tools: command records, Links and citations group - one line per cause, examples, prohibitions (#142)

Files changed:
- CHANGES.md
- VERSION
- tools/CONTRACT.md
- tools/chemenu/commands/cite_cmd.py
- tools/chemenu/commands/links_cmd.py
- tools/chemenu/commands/xref.py

CHANGES.md

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ concern - readable here, never shipped as something to parse.
 
 ---
 
-## 7.1.0-beta.10 - 2026-09-26 - Command records, Pages group: one line per cause, examples, prohibitions
+## 7.1.0-beta.11 - 2026-09-26 - Command records, Links and citations group: one line per cause, examples, prohibitions
 
 **Author:** Torben Nehmer
 
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ concern - readable here, never shipped as something to parse.
 - Command records, Catalog and log group: bullets, examples, prohibitions
 - Command records, Distribution and versioning group: one line per cause, examples, prohibitions
 - Command records, Pages group: one line per cause, examples, prohibitions
+- Command records, Links and citations group: one line per cause, examples, prohibitions
 <!-- /wikitool:bumps -->
 
 ### CalDAV task-tracker provider (Nextcloud Tasks, iOS Reminders); review reports unknown-value findings instead of skipping them
@@ -239,6 +240,16 @@ its page-write failure after the tracker project was confirmed, and the partial-
 42, and behind `task close` taking an id rather than a title, moved into `task_cmd.py`'s module
 docstring.
 
+### Command records, Links and citations group: one line per cause, examples, prohibitions
+
+`xref add`/`remove`/`link-source`, `links show` and `cite id`/`add`/`sync` rewritten the same
+way; text only. `xref add`'s label refusal, previously described only in NOTES, is now an exit
+line of its own, and its exit text says which page's type is checked for `related:` (A's - the
+only one the code looks at). `xref link-source` states that a missing target is skipped while the
+rest are still linked, before the run exits 1, and loses the history of the See Also bullet it
+no longer writes. The two `cite` write commands and `cite id` carry AGENTS.md invariant 1's rule
+on citation ids as NEVER, where an agent looking up one command finds it.
+
 ---
 
 ## 7.0.0 - 2026-09-22 - Task-Tracker-Anbindung: Vorhaben als Seitenart, Verpflichtungsschicht, Weekly Review als Read-Time-Join

VERSION

@@ -1 +1 @@
-7.1.0-beta.10
+7.1.0-beta.11

tools/CONTRACT.md

@@ -613,18 +613,44 @@ Declare that A <rel> B.
 - budget: counted
 - network: no
 
+**EXAMPLES**
+
+- `tools/wikitool xref add --a "Gitea Actions" --b "Act Runner" --rel depends-on`
+- `tools/wikitool xref add --a "Gitea Actions" --b "Act Runner" --rel depends-on --dry-run`
+
 **EXIT STATUS**
 
 - 0    success
-- 1    Page A or B not found, or a page's type declares no `related:` field
+- 1    Page A or B not found
+- 1    A's type declares no `related:` field
+- 1    `<label>` is not authorised for this collection pair, or the source collection authorises no labels into the target's collection at all
 
 **ON FAILURE**
 
-- Page A or B not found, or a page's type declares no `related:` field -> Safe to retry once as-is; re-running never duplicates a link. Never create the missing page just to force the link through, and never hand-write a reference field the type does not declare
+- Page A or B not found -> Fix the title and retry once - re-running never duplicates a link
+- A's type declares no `related:` field -> For a source page use `xref link-source`; otherwise there is nothing to link from this page
+- `<label>` is not authorised for this collection pair, or the source collection authorises no labels into the target's collection at all -> Pick a label from the authorised set the refusal lists, then retry once
+
+**NEVER**
+
+- Never create the missing page just to force the link through.
+- Never hand-write a reference field the type does not declare.
+- Never edit a collection's `outbound:` block just to get past a label refusal - authorising a further label is a deliberate edit of its own.
 
