diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/bundle.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/bundle.go
index 71f3121..b5b4f3c 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/bundle.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/bundle.go
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ import (
 
 func NewBundleCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "bundle",
-		Short: "Inspect available platform-test bundles",
+		Use:     "bundle",
+		Short:   "Inspect available platform-test bundles",
+		Example: "  grounds bundle list\n  grounds bundle show main\n  grounds bundle show 0.4.0",
 	}
 	cmd.AddCommand(newList(), newShow())
 	return cmd
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/list.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/list.go
index ac3cc04..67cad4d 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/list.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/list.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"text/tabwriter"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 )
 
 func newList() *cobra.Command {
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ func newList() *cobra.Command {
 		Short: "List released platform-bundle versions",
 		Long: `Lists released library-platform-bundle versions, newest first.
 Drafts and prereleases are filtered out. The version with (latest) is
-the same one 'grounds cluster up --bundle main' would track today.`,
+the same one ` + "`grounds cluster up --bundle main`" + ` would track today.`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			ctx := context.Background()
 			c, err := buildClient(ctx, cmd)
@@ -26,7 +28,8 @@ the same one 'grounds cluster up --bundle main' would track today.`,
 				return err
 			}
 			if len(releases) == 0 {
-				fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "no released bundles found")
+				render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Bundle", "No released bundles found")
+				render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Try "+render.Command("grounds bundle show main")+" to inspect the current bundle.")
 				return nil
 			}
 			w := tabwriter.NewWriter(cmd.OutOrStdout(), 0, 0, 2, ' ', 0)
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/show.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/show.go
index f36aaac..18800e0 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/show.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/bundle/show.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func newShow() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "show <ref>",
 		Short: "Show the components in a bundle",
 		Long: `Fetches the parsed bundle.yaml at the given ref and prints the
-component table. <ref> accepts the same shapes as 'cluster up --bundle':
+component table. <ref> accepts the same shapes as ` + "`grounds cluster up --bundle`" + `:
 semver, "v…", the full release tag, or "main" for the latest commit.
 
 Examples:
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/cluster.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/cluster.go
index 34cd4bf..f2753c9 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/cluster.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/cluster.go
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewClusterCommand() *cobra.Command {
-	cmd := &cobra.Command{Use: "cluster", Short: "Manage your dev workspace lifecycle"}
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:     "cluster",
+		Short:   "Manage your dev workspace lifecycle",
+		Example: "  grounds cluster status\n  grounds cluster up\n  grounds cluster down\n  grounds cluster delete",
+	}
 	cmd.AddCommand(newUp(), newDown(), newDelete(), newStatus())
 	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/delete.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/delete.go
index 9bbb932..9e1b30e 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/delete.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/delete.go
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ package cluster
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"golang.org/x/term"
 
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/ui"
 )
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func newDelete() *cobra.Command {
 					return errors.New("non-interactive delete requires --yes <namespace>")
 				}
 			} else {
-				fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "⚠  This will permanently delete", s.Namespace, "and all its data.")
+				render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Workspace", "This will permanently delete "+s.Namespace+" and all its data")
 				if err := ui.AskTypeName(os.Stdin, cmd.OutOrStdout(), s.Namespace, s.Namespace); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -48,9 +48,10 @@ func newDelete() *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			switch res.State {
 			case "deleted":
-				fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "✔ Deleted.")
+				render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Workspace", "Deleted "+s.Namespace)
 			case "deleting":
-				fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "→ Stuck Terminating; will be cleaned up by the janitor on next run.")
+				render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Workspace", "Delete is still in progress")
+				render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Cleanup will continue automatically.")
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/down.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/down.go
index 316fa41..f49621b 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/down.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/down.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ func newDown() *cobra.Command {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "✔ Paused.")
 			render.Status(cmd.OutOrStdout(), s)
 			return nil
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/status.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/status.go
index 946b804..3d4fd13 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/status.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/status.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package cluster
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -23,7 +22,8 @@ func newStatus() *cobra.Command {
 			s, err := c.GetCluster(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
 				if apiErr, ok := err.(*api.Error); ok && apiErr.StatusCode == 404 {
-					fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "→ no workspace yet. Run 'grounds push' to create one.")
+					render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Workspace", "No workspace found")
+					render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Run "+render.Command("grounds push")+" to create one.")
 					return nil
 				}
 				return err
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go
index 52b40e9..91f213e 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ func newUp() *cobra.Command {
 	var bundleRef string
 	var overridePath string
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "up [--profile=minigame|platform] [--bundle=<ref> [--override=<file>]]",
-		Short: "Spawn or resume the workspace",
+		Use:     "up [--profile=minigame|platform] [--bundle=<ref> [--override=<file>]]",
+		Short:   "Spawn or resume the workspace",
+		Example: "  grounds cluster up\n  grounds cluster up --profile=platform\n  grounds cluster up --bundle=0.4.0 --override=./overrides/me.yaml",
 		Long: `Create the workspace if it doesn't exist, or resume it from a paused state.
 
