diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d9338aa..004f793 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,12 +5,24 @@
 <h1 align="center">Tailshell</h1>
 
 <p align="center">
-  <strong>Your terminal, everywhere.</strong><br>
+  <b>Your terminal, everywhere.</b>
+  <br />
   A persistent web terminal that follows you from desktop to phone to tablet.
+  <br />
+  Persistent sessions · multi-user auth · mobile-friendly · Tailscale-ready
+</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/terminal-ttyd%20%2B%20tmux-2E8B57" alt="ttyd + tmux" />
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/deploy-Docker%20Compose-2496ED?logo=docker&logoColor=white" alt="Docker Compose" />
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/access-Tailscale-242424?logo=tailscale&logoColor=white" alt="Tailscale" />
+  <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-GPL--3.0--only-blue" alt="License: GPL-3.0-only" />
 </p>
 
 ---
 
+## Overview
+
 Tailshell wraps **ttyd** + **tmux** in a slick web UI with multi-user auth, workspaces, and quick prompts. Run it on your home server, access it from anywhere via Tailscale, and never lose a session again.
 
 ```
@@ -19,6 +31,8 @@ Browser ──> Nginx ──┬──> /api/* ──> API ──> MySQL
                     └──> /ws ──> ttyd ──> tmux ──> shell
 ```
 
+---
+
 ## Why Tailshell?
 
 - **Persistent sessions** — tmux keeps your work alive across disconnects
@@ -28,7 +42,9 @@ Browser ──> Nginx ──┬──> /api/* ──> API ──> MySQL
 - **Mobile-friendly** — works great on phones and tablets
 - **Tailscale-ready** — secure access from anywhere, no port forwarding
 
-## Quick Start
+---
+
+## Quick start
 
 ```bash
 # Clone and enter the repo
@@ -48,6 +64,8 @@ Open `http://localhost:8081/` and log in. First-time setup will prompt you to ch
 
 > **Tip:** Set `TAILSHELL_ADMIN_USERNAME` and `TAILSHELL_ADMIN_PASSWORD` in `.env` before first run, or check `docker compose logs api` for the generated credentials.
 
+---
+
 ## Development
 
 Want to hack on Tailshell? Fire up the dev stack with hot reload:
@@ -57,6 +75,8 @@ bash ./scripts/dev-up    # Start with Vite HMR + API watch
 bash ./scripts/dev-down  # Tear it down
 ```
 
+---
+
 ## Documentation
 
 The good stuff lives in [`docs/`](docs/README.md):
@@ -71,7 +91,16 @@ The good stuff lives in [`docs/`](docs/README.md):
 | [Development](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md) | UI/API dev workflows |
 | [Troubleshooting](docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md) | Common issues and fixes |
 
+---
+
+## Contribute
+
+Issues and PRs are welcome. See [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md) for the development workflow, and [`SECURITY.md`](SECURITY.md) for reporting security issues privately.
+
+---
+
 ## License
 
-This project is licensed under the GNU GPLv3. See `LICENSE`.
-See [THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md](THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md) for third-party components and licenses.
+Licensed under the **GNU General Public License v3.0** (`GPL-3.0-only`) — see [`LICENSE`](LICENSE) for the full text.
+
+© 2026 VisorCraft LLC. Third-party components carry their own licenses — see [`THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md`](THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md) and the [`LICENSES/`](LICENSES/) directory.