diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e6d3476..f035984 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ Auto-tag your GitLab or GitHub repository with semantic version tags from CI —
 uvx semvertag tag
 ```
 
+semvertag bumps from the highest existing semver tag and never creates
+the first one. Before the first run, create a plain semver tag such as
+`0.1.0` (a `v` prefix does not parse and is ignored).
+
 ## Use it in GitLab CI
 
 Paste this job into your `.gitlab-ci.yml`:
@@ -83,8 +87,8 @@ GitHub Enterprise setup, outputs, and troubleshooting.
 ## Strategies
 
 - **branch-prefix** (default): the head commit on the default branch
-  must be a merge commit whose source branch starts with `feature/`
-  (minor), `bugfix/`, or `hotfix/` (patch).
+  must be a merge commit whose subject names a `feature/` (minor),
+  `bugfix/`, or `hotfix/` (patch) branch.
 - **conventional-commits**: parses the head commit's
   [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/)
   header (`feat:` minor, `fix:`/`perf:` patch, `!` or `BREAKING
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 95096d0..9e2e1ab 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ inputs:
 
 outputs:
   tag:
-    description: 'The created tag (e.g. v1.2.3), or empty string if no bump was warranted.'
+    description: 'The created tag (e.g. 1.2.3), or empty string if no bump was warranted.'
     value: ${{ steps.run.outputs.tag }}
   bump:
     description: 'The computed bump: none | patch | minor | major.'
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index 6599a62..c22cfd9 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ semvertag:
     - if: '$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH'
 ```
 
+semvertag bumps from the highest existing semver tag and never creates
+the first one. Before the first run, create a plain semver tag such as
+`0.1.0` (a `v` prefix does not parse and is ignored).
+
 For local testing or one-off invocations:
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/docs/providers/github.md b/docs/providers/github.md
index 2e99f03..017a6d9 100644
--- a/docs/providers/github.md
+++ b/docs/providers/github.md
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ a bump is warranted by the configured strategy, creates a new tag
 ref via the GitHub API. If no bump is warranted, the job exits 0
 without pushing.
 
+> **First tag.** semvertag bumps from the highest existing semver tag
+> and never creates the first one. It reads only plain semver tags such
+> as `0.1.0`; a `v` prefix (`v0.1.0`) does not parse and is ignored. Until
+> one exists, every run reports `no_tags` and exits 0. Push one with
+> `git tag 0.1.0 && git push origin 0.1.0`.
+
 > **Auto-detection.** semvertag detects GitHub Actions from the
 > `GITHUB_ACTIONS=true` env var that GHA sets automatically. The
 > `--provider` flag is therefore optional inside GHA — explicit
@@ -92,7 +98,7 @@ When you give the step an `id:`, downstream steps can read three outputs:
 
 | Output | Value |
 |---|---|
-| `tag` | The created tag (e.g. `v1.2.3`), or empty string when `status` is `no-bump`. |
+| `tag` | The created tag (e.g. `1.2.3`), or empty string when `status` is `no-bump`. |
 | `bump` | `none` \| `patch` \| `minor` \| `major`. |
 | `status` | `created` (tag pushed) \| `no-bump` (nothing to tag — no prior tag, already tagged, no merge commit, or non-conforming commit). On CLI error the action itself exits non-zero and this output is not written. |
 
@@ -189,12 +195,12 @@ is the entire setup.
 ## Branch-prefix vs conventional-commits
 
 Pick `branch-prefix` if your team merges PRs with branch names that
-follow a `fix/...`, `feat/...`, `chore/...` convention and lands them
-as merge commits. semvertag reads the head commit's source-branch
-prefix and bumps accordingly — `fix/` bumps patch, `feat/` bumps
-minor, `chore/` bumps nothing. With squash merges the head is not a
-merge commit and the run reports `no_merge_commit`. This is the
-default. See
+follow a `feature/...`, `bugfix/...`, `hotfix/...` convention and lands
+them as merge commits. semvertag reads the head commit's source-branch
+prefix and bumps accordingly: `feature/` bumps minor, `bugfix/` and
+`hotfix/` bump patch, and any other prefix bumps nothing. With squash
+merges the head is not a merge commit and the run reports
+`no_merge_commit`. This is the default. See
 [Branch-prefix strategy](../strategies/branch-prefix.md) for the full
 prefix-to-bump table and edge-case behavior.
 
diff --git a/docs/providers/gitlab.md b/docs/providers/gitlab.md
index 446d9c7..4d80041 100644
--- a/docs/providers/gitlab.md
+++ b/docs/providers/gitlab.md
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ bump is warranted by the configured strategy, pushes a new tag to the
 project's `origin`. If no bump is warranted, the job exits 0 without
 pushing.
 