 Profiles:
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ Profile is locked once a workspace exists. To switch, ` + "`grounds cluster dele
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "✔ Active.")
+			render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Workspace", "Active")
 			render.Status(cmd.OutOrStdout(), s)
 			return nil
 		},
@@ -112,13 +113,15 @@ func loadBundleRequest(bundleRef, overridePath string) (*api.BundleUpRequest, er
 func renderBundleResult(w interface {
 	Write(p []byte) (int, error)
 }, res *api.BundleUpResult) {
-	fmt.Fprintf(w, "✔ %s — bundle %s — %s\n", res.State, res.BundleVersion, res.Namespace)
-	fmt.Fprintf(w, "  components: %d resolved, %d succeeded, %d failed\n",
-		res.Components.Resolved, len(res.Components.Succeeded), len(res.Components.Failed))
+	status := render.StatusOK
+	summary := fmt.Sprintf("%s with bundle %s in namespace %s", res.State, res.BundleVersion, res.Namespace)
 	if len(res.Components.Failed) > 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, "  failed:")
-		for _, f := range res.Components.Failed {
-			fmt.Fprintf(w, "    - %s: %s\n", f.Name, f.Error)
-		}
+		status = render.StatusWarn
+	}
+	render.StatusLine(w, status, "Workspace", summary)
+	render.DetailLine(w, status, fmt.Sprintf("Components: %d resolved, %d succeeded, %d failed",
+		res.Components.Resolved, len(res.Components.Succeeded), len(res.Components.Failed)))
+	for _, f := range res.Components.Failed {
+		render.DetailLine(w, render.StatusError, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", f.Name, f.Error))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up_test.go
index 418bcfd..012f33e 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up_test.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 package cluster
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
+
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/api"
 )
 
 func TestLoadBundleRequest(t *testing.T) {
@@ -89,3 +94,30 @@ func writeTempYAML(t *testing.T, content string) string {
 	}
 	return path
 }
+
+func TestRenderBundleResult(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	defer func() { color.NoColor = false }()
+
+	res := &api.BundleUpResult{
+		State:         "active",
+		BundleVersion: "0.4.0",
+		Namespace:     "dev-lukas",
+	}
+	res.Components.Resolved = 2
+	res.Components.Succeeded = []string{"api"}
+	res.Components.Failed = append(res.Components.Failed, struct {
+		Name  string `json:"name"`
+		Error string `json:"error"`
+	}{Name: "worker", Error: "image pull failed"})
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	renderBundleResult(&buf, res)
+
+	want := "[!] Workspace - active with bundle 0.4.0 in namespace dev-lukas\n" +
+		"    ! Components: 2 resolved, 1 succeeded, 1 failed\n" +
+		"    ✗ worker: image pull failed\n"
+	if got := buf.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("renderBundleResult output = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/devspace.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/devspace.go
index 0e91cb2..8472836 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/devspace.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/devspace.go
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@ import (
 
 func NewDevspaceCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "devspace",
-		Short: "DevSpace integration helpers",
+		Use:     "devspace",
+		Short:   "DevSpace integration helpers",
+		Example: "  grounds devspace generate plugin-social --bundle main\n  grounds devspace generate plugin-social --override ./me.yaml",
 	}
 	cmd.AddCommand(newGenerate())
 	return cmd
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate.go
index 6d7d3f2..81b87db 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/api"
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 )
 
 func newGenerate() *cobra.Command {
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ Examples:
 			if err := os.WriteFile(outputPath, yaml, 0o644); err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("writing %s: %w", outputPath, err)
 			}
-			fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "✔ Wrote %d bytes to %s\n", len(yaml), outputPath)
+			render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "DevSpace", generateSuccessSummary(outputPath))
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
@@ -77,6 +78,10 @@ Examples:
 	return cmd
 }
 
+func generateSuccessSummary(outputPath string) string {
+	return "Wrote " + outputPath
+}
+
 // loadGenerateInputs picks the bundle-ref + per-component override
 // out of the override file (when present), with --bundle on the
 // command line winning over the file's `bundle:` field.
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate_test.go
index 28e63eb..67777db 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate_test.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/devspace/generate_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+func TestGenerateSuccessSummary(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := generateSuccessSummary("./devspace.yaml"); got != "Wrote ./devspace.yaml" {
+		t.Fatalf("generateSuccessSummary = %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoadGenerateInputs(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("bundle flag only, no override", func(t *testing.T) {
 		bundle, override, err := loadGenerateInputs("0.4.0", "", "plugin-social")
@@ -71,7 +77,7 @@ overrides: {}
 		}
 	})
 
