diff --git a/src/__tests__/cli.test.ts b/src/__tests__/cli.test.ts
index bba558f..3835f9d 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/cli.test.ts
@@ -1,144 +1,113 @@
-import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
-import { DEFAULT_POLL_INTERVAL_SECONDS } from '../commands/async-task';
-import { bin, runCli, TEST_API_KEY } from './helpers/run-cli';
+import { runCli, TEST_API_KEY } from './helpers/run-cli';
 
 describe('linkup CLI', () => {
-  it('--version prints a semver string and exits 0', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, '--version']).toString().trim();
-    expect(output).toMatch(/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+/);
-  });
-
-  it('-v prints a semver string and exits 0', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, '-v']).toString().trim();
-    expect(output).toMatch(/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+/);
-  });
+  it.each(['--version', '-v'])('%s prints a semver string and exits 0', flag => {
+    const { status, stdout } = runCli([flag]);
 
-  it('--help exits 0 and mentions linkup', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('linkup');
-    expect(output).not.toContain('--api-key');
-    expect(output).toContain('-j, --json');
-    expect(output).toContain('Examples:');
+    expect(status).toBe(0);
+    expect(stdout.trim()).toMatch(/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+/);
   });
 
-  it('prints help when invoked with no subcommand', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin]).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('Usage:');
-    expect(output).toContain('linkup');
-  });
+  it.each([
+    {
+      args: [],
+      excludes: [],
+      includes: ['Usage:', 'linkup', 'logout'],
+      name: 'root command',
+    },
+    {
+      args: ['--help'],
+      excludes: ['--api-key'],
+      includes: ['linkup', 'Examples:'],
+      name: 'root help',
+    },
+    {
+      args: ['search', '--help'],
+      excludes: [],
+      includes: ['search', 'Examples:'],
+      name: 'search help',
+    },
+    {
+      args: ['fetch', '--help'],
+      excludes: [],
+      includes: ['url', 'Examples:'],
+      name: 'fetch help',
+    },
+    {
+      args: ['research', '--help'],
+      excludes: [],
+      includes: ['get', 'list', 'Examples:'],
+      name: 'research help',
+    },
+    {
+      args: ['tasks', '--help'],
+      excludes: [],
+      includes: ['create', 'get', 'list'],
+      name: 'tasks help',
+    },
+  ])('$name exits 0 and includes representative help text', ({ args, excludes, includes }) => {
+    const { status, stdout } = runCli(args);
 
-  it('search --help lists depth and output choices', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, 'search', '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toMatch(/"fast", "standard",\s+"deep"/);
-    expect(output).toContain('"sourced-answer"');
-    expect(output).toContain('"search-results"');
-    expect(output).toContain('"structured"');
-    expect(output).toContain('--include-domains');
-    expect(output).toContain('--exclude-domains');
-    expect(output).toContain('--from-date');
-    expect(output).toContain('--to-date');
-    expect(output).toContain('--include-images');
-    expect(output).toContain('--max-results');
-    expect(output).toContain('--async');
-    expect(output).toContain('-w, --wait');
-    expect(output).toContain('Examples:');
+    expect(status).toBe(0);
+    for (const text of includes) {
+      expect(stdout).toContain(text);
+    }
+    for (const text of excludes) {
+      expect(stdout).not.toContain(text);
+    }
   });
 