 **NOTES**
 
-Declare **one** edge: `A <label> B`, written into A's `related:` as `- <label>: B` and rendered into A's generated links region. B is not touched and does not point back - its inbound view is rendered from the graph. Idempotent, and re-running with a different label *relabels* rather than appending, since one page asserts one thing about another. Refuses before writing when the type does not declare `related:` (a source page declares `entities:`/`concepts:` - the refusal names them and points at `link-source`), and when `<label>` is not authorised by the source collection's `outbound:` block for the target's collection; that refusal lists the authorised set and points at `instructions/link-taxonomy.md`
+- Declares **one** edge, `A <label> B`: written into A's `related:` as `- <label>: B` and rendered into A's generated links region.
+- B is not touched and does not point back - its inbound view is rendered from the graph.
+- Idempotent; re-running with a different label *relabels* rather than appending, since one page asserts one thing about another.
+- Refuses before writing when A's type does not declare `related:` - a source page declares `entities:`/`concepts:` instead, and the refusal names them and points at `xref link-source`.
+- Refuses before writing when `<label>` is not authorised by the source collection's `outbound:` block for the target's collection; the refusal lists the authorised set and points at `instructions/link-taxonomy.md`.
+- `--dry-run` reports the edge without writing.
+
+**SEE ALSO**
+
+- `wikitool xref remove` - removes a reference
+- `wikitool links show` - the edges out of and into a page
+- `instructions/link-taxonomy.md` - the labels and what each asserts
 
 #### `xref remove`
 
@@ -642,6 +668,11 @@ Remove a cross-reference: the inverse of `xref add`.
 - budget: counted
 - network: no
 
+**EXAMPLES**
+
+- `tools/wikitool xref remove --a "Gitea Actions" --b "act_runner"`
+- `tools/wikitool xref remove --a "Gitea Actions" --b "Act Runner" --dry-run`
+
 **EXIT STATUS**
 
 - 0    success
@@ -649,11 +680,24 @@ Remove a cross-reference: the inverse of `xref add`.
 
 **ON FAILURE**
 
-- Page A not found (B is allowed not to exist) -> Safe to retry freely; removing an absent link is a no-op
+- Page A not found (B is allowed not to exist) -> Fix the title; safe to retry freely
+
+**NEVER**
+
+- Never hand-edit a page-ref array to remove a reference.
 
 **NOTES**
 
-Clears the reference in **both** directions - it is the cleanup command for a deleted or hand-renamed page rather than the strict inverse of a one-directional `add`. Clears `<B>` from every page-ref frontmatter field `<A>`'s type declares (`related:`, `sources:`, `entities:`, `concepts:`) plus the matching bullets. It also sweeps a field the type does *not* declare but some other type does, and drops that key outright once empty - a leftover written before the check above existed has to stay repairable, or the page is a dead end. `--b` need not still exist as a page, so this is how a reference left by a hand-deleted or hand-renamed page gets cleared without hand-editing frontmatter. Idempotent.
+- Clears the reference in **both** directions: the cleanup command for a deleted or hand-renamed page rather than the strict inverse of a one-directional `xref add`.
+- Clears `<B>` from every page-ref frontmatter field `<A>`'s type declares (`related:`, `sources:`, `entities:`, `concepts:`) plus the matching bullets.
+- Also sweeps a page-ref field the type does *not* declare but some other type does, and drops that key once empty.
+- `--b` need not still exist as a page, so this clears a reference left by a hand-deleted or hand-renamed page without hand-editing frontmatter.
+- Idempotent: removing an absent link is a no-op. `--dry-run` reports without writing.
+
+**SEE ALSO**
+
+- `wikitool xref add` - declares an edge
+- `wikitool rm` - deletes a page and de-links it
 
 #### `xref link-source`
 
@@ -671,18 +715,37 @@ Batch-link a source page to every entity/concept it mentions.
 - budget: counted
 - network: no
 
+**EXAMPLES**
+
+- `tools/wikitool xref link-source --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet" --entities Docker,Podman --dry-run`
+- `tools/wikitool xref link-source --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet" --entities Docker,Podman`
+
 **EXIT STATUS**
 