-	t.Run("component not in override file → override is nil", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("component missing from override file uses nil override", func(t *testing.T) {
 		path := writeTempYAML(t, `
 bundle: 0.4.0
 overrides:
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/doctor.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/doctor.go
index 5f4765e..ad84e13 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/doctor.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/doctor.go
@@ -94,9 +94,20 @@ func runDoctorChecks(ctx context.Context, out io.Writer, checks []doctorCheck, i
 }
 
 func printCheckResult(out io.Writer, r checkResult) {
-	fmt.Fprintf(out, "%s %s - %s\n", statusBadge(r.status), r.name, r.summary)
+	render.StatusLine(out, renderStatus(r.status), r.name, r.summary)
 	for _, detail := range r.details {
-		fmt.Fprintf(out, "    %s %s\n", detailIcon(r.status), detail)
+		render.DetailLine(out, renderStatus(r.status), detail)
+	}
+}
+
+func renderStatus(status checkStatus) render.StatusKind {
+	switch status {
+	case statusWarn:
+		return render.StatusWarn
+	case statusError:
+		return render.StatusError
+	default:
+		return render.StatusOK
 	}
 }
 
@@ -126,28 +137,6 @@ func printDoctorFooter(out io.Writer, results []checkResult, strict bool) error
 	return nil
 }
 
-func statusBadge(status checkStatus) string {
-	switch status {
-	case statusWarn:
-		return render.Yellow("[!]")
-	case statusError:
-		return render.Red("[✗]")
-	default:
-		return render.Green("[✓]")
-	}
-}
-
-func detailIcon(status checkStatus) string {
-	switch status {
-	case statusError:
-		return render.Red("✗")
-	case statusWarn:
-		return render.Yellow("!")
-	default:
-		return "•"
-	}
-}
-
 func categoryWord(count int) string {
 	if count == 1 {
 		return "category"
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/init.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/init.go
index 73699e8..9b96755 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/init.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/init.go
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/huh"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 )
 
 type initFlags struct {
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ func writeGroundsYaml(out io.Writer, f *initFlags) error {
 	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(body), 0644); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	fmt.Fprintln(out, "→ Wrote grounds.yaml")
-	fmt.Fprintln(out, "Next: grounds push")
+	render.StatusLine(out, render.StatusOK, "Init", "Wrote grounds.yaml")
+	render.DetailLine(out, render.StatusOK, "Next: run "+render.Command("grounds push")+".")
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/init_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/init_test.go
index 8b99ba6..c40d25b 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/init_test.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/init_test.go
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ func TestInit_NonInteractive(t *testing.T) {
 	if !bytes.Contains(body, []byte("name: my-arena")) {
 		t.Errorf("body = %s", body)
 	}
+	if got := buf.String(); got != "[✓] Init - Wrote grounds.yaml\n    • Next: run `grounds push`.\n" {
+		t.Fatalf("output = %q", got)
+	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/login.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/login.go
index 5f69be3..a684641 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/login.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/login.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/browser"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/config"
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -41,9 +42,7 @@ func NewLoginCommand() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "→ Opening browser to", dc.VerificationURI)
-			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "  Verification code:", dc.UserCode)
-			_ = browser.OpenURL(dc.VerificationURIComplete)
+			printDeviceLoginInstructions(cmd.OutOrStdout(), dc, browser.OpenURL(dc.VerificationURIComplete))
 
 			tok, err := device.PollToken(ctx, dc.DeviceCode, dc.CodeVerifier, dc.Interval, dc.ExpiresIn)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -59,12 +58,33 @@ func NewLoginCommand() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "✔ Authenticated as", preferred)
+			render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Auth", "Logged in as "+loginSubject(preferred, email))
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
 }
 
