diff --git a/docs/inbox-cli.md b/docs/inbox-cli.md
index 430bd74..a7a1087 100644
--- a/docs/inbox-cli.md
+++ b/docs/inbox-cli.md
@@ -113,6 +113,15 @@ Rules:
 
 The binary name is `inbox`.
 
+Built-in help should be sufficient for first use:
+
+- root help should explain the worker role and the normal fetch -> claim -> update -> wait-reply -> done/fail loop
+- command help should explain when to use the command, not just list flags
+- high-frequency commands should include concrete examples that can be copied directly
+- `list` help should explain how it differs from `fetch`
+- `show` help should explain that it is the thread-history inspection command
+- `watch` help should explain how it differs from `wait-reply`
+
 ### Global Flags
 
 - `--db PATH`
diff --git a/docs/orch-cli.md b/docs/orch-cli.md
index 89c4cba..d96547c 100644
--- a/docs/orch-cli.md
+++ b/docs/orch-cli.md
@@ -110,6 +110,16 @@ The leader should block on `orch wait`, not on ad hoc `sleep`.
 
 The binary name is `orch`.
 
+Built-in help should be sufficient for first use:
+
+- root help should explain the leader role and the normal run -> task -> dep -> ready -> dispatch -> wait/status loop
+- command help should explain the scheduling contract, not just list flags
+- `dispatch` help should explicitly explain `--execution-mode analysis|code` and which flags only apply to code mode
+- high-frequency commands should include concrete examples that can be copied directly
+- `status` help should explain that it is the main operational dashboard command
+- `blocked` help should explain that it is the compact queue to inspect before `answer`
+- `cleanup` help should explain how `--task`, `--attempt`, and `--all-completed` change cleanup scope
+
 ### Global Flags
 
 - `--db PATH`
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/cancel.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/cancel.go
index c980f67..3c3f303 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/cancel.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/cancel.go
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ func newCancelCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "cancel",
 		Short: "Cancel a thread",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use cancel to terminate a thread and record a control message explaining why it should stop.",
+			"cancel is usually a leader or operator action rather than a normal worker completion step.",
+			"Use a reason when you need later readers to understand why the thread was stopped.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db cancel --agent leader --thread thr_123 --reason "Task superseded by a new plan."`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/claim.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/claim.go
index 0ddb6d9..8dc4740 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/claim.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/claim.go
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ func newClaimCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "claim",
 		Short: "Acquire a lease on a pending thread",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use claim to acquire the active worker lease for one thread.",
+			"claim is the step that turns a candidate thread into owned work.",
+			"After claim, the worker should inspect the thread, send an in_progress update when real work starts, and finish with done or fail.",
+			"Only one active lease may exist per thread at a time.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db claim --agent worker-a --thread thr_123
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db claim --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --lease-seconds 1800`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/done.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/done.go
index 8ba49db..3eaaafd 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/done.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/done.go
@@ -33,6 +33,22 @@ func newCompleteCmd(root *rootOptions, mode string) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   mode,
 		Short: map[string]string{"done": "Mark a thread complete", "fail": "Mark a thread failed"}[mode],
+		Long: map[string]string{
+			"done": helpLong(
+				"Use done to close a claimed thread successfully and record the final result summary.",
+				"done is a terminal operation; use it only when the work is complete enough to hand back to the leader.",
+				"Include a short summary and optionally a detailed body or artifacts for the final result.",
+			),
+			"fail": helpLong(
+				"Use fail to close a claimed thread unsuccessfully and record the failure summary.",
+				"fail is a terminal operation; use it when the attempt cannot complete successfully.",
+				"Include a short summary and enough detail for the leader to decide on retry, reassignment, or cancellation.",
+			),
+		}[mode],
+		Example: map[string]string{
+			"done": `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db done --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --summary "Implemented retry policy" --body "Retries now cover read timeouts."`,
+			"fail": `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db fail --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --summary "Blocked by migration issue" --body "Previous schema state is inconsistent."`,
+		}[mode],
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/fetch.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/fetch.go
index 0564621..a4c8b08 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/fetch.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/fetch.go
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ func newFetchCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "fetch",
 		Short: "List candidate threads for an agent",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use fetch to discover threads that are candidates for one agent to claim.",
+			"fetch does not grant ownership; it is only the discovery step before claim.",
+			"The normal worker loop is fetch -> claim -> show -> update/done/fail.",
+			"Use --unread when you only want threads whose latest message has not been consumed by that agent.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db fetch --agent worker-a --status pending
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db fetch --agent worker-a --status pending,blocked --unread --limit 5`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/help.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/help.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70ae7da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/help.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package inbox
+
+import "strings"
+
+func helpLong(purpose string, constraints ...string) string {
+	var builder strings.Builder
+	builder.WriteString(strings.TrimSpace(purpose))
+	if len(constraints) == 0 {
+		return builder.String()
+	}
+
+	builder.WriteString("\n\nConstraints:\n")
+	for _, constraint := range constraints {
+		constraint = strings.TrimSpace(constraint)
+		if constraint == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		builder.WriteString("- ")
+		builder.WriteString(constraint)
+		builder.WriteByte('\n')
+	}
+
+	return strings.TrimRight(builder.String(), "\n")
+}
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/help_contracts_test.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/help_contracts_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ca3590
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/help_contracts_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package inbox
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestInboxRootHelpExplainsWorkerLoop(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeInboxCommand("--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Workers should use inbox directly") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to explain worker role, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "fetch --agent worker-a --status pending") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to include a concrete workflow example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInboxUpdateHelpExplainsBlockedQuestions(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeInboxCommand("update", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Blocked updates should include") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected update help to explain blocked questions, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected update help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, `--payload-json '{"question":"Use stdout or stderr?"}'`) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected update help to include payload-json example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInboxWaitReplyHelpExplainsBlockingPrimitive(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeInboxCommand("wait-reply", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "worker-side blocking primitive") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected wait-reply help to explain its role, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "--after-event 42 --timeout-seconds 900") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected wait-reply help to include resume example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInboxListHelpExplainsDifferenceFromFetch(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeInboxCommand("list", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Compared with fetch") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected list help to explain how it differs from fetch, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected list help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "--created-by orch --status done,failed") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected list help to include inspection-focused example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/init.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/init.go
index 2be90d4..c36c4d5 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/init.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/init.go
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ func newInitCmd(opts *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	return &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "init",
 		Short: "Initialize the shared SQLite database schema",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use init to create or migrate the shared inbox SQLite schema at one database path.",
+			"Run init once before first real use on a new database path.",
+			"init is safe to rerun when you need to ensure the schema exists before another command.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db init`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/list.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/list.go
index 4c99f28..f9fb7d9 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/list.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/list.go
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ func newListCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "list",
 		Short: "List threads with filters",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use list for broad inbox inspection across many threads.",
+			"Compared with fetch: fetch is the worker discovery step before claim, while list is the general inspection surface for leaders, operators, and debugging.",
+			"Use list when you want to scan by assigned worker, creator, or status without implying that the current agent plans to claim the work.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db list --status blocked,in_progress
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db list --assigned-to worker-a --status pending --limit 10
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db list --created-by orch --status done,failed`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
@@ -73,11 +81,11 @@ func newListCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.agent, "agent", "", "Assigned agent filter shortcut")
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.statuses, "status", "", "Comma-separated status filter")
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.createdBy, "created-by", "", "Created-by filter")
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.assignedTo, "assigned-to", "", "Assigned-to filter")
-	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&opts.limit, "limit", 20, "Maximum number of threads")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.agent, "agent", "", "Shortcut for filtering threads assigned to one agent")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.statuses, "status", "", "Comma-separated status filter such as pending,blocked,done")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.createdBy, "created-by", "", "Only include threads created by this agent")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.assignedTo, "assigned-to", "", "Only include threads currently assigned to this agent")
+	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&opts.limit, "limit", 20, "Maximum number of threads to return")
 