 - 0    success
-- 1    Source page not found, an entity in `--entities` doesn't exist, or the source page itself could not be written after its targets were
+- 1    Source page not found
+- 1    A page in `--entities` does not exist, or a target could not be written; the others were linked
+- 1    The source page itself could not be written after its targets were
 
 **ON FAILURE**
 
-- Source page not found, an entity in `--entities` doesn't exist, or the source page itself could not be written after its targets were -> Use `--dry-run` first; safe to retry. `sources trace --page "<Title>"` shows who was already linked
+- Source page not found -> Fix the title and retry once
+- A page in `--entities` does not exist, or a target could not be written; the others were linked -> Fix the named pages and re-run - safe, since every write is idempotent. `sources trace --page "<Title>"` shows who is already linked
+- The source page itself could not be written after its targets were -> Fix the write failure and re-run (idempotent)
 
 **NOTES**
 
-Each target gets `sources:`, and the source page records each target in its own `entities:`/`concepts:`. No body bullet is written on either side - `sources:` *is* the record, and the See Also bullet this used to add was the reciprocal half of a model that no longer exists. Which of the two is chosen follows the target's collection (`kb/entities/` -> `entities:`), so a new collection needs no code change here. A target whose collection matches no reference field the source type declares is linked one-way and named in the output. Idempotent in both directions
+- Each target gets the source page in its `sources:`, and the source page records each target in its own `entities:` or `concepts:`. No body bullet is written on either side - `sources:` *is* the record.
+- Which field a target lands in follows its collection (`kb/entities/` -> `entities:`), so a new collection needs no code change.
+- A target whose collection matches no reference field the source type declares is linked one way and named in the output.
+- A target that does not exist is skipped and named; the others are still linked, and the run then exits 1.
+- Idempotent in both directions. `--dry-run` reports what would be linked.
+
+**SEE ALSO**
+
+- `wikitool sources trace` - who a source is already linked to
+- `wikitool xref add` - one labelled edge between two pages
+- `wiki-ingest` skill - where a source is linked after it is written
 
 #### `links show`
 
@@ -700,6 +763,11 @@ Show the edges out of and into a page.
 - budget: exempt
 - network: no
 
+**EXAMPLES**
+
+- `tools/wikitool links show --page "Act Runner"`
+- `tools/wikitool links show --page "Act Runner" --json`
+
 **EXIT STATUS**
 
 - 0    success
@@ -711,7 +779,15 @@ Show the edges out of and into a page.
 
 **NOTES**
 
-The declared graph around one page in both directions: the edges it asserts (from its own `related:`, with labels) and the edges other pages assert about it (computed across the corpus). The inbound half is derived rather than stored - that is what makes it complete, and it is the answer authored directional edges would otherwise have nowhere to come from. Read-only, exempt from the Iteration Budget Gate
+- Shows the declared graph around one page in both directions: the edges it asserts (from its own `related:`, with labels) and the edges other pages assert about it.
+- The inbound half is computed across the corpus on every call, never stored, so it is complete.
+- `--json` prints both halves as JSON.
+- Read-only; exempt from the Iteration Budget Gate.
+
+**SEE ALSO**
+
+- `wikitool xref add` / `wikitool xref remove` - change the outbound edges
+- `wikitool search` - finds the exact title
 
 #### `cite id`
 
@@ -729,13 +805,27 @@ Print the deterministic footnote id `cite add` would use for this (title, file)
 - budget: exempt
 - network: no
 
+**EXAMPLES**
+
+- `tools/wikitool cite id --title "Source - Docker Cheatsheet"`
+
 **EXIT STATUS**
 
 - 0    success
 
+**NEVER**
+
+- Never paste an id from here into a page by hand - `cite add` writes the definition and prints the marker to paste.
+
 **NOTES**
 
-Read-only preview - does not check the id is actually free on any given page. Never fails. Safe to retry freely. Exempt from the Iteration Budget Gate
+- Prints the footnote id `cite add` would use for this (title, file) pair.
+- A preview only: it does not check that the id is free on any given page.
+- Never fails; safe to retry freely. Read-only and exempt from the Iteration Budget Gate.
+
+**SEE ALSO**
+
+- `wikitool cite add` - writes the definition
 
