diff --git a/docs/concepts.md b/docs/concepts.md
index 39dc705..f29e74e 100644
--- a/docs/concepts.md
+++ b/docs/concepts.md
@@ -216,6 +216,9 @@ populate middleware:
 | Flag | Middleware field | Default | Purpose |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | `--output`, `-o` | `output_format` | `json` | Output format: `json`, `human`, or `toon`. |
+| `--json` | `output_format` | — | Shorthand for `--output json`. |
+| `--toon` | `output_format` | — | Shorthand for `--output toon`. |
+| `--human` | `output_format` | — | Shorthand for `--output human`. |
 | `--verbose` | `verbose` | empty | Includes metadata; no value means `all`. |
 | `--dry-run` | `dry_run` | `false` | Short-circuits mutating/destructive commands. |
 | `--fields` | `fields` | empty | Selects comma-separated output fields. |
@@ -337,8 +340,9 @@ my-cli project list --fields name,status
 my-cli project list --output human
 ```
 
-JSON output is the default. Human output is optimized for terminal reading. TOON can be requested
-explicitly with `--output toon`.
+JSON output is the default. Human output is optimized for terminal reading. Each format has a
+shorthand flag: `--json`, `--human`, and `--toon` are equivalent to `--output json`,
+`--output human`, and `--output toon` respectively.
 
 Errors are rendered through the same envelope path as successful data. Framework errors are mapped
 to process exit codes by category. Callers that need a specific process status can use
diff --git a/docs/design.md b/docs/design.md
index fef5cdc..cc81527 100644
--- a/docs/design.md
+++ b/docs/design.md
@@ -228,6 +228,9 @@ Framework global flags populate middleware and apply consistently to every comma
 | Flag | Purpose |
 | --- | --- |
 | `--output`, `-o` | Output format: `json`, `human`, or `toon`. |
+| `--json` | Shorthand for `--output json`. |
+| `--toon` | Shorthand for `--output toon`. |
+| `--human` | Shorthand for `--output human`. |
 | `--verbose` | Includes metadata; no value means all metadata. |
 | `--dry-run` | Short-circuits mutating/destructive commands. |
 | `--fields` | Selects comma-separated output fields. |
diff --git a/src/flags.rs b/src/flags.rs
index ed703d4..697eca5 100644
--- a/src/flags.rs
+++ b/src/flags.rs
@@ -170,16 +170,45 @@ pub fn register_global_flags(command: Command) -> Command {
                 .value_name("KEYWORD")
                 .help("Search commands and guides by keyword"),
         )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("json")
+                .long("json")
+                .global(true)
+                .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
+                .help("Shorthand for --output json"),
+        )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("toon")
+                .long("toon")
+                .global(true)
+                .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
+                .help("Shorthand for --output toon"),
+        )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("human")
+                .long("human")
+                .global(true)
+                .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
+                .help("Shorthand for --output human"),
+        )
 }
 
 #[must_use]
 /// Extracts framework-global flags from parsed `clap` matches.
 pub fn global_flags_from_matches(matches: &ArgMatches) -> GlobalFlags {
-    GlobalFlags {
-        output_format: matches
+    let output_format = if matches.get_flag("toon") {
+        "toon".to_owned()
+    } else if matches.get_flag("human") {
+        "human".to_owned()
+    } else {
+        matches
             .get_one::<String>("output")
             .cloned()
-            .unwrap_or_else(|| "json".to_owned()),
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "json".to_owned())
+    };
+
+    GlobalFlags {
+        output_format,
         verbose: matches
             .get_one::<String>("verbose")
             .cloned()
@@ -237,7 +266,10 @@ pub fn extract_search_query(args: &[impl AsRef<str>]) -> String {
 }
 
 #[must_use]
-/// Extracts `--output`/`-o` from raw args before normal parsing.
+/// Extracts output format from raw args.
+///
+/// Recognizes `--output <format>` / `-o <format>` / `--output=<format>`,
+/// plus `--json`, `--toon`, and `--human` as shorthand for their respective formats.
 pub fn extract_output_format(args: &[impl AsRef<str>]) -> String {
     for index in 0..args.len() {
         let arg = args[index].as_ref();
@@ -249,6 +281,15 @@ pub fn extract_output_format(args: &[impl AsRef<str>]) -> String {
         if let Some(value) = arg.strip_prefix("--output=") {
             return value.to_owned();
         }
+        if arg == "--json" {
+            return "json".to_owned();
+        }
+        if arg == "--toon" {
+            return "toon".to_owned();
+        }
+        if arg == "--human" {
+            return "human".to_owned();
+        }
     }
     "json".to_owned()
 }
diff --git a/tests/derive_bridge.rs b/tests/derive_bridge.rs
index 81cdab7..55cac73 100644
--- a/tests/derive_bridge.rs
+++ b/tests/derive_bridge.rs
@@ -283,3 +283,54 @@ async fn derive_bridge_handles_flattened_structs() {
     assert_eq!(json["data"]["page_size"], 50);
     assert_eq!(json["data"]["page"], 0);
 }
+
+// --- output shorthand aliases ---
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn json_shorthand_flag_produces_json_output() {
+    let cli = derive_cli();
+
+    let result = cli
+        .run(["derive-test", "greet", "hello", "--name", "World", "--json"])
+        .await;
+    assert_eq!(result.exit_code, 0, "stderr: {}", result.rendered);
+    let json: Value = serde_json::from_str(&result.rendered).expect("valid json");
+    assert_eq!(json["data"]["messages"], json!(["Hello, World!"]));
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn toon_shorthand_flag_produces_toon_output() {
+    let cli = derive_cli();
+
+    let result = cli
+        .run(["derive-test", "greet", "hello", "--name", "World", "--toon"])
+        .await;
+    assert_eq!(result.exit_code, 0, "output: {}", result.rendered);
+    assert!(
+        !result.rendered.starts_with('{'),
+        "toon output should not be raw JSON: {}",
+        result.rendered
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn human_shorthand_flag_produces_human_output() {
+    let cli = derive_cli();
+
+    let result = cli
+        .run([
+            "derive-test",
+            "greet",
+            "hello",
+            "--name",
+            "World",
+            "--human",
+        ])
+        .await;
+    assert_eq!(result.exit_code, 0, "output: {}", result.rendered);
+    assert!(
+        !result.rendered.starts_with('{'),
+        "human output should not be raw JSON: {}",
+        result.rendered
+    );
+}
diff --git a/tests/foundation.rs b/tests/foundation.rs
index 38ef51e..2ffd525 100644
--- a/tests/foundation.rs
+++ b/tests/foundation.rs
@@ -3435,6 +3435,22 @@ fn raw_search_and_output_extraction_matches_legacy_bypass_helpers() {
         extract_output_format(&["my-cli", "--search", "foo"]),
         "json"
     );
+    assert_eq!(
+        extract_output_format(&["my-cli", "project", "list", "--json"]),
+        "json"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        extract_output_format(&["my-cli", "project", "list", "--toon"]),
+        "toon"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        extract_output_format(&["my-cli", "--toon", "project", "list"]),
+        "toon"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        extract_output_format(&["my-cli", "project", "list", "--human"]),
+        "human"
+    );
 
     assert!(has_true_schema_flag(&["my-cli", "release", "--schema"]));
     assert!(has_true_schema_flag(&[