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/renew.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/renew.go
index 735d1b0..acaefae 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/renew.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/renew.go
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ func newRenewCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "renew",
 		Short: "Extend an existing lease",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use renew to extend an active worker lease on one claimed thread.",
+			"renew only applies when the caller already owns the active lease.",
+			"Use renew for long-running work instead of risking lease expiry mid-execution.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db renew --agent worker-a --thread thr_123
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db renew --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --lease-seconds 1800`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/reply.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/reply.go
index db1387a..92e1385 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/reply.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/reply.go
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ func newReplyCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "reply",
 		Short: "Reply inside an existing thread",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use reply to append a directed answer, control note, or follow-up message to an existing thread.",
+			"Leaders usually use reply or orch answer when a worker is blocked.",
+			"Workers may also use reply for non-terminal coordination that should stay inside the same thread history.",
+			"reply is for one existing thread; use send when you need to create a new thread.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db reply --from leader --to worker-a --thread thr_123 --summary "Use stdout" --body "Use stdout for MVP."
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db reply --from leader --to worker-a --thread thr_123 --kind control --summary "Proceed with option A" --payload-json '{"decision":"option_a"}'`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/root.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/root.go
index 56045e6..2184f72 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/root.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/root.go
@@ -14,8 +14,22 @@ func NewRootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	opts := &rootOptions{}
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:           "inbox",
-		Short:         "Worker-facing durable coordination bus",
+		Use:   "inbox",
+		Short: "Worker-facing durable coordination bus",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use inbox to coordinate durable worker-side execution through SQLite-backed threads, messages, leases, and artifacts.",
+			"Workers should use inbox directly to fetch or inspect one assigned thread, claim it, report progress, ask blocked questions, wait for answers, and finish with done or fail.",
+			"Leaders usually use orch for planning and dispatch, then use inbox mainly for inspection or manual repair.",
+			"fetch does not grant ownership; claim is the step that acquires the active lease.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db init
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db fetch --agent worker-a --status pending
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db claim --agent worker-a --thread thr_123
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db show --thread thr_123
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db update --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --status in_progress --summary "Started work"
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db update --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --status blocked --summary "Need API decision" --payload-json '{"question":"Use v1 or v2?"}'
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db wait-reply --thread thr_123 --after-event 10
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db done --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --summary "Finished"`,
 		SilenceErrors: true,
 		SilenceUsage:  true,
 	}
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/send.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/send.go
index cf46a03..e1b0831 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/send.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/send.go
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ func newSendCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "send",
 		Short: "Create a thread with an initial directed message",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use send to create a new directed thread and first message.",
+			"This is the low-level thread creation primitive.",
+			"Leaders often create task threads through orch dispatch instead; use inbox send for manual repair, ad hoc coordination, or a thread that does not belong to an orch-managed task.",
+			"Creating a new thread requires a subject unless you are explicitly targeting an existing thread ID.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db send --from leader --to worker-a --subject "Investigate flaky test" --summary "Check latest failures" --run run_blog_001 --task T1
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db send --from leader --to worker-a --subject "Review logs" --summary "See attached stacktrace" --body-file ./brief.md --artifact ./failure.log --artifact-kind log`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/show.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/show.go
index f08dba0..aa8cd39 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/show.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/show.go
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ func newShowCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "show",
 		Short: "Show one thread with message history",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use show to inspect one thread together with its message history.",
+			"Workers should usually inspect the assigned thread before making assumptions about task body, payload JSON, or prior coordination.",
+			"Leaders can also use show for manual debugging and repair.",
+			"Use show when you need the exact message sequence inside one thread, not just a filtered thread list.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db show --thread thr_123
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db --agent worker-a show --thread thr_123 --mark-read`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
@@ -71,7 +79,7 @@ func newShowCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.threadID, "thread", "", "Thread ID")
-	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.markRead, "mark-read", false, "Advance the caller's read cursor to the latest message")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.markRead, "mark-read", false, "Advance the caller's read cursor to the latest message in this thread")
 	_ = cmd.MarkFlagRequired("thread")
 