+> **First tag.** semvertag bumps from the highest existing semver tag
+> and never creates the first one. It reads only plain semver tags such
+> as `0.1.0`; a `v` prefix (`v0.1.0`) does not parse and is ignored. Until
+> one exists, every run reports `no_tags` and exits 0. Push one with
+> `git tag 0.1.0 && git push origin 0.1.0`.
+
 > **Concurrency default.** `resource_group: semvertag` makes GitLab
 > serialize concurrent `semvertag` jobs across pipelines on the same
 > project — back-to-back pushes will queue rather than race the
@@ -117,10 +123,11 @@ write scope, the minimal job snippet above is the entire setup.
 ## Branch-prefix vs conventional-commits
 
 Pick `branch-prefix` if your team merges merge requests with branch
-names that follow a `fix/...`, `feat/...`, `chore/...` convention
-and lands them as merge commits. semvertag reads the head commit's
-source-branch prefix and bumps accordingly — `fix/` bumps patch,
-`feat/` bumps minor, `chore/` bumps nothing. With squash merges the
+names that follow a `feature/...`, `bugfix/...`, `hotfix/...`
+convention and lands them as merge commits. semvertag reads the head
+commit's source-branch prefix and bumps accordingly: `feature/` bumps
+minor, `bugfix/` and `hotfix/` bump patch, and any other prefix bumps
+nothing. With squash merges the
 head is not a merge commit and the run reports `no_merge_commit`.
 This is the default. See
 [Branch-prefix strategy](../strategies/branch-prefix.md) for the full
diff --git a/semvertag/_outcome.py b/semvertag/_outcome.py
index f0ae988..8d9a679 100644
--- a/semvertag/_outcome.py
+++ b/semvertag/_outcome.py
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 # These are the JSON wire reasons. The human terminal path (_output._format_outcome)
 # words NoTags/AlreadyTagged differently on purpose — edit both if you change the
 # message for one audience.
-_NO_TAGS_REASON: typing.Final = "No prior semver-conforming tags found; not seeding an initial tag in v1.0."
+_NO_TAGS_REASON: typing.Final = (
+    "No prior semver-conforming tags found; create an initial tag such as 0.1.0 on a default-branch commit."
+)
 _ALREADY_TAGGED_REASON: typing.Final = "Latest commit already tagged."
 
 
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ class DryRun:
 
 @dataclasses.dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True, kw_only=True)
 class NoTags:
-    """No prior semver tag to bump from; v1.0 does not seed one."""
+    """No prior semver tag to bump from; semvertag does not create the first one."""
 
     commit: str
 
diff --git a/semvertag/_output.py b/semvertag/_output.py
index 3686fa0..b848953 100644
--- a/semvertag/_output.py
+++ b/semvertag/_output.py
@@ -63,7 +63,10 @@ def _format_outcome(outcome: Outcome, *, strategy: str) -> str:
             short = commit[:_COMMIT_SHORT_LEN]
             return f"Dry run: would create tag {tag} on commit {short} (strategy: {strategy}, bump: {bump.value})"
         case NoTags():
-            return "No tag created — no prior semver-conforming tag to bump from."
+            return (
+                "No tag created — no prior semver-conforming tag to bump from; "
+                "create an initial tag such as 0.1.0 on a default-branch commit."
+            )
         case AlreadyTagged(tag=tag):
             return f"No tag created — latest commit is already tagged {tag}."
         case NoBump(reason=reason):
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_outcome.py b/tests/unit/test_outcome.py
index b41a77d..43d20ce 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_outcome.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_outcome.py
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ def test_no_tags_maps_with_none_bump_and_fixed_reason() -> None:
     )
 
 
+def test_no_tags_reason_says_how_to_seed_the_first_tag() -> None:
+    reason: typing.Final = to_run_result(NoTags(commit=_COMMIT), strategy=_STRATEGY).reason
+    assert reason is not None
+    assert "create an initial tag such as 0.1.0" in reason
+    assert "v1.0" not in reason
+
+
 def test_already_tagged_maps_with_tag_and_fixed_reason() -> None:
     result: typing.Final = to_run_result(AlreadyTagged(tag="0.3.1", commit=_COMMIT), strategy=_STRATEGY)
     assert result == RunResult(
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_output_rich.py b/tests/unit/test_output_rich.py
index 6ecc51a..ac5f780 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_output_rich.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_output_rich.py
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ def test_matrix_keeps_stderr_for_errors(quiet: bool) -> None:
     ("outcome", "expected"),
     [
         (NoTags(commit="abc1234def"), "no prior semver-conforming tag"),
+        (NoTags(commit="abc1234def"), "create an initial tag such as 0.1.0"),
         (AlreadyTagged(tag="1.2.0", commit="abc1234def"), "already tagged 1.2.0"),
         (
             NoBump(status="no_merge_commit", reason="Latest commit is not a merge commit.", commit="abc1234def"),
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ def test_matrix_keeps_stderr_for_errors(quiet: bool) -> None:
 def test_emit_renders_no_bump_outcomes_as_human_sentences(outcome: Outcome, expected: str) -> None:
     output, stdout_buf, _stderr = _make_pair()
     output.emit(outcome, strategy=_STRATEGY)
-    stdout_text: typing.Final = stdout_buf.getvalue()
+    stdout_text: typing.Final = " ".join(stdout_buf.getvalue().split())
     assert "No tag created" in stdout_text
     assert expected in stdout_text