diff --git a/.github/workflows/demo-rule.yml b/.github/workflows/reference-corpus.yml
similarity index 93%
rename from .github/workflows/demo-rule.yml
rename to .github/workflows/reference-corpus.yml
index 6bd76977..4f5cd059 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/demo-rule.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reference-corpus.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Runs every shipped demonstration rule's own fixtures.
+# Runs every conformance corpus rule's own fixtures, as a smoke test.
 #
 # ## Why this is its own workflow
 #
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@
 # conformance corpus published as `@taskless/cli/reference.json`, and
 # `test/reference.test.ts` only proves that payload matches the asset trees.
 # This job proves the trees themselves hold: it copies the manifest's own
-# written-path list, read straight off `assets/demo-*/`, into one bare project
+# written-path list, read straight off `assets/reference-*/`, into one bare project
 # and runs the engines over it. A corpus rule that fails its own cases would
 # hand another team a broken oracle.
-name: Demo rules
+name: Reference corpus
 
 on:
   push:
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ env:
   TASKLESS_TELEMETRY_DISABLED: "1"
 
 jobs:
-  demo-rules:
-    name: Demo rules
+  reference-corpus:
+    name: Reference corpus
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
           # The script writes the file itself. Redirecting its stdout here
           # captured pnpm's platform warnings alongside the manifest, and the
           # loop below then tried to stage a rule named "WARN".
-          pnpm --filter @taskless/cli demo:manifests /tmp/manifests.txt
+          pnpm --filter @taskless/cli corpus:manifests /tmp/manifests.txt
           cat /tmp/manifests.txt
           # The trailing field is the manifest's own written-path list, so this
           # stages exactly the rule and its cases. A `cp -R` of the asset
@@ -119,5 +119,5 @@ jobs:
               if (rule.ran !== true) throw new Error(id + " fixtures did not run: " + JSON.stringify(rule));
               if (rule.ok !== true) throw new Error(id + " fixtures failed: " + JSON.stringify(rule.errors));
             }
-            console.log("all " + expected.length + " demo rules ran and passed");
+            console.log("all " + expected.length + " reference rules ran and passed");
           '
diff --git a/eslint.config.js b/eslint.config.js
index a5c03a39..5dc2b503 100644
--- a/eslint.config.js
+++ b/eslint.config.js
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ export default tseslint.config(
       "plugins/",
       "openspec/",
       "**/test/fixtures/",
-      // The demonstration rule ships as DATA, not as source. Its `check.ts`
+      // The runtime reference rule ships as DATA, not as source. Its `check.ts`
       // is a rule in the published conformance corpus, run under `tsx`
       // against a structural contract and importing nothing from this
       // repository — so it is deliberately outside every tsconfig, and
       // type-aware linting has no project to resolve it against.
-      "packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/",
+      "packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/",
       "tmp/",
       // Worktrees are full checkouts nested inside the repo. Without this, a
       // root `eslint .` lints every worktree's copy of the tree — slow, and it
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/.env b/packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/.env
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/.env
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/.env
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/src/config.ts b/packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/src/config.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/src/config.ts
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/fail/undeclared/src/config.ts
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/.env b/packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/.env
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/.env
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/.env
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/src/config.ts b/packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/src/config.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/src/config.ts
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/.tests/pass/declared/src/config.ts
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/captures/env-read.yml b/packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/captures/env-read.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/captures/env-read.yml
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/captures/env-read.yml
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/check.ts b/packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/check.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/check.ts
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/check.ts
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/prompt.md b/packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/prompt.md
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-runtime/prompt.md
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-runtime/prompt.md
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-sg/.tests/no-eval-call-test.yml b/packages/cli/assets/reference-sg/.tests/no-eval-call-test.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-sg/.tests/no-eval-call-test.yml
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-sg/.tests/no-eval-call-test.yml
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-sg/no-eval-call.yml b/packages/cli/assets/reference-sg/no-eval-call.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-sg/no-eval-call.yml
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-sg/no-eval-call.yml
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-sg/prompt.md b/packages/cli/assets/reference-sg/prompt.md
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-sg/prompt.md
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-sg/prompt.md
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/.tests/fail/README.md b/packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/.tests/fail/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/.tests/fail/README.md
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/.tests/fail/README.md
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/.tests/pass/README.md b/packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/.tests/pass/README.md
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/.tests/pass/README.md
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/.tests/pass/README.md
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/.vale.ini b/packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/.vale.ini
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/.vale.ini
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/.vale.ini
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/prefer-use-over-utilize.yml b/packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/prefer-use-over-utilize.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/prefer-use-over-utilize.yml
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/prefer-use-over-utilize.yml
diff --git a/packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/prompt.md b/packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/prompt.md
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/cli/assets/demo-vale/prompt.md
rename to packages/cli/assets/reference-vale/prompt.md
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 8b0a27c6..8ee19e5c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     "build": "vite build && tsc -p tsconfig.public.json",
     "build:nightly": "TASKLESS_BUILD_TARGET=nightly vite build && tsc -p tsconfig.public.json",
     "build:self": "TASKLESS_BUILD_TARGET=self vite build",
-    "demo:manifests": "tsx scripts/print-demo-manifests.ts",
+    "corpus:manifests": "tsx scripts/print-corpus-manifests.ts",
     "generate:api": "pnpm generate:api:schema && pnpm generate:api:types",
     "generate:api:schema": "tsx scripts/fetch-api-schema.ts",
     "generate:api:types": "openapi-typescript src/generated/api-v2.schema.json -o src/generated/api-v2.d.ts",
diff --git a/packages/cli/scripts/print-demo-manifests.ts b/packages/cli/scripts/print-corpus-manifests.ts
similarity index 82%
rename from packages/cli/scripts/print-demo-manifests.ts
rename to packages/cli/scripts/print-corpus-manifests.ts
index f42b5ed2..b1c1ad46 100644
--- a/packages/cli/scripts/print-demo-manifests.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/scripts/print-corpus-manifests.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * Write each shipped demo rule as
+ * Write each conformance corpus rule as
  * `<engine> <ruleId> <assetDirectory> <path>...`.
  *
  * Exists so CI can stage every sample without restating the list in YAML,
@@ -17,19 +17,19 @@
  * reading it then tried to stage a rule called `WARN`. A file the script writes
  * itself cannot pick up a caller's noise.
  *
- * Run: pnpm --filter @taskless/cli demo:manifests <path>
+ * Run: pnpm --filter @taskless/cli corpus:manifests <path>
  */
 