 	return cmd
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/update.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/update.go
index 4cdfe17..90f9a10 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/update.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/update.go
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ func newUpdateCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "update",
 		Short: "Append a progress or blocked update to a thread",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use update to append worker progress inside one claimed thread.",
+			"in_progress means real work has started.",
+			"blocked means the worker cannot continue without a precise answer or dependency.",
+			"Blocked updates should include a concise summary and usually a payload_json question so the leader can answer deterministically.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db update --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --status in_progress --summary "Reading current auth flow"
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db update --agent worker-a --thread thr_123 --status blocked --summary "Need logging decision" --payload-json '{"question":"Use stdout or stderr?"}'`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/wait_reply.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/wait_reply.go
index 63c3b1e..9a065ce 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/wait_reply.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/wait_reply.go
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ func newWaitReplyCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "wait-reply",
 		Short: "Block until a reply-like message appears in a thread",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use wait-reply after a worker has marked a thread blocked and needs a leader response.",
+			"This is the worker-side blocking primitive; prefer it over ad hoc sleep loops.",
+			"Resume with --after-event or --after-message when you already know the last event or message you processed.",
+			"wait-reply watches one thread, unlike watch which can observe broader inbox activity.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db wait-reply --thread thr_123
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db wait-reply --thread thr_123 --after-event 42 --timeout-seconds 900
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db wait-reply --thread thr_123 --kinds answer,result`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/watch.go b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/watch.go
index 2a128f8..5b57f0f 100644
--- a/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/watch.go
+++ b/packages/inbox-runtime/internal/cli/inbox/watch.go
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ func newWatchCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "watch",
 		Short: "Block until new matching activity appears",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use watch to wait for new matching thread activity across the inbox.",
+			"This is useful for operator-style inspection or lightweight agents that need to observe when new work, blocked work, or terminal results appear without polling manually.",
+			"watch is broader than wait-reply: it watches many matching threads, while wait-reply is the worker-side primitive for one blocked thread.",
+		),
+		Example: `  inbox --db .agents/coord.db watch --status pending,blocked
+  inbox --db .agents/coord.db watch --agent worker-a --status pending --after-event 100 --timeout-seconds 300`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
@@ -81,10 +88,10 @@ func newWatchCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.agent, "agent", "", "Assigned agent filter")
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.statuses, "status", "pending,blocked,done,failed", "Comma-separated status filter")
-	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&opts.timeoutSeconds, "timeout-seconds", 0, "Maximum time to wait; 0 waits forever")
-	cmd.Flags().Int64Var(&opts.afterEventID, "after-event", 0, "Resume after a known event ID")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.agent, "agent", "", "Only wake for threads assigned to this agent")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.statuses, "status", "pending,blocked,done,failed", "Comma-separated thread status filter")
+	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&opts.timeoutSeconds, "timeout-seconds", 0, "Maximum time to wait; 0 means wait forever")
+	cmd.Flags().Int64Var(&opts.afterEventID, "after-event", 0, "Resume after a known inbox event ID")
 