 #### `cite add`
 
@@ -753,18 +843,38 @@ Upsert a `[^cite-id]: [[Source - X]]` definition in a page's footnotes region.
 - budget: counted
 - network: no
 
+**EXAMPLES**
+
+- `tools/wikitool cite add --page "Docker" --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet"`
+- `tools/wikitool cite add --page "Docker" --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet" --file part-2`
+
 **EXIT STATUS**
 
 - 0    success
-- 1    Page or source not found
+- 1    The page is not found
+- 1    The source page is not found - citing it would be a dangling reference
 
 **ON FAILURE**
 
-- Page or source not found -> Safe to retry; upserting the same (page, source, file) pair twice reuses the existing id and changes nothing the second time
+- The page is not found -> Fix the title and retry once
+- The source page is not found - citing it would be a dangling reference -> Fix the source title, or create the source page first, then retry once
+
+**NEVER**
+
+- Never compute or type a `[^cite-id]` or its definition by hand - paste the marker this prints.
 
 **NOTES**
 
-Upsert a `[^cite-id]: [[Source - X]]` definition in the page's generated footnotes region, creating it between `<!-- wikitool:footnotes -->` markers if absent (reusing the id if the page already cites this exact source/file pair) and add `Source - X` to frontmatter `sources:`. Prints the `[^cite-id]` marker - pasting it into the prose is still a manual, editorial step
+- Upserts a `[^cite-id]: [[Source - X]]` definition in the page's generated footnotes region, creating the region between `<!-- wikitool:footnotes -->` markers if absent.
+- Reuses the id when the page already cites this exact source/file pair, so a repeat changes nothing.
+- Adds `Source - X` to the page's frontmatter `sources:`.
+- Prints the `[^cite-id]` marker; pasting it into the prose is a manual, editorial step.
+- `--dry-run` reports without writing.
+
+**SEE ALSO**
+
+- `wikitool cite sync` - prunes and re-orders the region
+- `wikitool cite id` - previews an id
 
 #### `cite sync`
 
@@ -782,18 +892,32 @@ Reconcile each page's footnotes region against its actual `[^id]` references.
 - budget: counted
 - network: no
 
+**EXAMPLES**
+
+- `tools/wikitool cite sync --page "Docker"`
+- `tools/wikitool cite sync --all --dry-run`
+
 **EXIT STATUS**
 
 - 0    success
-- 1    Neither or both of `--page`/`--all` given, or page not found
+- 1    Neither or both of `--page`/`--all` given, or the page is not found
+- 1    A page write failed partway
 
 **ON FAILURE**
 
-- Neither or both of `--page`/`--all` given, or page not found -> Safe to retry freely. An undefined-reference report is not a failure - fix the reference (or run `cite add`) and re-run
+- Neither or both of `--page`/`--all` given, or the page is not found -> Fix the arguments and retry once
+- A page write failed partway -> Resolve the write failure and re-run - each page's re-render is idempotent
 
 **NOTES**
 
-Prune definitions nothing references any more, re-render the region in first-reference order, and report any `[^id]` reference left with no definition. A page still carrying the pre-4.0.0 undelimited block is converted to a marked region in the same pass - the marker carries the region's identity now, so re-rendering it under this instance's heading is a repair rather than a rename
+- Prunes definitions nothing references any more, re-renders the region in first-reference order, and reports every `[^id]` reference left with no definition.
+- An undefined-reference report is not a failure: fix the reference, or run `cite add`, and re-run.
+- A page still carrying the pre-4.0.0 undelimited footnote block is converted to a marked region in the same pass.
+- Each page's re-render is idempotent; safe to retry freely. `--dry-run` reports without writing.
+
+**SEE ALSO**
+
+- `wikitool cite add` - writes a definition
 