+func printDeviceLoginInstructions(out io.Writer, dc *auth.DeviceCodeResponse, openErr error) {
+	if openErr != nil {
+		render.StatusLine(out, render.StatusWarn, "Browser", "Could not open device login page automatically")
+		render.DetailLine(out, render.StatusWarn, "URL: "+dc.VerificationURI)
+		render.DetailLine(out, render.StatusWarn, "Code: "+dc.UserCode)
+		return
+	}
+	render.StatusLine(out, render.StatusOK, "Browser", "Opened device login page")
+	render.DetailLine(out, render.StatusOK, "Code: "+dc.UserCode)
+}
+
+func loginSubject(preferred, email string) string {
+	if preferred != "" {
+		return preferred
+	}
+	if email != "" {
+		return email
+	}
+	return "current user"
+}
+
 func decodeIDToken(idToken string) (email, preferred string) {
 	parts := strings.Split(idToken, ".")
 	if len(parts) != 3 {
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/login_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/login_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9cea07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/login_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
+
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/auth"
+)
+
+func TestLoginSubject(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		preferred string
+		email     string
+		want      string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:      "preferred username",
+			preferred: "player-one",
+			email:     "player@example.com",
+			want:      "player-one",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "email",
+			email: "player@example.com",
+			want:  "player@example.com",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "current user",
+			want: "current user",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := loginSubject(tt.preferred, tt.email); got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("loginSubject(%q, %q) = %q, want %q", tt.preferred, tt.email, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPrintDeviceLoginInstructionsOpenedBrowser(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	t.Cleanup(func() { color.NoColor = false })
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	printDeviceLoginInstructions(&buf, &auth.DeviceCodeResponse{
+		UserCode:        "ABCD-EFGH",
+		VerificationURI: "https://example.test/device",
+	}, nil)
+
+	want := "[✓] Browser - Opened device login page\n" +
+		"    • Code: ABCD-EFGH\n"
+	if got := buf.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("output = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPrintDeviceLoginInstructionsBrowserOpenFailed(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	t.Cleanup(func() { color.NoColor = false })
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	printDeviceLoginInstructions(&buf, &auth.DeviceCodeResponse{
+		UserCode:        "ABCD-EFGH",
+		VerificationURI: "https://example.test/device",
+	}, errors.New("no opener"))
+
+	want := "[!] Browser - Could not open device login page automatically\n" +
+		"    ! URL: https://example.test/device\n" +
+		"    ! Code: ABCD-EFGH\n"
+	if got := buf.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("output = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/logout.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/logout.go
index 34a55e2..be51aa9 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/logout.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/logout.go
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 package commands
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/config"
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 )
 
 func NewLogoutCommand() *cobra.Command {
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ func NewLogoutCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			if err := auth.NewStore(cfg.Dir).Delete(); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "✔ Logged out.")
+			render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Auth", "Logged out")
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/logout_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/logout_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1d988f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/logout_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
+)
+
+func TestLogoutOutput(t *testing.T) {
+	previous := color.NoColor
+	color.NoColor = true
+	t.Cleanup(func() { color.NoColor = previous })
+
+	t.Setenv("GROUNDS_CONFIG_DIR", t.TempDir())
+
+	cmd := NewLogoutCommand()
+	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	cmd.SetOut(buf)
+
+	if err := cmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("execute: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := buf.String(); got != "[✓] Auth - Logged out\n" {
+		t.Fatalf("output = %q", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/logs/logs.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/logs/logs.go
index bf014b9..9526479 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/logs/logs.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/logs/logs.go
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ import (
 func NewLogsCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	var follow bool
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "logs <pushId>",
-		Short: "Stream push logs (or deployment logs via 'grounds logs deployment <name>')",
-		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		Use:     "logs <pushId>",
+		Short:   "Stream push logs, or deployment logs with `grounds logs deployment <name>`",
+		Example: "  grounds logs <pushId>\n  grounds logs <pushId> --follow\n  grounds logs deployment <name>",
+		Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return streamLogs(cmd.Context(), args[0], "push", follow)
 		},
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/logs/logs_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/logs/logs_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa89ea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/logs/logs_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package logs
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestLogsExamplesIncludeRequiredPushID(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewLogsCommand()
+
+	for _, example := range []string{
+		"grounds logs <pushId>",
+		"grounds logs <pushId> --follow",
+		"grounds logs deployment <name>",
+	} {
+		if !strings.Contains(cmd.Example, example) {
+			t.Fatalf("logs examples = %q, want %q", cmd.Example, example)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if strings.Contains(cmd.Example, "grounds logs\n") || strings.Contains(cmd.Example, "grounds logs --follow") {
+		t.Fatalf("logs examples = %q, should include required <pushId>", cmd.Example)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview.go
index 3893e3e..ab90eef 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview.go
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ import (
 //	grounds preview unpin  — re-enable TTL sweep
 func NewPreviewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "preview",
-		Short: "Manage preview environments (target=staging deploys)",
+		Use:     "preview",
+		Short:   "Manage staging preview environments",
+		Example: "  grounds preview list\n  grounds preview show <id>\n  grounds preview pin <id>\n  grounds preview unpin <id>",
 	}
 	cmd.AddCommand(newList(), newShow(), newPin(true), newPin(false))
 	return cmd
@@ -87,7 +88,8 @@ func newList() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 			if len(res.Items) == 0 {
-				fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "no preview environments")
+				render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Preview", "No preview environments found")
+				render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusWarn, "Run "+render.Command("grounds push --target=staging")+" to create one.")
 				return nil
 			}
 			header := []string{"ID", "PUSH", "NAME", "TYPE", "STATUS", "PINNED", "EXPIRES", "URL"}
@@ -145,11 +147,14 @@ func newShow() *cobra.Command {
 				enc.SetIndent("", "  ")
 				return enc.Encode(p)
 			}
-			fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "ID:        %s\nPushID:    %s\nNamespace: %s\nName:      %s (%s)\nStatus:    %s\nPinned:    %t\nExpires:   %s\nURL:       %s\n",
-				p.ID, p.PushID, p.Namespace,
-				p.Push.ManifestName, p.Push.ManifestType,
-				p.Push.Status, p.Pinned,
-				formatTime(p.ExpiresAt), p.PublicURL)
+			render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Preview", p.Push.ManifestName+" ("+p.Push.Status+")")
+			render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "ID: "+p.ID)
+			render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Push: "+p.PushID)
+			render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Namespace: "+p.Namespace)
+			render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Type: "+p.Push.ManifestType)
+			render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, fmt.Sprintf("Pinned: %t", p.Pinned))
+			render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Expires: "+formatTime(p.ExpiresAt))
+			render.DetailLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "URL: "+p.PublicURL)
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
@@ -182,11 +187,7 @@ func newPin(pin bool) *cobra.Command {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			verb := "pinned"
-			if !pin {
-				verb = "unpinned"
-			}
-			fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "%s %s (%s)\n", verb, shortID(p.ID), p.Push.ManifestName)
+			render.StatusLine(cmd.OutOrStdout(), render.StatusOK, "Preview", previewPinSummary(pin, p.ID, p.Push.ManifestName))
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
@@ -201,6 +202,14 @@ func shortID(s string) string {
 	return s[:8]
 }
 