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/answer.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/answer.go
index 5f80508..2117b14 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/answer.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/answer.go
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ func newAnswerCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "answer",
 		Short: "Answer the active blocked question for a task",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use answer to write one response back into the active blocked attempt thread for a task.",
+			"Use body for human-readable guidance, payload-json for structured decisions, or both when workers need a stable machine-readable contract.",
+			"answer targets the current active blocked attempt for the task; it is not a generic freeform message append.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db answer --run blog_mvp_001 --task T2 --body "Use stdout for MVP."
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db answer --run blog_mvp_001 --task T2 --payload-json '{"decision":"stdout","source":"leader"}'`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			body, err := resolveBodyValue(opts.body, opts.bodyFile)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/blocked.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/blocked.go
index dd59880..31fb67c 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/blocked.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/blocked.go
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ func newBlockedCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "blocked",
 		Short: "List blocked tasks and their latest question",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use blocked to list tasks whose active attempt is blocked together with the latest question the leader needs to answer.",
+			"Use blocked before answer when you want a compact queue of unresolved worker questions instead of the full run view from status.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db blocked --run blog_mvp_001
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db --json blocked --run blog_mvp_001`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cancel.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cancel.go
index 74ce970..35085c4 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cancel.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cancel.go
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@ func newCancelCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "cancel",
 		Short: "Cancel a task or an entire run",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use cancel to stop one task or an entire run.",
+			"Pass --task when you want to cancel one task inside the run; omit it when you want to cancel the whole run.",
+			"Use a reason when later readers need to understand why the work was stopped.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db cancel --run blog_mvp_001 --task T3 --reason "Superseded by a new plan."
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db cancel --run blog_mvp_001 --reason "User cancelled the entire request."`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cleanup.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cleanup.go
index d652041..5c0b924 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cleanup.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/cleanup.go
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ func newCleanupCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "cleanup",
 		Short: "Remove completed or abandoned attempt worktrees",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use cleanup to remove worktrees that belong to completed, abandoned, or explicitly forced attempt cleanup.",
+			"cleanup only affects attempts that actually have worktree-backed execution state; analysis-mode attempts have no worktree to remove.",
+			"Pass --task when you want to clean one task's latest cleanup candidate.",
+			"Pass --task plus --attempt when you want one exact attempt.",
+			"Pass --all-completed when you want a run-wide cleanup sweep.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db cleanup --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db cleanup --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1 --attempt 2
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db cleanup --run blog_mvp_001 --all-completed`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
@@ -74,9 +84,9 @@ func newCleanupCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.runID, "run", "", "Run ID")
-	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.taskID, "task", "", "Optional task ID")
-	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&opts.attemptNo, "attempt", 0, "Specific attempt number")
-	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.allCompleted, "all-completed", false, "Clean all completed or abandoned worktrees in the run")
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&opts.taskID, "task", "", "Limit cleanup candidates to one task")
+	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&opts.attemptNo, "attempt", 0, "Limit cleanup to one specific attempt number")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.allCompleted, "all-completed", false, "Clean every completed or abandoned worktree in the run")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&opts.force, "force", false, "Force cleanup even for non-terminal worktrees")
 	_ = cmd.MarkFlagRequired("run")
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council.go
index 05fde1d..5f837e3 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council.go
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ func newCouncilCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "council",
 		Short: "Council review workflow commands",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use council commands for the three-reviewer analysis workflow built on top of orch runs, tasks, and inbox threads.",
+			"council is analysis-oriented and is meant for grouped review output rather than direct code-writing execution.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db council start --run council_blog_001 --target "Review the current architecture."
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db council wait --run council_blog_001 --timeout-seconds 600
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db council tally --run council_blog_001
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db council report --run council_blog_001`,
 	}
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(newCouncilStartCmd(root))
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_report.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_report.go
index ff1a0bf..34fcc5b 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_report.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_report.go
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ func newCouncilReportCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "report",
 		Short: "Render the final grouped council output",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use council report to render the final council output from previously tallied grouped recommendations and persist the markdown artifact on disk.",
+			"Run report after tally so the grouped recommendations and vote buckets are already available.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db council report --run council_blog_001
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db council report --run council_blog_001 --show consensus,majority`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_start.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_start.go
index 105d5e4..7105850 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_start.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_start.go
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ func newCouncilStartCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "start",
 		Short: "Create and dispatch a three-reviewer council run",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use council start to create one three-reviewer council run and immediately dispatch the fixed reviewer tasks.",
+			"This is analysis-oriented workflow setup on top of orch.",
+			"The result is a normal run with reviewer tasks that later feed council wait, tally, and report.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db council start --run council_blog_001 --target "Review the current blog architecture." --target-type mixed --output both`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_tally.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_tally.go
index a246003..901b796 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_tally.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_tally.go
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ func newCouncilTallyCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "tally",
 		Short: "Group reviewer findings and compute council support counts",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use council tally to read reviewer outputs, group similar proposals, and compute support counts such as consensus, majority, and minority.",
+			"Run tally after reviewer completion and before rendering the final report.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db council tally --run council_blog_001 --similarity normal`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_wait.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_wait.go
index ce4417f..cc38833 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_wait.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/council_wait.go
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ func newCouncilWaitCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "wait",
 		Short: "Block until all council reviewers complete or timeout is reached",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use council wait to block until all reviewer tasks in one council run have completed or the timeout is reached.",
+			"Use this after council start instead of polling reviewer task state manually.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db council wait --run council_blog_001 --timeout-seconds 900`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dep.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dep.go
index 5f2e7f1..5a8f333 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dep.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dep.go
@@ -10,15 +10,20 @@ import (
 )
 
 type depAddOptions struct {
-	runID      string
-	taskID     string
-	dependsOn  string
+	runID     string
+	taskID    string
+	dependsOn string
 }
 
