution endpoint placeholder"} so callers can detect
+// that the route is mounted while the Z3-backed engine behind Run matures. It
+// is a prerequisite for the full symbolic execution logic (issue #245): once
+// Run is implemented, this handler will decode a SymbolicInput, call Run, and
+// shape the SymbolicResult into the response.
+func SymbolicHandler() http.HandlerFunc {
+	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(symbolicPlaceholderResponse{
+			Message: "Symbolic execution endpoint placeholder",
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/verify/symbolic_test.go b/internal/verify/symbolic_test.go
index 43de8d3..f518c34 100644
--- a/internal/verify/symbolic_test.go
+++ b/internal/verify/symbolic_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@ package verify
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
@@ -97,3 +101,57 @@ func TestRun_DecisionIDIsUnique(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("DecisionIDs collided: %s", a.DecisionID)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestSymbolicHandler_Placeholder asserts the documented placeholder
+// behaviour: SymbolicHandler always responds 200 OK with the fixed
+// acknowledgement body and a JSON content type, regardless of the request
+// body, so the /v1/verify/symbolic route contract is exercised end-to-end
+// while the symbolic engine matures.
+func TestSymbolicHandler_Placeholder(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	handler := SymbolicHandler()
+
+	// The handler is a placeholder that ignores the body; send a plausible
+	// symbolic request to prove no parsing is attempted yet.
+	body := `{"input":{"wasmBinary":"AGVzbQ==","entry":"_start","args":[]}}`
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/v1/verify/symbolic", strings.NewReader(body))
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	handler.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("status = %d, want %d; body = %s", rec.Code, http.StatusOK, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+	if ct := rec.Header().Get("Content-Type"); ct != "application/json" {
+		t.Errorf("Content-Type = %q, want %q", ct, "application/json")
+	}
+
+	var resp symbolicPlaceholderResponse
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(rec.Body).Decode(&resp); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decode response: %v; body = %s", err, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+	const want = "Symbolic execution endpoint placeholder"
+	if resp.Message != want {
+		t.Errorf("message = %q, want %q", resp.Message, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSymbolicHandler_IgnoresEmptyBody confirms the placeholder responds 200
+// even when no body is posted, matching how the route is exercised through the
+// registered mux (e.g. liveness-style probes).
+func TestSymbolicHandler_IgnoresEmptyBody(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	handler := SymbolicHandler()
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/v1/verify/symbolic", nil)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+	handler.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("status = %d, want %d; body = %s", rec.Code, http.StatusOK, rec.Body.String())
+	}
+}