+func previewPinSummary(pin bool, id, manifestName string) string {
+	verb := "Pinned"
+	if !pin {
+		verb = "Unpinned"
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s (%s)", verb, shortID(id), manifestName)
+}
+
 func formatTime(t *time.Time) string {
 	if t == nil {
 		return "—"
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview_test.go
index 579d7dc..778fc98 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview_test.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/preview/preview_test.go
@@ -40,6 +40,15 @@ func TestPinUseLineDiffersFromUnpin(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPreviewPinSummary(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := previewPinSummary(true, "abcdef1234", "plugin-social"); got != "Pinned abcdef12 (plugin-social)" {
+		t.Fatalf("previewPinSummary(pin) = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := previewPinSummary(false, "abcdef1234", "plugin-social"); got != "Unpinned abcdef12 (plugin-social)" {
+		t.Fatalf("previewPinSummary(unpin) = %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestShortIDTruncatesAt8Chars(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := map[string]string{
 		"abc":                              "abc",
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/list.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/list.go
index 0b797a3..84d7973 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/list.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/list.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package push
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
+	"io"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ func newList() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "list",
 		Short: "List pushes",
+		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			ctx := context.Background()
 			cfg, err := config.Load("")
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ func newList() *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			render.Table(cmd.OutOrStdout(), header, rows)
 			if list.NextCursor != "" {
-				fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "(more available; pagination flag TBD)")
+				renderPushPaginationNote(cmd.OutOrStdout())
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
@@ -50,3 +51,8 @@ func newList() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().IntVar(&limit, "limit", 20, "page size")
 	return cmd
 }
+
+func renderPushPaginationNote(out io.Writer) {
+	render.StatusLine(out, render.StatusWarn, "Push", "More results are available")
+	render.DetailLine(out, render.StatusWarn, "Pagination is not available in this CLI version.")
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push.go
index 48b924c..9d31ba3 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push.go
@@ -12,25 +12,29 @@ import (
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/config"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/gradle"
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 )
 
 func NewPushCommand() *cobra.Command {
-	cmd := &cobra.Command{Use: "push", Short: "Build and deploy the current project"}
-	cmd.AddCommand(newPush(), newRetry(), newList())
+	cmd := newPush()
+	cmd.Example = "  grounds push\n  grounds push --target=staging\n  grounds push list --mine"
+	cmd.AddCommand(newRetry(), newList())
 	return cmd
 }
 
 func newPush() *cobra.Command {
 	var target string
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "push [--target=dev|staging]",
-		Short: "Build via Gradle plugin and deploy to a target",
+		Use:     "push [--target=dev|staging]",
+		Short:   "Build via Gradle plugin and deploy to a target",
+		Example: "  grounds push\n  grounds push --target=staging",
 		Long: `Build the current project with the grounds-push Gradle plugin and deploy it.
 