 ### Catalog and log
 

tools/chemenu/commands/cite_cmd.py

@@ -53,9 +53,23 @@ def _find_page(pages: dict[str, Page], title: str) -> Page:
         atomic="Read-only",
         budget=cli_contract.Budget.EXEMPT,
     ),
-    notes="Read-only preview - does not check the id is actually free on any given page. Never "
+    notes=(
-    "fails. Safe to retry freely. Exempt from the Iteration Budget Gate",
+        "Prints the footnote id `cite add` would use for this (title, file) pair.",
+        "A preview only: it does not check that the id is free on any given page.",
+        "Never fails; safe to retry freely. Read-only and exempt from the Iteration Budget "
+        "Gate.",
+    ),
     failures=(),
+    examples=(
+        'tools/wikitool cite id --title "Source - Docker Cheatsheet"',
+    ),
+    never=(
+        "Never paste an id from here into a page by hand - `cite add` writes the definition and "
+        "prints the marker to paste.",
+    ),
+    see_also=(
+        "`wikitool cite add` - writes the definition",
+    ),
 ))
 def cite_id_command(
     title: str = typer.Option(..., "--title", help="Source page title, e.g. 'Source - Docker Cheatsheet'"),
@@ -112,17 +126,39 @@ def upsert_citation(page: Page, source_title: str, qualifier: Optional[str]) ->
         atomic="Yes - single file write",
         budget=cli_contract.Budget.COUNTED,
     ),
-    notes="Upsert a `[^cite-id]: [[Source - X]]` definition in the page's generated footnotes "
+    notes=(
-    "region, creating it between `<!-- wikitool:footnotes -->` markers if absent (reusing the "
+        "Upserts a `[^cite-id]: [[Source - X]]` definition in the page's generated footnotes "
-    "id if the page already cites this exact source/file pair) and add `Source - X` to "
+        "region, creating the region between `<!-- wikitool:footnotes -->` markers if absent.",
-    "frontmatter `sources:`. Prints the `[^cite-id]` marker - pasting it into the prose is still "
+        "Reuses the id when the page already cites this exact source/file pair, so a repeat "
-    "a manual, editorial step",
+        "changes nothing.",
-    failures=(cli_contract.Failure(
+        "Adds `Source - X` to the page's frontmatter `sources:`.",
-        label="",
+        "Prints the `[^cite-id]` marker; pasting it into the prose is a manual, editorial "
-        cause="Page or source not found",
+        "step.",
-        reaction="Safe to retry; upserting the same (page, source, file) pair twice reuses the "
+        "`--dry-run` reports without writing.",
-        "existing id and changes nothing the second time",
+    ),
-    ),),
+    failures=(
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="The page is not found",
+            reaction="Fix the title and retry once",
+        ),
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="The source page is not found - citing it would be a dangling reference",
+            reaction="Fix the source title, or create the source page first, then retry once",
+        ),
+    ),
+    examples=(
+        'tools/wikitool cite add --page "Docker" --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet"',
+        'tools/wikitool cite add --page "Docker" --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet" '
+        "--file part-2",
+    ),
+    never=(
+        "Never compute or type a `[^cite-id]` or its definition by hand - paste the marker this "
+        "prints.",
+    ),
+    see_also=(
+        "`wikitool cite sync` - prunes and re-orders the region",
+        "`wikitool cite id` - previews an id",
+    ),
 ))
 def cite_add(
     page_title: str = typer.Option(..., "--page", help="Exact title of the page to add a citation on"),
@@ -166,6 +202,11 @@ def sync_page(page: Page) -> tuple[str, bool, list[str], list[str]]:
     the block in first-reference order. Never mints or recomputes an id from
     a title - a reference with no definition is reported, not guessed at.
 