 func newDepCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "dep",
 		Short: "Task dependency commands",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use dep commands to gate one task on another task's completion.",
+			"Dependencies affect the ready queue; they do not themselves launch or cancel work.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db dep add --run blog_mvp_001 --task T2 --depends-on T1`,
 	}
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(newDepAddCmd(root))
@@ -31,6 +36,11 @@ func newDepAddCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "add",
 		Short: "Add a dependency edge to a task",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use dep add to make one task wait for another task to finish before it becomes ready.",
+			"The dependency target and dependent task must already exist in the same run.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db dep add --run blog_mvp_001 --task frontend --depends-on backend`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dispatch.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dispatch.go
index ba88a12..ac7daf9 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dispatch.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/dispatch.go
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@ func newDispatchCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "dispatch",
 		Short: "Dispatch a ready task to a worker through inbox",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use dispatch to turn one ready task into a concrete attempt and inbox thread.",
+			"You must choose exactly one execution mode.",
+			"analysis: create the attempt and thread only; do not allocate a worktree.",
+			"code: allocate a Git worktree for the attempt and record workspace metadata.",
+			"repo-path, workspace-root, and base-ref only apply to execution-mode code.",
+			"dispatch creates handoff state only; a separate worker runtime or worker agent must still claim the assigned inbox thread.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db dispatch --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1 --execution-mode analysis --to qa-worker --body "Summarize the latest failures."
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db dispatch --run blog_mvp_001 --task T2 --execution-mode code --to backend-worker --repo-path /path/to/repo --workspace-root .orch/worktrees --base-ref main --body-file ./tasks/t2.md`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			normalizedOpts, err := normalizeDispatchOptions(*opts)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/help.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/help.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8e99b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/help.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package orch
+
+import "strings"
+
+func helpLong(purpose string, constraints ...string) string {
+	var builder strings.Builder
+	builder.WriteString(strings.TrimSpace(purpose))
+	if len(constraints) == 0 {
+		return builder.String()
+	}
+
+	builder.WriteString("\n\nConstraints:\n")
+	for _, constraint := range constraints {
+		constraint = strings.TrimSpace(constraint)
+		if constraint == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		builder.WriteString("- ")
+		builder.WriteString(constraint)
+		builder.WriteByte('\n')
+	}
+
+	return strings.TrimRight(builder.String(), "\n")
+}
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/help_contracts_test.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/help_contracts_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c966de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/help_contracts_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package orch
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestOrchRootHelpExplainsLeaderWorkflow(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeOrchCommand("--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "orch is the control plane") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to explain control-plane role, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "dispatch --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1 --execution-mode analysis") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to include execution-mode example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestOrchDispatchHelpExplainsExecutionModes(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeOrchCommand("dispatch", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "analysis: create the attempt and thread only") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected dispatch help to explain analysis mode, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected dispatch help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "repo-path, workspace-root, and base-ref only apply to execution-mode code") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected dispatch help to explain code-only flags, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestOrchCouncilStartHelpExplainsWorkflow(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeOrchCommand("council", "start", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "three-reviewer council run") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected council start help to explain purpose, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, `--target "Review the current blog architecture."`) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected council start help to include an example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestOrchStatusHelpExplainsDashboardRole(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeOrchCommand("status", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "main leader dashboard command") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status help to explain dashboard role, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestOrchCleanupHelpExplainsScopeFlags(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeOrchCommand("cleanup", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(combined), "pass --task plus --attempt when you want one exact attempt") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected cleanup help to explain scope flags, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected cleanup help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "--task T1 --attempt 2") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected cleanup help to include exact-attempt example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/ready.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/ready.go
index 99645de..9871728 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/ready.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/ready.go
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ func newReadyCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "ready",
 		Short: "List tasks that are ready for dispatch",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use ready to list tasks whose dependencies are already satisfied and can be dispatched now.",
+			"ready is a queue-inspection command only; it does not create attempts or threads.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db ready --run blog_mvp_001
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db ready --run blog_mvp_001 --limit 5`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reassign.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reassign.go
index f872100..880b6ff 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reassign.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reassign.go
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ func newReassignCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "reassign",
 		Short: "Reassign a blocked or failed task to another worker",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use reassign to cancel the current active attempt and create a new attempt for another worker.",
+			"Like retry, reassign preserves the prior execution contract: analysis attempts stay analysis-only, and code attempts receive a fresh worktree.",
+			"Use reassign when the worker target should change, not just when the same worker should try again.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db reassign --run blog_mvp_001 --task T3 --to worker-b --reason "Worker-a is blocked on a missing dependency."`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reconcile.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reconcile.go
index d1e218c..1bc5b44 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reconcile.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/reconcile.go
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ func newReconcileCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "reconcile",
 		Short: "Reconcile inbox thread state back into orch task state",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use reconcile to fold inbox thread state back into orch task and run state.",