 Targets:
   dev     — long-lived, lands in your personal namespace (user-<handle>).
   staging — ephemeral preview env, fresh namespace per push, auto-deleted after 7 days.
             Public URL pattern: <name>-pr<id>.dev.grnds.io.`,
+		Args: cobra.NoArgs,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			if target != "dev" && target != "staging" {
 				return fmt.Errorf("invalid --target %q: must be \"dev\" or \"staging\"", target)
@@ -41,7 +45,7 @@ Targets:
 			}
 			wrapper, err := gradle.FindWrapper(cwd)
 			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("%w\n  → not a Gradle project? Run 'grounds init' to scaffold, or cd to your project root", err)
+				return fmt.Errorf("%w\n    ! Not a Gradle project? Run %s to scaffold, or cd to your project root.", err, render.Command("grounds init"))
 			}
 			ctx := context.Background()
 
@@ -61,7 +65,7 @@ Targets:
 					Device: defaultDevice(),
 				}
 				if _, err := src.Token(ctx); err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("auth refresh failed: %w\n  → run 'grounds login' to re-authenticate", err)
+					return authRefreshError(err)
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -70,9 +74,16 @@ Targets:
 		},
 	}
 	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&target, "target", "dev", "deploy target: dev (persistent personal ns) or staging (ephemeral preview env, 7d TTL)")
+	_ = cmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc("target", func(*cobra.Command, []string, string) ([]string, cobra.ShellCompDirective) {
+		return []string{"dev", "staging"}, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp
+	})
 	return cmd
 }
 
+func authRefreshError(err error) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("auth refresh failed: %w\n    ! Run %s to re-authenticate.", err, render.Command("grounds login"))
+}
+
 // projectIDFrom resolves the global --project flag, falling back to
 // the GROUNDS_PROJECT env var. Empty string when neither is set —
 // forge then uses the caller's default project.
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push_test.go
index a7747ba..79e985e 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push_test.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/push_test.go
@@ -2,8 +2,16 @@ package push
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/api"
 )
 
