diff --git a/fre/catalog/frecatalog.py b/fre/catalog/frecatalog.py
index 64f8ecb24..bf27844e2 100644
--- a/fre/catalog/frecatalog.py
+++ b/fre/catalog/frecatalog.py
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-'''
-entry point for fre catalog subcommands
-'''
+"""This module defines the ``fre catalog`` CLI commands."""
 
 import click
 
@@ -11,7 +9,7 @@
 
 @click.group(help=click.style(" - catalog subcommands", fg=(64,94,213)))
 def catalog_cli():
-    ''' entry point for click into fre catalog cli calls '''
+    """This command group exposes the ``fre catalog`` subcommands."""
 
 
 
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ def build(context, input_path = None, output_path = None, config = None, filter_
           filter_freq = None, filter_chunk = None, verbose = False, overwrite = False,
           append = False, slow = False, strict = False):
     # pylint: disable=unused-argument
-    """ - Generate .csv and .json files for catalog """
+    """Build catalog CSV and JSON files from the provided input data."""
     context.forward(gen_intake_gfdl.create_catalog_cli)
 
 @catalog_cli.command()
@@ -65,5 +63,5 @@ def validate(context, json_path, json_template_path, vocab, proper_generation, t
               help = 'Merged catalog')
 @click.pass_context
 def merge(context, input, output):
-    """ - Merge two or more more catalogs into one """
+    """Merge two or more catalogs into one catalog file."""
     context.invoke(combine_cats.combine_cats, inputfiles=input, output_path=output)