+			"reconcile is the bridge from worker-side inbox activity to leader-side scheduler state.",
+			"Call reconcile before making new dispatch, retry, or status decisions when you need fresh state.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db reconcile --run blog_mvp_001`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/retry.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/retry.go
index 704294c..69e3aed 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/retry.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/retry.go
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ func newRetryCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "retry",
 		Short: "Retry a failed task by creating a new attempt",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use retry to create a fresh attempt and inbox thread for one failed task.",
+			"If the previous attempt used a worktree, retry provisions a new worktree from the recorded workspace contract.",
+			"If the previous attempt was analysis-only, retry stays analysis-only.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db retry --run blog_mvp_001 --task T7 --to backend-worker --body "Retry after fixing the contract mismatch."`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			body, err := resolveBodyValue(opts.body, opts.bodyFile)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/root.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/root.go
index 912c5a3..59c866f 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/root.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/root.go
@@ -13,8 +13,19 @@ func NewRootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	opts := &rootOptions{}
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:           "orch",
-		Short:         "Leader-facing scheduler and control plane",
+		Use:   "orch",
+		Short: "Leader-facing scheduler and control plane",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use orch to manage leader-side scheduling for runs, tasks, dependencies, dispatch, retries, reassignment, blocked-task answers, and worktree-backed code attempts.",
+			"orch is the control plane; it creates durable handoff state in inbox but does not launch workers by itself.",
+			"After dispatch, a separate worker runtime or worker agent should claim the assigned inbox thread.",
+			"Use execution-mode analysis for thread-only work and execution-mode code for worktree-backed repository changes.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db run init --run blog_mvp_001 --goal "Build blog MVP"
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db task add --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1 --title "Summarize flaky tests" --default-to qa-worker
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db ready --run blog_mvp_001
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db dispatch --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1 --execution-mode analysis --to qa-worker --body "Read the latest failures."
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db status --run blog_mvp_001`,
 		SilenceErrors: true,
 		SilenceUsage:  true,
 	}
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/run.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/run.go
index 8a4b226..640a321 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/run.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/run.go
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ func newRunCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "run",
 		Short: "Run management commands",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use run commands to create or inspect one orchestration run.",
+			"A run is the durable container for tasks, dependencies, attempts, and events for one user request or project slice.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db run init --run blog_mvp_001 --goal "Build blog MVP"
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db run show --run blog_mvp_001`,
 	}
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(newRunInitCmd(root))
@@ -37,6 +43,12 @@ func newRunInitCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "init",
 		Short: "Create a new orchestration run",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use run init to create one durable run that will own tasks, dependencies, attempts, and events for a single user request or project slice.",
+			"run IDs should be stable within the database path and are later reused by every other orch command.",
+			"Create the run before adding tasks, dependencies, or dispatching work.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db run init --run blog_mvp_001 --goal "Build blog MVP" --summary "Public blog plus admin CRUD"`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
@@ -86,6 +98,11 @@ func newRunShowCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "show",
 		Short: "Show run metadata and aggregate state",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use run show to inspect the lightweight run view with run metadata and aggregate task counts.",
+			"Prefer status when you need the full task list and latest attempt/message context.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db run show --run blog_mvp_001`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/status.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/status.go
index e655bb6..9fd370c 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/status.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/status.go
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ func newStatusCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "status",
 		Short: "Show task state summary for the run",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use status to show the full operational view for one run.",
+			"status reconciles inbox state first, then returns the run summary, aggregate task counts, the task list, and latest attempt/message context.",
+			"Use status as the main leader dashboard command. Prefer it over run show when you need the latest task-level execution picture before making the next dispatch, answer, retry, or cleanup decision.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db status --run blog_mvp_001
+  orch --db .agents/coord.db --json status --run blog_mvp_001`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/task.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/task.go
index 76187f5..a15a7d9 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/task.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/task.go
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ func newTaskCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "task",
 		Short: "Task management commands",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use task commands to define schedulable work inside one run.",
+			"Tasks should be small enough to inspect, dispatch, retry, and reconcile independently.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db task add --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1 --title "Implement backend" --default-to backend-worker`,
 	}
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(newTaskAddCmd(root))
@@ -35,6 +40,12 @@ func newTaskAddCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "add",
 		Short: "Add a task to a run",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use task add to register one schedulable task inside a run.",
+			"Tasks may include a default worker target, priority, and optional acceptance JSON that downstream tooling can inspect.",
+			"A task must belong to an existing run before it can become ready or be dispatched.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db task add --run blog_mvp_001 --task T1 --title "Implement backend" --summary "Ship the first API slice" --default-to backend-worker --priority high`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/wait.go b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/wait.go
index 9041d6e..e77287a 100644
--- a/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/wait.go
+++ b/packages/orch-runtime/internal/cli/orch/wait.go
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ func newWaitCmd(root *rootOptions) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "wait",
 		Short: "Block until matching run-scoped task events become available",
+		Long: helpLong(
+			"Use wait as the leader-side blocking primitive.",
+			"Instead of polling with manual sleep loops, wait blocks until later matching task events exist for the run, such as ready, blocked, done, or failed.",
+			"Use --after-event when resuming from a known cursor so you do not reprocess earlier events.",
+		),
+		Example: `  orch --db .agents/coord.db wait --run blog_mvp_001 --for task_blocked,task_done --after-event 0 --timeout-seconds 900`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
 