 import { writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 
-import { DEMO_MANIFESTS, writtenPaths } from "../src/rules/demo/manifest";
+import { CORPUS_MANIFESTS, writtenPaths } from "../src/rules/corpus/manifest";
 
 const target = process.argv[2];
 if (target === undefined) {
-  throw new Error("usage: print-demo-manifests <output-path>");
+  throw new Error("usage: print-corpus-manifests <output-path>");
 }
 
-const lines = DEMO_MANIFESTS.map(
+const lines = CORPUS_MANIFESTS.map(
   (manifest) =>
     `${manifest.engine} ${manifest.ruleId} ${manifest.assetDirectory} ${writtenPaths(manifest).join(" ")}`
 );
diff --git a/packages/cli/scripts/write-reference.ts b/packages/cli/scripts/write-reference.ts
index 06243da2..8658a9ef 100644
--- a/packages/cli/scripts/write-reference.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/scripts/write-reference.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * Regenerate `assets/reference.json` from the shipped rules.
  *
- * The corpus is every demonstration rule with the prompt it answers, the rule
+ * The corpus is every reference rule with the prompt it answers, the rule
  * itself, and the held-out cases — separately, so another team can run their
  * rule against our cases and ours against theirs.
  *
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 
 import { buildReference } from "../src/rules/reference";
-import { readReferenceInputs } from "../src/rules/demo/manifest";
+import { readReferenceInputs } from "../src/rules/corpus/manifest";
 
 const assetsRoot = join(import.meta.dirname, "..", "assets");
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/rules/demo/manifest.ts b/packages/cli/src/rules/corpus/manifest.ts
similarity index 91%
rename from packages/cli/src/rules/demo/manifest.ts
rename to packages/cli/src/rules/corpus/manifest.ts
index 7366eab8..9076d51f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/rules/demo/manifest.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/rules/corpus/manifest.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * The demonstration rules behind the conformance corpus: their identities,
+ * The rules behind the conformance corpus: their identities,
  * their file lists, and the one reader that loads them off disk.
  *
  * Nothing in the bundle imports this. The rules used to be written into a
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ import { join } from "node:path";
 import type { EngineName } from "../layout";
 import type { ReferenceInput } from "../reference";
 
