diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.test.ts
index 428f8d38..09c390e9 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.test.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ const XTERM = { TERM_PROGRAM: undefined } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv
 
 describe('linkOpenHotkey', () => {
   it('advertises the platform click gesture when the terminal supports OSC 8', () => {
+    const mod = isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Ctrl'
+
     expect(linkOpenHotkey({ TERM_PROGRAM: 'iTerm.app' } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv, true)).toEqual([
-      `${isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Ctrl'}+click link`,
-      'open link in browser'
+      `${mod}+click link`,
+      `open link in browser (${mod}+hover underlines it)`
     ])
   })
 
@@ -24,8 +26,10 @@ describe('linkOpenHotkey', () => {
   })
 
   it('advertises a plain click in fullscreen mode, where the in-process opener handles every terminal', () => {
-    expect(linkOpenHotkey(APPLE, false, false)).toEqual(['click link', 'open link in browser'])
-    expect(linkOpenHotkey(XTERM, false, false)).toEqual(['click link', 'open link in browser'])
+    const row = ['click link', 'open link in browser (highlights on hover)']
+
+    expect(linkOpenHotkey(APPLE, false, false)).toEqual(row)
+    expect(linkOpenHotkey(XTERM, false, false)).toEqual(row)
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.ts
index 072bb6b4..59b5f874 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/linkAffordance.ts
@@ -42,15 +42,22 @@ export function linkOpenHotkey(
     // OSC 8 terminals open our hyperlink metadata on Cmd/Ctrl+click in both
     // modes (xterm.js and iTerm2 handle it themselves even with mouse
     // tracking armed — the double-open dance the renderer's click dispatcher
-    // defers to in @clawcodex/ink's components/App.tsx).
-    return [`${isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Ctrl'}+click link`, 'open link in browser']
+    // defers to in @clawcodex/ink's components/App.tsx). They also render
+    // their own hover affordance (underline/tooltip while the modifier is
+    // held), so tell the user that's how to spot a clickable link.
+    const mod = isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Ctrl'
+
+    return [`${mod}+click link`, `open link in browser (${mod}+hover underlines it)`]
   }
 
   if (!inline) {
     // Fullscreen arms mouse tracking, so clicks are handled in-process
     // (onHyperlinkClick) in every terminal — including Apple Terminal,
     // where the captured mouse suppresses the native Cmd+double-click.
-    return ['click link', 'open link in browser']
+    // The renderer's hover overlay (applyHyperlinkHoverHighlight) inverts
+    // a link's cells while the pointer is over it — no modifier, since
+    // terminals don't put Cmd in mouse reports.
+    return ['click link', 'open link in browser (highlights on hover)']
   }
 
   if (isAppleTerminal(env)) {