diff --git a/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/execute.go b/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/execute.go
index 40f4deb..75f0874 100644
--- a/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/execute.go
+++ b/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/execute.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 )
 
@@ -30,6 +31,21 @@ func Execute(args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
 		usage()
 		return 2
 	}
+	if args[0] == "help" {
+		if len(args) == 1 {
+			usage()
+			return 0
+		}
+		if err := runCommand([]string{args[1], "--help"}); err != nil {
+			_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(commandStderr, err)
+			return 1
+		}
+		return 0
+	}
+	if isHelpToken(args[0]) {
+		usage()
+		return 0
+	}
 
 	if err := runCommand(args); err != nil {
 		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(commandStderr, err)
@@ -39,6 +55,15 @@ func Execute(args []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
 	return 0
 }
 
+func isHelpToken(value string) bool {
+	switch strings.TrimSpace(value) {
+	case "-h", "--help":
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 func runCommand(args []string) error {
 	switch args[0] {
 	case "init":
diff --git a/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/help_test.go b/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/help_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35915db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/help_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestRepoMemoryRootHelpShowsWorkflowAndCommands(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeRepoMemoryCommand("--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Store durable repository knowledge in SQLite") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to explain purpose, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "repo-memory verify --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected root help to include workflow example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRepoMemoryCommandHelpWorksThroughHelpSubcommand(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeRepoMemoryCommand("help", "add")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Insert or update one durable knowledge entry") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected add help summary, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Constraints:") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected add help to include constraints section, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "--kind") || !strings.Contains(combined, "--dep") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected add help to print flags, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRepoMemoryCommandHelpWorksWithDashHelp(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	stdout, stderr, exitCode := executeRepoMemoryCommand("search", "--help")
+	if exitCode != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected help exit 0, got %d\nstderr:\n%s\nstdout:\n%s", exitCode, stderr, stdout)
+	}
+
+	combined := stdout + stderr
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, "Search stored repository knowledge before a deeper code dive") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected search help summary, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(combined, `--query "actionCode fill"`) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected search help example, got:\n%s", combined)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/main.go b/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/main.go
index aa1a5d8..70eb451 100644
--- a/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/main.go
+++ b/packages/repo-memory-runtime/cmd/repo-memory/main.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -32,8 +33,19 @@ func (s *stringSliceFlag) Set(value string) error {
 func runInit(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("init", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "init",
+		"Create or migrate the SQLite schema for one repo-memory database.",
+		[]string{
+			"Run init once before first real use on a new database path.",
+			"init is safe to rerun when you need to ensure the schema exists before another command.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory init --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -54,10 +66,21 @@ func runInit(args []string) error {
 func runIngest(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("ingest", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "ingest",
+		"Scan markdown knowledge under one repository and import it into repo-memory.",
+		[]string{
+			"ingest expects a repository root and scans markdown under the configured relative path.",
+			"Use ingest for curated docs; use add when you want to record one specific fact manually.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory ingest --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo --path docs/ai`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	repoPath := fs.String("repo", "", "Repository root")
 	scanPath := fs.String("path", "docs/ai", "Relative path under repo to scan for markdown")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	if strings.TrimSpace(*repoPath) == "" {
@@ -120,6 +143,14 @@ func runIngest(args []string) error {
 func runAdd(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("add", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "add",
+		"Insert or update one durable knowledge entry with evidence, aliases, and dependencies.",
+		[]string{
+			"add requires a repository root because entries are anchored to one repo.",
+			"Prefer confirmed only for well-supported facts; use dependencies and evidence fields whenever possible.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory add --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo --kind term --key AITask --summary "Plan task model" --source-path app/AITask.java --source-line 42 --status confirmed --alias "AI Task" --dep file:app/AITask.java:hard`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	repoPath := fs.String("repo", "", "Repository root")
 	kind := fs.String("kind", "", "Knowledge kind, e.g. term|chain|danger")
@@ -139,6 +170,9 @@ func runAdd(args []string) error {
 	fs.Var(&aliases, "alias", "Alias for this entry (repeatable)")
 	fs.Var(&deps, "dep", "Dependency in type:locator[:hard|soft] format (repeatable)")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	if strings.TrimSpace(*repoPath) == "" {
@@ -202,11 +236,22 @@ func runAdd(args []string) error {
 func runSearch(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("search", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "search",
+		"Search stored repository knowledge before a deeper code dive.",
+		[]string{
+			"search requires a non-empty query string.",
+			"Use repo filtering when you want to narrow results to one repository name or path fragment.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory search --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo zeus --query "actionCode fill" --limit 10`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	query := fs.String("query", "", "Search query")
 	repo := fs.String("repo", "", "Optional repo path filter (substring match)")
 	limit := fs.Int("limit", 10, "Result limit")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	if strings.TrimSpace(*query) == "" {
@@ -243,8 +288,18 @@ func runSearch(args []string) error {
 func runRepos(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("repos", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "repos",
+		"List repositories currently tracked in one repo-memory database.",
+		[]string{
+			"repos reads only from the memory database; it does not rescan the filesystem.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory repos --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -272,12 +327,23 @@ func runRepos(args []string) error {
 func runList(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("list", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "list",
+		"List entries with optional repo, kind, and status filters.",
+		[]string{
+			"list is for broad inspection; use search when you need ranked text matching.",
+			"Filters are optional and can be combined to narrow the result set.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory list --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo zeus --kind term --status confirmed --limit 20`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	repo := fs.String("repo", "", "Optional repo path filter (substring match)")
 	kind := fs.String("kind", "", "Optional knowledge kind filter")
 	status := fs.String("status", "", "Optional status filter")
 	limit := fs.Int("limit", 20, "Result limit")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -311,6 +377,14 @@ func runList(args []string) error {
 func runEvents(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("events", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "events",
+		"Show verification and status-change history for one entry.",
+		[]string{
+			"Resolve the entry either by --id or by the combination of --repo, --kind, and --key.",
+			"events is history-only; it does not modify entries.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory events --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --id 1`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	id := fs.Int64("id", 0, "Entry id")
 	repo := fs.String("repo", "", "Repo root when resolving by kind/key")
@@ -318,6 +392,9 @@ func runEvents(args []string) error {
 	key := fs.String("key", "", "Knowledge key when resolving by kind/key")
 	limit := fs.Int("limit", 20, "Result limit")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -361,11 +438,22 @@ func runEvents(args []string) error {
 func runLink(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("link", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "link",
+		"Create a relationship edge between two stored entries.",
+		[]string{
+			"link expects two existing entry IDs.",
+			"Use links for durable relationships such as related_to, depends_on, or implements.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory link --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --from-id 1 --to-id 2 --relation related_to`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	fromID := fs.Int64("from-id", 0, "From entry id")
 	toID := fs.Int64("to-id", 0, "To entry id")
 	relation := fs.String("relation", "", "Link relation")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -386,9 +474,20 @@ func runLink(args []string) error {
 func runVerify(args []string) error {
 	fs := flag.NewFlagSet("verify", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	fs.SetOutput(commandStderr)
+	setCommandUsage(fs, "verify",
+		"Re-check stored entries against current repository state and downgrade stale knowledge.",
+		[]string{
+			"verify uses current git state to detect changed or missing hard dependencies.",
+			"Pass --repo to verify one repository; omit it to verify every tracked repository in the database.",
+		},
+		`repo-memory verify --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo`,
+	)
 	dbPath := fs.String("db", "repo-memory.db", "SQLite database path")
 	repo := fs.String("repo", "", "Optional repo root to verify; if omitted, verify all known repos")
 	if err := fs.Parse(args); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, flag.ErrHelp) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -468,18 +567,64 @@ func usage() {
 	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(commandStderr, `repo-memory: repo memory CLI
 
