diff --git a/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
index 6b9034ef28e..9b9d81a45f1 100644
--- a/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ describe("config cli", () => {
 
       await expect(runConfigCommand(["config", "validate"])).rejects.toThrow("__exit__:1");
 
-      expect(mockError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Config invalid at"));
+      expect(mockError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("config is invalid"));
       expect(mockError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         expect.stringContaining("agents.defaults.suppressToolErrorWarnings"),
       );
diff --git a/src/cli/config-cli.ts b/src/cli/config-cli.ts
index afd02c780dd..042febb6152 100644
--- a/src/cli/config-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/config-cli.ts
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ function isPlainRecord(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
 }
 
 function formatDoctorHint(message: string): string {
-  return `Run \`${formatCliCommand("openclaw doctor")}\` ${message}`;
+  return `Run \`${formatCliCommand("openclaw doctor --fix")}\` ${message}`;
 }
 
 function formatUnsupportedSecretRefPolicyFailureMessage(issues: string[]): string {
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ async function loadValidConfig(runtime: RuntimeEnv = defaultRuntime) {
   if (snapshot.valid) {
     return snapshot;
   }
-  runtime.error(`Config invalid at ${shortenHomePath(snapshot.path)}.`);
+  runtime.error(`OpenClaw config is invalid: ${shortenHomePath(snapshot.path)}`);
   for (const line of formatConfigIssueLines(snapshot.issues, "-", { normalizeRoot: true })) {
     runtime.error(line);
   }
@@ -1662,7 +1662,11 @@ export async function runConfigGet(opts: { path: string; json?: boolean; runtime
     const redacted = redactConfigObject(snapshot.config);
     const res = getAtPath(redacted, parsedPath);
     if (!res.found) {
-      runtime.error(danger(`Config path not found: ${opts.path}`));
+      runtime.error(
+        danger(
+          `Config path not found: ${opts.path}. Run ${formatCliCommand("openclaw config validate")} to inspect config shape.`,
+        ),
+      );
       runtime.exit(1);
       return;
     }
@@ -1696,7 +1700,11 @@ export async function runConfigUnset(opts: { path: string; runtime?: RuntimeEnv
     const next = structuredClone(snapshot.resolved) as Record<string, unknown>;
     const unsetResult = unsetAtPath(next, parsedPath);
     if (!unsetResult.removed) {
-      runtime.error(danger(`Config path not found: ${opts.path}`));
+      runtime.error(
+        danger(
+          `Config path not found: ${opts.path}. Nothing was changed. Run ${formatCliCommand("openclaw config get <path>")} first if you are unsure of the path.`,
+        ),
+      );
       runtime.exit(1);
       return;
     }
@@ -1763,6 +1771,9 @@ export async function runConfigValidate(opts: { json?: boolean; runtime?: Runtim
         writeRuntimeJson(runtime, { valid: false, path: outputPath, error: "file not found" }, 0);
       } else {
         runtime.error(danger(`Config file not found: ${shortPath}`));
+        runtime.error(
+          `Create one with ${formatCliCommand("openclaw onboard")} or run ${formatCliCommand("openclaw doctor --fix")}.`,
+        );
       }
       runtime.exit(1);
       return;
@@ -1774,12 +1785,13 @@ export async function runConfigValidate(opts: { json?: boolean; runtime?: Runtim
       if (opts.json) {
         writeRuntimeJson(runtime, { valid: false, path: outputPath, issues });
       } else {
-        runtime.error(danger(`Config invalid at ${shortPath}:`));
+        runtime.error(danger(`OpenClaw config is invalid: ${shortPath}`));
         for (const line of formatConfigIssueLines(issues, danger("×"), { normalizeRoot: true })) {
           runtime.error(`  ${line}`);
         }
         runtime.error("");
         runtime.error(formatDoctorHint("to repair, or fix the keys above manually."));
+        runtime.error(`Inspect with ${formatCliCommand("openclaw config validate")}.`);
       }
       runtime.exit(1);
       return;
diff --git a/src/commands/config-validation.ts b/src/commands/config-validation.ts
index ec939841540..b0e453d05ab 100644
--- a/src/commands/config-validation.ts
+++ b/src/commands/config-validation.ts
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ export async function requireValidConfigFileSnapshot(
       snapshot.issues.length > 0
         ? formatConfigIssueLines(snapshot.issues, "-").join("\n")
         : "Unknown validation issue.";
-    runtime.error(`Config invalid:\n${issues}`);
-    runtime.error(`Fix the config or run ${formatCliCommand("openclaw doctor")}.`);
+    runtime.error(`OpenClaw config is invalid: ${snapshot.path}\n${issues}`);
+    runtime.error(`Fix: ${formatCliCommand("openclaw doctor --fix")}`);
+    runtime.error(`Inspect: ${formatCliCommand("openclaw config validate")}`);
     runtime.exit(1);
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/src/commands/docs.ts b/src/commands/docs.ts
index 88bad3185fb..ef68df0449d 100644
--- a/src/commands/docs.ts
+++ b/src/commands/docs.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ function resolveNodeRunner(): NodeRunner {
   if (hasBinary("npx")) {
     return { cmd: "npx", args: ["-y"] };
   }
-  throw new Error("Missing pnpm or npx; install a Node package runner.");
+  throw new Error(
+    `Docs search needs pnpm or npx to run the docs search helper. Install pnpm, or run ${formatCliCommand("npm install -g pnpm")}.`,
+  );
 }
 
 async function runNodeTool(tool: string, toolArgs: string[], options: ToolRunOptions = {}) {