   it.each([
     {
       args: ['search', 'q', '-d', 'superdeep'],
       expectedError: /depth|superdeep|choice/i,
-      name: 'invalid --depth',
+      name: 'invalid search --depth',
     },
     {
       args: ['search', 'q', '-o', 'garbage'],
       expectedError: /output|garbage|choice/i,
-      name: 'invalid --output',
+      name: 'invalid search --output',
     },
     {
       args: ['search', 'q', '-o', 'sourcedAnswer'],
       expectedError: /sourcedAnswer|choice/i,
-      name: 'old camelCase --output',
+      name: 'old camelCase search --output',
     },
     {
       args: ['search', 'q', '--from-date', 'not-a-date'],
       expectedError: /from-date|valid date/i,
-      name: 'invalid --from-date',
+      name: 'invalid search --from-date',
     },
     {
       args: ['search', 'q', '--max-results', '0'],
       expectedError: /max-results|positive integer/i,
-      name: 'invalid --max-results',
+      name: 'invalid search --max-results',
     },
-  ])('rejects $name', ({ args, expectedError }) => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(args);
-    expect(status).not.toBe(0);
-    expect(stderr).toMatch(expectedError);
-  });
-
-  it('errors when --file points at a missing file', () => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(['search', '-f', '/no/such/query.txt'], {
-      ...process.env,
-      LINKUP_API_KEY: TEST_API_KEY,
-    });
-    expect(status).toBe(1);
-    expect(stderr).toContain('Could not read query file');
-  });
-
-  it('prints usage when no query can be resolved', () => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(['search'], {
-      ...process.env,
-      LINKUP_API_KEY: TEST_API_KEY,
-    });
-    expect(status).toBe(1);
-    expect(stderr).toContain('No query provided');
-  });
-
-  it('fetch --help documents the url argument', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, 'fetch', '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('url');
-    expect(output).toContain('Fetch');
-    expect(output).toContain('--render-js');
-    expect(output).toContain('--include-raw-html');
-    expect(output).toContain('--extract-images');
-    expect(output).toContain('--async');
-    expect(output).toContain('-w, --wait');
-    expect(output).toContain('Examples:');
-  });
-
-  it.each([
     {
       args: ['fetch'],
       expectedError: /url|argument|missing/i,
-      name: 'missing url argument',
+      name: 'missing fetch url argument',
     },
     {
       args: ['fetch', 'not-a-url'],
       expectedError: /valid URL/i,
-      name: 'invalid URL value',
+      name: 'invalid fetch URL value',
     },
-  ])('fetch rejects $name', ({ args, expectedError }) => {
+    {
+      args: ['research', 'q', '--mode', 'turbo'],
+      expectedError: /mode|turbo|choice/i,
+      name: 'invalid research --mode',
+    },
+    {
+      args: ['research', 'get'],
+      expectedError: /id|argument|missing/i,
+      name: 'missing research get id argument',
+    },
+  ])('rejects $name', ({ args, expectedError }) => {
     const { status, stderr } = runCli(args);
-    expect(status).not.toBe(0);
-    expect(stderr).toMatch(expectedError);
-  });
-
-  it('lists logout in root help', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('logout');
-  });
 
-  it('tasks exposes create, get, and list subcommands', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, 'tasks', '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('create');
-    expect(output).toContain('get');
-    expect(output).toContain('list');
-  });
-
-  it('tasks list rejects invalid status filters', () => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(['tasks', 'list', '--status', 'queued']);
     expect(status).not.toBe(0);
-    expect(stderr).toMatch(/invalid status|queued/i);
+    expect(stderr).toMatch(expectedError);
   });
 
