diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index e94c6a6..eb6daf9 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ Pass an existing archive to test the same build CI uses:
 `npm run test:package -- /absolute/path/to/package.tgz`. For a final CI candidate,
 also pass its `release.json` as the second argument. The supplied package's
 name, version, executable mode and manifest are checked before runtime probes.
+The README inside the archive must match the checkout, install from npm's
+`beta` channel and avoid unpublished or local-archive installation guidance.
 `npm run verify` runs lint, typecheck, build and tests; `npm run release:check`
 also previews the package contents. Neither publishes or creates a tag.
 
diff --git a/docs/doppler.md b/docs/doppler.md
index 818dd57..0661341 100644
--- a/docs/doppler.md
+++ b/docs/doppler.md
@@ -13,14 +13,15 @@ a provider option. `resolve-doppler` and
 
 ## Local setup
 
-From the checkout, build and log in:
+After [installing resenv](../README.md#install) in your application project, log in:
 
 ```sh
-npm run build
-node dist/bin/resenv.cjs login doppler
+npx --no-install resenv login doppler
 ```
 
-After installing a packed build, the same command is `resenv login doppler`.
+The examples below use `resenv` directly in an npm script; from your shell,
+prefix it with `npx --no-install` to use the project's installed copy.
+For checkout builds and local testing, see [CONTRIBUTING.md](../CONTRIBUTING.md).
 If the references are already loaded into the shell environment, `resenv login`
 infers Doppler without naming it. No cloud references means no login is needed.
 Neither command loads dotenv files; Nx remains responsible for file selection.
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ and build suffixes while the package retains its complete release version.
 The user token is saved in the OS credential store under service
 `ciqol.envref.doppler`, account `default`. The identifier is retained across
 the resenv rename so existing logins continue to work. Nothing is saved in the repository,
-dotenv files or worktree. The current prototype stores one workplace login per
+dotenv files or worktree. The current beta stores one workplace login per
 OS user; logging in again replaces that saved identity. Each developer logs in
 separately and receives the permissions of their own Doppler account.
 
diff --git a/docs/maintainer-handoff.md b/docs/maintainer-handoff.md
index 78d2cb3..36ce2c7 100644
--- a/docs/maintainer-handoff.md
+++ b/docs/maintainer-handoff.md
@@ -76,6 +76,13 @@ npm view @ciqol/resenv versions dist-tags --json
 npm stage list @ciqol/resenv --json
 ```
 
+Inspect the tested archive's README as well as the source README before release.
+The first public beta shipped obsolete archive-only installation instructions;
+later source corrections cannot update an already published archive. Package
+checks now enforce npm installation guidance and README equality with the
+checkout. Ship documentation corrections in a new tested release through the
+same staging and approval workflow.
+
 The first intended version is `0.1.0-beta.1`; npm tags `beta` and `latest` point
 to the same tested beta release. The planner uses semantic-release's official
 commit-analysis and notes plugins directly;
diff --git a/docs/validation.md b/docs/validation.md
index 44338a0..1e6eb62 100644
--- a/docs/validation.md
+++ b/docs/validation.md
@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 # Validation
 
+## October 13, 2026 — packaged installation documentation
+
+npm lists only `0.1.0-beta.1`, with both `beta` and `latest` pointing to it.
+Its public archive still contains the unpublished, archive-only installation
+instructions corrected later in the source README. Package checks now compare
+the archived README with the checkout and require npm beta installation,
+rejecting local archive paths and unpublished claims. The actual published
+archive fails the new gate; restoring its README in both source and build also
+fails the installation check. The current build passes all 16 packed runtime
+checks and both typed consumers. Lint, strict types, build, 101 unit/tooling
+tests, the coverage gate and 41 process tests passed on pinned Node 24.19.0.
+The package check used a writable temporary npm cache after the sandbox denied
+access to the default cache. The Doppler guide now starts with the installed
+CLI and links to contributor setup. The existing public archive is unchanged;
+publishing corrected documentation requires a new staged, approved release.
+
 ## October 13, 2026 — PR review and command shutdown
 
 Review found that forwarding a signal only to the wrapped command could leave
diff --git a/test/package-smoke.mjs b/test/package-smoke.mjs
index 6053d17..d8b3a65 100644
--- a/test/package-smoke.mjs
+++ b/test/package-smoke.mjs
@@ -52,6 +52,13 @@ try {
   if (source.license !== 'UNLICENSED') assert.ok(packed.files.some(file => file.path === 'LICENSE'))
   assert.ok(packed.files.find(file => file.path === 'bin/resenv.cjs').mode & 0o111, 'CLI must remain executable')
   const archive = suppliedArchive ?? join(directory, packed.filename)
+  const readme = run('tar', ['-xOf', archive, 'package/README.md'], root).stdout
+  assert.equal(readme, readFileSync(join(root, 'README.md'), 'utf8'), 'Packed README must match the checked-out documentation')
+  const install = readme.split(/^## /m).find(section => section.startsWith('Install\n'))
+  assert.ok(install, 'README must include application installation instructions')
+  assert.match(install, /npm install --save-exact @ciqol\/resenv@beta/, 'Application installation must use the public npm beta')
+  assert.doesNotMatch(install, /\.tgz\b|file:|\/path\/to\//, 'Local archive installation belongs in CONTRIBUTING.md')
+  assert.doesNotMatch(readme, /not (?:yet )?published|has not been published|once .{0,40}published|currently distributed\s+as a package archive/i, 'README must not describe the public package as unpublished')
   const packedManifest = JSON.parse(run('tar', ['-xOf', archive, 'package/package.json'], root).stdout)
   const dependency = `file:${archive}`
   const dependencies = { [source.name]: dependency }