-/** One shipped demonstration rule. */
-export interface DemoManifest {
+/** One rule in the conformance corpus. */
+export interface CorpusManifest {
   engine: EngineName;
   /**
    * The rule's directory name, and the id `check` and `verify` address it by.
@@ -72,11 +72,11 @@ export interface DemoManifest {
   assetDirectory: string;
 }
 
-export const DEMO_MANIFESTS: readonly DemoManifest[] = [
+export const CORPUS_MANIFESTS: readonly CorpusManifest[] = [
   {
     engine: "sg",
     ruleId: "no-eval-call",
-    assetDirectory: "demo-sg",
+    assetDirectory: "reference-sg",
     promptPath: "prompt.md",
     rulePaths: ["no-eval-call.yml"],
     testPaths: [".tests/no-eval-call-test.yml"],
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export const DEMO_MANIFESTS: readonly DemoManifest[] = [
   {
     engine: "vale",
     ruleId: "prefer-use-over-utilize",
-    assetDirectory: "demo-vale",
+    assetDirectory: "reference-vale",
     promptPath: "prompt.md",
     // `.vale.ini` is the rule's own engine config, so it is part of what a
     // generator must produce rather than part of the oracle.
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ export const DEMO_MANIFESTS: readonly DemoManifest[] = [
   {
     engine: "runtime",
     ruleId: "env-keys-declared",
-    assetDirectory: "demo-runtime",
+    assetDirectory: "reference-runtime",
     promptPath: "prompt.md",
     rulePaths: ["check.ts", "captures/env-read.yml"],
     testPaths: [
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export const DEMO_MANIFESTS: readonly DemoManifest[] = [
 ];
 
 /** Every file of the staged rule tree: the rule and its cases, never the prompt. */
-export function writtenPaths(manifest: DemoManifest): readonly string[] {
+export function writtenPaths(manifest: CorpusManifest): readonly string[] {
   return [...manifest.rulePaths, ...manifest.testPaths];
 }
 
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ export async function readReferenceInputs(
     );
 
   return Promise.all(
-    DEMO_MANIFESTS.map(async (manifest) => ({
+    CORPUS_MANIFESTS.map(async (manifest) => ({
       engine: manifest.engine,
       ruleId: manifest.ruleId,
       prompt: await read(manifest.assetDirectory, manifest.promptPath),
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/reference.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/reference.test.ts
index 82df8137..157fd32e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/reference.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/test/reference.test.ts
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ import {
 } from "../src/rules/reference";
 import { RULE_CONSTRAINTS } from "../src/rules/constraints";
 import {
-  DEMO_MANIFESTS,
+  CORPUS_MANIFESTS,
   readReferenceInputs,
   writtenPaths,
-} from "../src/rules/demo/manifest";
+} from "../src/rules/corpus/manifest";
 import { ENGINE_LAYOUTS, ENGINES, type EngineName } from "../src/rules/layout";
 import { ruleDirectory } from "../src/rules/engines";
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ function shapePaths(value: unknown): string[] {
   return [...paths].toSorted();
 }
 
-describe("the demo reference payload", () => {
+describe("the reference corpus payload", () => {
   it("is current — regenerate with `pnpm --filter @taskless/cli reference`", async () => {
     expect(await readReference()).toEqual(
       buildReference(await readReferenceInputs(assetsRoot))
@@ -117,10 +117,10 @@ describe("the demo reference payload", () => {
     // the point: whoever adds it states which of its files are dot-paths,
     // rather than inheriting a guard that silently covers nothing.
     expect(
-      DEMO_MANIFESTS.map((manifest) => manifest.engine).toSorted()
+      CORPUS_MANIFESTS.map((manifest) => manifest.engine).toSorted()
     ).toEqual(Object.keys(required).toSorted());
 
-    for (const manifest of DEMO_MANIFESTS) {
+    for (const manifest of CORPUS_MANIFESTS) {
       const written = writtenPaths(manifest);
       for (const path of required[manifest.engine] ?? []) {
         expect(written, `${manifest.engine} no longer lists ${path}`).toContain(
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ describe("the reference payload is reachable by another team", () => {
 /**
  * One rule's worth of input, with only the fixture paths varying.
  *
- * Hand-built rather than mutated out of `DEMO_MANIFESTS`, so a test that
+ * Hand-built rather than mutated out of `CORPUS_MANIFESTS`, so a test that
  * asserts a refusal cannot also alter what the real corpus publishes.
  */
 function refusalInput(engine: EngineName, testPaths: string[]): ReferenceInput {