   it('tasks create requires file or stdin input', () => {
@@ -149,61 +118,4 @@ describe('linkup CLI', () => {
     expect(status).toBe(1);
     expect(stderr).toMatch(/No tasks provided|Tasks JSON is empty/);
   });
-
-  it('research --help lists output, mode, reasoning, and wait options', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, 'research', '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('"sourced-answer"');
-    expect(output).toContain('"structured"');
-    expect(output).toContain('-m, --mode');
-    expect(output).toContain('--reasoning-depth');
-    expect(output).toContain('default: "L"');
-    expect(output).toContain('-w, --wait');
-    expect(output).toContain('--poll-interval');
-    expect(output).toContain(`default: ${DEFAULT_POLL_INTERVAL_SECONDS}`);
-    expect(output).toContain('--timeout');
-    expect(output).toContain('default: 1200 (20 minutes)');
-    expect(output).toContain('Examples:');
-    expect(output).not.toContain('--reasoning-depth L');
-  });
-
-  it('research --help lists the file query source', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, 'research', '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('--file');
-  });
-
-  it('research exposes get and list subcommands', () => {
-    const output = execFileSync('node', [bin, 'research', '--help']).toString();
-    expect(output).toContain('get');
-    expect(output).toContain('list');
-  });
-
-  it('research requires a schema for structured output', () => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(['research', 'q', '--output', 'structured'], {
-      ...process.env,
-      LINKUP_API_KEY: TEST_API_KEY,
-    });
-    expect(status).toBe(1);
-    expect(stderr).toContain('--output structured requires --schema-file or --schema');
-  });
-
-  it('research prints usage when no query is provided', () => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(['research'], {
-      ...process.env,
-      LINKUP_API_KEY: TEST_API_KEY,
-    });
-    expect(status).toBe(1);
-    expect(stderr).toContain('No query provided');
-  });
-
-  it('research rejects invalid --mode', () => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(['research', 'q', '--mode', 'turbo']);
-    expect(status).not.toBe(0);
-    expect(stderr).toMatch(/mode|turbo|choice/i);
-  });
-
-  it('research get requires an id argument', () => {
-    const { status, stderr } = runCli(['research', 'get']);
-    expect(status).not.toBe(0);
-    expect(stderr).toMatch(/id|argument|missing/i);
-  });
 });
diff --git a/src/__tests__/query-input.test.ts b/src/__tests__/query-input.test.ts
index 107c0f1..2274393 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/query-input.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/query-input.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { resolveQueryOrExit } from '../commands/query-input';
 import type { QueryReaders } from '../input/query';
 
@@ -30,18 +33,15 @@ afterEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe('resolveQueryOrExit', () => {
-  it('returns a query joined from positional args', async () => {
-    await expect(
-      resolveQueryOrExit({ args: ['hello', 'world'] }, usageLines, stubReaders, true),
-    ).resolves.toBe('hello world');
-  });
-
-  it('reads from stdin when input is piped', async () => {
-    const readers: QueryReaders = { ...stubReaders, stdin: async () => '  piped query\n' };
+  it('prints notices and returns the resolved query', async () => {
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'linkup-query-input-test-'));
+    const filePath = join(dir, 'query.txt');
+    writeFileSync(filePath, '  what is linkup?  \n');
 
-    await expect(resolveQueryOrExit({ args: [] }, usageLines, readers, false)).resolves.toBe(
-      'piped query',
-    );
+    await expect(
+      resolveQueryOrExit({ args: [], file: filePath }, usageLines, stubReaders, true),
+    ).resolves.toBe('what is linkup?');
+    expect(errorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`Read query from ${filePath}`);
   });
 
   it('exits with usage (code 1) when no query resolves', async () => {
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describe('resolveQueryOrExit', () => {
     expect(errorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Error: No query provided');
   });
 
-  it('exits with code 1 when multiple query sources are provided', async () => {
+  it('exits with a formatted error when query resolution fails', async () => {
     await expect(
       resolveQueryOrExit({ args: ['typed'], file: '/ignored' }, usageLines, stubReaders, true),
     ).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: 1 });
diff --git a/src/commands/async-task.ts b/src/commands/async-task.ts
index ed43407..21a5f98 100644
--- a/src/commands/async-task.ts
+++ b/src/commands/async-task.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { startSpinner } from '../output/spinner';
 import { formatTask, formatTasksSubmitted } from '../output/tasks';
 import { parsePositiveInt } from './option-parsers';
 
-export const DEFAULT_POLL_INTERVAL_SECONDS = 5;
+const DEFAULT_POLL_INTERVAL_SECONDS = 5;
 const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 20 * 60;
 
 export type PollTaskStatus = 'completed' | 'failed' | 'timeout';