diff --git a/ax/analysis/plotly/tests/test_top_surfaces.py b/ax/analysis/plotly/tests/test_top_surfaces.py
index 58140d6e0c2..81da374dcd5 100644
--- a/ax/analysis/plotly/tests/test_top_surfaces.py
+++ b/ax/analysis/plotly/tests/test_top_surfaces.py
@@ -24,6 +24,69 @@ def test_validate_applicable_state(self) -> None:
             none_throws(TopSurfacesAnalysis().validate_applicable_state()),
         )
 
+        client = Client()
+        client.configure_experiment(
+            name="foo",
+            parameters=[
+                RangeParameterConfig(
+                    name="x1",
+                    parameter_type="float",
+                    bounds=(0, 1),
+                ),
+                RangeParameterConfig(
+                    name="x2",
+                    parameter_type="float",
+                    bounds=(0, 1),
+                ),
+            ],
+        )
+        client.configure_optimization(objective="bar")
+
+        for _ in range(1):
+            for trial_index, parameterization in client.get_next_trials(
+                max_trials=1
+            ).items():
+                client.complete_trial(
+                    trial_index=trial_index,
+                    raw_data={
+                        "bar": assert_is_instance(parameterization["x1"], float)
+                        - 2 * assert_is_instance(parameterization["x2"], float)
+                    },
+                )
+
+        self.assertIn(
+            "Ax has not yet reached a GenerationNode",
+            none_throws(
+                TopSurfacesAnalysis(
+                    metric_name="bar", order="first"
+                ).validate_applicable_state(
+                    client._experiment, client._generation_strategy
+                )
+            ),
+        )
+        for _ in range(5):
+            for trial_index, parameterization in client.get_next_trials(
+                max_trials=1
+            ).items():
+                client.complete_trial(
+                    trial_index=trial_index,
+                    raw_data={
+                        "bar": assert_is_instance(parameterization["x1"], float)
+                        - 2 * assert_is_instance(parameterization["x2"], float)
+                    },
+                )
+
+        self.assertIn(
+            "no data for metrics {'baz'}",
+            none_throws(
+                TopSurfacesAnalysis(
+                    metric_name="baz", order="first"
+                ).validate_applicable_state(
+                    client._experiment, client._generation_strategy
+                )
+            ),
+        )
+
     @mock_botorch_optimize
     def test_compute(self) -> None:
         client = Client()
diff --git a/ax/analysis/plotly/top_surfaces.py b/ax/analysis/plotly/top_surfaces.py
index 7aa678172cd..ccbd23fce8a 100644
--- a/ax/analysis/plotly/top_surfaces.py
+++ b/ax/analysis/plotly/top_surfaces.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 from typing import final, Literal
 
 from ax.adapter.base import Adapter
+from ax.adapter.torch import TorchAdapter
 from ax.analysis.analysis import Analysis
 from ax.analysis.analysis_card import (
     AnalysisCard,
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@
     AnalysisCardGroup,
     ErrorAnalysisCard,
 )
+from ax.analysis.plotly.plotly_analysis import PlotlyAnalysisCard
 from ax.analysis.plotly.sensitivity import SensitivityAnalysisPlot
 from ax.analysis.plotly.surface.contour import (
     CONTOUR_CARDGROUP_SUBTITLE,
@@ -27,8 +29,13 @@
     SlicePlot,
 )
 from ax.analysis.plotly.utils import select_metric
-from ax.analysis.utils import validate_experiment
+from ax.analysis.utils import (
+    extract_relevant_adapter,
+    validate_experiment,
+    validate_experiment_has_trials,
+)
 from ax.core.experiment import Experiment
+from ax.exceptions.core import UserInputError
 from ax.generation_strategy.generation_strategy import GenerationStrategy
 from pyre_extensions import assert_is_instance, none_throws, override
 
@@ -68,14 +75,46 @@ def validate_applicable_state(
         adapter: Adapter | None = None,
     ) -> str | None:
         """
-        TopSurfacesAnalysis requires an experiment with trials and data.
+        TopSurfacesAnalysis requires an experiment with trials and data as well as
+        a TorchAdapter.
         """
-        if self.metric_name is None:
-            return validate_experiment(
+        if (
+            experiment_invalid_reason := validate_experiment(
                 experiment=experiment,
                 require_trials=True,
                 require_data=True,
             )
+        ) is not None:
+            return experiment_invalid_reason
+
+        metric_name = (
+            self.metric_name
+            if self.metric_name is not None
+            else select_metric(experiment=none_throws(experiment))
+        )
+
+        if (
+            experiment_invalid_reason := validate_experiment_has_trials(
+                experiment=none_throws(experiment),
+                required_metric_names=[metric_name],
+                # Any trial indices and statuses will do since we use all data here
+                trial_indices=None,
+                trial_statuses=None,
+            )
+        ) is not None:
+            return experiment_invalid_reason
+
+        try:
+            relevant_adapter = extract_relevant_adapter(
+                experiment=experiment,
+                generation_strategy=generation_strategy,
+                adapter=adapter,
+            )
+
+            if not isinstance(relevant_adapter, TorchAdapter):
+                return f"TorchAdapter is required, found {type(relevant_adapter)}."
+        except UserInputError as e:
+            return e.message
 
     @override
     def compute(
@@ -93,15 +132,27 @@ def compute(
         # Process the sensitivity analysis card to find the top K surfaces which
         # consist exclusively of tunable parameters (i.e. no fixed parameters, task
         # parameters, or OneHot parameters).
-        sensitivity_analysis_card = SensitivityAnalysisPlot(
+        maybe_sensitivity_analysis_card = SensitivityAnalysisPlot(
             metric_name=metric_name,
             order=self.order,
             top_k=self.top_k,
-        ).compute(
+        ).compute_result(
             experiment=experiment,
             generation_strategy=generation_strategy,
             adapter=adapter,
         )
+
+        if maybe_sensitivity_analysis_card.is_err():
+            err = none_throws(maybe_sensitivity_analysis_card.err)
+            raise err.exception or RuntimeError(
+                "Failed to compute SensitivityAnalysisPlot"
+                f"({metric_name=}, {self.order=}, {self.top_k=})"
+            )
+
+        sensitivity_analysis_card = assert_is_instance(
+            maybe_sensitivity_analysis_card.ok, PlotlyAnalysisCard
+        )
+
         children: list[AnalysisCardBase] = [sensitivity_analysis_card]
 
         sensitivity_df = sensitivity_analysis_card.df.copy()