 // Validates the --target flag's allow-list before grounds-push gets
@@ -41,3 +49,185 @@ func TestPushDefaultTargetIsDev(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected default --target=dev, got %q", flag.DefValue)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestPushTargetCompletion(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := newPush()
+	completion, ok := cmd.GetFlagCompletionFunc("target")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected --target completion function")
+	}
+
+	got, directive := completion(cmd, nil, "")
+	want := []string{"dev", "staging"}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("target completions = %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+	if directive != cobra.ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp {
+		t.Fatalf("completion directive = %v, want %v", directive, cobra.ShellCompDirectiveNoFileComp)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPushRootOwnsDeployFlagsAndSubcommands(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewPushCommand()
+
+	if flag := cmd.Flag("target"); flag == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected root push command to define --target")
+	} else if flag.DefValue != "dev" {
+		t.Fatalf("default --target = %q, want %q", flag.DefValue, "dev")
+	}
+
+	for _, name := range []string{"list", "retry"} {
+		if sub, _, err := cmd.Find([]string{name}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Find(%q) error = %v", name, err)
+		} else if sub.Name() != name {
+			t.Fatalf("Find(%q) = %q, want %q", name, sub.Name(), name)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if sub, _, err := cmd.Find([]string{"push"}); err == nil && sub.Name() == "push" && sub != cmd {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected nested push subcommand found")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPushRootRejectsUnexpectedArgsBeforeDeployWork(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, args := range [][]string{
+		{"definitely-not-a-command"},
+		{"push"},
+	} {
+		t.Run(strings.Join(args, " "), func(t *testing.T) {
+			cmd := NewPushCommand()
+			cmd.SetArgs(args)
+			cmd.SilenceUsage = true
+			cmd.SilenceErrors = true
+
+			err := cmd.Execute()
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected unexpected argument error")
+			}
+			got := err.Error()
+			if !strings.Contains(got, "unknown command") {
+				t.Fatalf("error = %q, want argument validation error", got)
+			}
+			if strings.Contains(got, "Run `grounds init`") || strings.Contains(got, "Not a Gradle project") {
+				t.Fatalf("error = %q, should not enter deploy path", got)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPushListRejectsUnexpectedArgsBeforeAPIWork(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewPushCommand()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"list", "unexpected"})
+	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
+	cmd.SilenceErrors = true
+
+	err := cmd.Execute()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected unexpected argument error")
+	}
+	got := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "unknown command") && !strings.Contains(got, "arg(s)") {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, want argument validation error", got)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(got, "credentials") || strings.Contains(got, "GROUNDS_TOKEN") {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, should not enter auth/API path", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPushDeployCommandRejectsUnexpectedArgsBeforeDeployWork(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := newPush()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"definitely-not-a-command"})
+	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
+	cmd.SilenceErrors = true
+
+	err := cmd.Execute()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected unexpected argument error")
+	}
+	got := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "unknown command") && !strings.Contains(got, "arg(s)") {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, want argument validation error", got)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(got, "Run `grounds init`") || strings.Contains(got, "Not a Gradle project") {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, should not enter deploy path", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPushMissingGradleWrapperSuggestsCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	cwd, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Getwd() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := os.Chdir(cwd); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Chdir(%q) error = %v", cwd, err)
+		}
+	})
+	if err := os.Chdir(dir); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Chdir(%q) error = %v", dir, err)
+	}
+
+	cmd := newPush()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{})
+	cmd.SilenceUsage = true
+	cmd.SilenceErrors = true
+
+	err = cmd.Execute()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected missing Gradle wrapper error")
+	}
+	got := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "Run `grounds init`") {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, want command suggestion", got)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(got, oldArrow()) || strings.Contains(got, singleQuotedCommand("grounds init")) {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, should not use arrows or single-quoted commands", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPushAuthRefreshErrorSuggestsLoginCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	err := authRefreshError(errors.New("token expired"))
+
+	got := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(got, "Run `grounds login`") {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, want login command suggestion", got)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(got, oldArrow()) || strings.Contains(got, singleQuotedCommand("grounds login")) {
+		t.Fatalf("error = %q, should not use arrows or single-quoted commands", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func oldArrow() string {
+	return string(rune(0x2192))
+}
+
+func singleQuotedCommand(command string) string {
+	return "'" + command + "'"
+}
+
+func TestRenderRetryTriggered(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	t.Cleanup(func() { color.NoColor = false })
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	renderRetryTriggered(&buf, &api.Push{ID: "push-123", Status: "queued"})
+
+	want := "[✓] Push - Retry triggered for push-123\n    • Status: queued\n"
+	if got := buf.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("retry output = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRenderPushPaginationNote(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	t.Cleanup(func() { color.NoColor = false })
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	renderPushPaginationNote(&buf)
+
+	want := "[!] Push - More results are available\n    ! Pagination is not available in this CLI version.\n"
+	if got := buf.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("pagination output = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/retry.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/retry.go
index 3910229..12ca206 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/push/retry.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/push/retry.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package push
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
 