+    A page still carrying the pre-4.0.0 undelimited block is converted to a
+    marked region in the same pass: the marker pair, not the heading text,
+    carries the region's identity now, so re-rendering it under this
+    instance's heading is a repair rather than a rename.
+
     Returns (new_body, changed, pruned_ids, undefined_ref_ids).
     """
     head, definitions = split_cite_block(page.body)
@@ -207,17 +248,33 @@ def sync_page(page: Page) -> tuple[str, bool, list[str], list[str]]:
         atomic="No - one write per page, each idempotent",
         budget=cli_contract.Budget.COUNTED,
     ),
-    notes="Prune definitions nothing references any more, re-render the region in "
+    notes=(
-    "first-reference order, and report any `[^id]` reference left with no definition. A page "
+        "Prunes definitions nothing references any more, re-renders the region in "
-    "still carrying the pre-4.0.0 undelimited block is converted to a marked region in the same "
+        "first-reference order, and reports every `[^id]` reference left with no definition.",
-    "pass - the marker carries the region's identity now, so re-rendering it under this "
+        "An undefined-reference report is not a failure: fix the reference, or run `cite add`, "
-    "instance's heading is a repair rather than a rename",
+        "and re-run.",
-    failures=(cli_contract.Failure(
+        "A page still carrying the pre-4.0.0 undelimited footnote block is converted to a "
-        label="",
+        "marked region in the same pass.",
-        cause="Neither or both of `--page`/`--all` given, or page not found",
+        "Each page's re-render is idempotent; safe to retry freely. `--dry-run` reports "
-        reaction="Safe to retry freely. An undefined-reference report is not a failure - fix the "
+        "without writing.",
-        "reference (or run `cite add`) and re-run",
+    ),
-    ),),
+    failures=(
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="Neither or both of `--page`/`--all` given, or the page is not found",
+            reaction="Fix the arguments and retry once",
+        ),
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="A page write failed partway",
+            reaction="Resolve the write failure and re-run - each page's re-render is idempotent",
+        ),
+    ),
+    examples=(
+        'tools/wikitool cite sync --page "Docker"',
+        "tools/wikitool cite sync --all --dry-run",
+    ),
+    see_also=(
+        "`wikitool cite add` - writes a definition",
+    ),
 ))
 def cite_sync(
     page_title: Optional[str] = typer.Option(None, "--page", help="Sync just this page"),

tools/chemenu/commands/links_cmd.py

@@ -70,17 +70,27 @@ def inbound(pages: dict[str, Page], title: str) -> list[dict]:
         atomic="Read-only",
         budget=cli_contract.Budget.EXEMPT,
     ),
-    notes="The declared graph around one page in both directions: the edges it asserts (from "
+    notes=(
-    "its own `related:`, with labels) and the edges other pages assert about it (computed "
+        "Shows the declared graph around one page in both directions: the edges it asserts "
-    "across the corpus). The inbound half is derived rather than stored - that is what makes it "
+        "(from its own `related:`, with labels) and the edges other pages assert about it.",
-    "complete, and it is the answer authored directional edges would otherwise have nowhere to "
+        "The inbound half is computed across the corpus on every call, never stored, so it is "
-    "come from. Read-only, exempt from the Iteration Budget Gate",
+        "complete.",
+        "`--json` prints both halves as JSON.",
+        "Read-only; exempt from the Iteration Budget Gate.",
+    ),
     failures=(cli_contract.Failure(
-        label="",
         cause="Page not found",
-        reaction="Check the exact title with `search`; a wikilink target is not always the page's "
+        reaction="Check the exact title with `search`; a wikilink target is not always the "
-        "stem",
+        "page's stem",
     ),),
+    examples=(
+        'tools/wikitool links show --page "Act Runner"',
+        'tools/wikitool links show --page "Act Runner" --json',
+    ),
+    see_also=(
+        "`wikitool xref add` / `wikitool xref remove` - change the outbound edges",
+        "`wikitool search` - finds the exact title",
+    ),
 ))
 def links_show(
     page: str = typer.Option(..., "--page", help="Exact page title"),