 Usage:
-  repo-memory init   --db repo-memory.db
-  repo-memory add    --db repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo --kind term --key AITask --summary "..."
-  repo-memory ingest --db repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo [--path docs/ai]
-  repo-memory search --db repo-memory.db --query "actionCode fill" [--repo zeus]
-  repo-memory list   --db repo-memory.db [--repo zeus] [--kind term] [--status confirmed]
-  repo-memory events --db repo-memory.db --id 1
-  repo-memory link   --db repo-memory.db --from-id 1 --to-id 2 --relation related_to
-  repo-memory verify --db repo-memory.db [--repo /path/to/repo]
-  repo-memory repos  --db repo-memory.db
+  repo-memory <command> [flags]
+
+Purpose:
+  Store durable repository knowledge in SQLite so agents can search prior findings,
+  ingest curated docs, add confirmed facts, inspect history, and verify stale entries.
+
+Constraints:
+  - Write durable repository knowledge, not short-lived chat conclusions.
+  - Prefer search before add so repeated work starts from existing knowledge.
+  - Use verify when code has moved enough that stored entries may be stale.
+
+Commands:
+  init    Initialize or migrate one SQLite database
+  ingest  Import markdown knowledge from docs under one repo
+  add     Insert or update one durable knowledge entry
+  search  Search stored knowledge by query text
+  list    List entries with optional filters
+  events  Show history for one entry
+  link    Link two entries together
+  verify  Re-check entries against current repo state
+  repos   List tracked repositories
+
+Examples:
+  repo-memory init   --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db
+  repo-memory search --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo zeus --query "router auth"
+  repo-memory add    --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo --kind term --key AuthRouter --summary "..."
+  repo-memory verify --db ~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db --repo /path/to/repo
+
+More help:
+  repo-memory --help
+  repo-memory help add
+  repo-memory add --help
 `)
 }
 
+func setCommandUsage(fs *flag.FlagSet, name, summary string, constraints []string, example string) {
+	fs.Usage = func() {
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(commandStderr, "repo-memory %s\n\n", name)
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(commandStderr, "Usage:\n  repo-memory %s [flags]\n\n", name)
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(commandStderr, "Purpose:\n  %s\n\n", summary)
+		if len(constraints) > 0 {
+			_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(commandStderr, "Constraints:")
+			for _, constraint := range constraints {
+				if strings.TrimSpace(constraint) == "" {
+					continue
+				}
+				_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(commandStderr, "  - %s\n", constraint)
+			}
+			_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(commandStderr)
+		}
+		if strings.TrimSpace(example) != "" {
+			_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(commandStderr, "Example:\n  %s\n\n", example)
+		}
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(commandStderr, "Flags:")
+		fs.PrintDefaults()
+	}
+}
+
 type gitState struct {
 	branch string
 	commit string
diff --git a/skills/inbox/SKILL.md b/skills/inbox/SKILL.md
index 5d56526..ce35d93 100644
--- a/skills/inbox/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/inbox/SKILL.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Use the bundled `./assets/inbox` CLI to communicate through a durable SQLite-bac
 - Invoke `./assets/inbox` relative to this skill directory.
 - Pass `--db` explicitly for every command.
 - Prefer `--json` whenever another agent or script will read the output.
+- The bundled CLI help is intended to be self-describing; start with `./assets/inbox --help` or `./assets/inbox <command> --help` when you need command usage.
 - Run `init` before first use on a new database path.
 
 ## Rules
diff --git a/skills/inbox/assets/inbox b/skills/inbox/assets/inbox
index c883222..be8f909 100755
Binary files a/skills/inbox/assets/inbox and b/skills/inbox/assets/inbox differ
diff --git a/skills/orch/SKILL.md b/skills/orch/SKILL.md
index 3b4059a..bbeb53e 100644
--- a/skills/orch/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/orch/SKILL.md
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Use the bundled `./assets/orch` CLI to control leader-side orchestration through
 - Invoke `./assets/orch` relative to this skill directory.
 - Pass `--db` explicitly for every command.
 - Prefer `--json` whenever another agent or script will read the output.
+- The bundled CLI help is intended to be self-describing; start with `./assets/orch --help` or `./assets/orch <command> --help` when you need command usage.
 - Initialize a new database path once through the bundled `inbox init` command before the first real run.
 - Use `status` as the main operational view. It reconciles worker thread state first, then returns run, task, latest-attempt, and latest-message context.
 - For Codex worker launch, standardize the handoff through `./assets/orch-worker-brief` instead of improvising the worker prompt every time.
diff --git a/skills/orch/assets/orch b/skills/orch/assets/orch
index f76b4cf..7a5a5c7 100755
Binary files a/skills/orch/assets/orch and b/skills/orch/assets/orch differ
diff --git a/skills/repo-memory/SKILL.md b/skills/repo-memory/SKILL.md
index c505171..f1da540 100644
--- a/skills/repo-memory/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/repo-memory/SKILL.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Use the bundled `./assets/repo-memory` CLI to maintain and query durable reposit
 
 - Invoke `./assets/repo-memory` relative to this skill directory.
 - Default database path: `~/.codex/data/repo-memory.db`.
+- The bundled CLI help is intended to be self-describing; start with `./assets/repo-memory --help`, `./assets/repo-memory help <command>`, or `./assets/repo-memory <command> --help`.
 - Prefer searching before a deep repo dive so repeated work starts from existing knowledge.
 - Run `init` before first use on a new database path.
 
diff --git a/skills/repo-memory/assets/repo-memory b/skills/repo-memory/assets/repo-memory
index 9b221e7..131e439 100755
Binary files a/skills/repo-memory/assets/repo-memory and b/skills/repo-memory/assets/repo-memory differ