diff --git a/pkg/app/run_test.go b/pkg/app/run_test.go
index 6bc1de49c..b63e05481 100644
--- a/pkg/app/run_test.go
+++ b/pkg/app/run_test.go
@@ -1193,7 +1193,8 @@ COMMANDS
         --dataset=DATASET        The Honeycomb Dataset you want to log to
         --auth-token=AUTH-TOKEN  The Write Key from the Account page of your
                                  Honeycomb account
-        --format=FORMAT          Apache style log formatting
+        --format=FORMAT          Apache style log formatting. Your log must
+                                 produce valid JSON that Honeycomb can ingest
         --format-version=FORMAT-VERSION
                                  The version of the custom logging format used
                                  for the configured endpoint. Can be either 2
@@ -1227,7 +1228,8 @@ COMMANDS
         --version=VERSION        Number of service version
     -n, --name=NAME              The name of the Honeycomb logging object
         --new-name=NEW-NAME      New name of the Honeycomb logging object
-        --format=FORMAT          Apache style log formatting
+        --format=FORMAT          Apache style log formatting. Your log must
+                                 produce valid JSON that Honeycomb can ingest
         --format-version=FORMAT-VERSION
                                  The version of the custom logging format used
                                  for the configured endpoint. Can be either 2
diff --git a/pkg/logging/honeycomb/create.go b/pkg/logging/honeycomb/create.go
index 027b2ed16..efbba866e 100644
--- a/pkg/logging/honeycomb/create.go
+++ b/pkg/logging/honeycomb/create.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func NewCreateCommand(parent common.Registerer, globals *config.Data) *CreateCom
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("dataset", "The Honeycomb Dataset you want to log to").Required().StringVar(c.Input.Dataset)
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("auth-token", "The Write Key from the Account page of your Honeycomb account").Required().StringVar(c.Input.Token)
 
-	c.CmdClause.Flag("format", "Apache style log formatting").StringVar(c.Input.Format)
+	c.CmdClause.Flag("format", "Apache style log formatting. Your log must produce valid JSON that Honeycomb can ingest").StringVar(c.Input.Format)
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("format-version", "The version of the custom logging format used for the configured endpoint. Can be either 2 (default) or 1").UintVar(c.Input.FormatVersion)
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("response-condition", "The name of an existing condition in the configured endpoint, or leave blank to always execute").StringVar(c.Input.ResponseCondition)
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("placement", "Where in the generated VCL the logging call should be placed, overriding any format_version default. Can be none or waf_debug").StringVar(c.Input.Placement)
diff --git a/pkg/logging/honeycomb/update.go b/pkg/logging/honeycomb/update.go
index 7e78edebf..0f41fb2e0 100644
--- a/pkg/logging/honeycomb/update.go
+++ b/pkg/logging/honeycomb/update.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func NewUpdateCommand(parent common.Registerer, globals *config.Data) *UpdateCom
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("name", "The name of the Honeycomb logging object").Short('n').Required().StringVar(&c.Input.Name)
 
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("new-name", "New name of the Honeycomb logging object").Action(c.NewName.Set).StringVar(&c.NewName.Value)
-	c.CmdClause.Flag("format", "Apache style log formatting").Action(c.Format.Set).StringVar(&c.Format.Value)
+	c.CmdClause.Flag("format", "Apache style log formatting. Your log must produce valid JSON that Honeycomb can ingest").Action(c.Format.Set).StringVar(&c.Format.Value)
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("format-version", "The version of the custom logging format used for the configured endpoint. Can be either 2 (default) or 1").Action(c.FormatVersion.Set).UintVar(&c.FormatVersion.Value)
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("dataset", "The Honeycomb Dataset you want to log to").Action(c.Dataset.Set).StringVar(&c.Dataset.Value)
 	c.CmdClause.Flag("auth-token", "The Write Key from the Account page of your Honeycomb account").Action(c.Token.Set).StringVar(&c.Token.Value)