tools/chemenu/commands/xref.py

@@ -157,22 +157,52 @@ def _check_authorised(source: Page, target: Page, label: str) -> None:
         "before either write",
         budget=cli_contract.Budget.COUNTED,
     ),
-    notes="Declare **one** edge: `A <label> B`, written into A's `related:` as `- <label>: B` "
+    notes=(
-    "and rendered into A's generated links region. B is not touched and does not point back - "
+        "Declares **one** edge, `A <label> B`: written into A's `related:` as `- <label>: B` "
-    "its inbound view is rendered from the graph. Idempotent, and re-running with a different "
+        "and rendered into A's generated links region.",
-    "label *relabels* rather than appending, since one page asserts one thing about another. "
+        "B is not touched and does not point back - its inbound view is rendered from the "
-    "Refuses before writing when the type does not declare `related:` (a source page declares "
+        "graph.",
-    "`entities:`/`concepts:` - the refusal names them and points at `link-source`), and when "
+        "Idempotent; re-running with a different label *relabels* rather than appending, since "
-    "`<label>` is not authorised by the source collection's `outbound:` block for the target's "
+        "one page asserts one thing about another.",
-    "collection; that refusal lists the authorised set and points at "
+        "Refuses before writing when A's type does not declare `related:` - a source page "
-    "`instructions/link-taxonomy.md`",
+        "declares `entities:`/`concepts:` instead, and the refusal names them and points at "
-    failures=(cli_contract.Failure(
+        "`xref link-source`.",
-        label="",
+        "Refuses before writing when `<label>` is not authorised by the source collection's "
-        cause="Page A or B not found, or a page's type declares no `related:` field",
+        "`outbound:` block for the target's collection; the refusal lists the authorised set "
-        reaction="Safe to retry once as-is; re-running never duplicates a link. Never create the "
+        "and points at `instructions/link-taxonomy.md`.",
-        "missing page just to force the link through, and never hand-write a reference field "
+        "`--dry-run` reports the edge without writing.",
-        "the type does not declare",
+    ),
-    ),),
+    failures=(
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="Page A or B not found",
+            reaction="Fix the title and retry once - re-running never duplicates a link",
+        ),
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="A's type declares no `related:` field",
+            reaction="For a source page use `xref link-source`; otherwise there is nothing to "
+            "link from this page",
+        ),
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="`<label>` is not authorised for this collection pair, or the source "
+            "collection authorises no labels into the target's collection at all",
+            reaction="Pick a label from the authorised set the refusal lists, then retry once",
+        ),
+    ),
+    examples=(
+        'tools/wikitool xref add --a "Gitea Actions" --b "Act Runner" --rel depends-on',
+        'tools/wikitool xref add --a "Gitea Actions" --b "Act Runner" --rel depends-on --dry-run',
+    ),
+    never=(
+        "Never create the missing page just to force the link through.",
+        "Never hand-write a reference field the type does not declare.",
+        "Never edit a collection's `outbound:` block just to get past a label refusal - "
+        "authorising a further label is a deliberate edit of its own.",
+    ),
+    see_also=(
+        "`wikitool xref remove` - removes a reference",
+        "`wikitool links show` - the edges out of and into a page",
+        "`instructions/link-taxonomy.md` - the labels and what each asserts",
+    ),
 ))
 def xref_add(
     a: str = typer.Option(..., "--a", help="Exact title of the page that asserts the edge"),
@@ -252,20 +282,32 @@ def remove_link_bullets(body: str, other_title: str) -> str:
         atomic="No - writes A then B, both idempotent",
         budget=cli_contract.Budget.COUNTED,
     ),
-    notes="Clears the reference in **both** directions - it is the cleanup command for a "
+    notes=(
-    "deleted or hand-renamed page rather than the strict inverse of a one-directional `add`. "
+        "Clears the reference in **both** directions: the cleanup command for a deleted or "
-    "Clears `<B>` from every page-ref frontmatter field `<A>`'s type declares (`related:`, "
+        "hand-renamed page rather than the strict inverse of a one-directional `xref add`.",
-    "`sources:`, `entities:`, `concepts:`) plus the matching bullets. It also sweeps a field the "
+        "Clears `<B>` from every page-ref frontmatter field `<A>`'s type declares (`related:`, "
-    "type does *not* declare but some other type does, and drops that key outright once empty - "