@@ -11,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/api"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/auth"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/config"
+	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/render"
 	"github.com/groundsgg/grounds-cli/internal/sse"
 )
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func newRetry() *cobra.Command {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			fmt.Fprintln(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "→ Retry triggered for", p.ID, "status:", p.Status)
+			renderRetryTriggered(cmd.OutOrStdout(), p)
 			if !follow {
 				return nil
 			}
@@ -60,3 +60,8 @@ func newRetry() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&follow, "follow", true, "stream logs after retry")
 	return cmd
 }
+
+func renderRetryTriggered(out io.Writer, p *api.Push) {
+	render.StatusLine(out, render.StatusOK, "Push", "Retry triggered for "+p.ID)
+	render.DetailLine(out, render.StatusOK, "Status: "+p.Status)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/root.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/root.go
index 2b0bd91..651a3da 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/root.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/root.go
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import (
 func NewRootCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:           "grounds",
-		Short:         "Grounds Internal Developer Platform CLI",
-		Long:          "Drives the Grounds platform from the terminal.",
+		Short:         "Grounds developer platform CLI",
+		Long:          "Build, deploy, inspect, and troubleshoot Grounds projects from the terminal.",
 		SilenceUsage:  true,
 		SilenceErrors: true,
 		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ func NewRootCommand() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().String("api-url", "", "override API endpoint (also GROUNDS_API_URL)")
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().String("output", "table", "output format: table | json | yaml")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("verbose", "v", false, "debug logging to stderr")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().Bool("no-color", false, "disable colour output")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().String("config", "", "alternative config directory (also GROUNDS_CONFIG_DIR)")
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/root_test.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/root_test.go
index 54e7f01..82f9085 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/root_test.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/root_test.go
@@ -25,3 +25,10 @@ func TestRootCommandAppliesNoColorFlag(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected --no-color to disable color output")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRootCommandDoesNotAdvertiseUnusedOutputFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	root := NewRootCommand()
+	if flag := root.PersistentFlags().Lookup("output"); flag != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected unused output flag: %q", flag.Usage)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/version.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/version.go
index baa3611..5dfa475 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/version.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/version.go
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ func NewVersionCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	var releaseAPIURL string
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "version",
-		Short: "Print version, commit, and build date",
+		Use:     "version",
+		Short:   "Print version information and check for updates",
+		Example: "  grounds version\n  grounds version --check",
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			if _, err := fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(),
 				"grounds version %s\n  commit: %s\n  built:  %s\n",
diff --git a/internal/render/message.go b/internal/render/message.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55ca4fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/render/message.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package render
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+)
+
+type StatusKind string
+
+const (
+	StatusOK    StatusKind = "ok"
+	StatusWarn  StatusKind = "warn"
+	StatusError StatusKind = "error"
+)
+
+func StatusBadge(status StatusKind) string {
+	switch status {
+	case StatusWarn:
+		return Yellow("[!]")
+	case StatusError:
+		return Red("[✗]")
+	default:
+		return Green("[✓]")
+	}
+}
+
+func DetailIcon(status StatusKind) string {
+	switch status {
+	case StatusError:
+		return Red("✗")
+	case StatusWarn:
+		return Yellow("!")
+	default:
+		return "•"
+	}
+}
+
+func StatusLine(w io.Writer, status StatusKind, subject, summary string) {
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s %s - %s\n", StatusBadge(status), subject, summary)
+}
+
+func DetailLine(w io.Writer, status StatusKind, detail string) {
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "    %s %s\n", DetailIcon(status), detail)
+}
+
+func Command(command string) string {
+	return "`" + command + "`"
+}
diff --git a/internal/render/message_test.go b/internal/render/message_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a666816
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/render/message_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+package render
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/fatih/color"
+)
+
+func TestStatusBadgeNoColor(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	defer func() { color.NoColor = false }()
+
+	if got := StatusBadge(StatusOK); got != "[✓]" {
+		t.Fatalf("StatusBadge(StatusOK) = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := StatusBadge(StatusWarn); got != "[!]" {
+		t.Fatalf("StatusBadge(StatusWarn) = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := StatusBadge(StatusError); got != "[✗]" {
+		t.Fatalf("StatusBadge(StatusError) = %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStatusLine(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	defer func() { color.NoColor = false }()
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	StatusLine(&buf, StatusOK, "Init", "Wrote grounds.yaml")
+
+	want := "[✓] Init - Wrote grounds.yaml\n"
+	if got := buf.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("StatusLine output = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDetailLine(t *testing.T) {
+	color.NoColor = true
+	defer func() { color.NoColor = false }()
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	DetailLine(&buf, StatusWarn, "Run "+Command("grounds push")+" to create one.")
+
+	want := "    ! Run `grounds push` to create one.\n"
+	if got := buf.String(); got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("DetailLine output = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := Command("grounds version --check"); got != "`grounds version --check`" {
+		t.Fatalf("Command() = %q", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/render/status.go b/internal/render/status.go
index 8b27375..be40fa0 100644
--- a/internal/render/status.go
+++ b/internal/render/status.go
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ func Status(w io.Writer, s *api.ClusterStatus) {
 
 	if s.State == "paused" {
 		fmt.Fprintln(w)
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, Yellow("⚠ paused. Next push or 'grounds cluster up' resumes."))
+		StatusLine(w, StatusWarn, "Workspace", "Paused")
+		DetailLine(w, StatusWarn, "Next push or "+Command("grounds cluster up")+" resumes it.")
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/render/status_test.go b/internal/render/status_test.go
index cce30c8..f8b1ef8 100644
--- a/internal/render/status_test.go
+++ b/internal/render/status_test.go
@@ -34,16 +34,19 @@ func TestStatus_PausedShowsWarning(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	in := time.Now().Add(48 * time.Hour)
 	Status(buf, &api.ClusterStatus{
-		Namespace:     "user-x",
-		State:         "paused",
-		Profile:       "minigame",
-		AutoDeleteAt:  &in,
+		Namespace:    "user-x",
+		State:        "paused",
+		Profile:      "minigame",
+		AutoDeleteAt: &in,
 	})
 	out := buf.String()
 	if !strings.Contains(out, "auto-delete at") {
 		t.Errorf("no auto-delete row\n%s", out)
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(out, "paused. Next push") {
+	if !strings.Contains(out, "Workspace - Paused") {
 		t.Errorf("no warning line\n%s", out)
 	}
+	if !strings.Contains(out, "Next push or `grounds cluster up` resumes it.") {
+		t.Errorf("no warning detail\n%s", out)
+	}
 }