+        "`sources:`, `entities:`, `concepts:`) plus the matching bullets.",
-    "a leftover written before the check above existed has to stay repairable, or the page is a "
+        "Also sweeps a page-ref field the type does *not* declare but some other type does, "
-    "dead end. `--b` need not still exist as a page, so this is how a reference left by a "
+        "and drops that key once empty.",
-    "hand-deleted or hand-renamed page gets cleared without hand-editing frontmatter. "
+        "`--b` need not still exist as a page, so this clears a reference left by a "
-    "Idempotent.",
+        "hand-deleted or hand-renamed page without hand-editing frontmatter.",
+        "Idempotent: removing an absent link is a no-op. `--dry-run` reports without writing.",
+    ),
     failures=(cli_contract.Failure(
-        label="",
         cause="Page A not found (B is allowed not to exist)",
-        reaction="Safe to retry freely; removing an absent link is a no-op",
+        reaction="Fix the title; safe to retry freely",
     ),),
+    examples=(
+        'tools/wikitool xref remove --a "Gitea Actions" --b "act_runner"',
+        'tools/wikitool xref remove --a "Gitea Actions" --b "Act Runner" --dry-run',
+    ),
+    never=(
+        "Never hand-edit a page-ref array to remove a reference.",
+    ),
+    see_also=(
+        "`wikitool xref add` - declares an edge",
+        "`wikitool rm` - deletes a page and de-links it",
+    ),
 ))
 def xref_remove(
     a: str = typer.Option(..., "--a", help="Exact title of page A (must exist)"),
@@ -337,20 +379,45 @@ def xref_remove(
         atomic="No - one write per entity plus one for the source page, idempotent per page",
         budget=cli_contract.Budget.COUNTED,
     ),
-    notes="Each target gets `sources:`, and the source page records each target in its own "
+    notes=(
-    "`entities:`/`concepts:`. No body bullet is written on either side - `sources:` *is* the "
+        "Each target gets the source page in its `sources:`, and the source page records each "
-    "record, and the See Also bullet this used to add was the reciprocal half of a model that "
+        "target in its own `entities:` or `concepts:`. No body bullet is written on either side "
-    "no longer exists. Which of the two is chosen follows the target's collection "
+        "- `sources:` *is* the record.",
-    "(`kb/entities/` -> `entities:`), so a new collection needs no code change here. A target "
+        "Which field a target lands in follows its collection (`kb/entities/` -> "
-    "whose collection matches no reference field the source type declares is linked one-way "
+        "`entities:`), so a new collection needs no code change.",
-    "and named in the output. Idempotent in both directions",
+        "A target whose collection matches no reference field the source type declares is "
-    failures=(cli_contract.Failure(
+        "linked one way and named in the output.",
-        label="",
+        "A target that does not exist is skipped and named; the others are still linked, and "
-        cause="Source page not found, an entity in `--entities` doesn't exist, or the source "
+        "the run then exits 1.",
-        "page itself could not be written after its targets were",
+        "Idempotent in both directions. `--dry-run` reports what would be linked.",
-        reaction="Use `--dry-run` first; safe to retry. `sources trace --page \"<Title>\"` shows "
+    ),
-        "who was already linked",
+    failures=(
-    ),),
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="Source page not found",
+            reaction="Fix the title and retry once",
+        ),
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="A page in `--entities` does not exist, or a target could not be written; the "
+            "others were linked",
+            reaction="Fix the named pages and re-run - safe, since every write is idempotent. "
+            "`sources trace --page \"<Title>\"` shows who is already linked",
+        ),
+        cli_contract.Failure(
+            cause="The source page itself could not be written after its targets were",
+            reaction="Fix the write failure and re-run (idempotent)",
+        ),
+    ),
+    examples=(
+        'tools/wikitool xref link-source --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet" '
+        "--entities Docker,Podman --dry-run",
+        'tools/wikitool xref link-source --source "Source - Docker Cheatsheet" '
+        "--entities Docker,Podman",
+    ),
+    see_also=(
+        "`wikitool sources trace` - who a source is already linked to",
+        "`wikitool xref add` - one labelled edge between two pages",
+        "`wiki-ingest` skill - where a source is linked after it is written",
+    ),
 ))
 def xref_link_source(
     source: str = typer.Option(..., "--source", help="Exact source page title, e.g. 'Source - Docker Cheatsheet'"),