diff --git a/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Picker.vue b/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Picker.vue
index 4f048a6f..63657e22 100644
--- a/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Picker.vue
+++ b/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Picker.vue
@@ -273,11 +273,18 @@ const urlPreviewAdvertisesNothing = computed(
                     v-if="previewAdvertisesNothing"
                     class="rounded-md border border-amber-500/30 bg-amber-500/10 px-2.5 py-2 text-xs text-amber-700 dark:text-amber-500"
                   >
-                    You can connect «{{ candidate.name }}», but with an empty
-                    card the delegating agent will only ask it when the user
-                    names it outright — topic matching has nothing to grip.
-                    Better first: give it a description (Edit on its page), a
-                    template with skills, or
+                    <template v-if="preview?.description">
+                      «{{ candidate.name }}» has no skills on its card —
+                      matching will lean on its description alone. Sharper
+                      first: a template with skills, or
+                    </template>
+                    <template v-else>
+                      You can connect «{{ candidate.name }}», but with an
+                      empty card the delegating agent will only ask it when
+                      the user names it outright — topic matching has nothing
+                      to grip. Better first: give it a description (Edit on
+                      its page), a template with skills, or
+                    </template>
                     <NuxtLink
                       :to="`/agents/${candidate.id}?tab=knowledge`"
                       class="font-medium underline"
@@ -346,10 +353,17 @@ const urlPreviewAdvertisesNothing = computed(
                 v-if="urlPreviewAdvertisesNothing"
                 class="rounded-md border border-amber-500/30 bg-amber-500/10 px-2.5 py-2 text-xs text-amber-700 dark:text-amber-500"
               >
-                This card advertises nothing, so the delegating agent will
-                only ask «{{ urlPreview.name }}» when the user names it
-                outright. Ask its owner to publish a description and skills,
-                then Re-read the card here.
+                <template v-if="urlPreview.description">
+                  «{{ urlPreview.name }}» publishes no skills — matching will
+                  lean on its description alone. Ask its owner to publish
+                  skills, then Re-read the card here.
+                </template>
+                <template v-else>
+                  This card advertises nothing, so the delegating agent will
+                  only ask «{{ urlPreview.name }}» when the user names it
+                  outright. Ask its owner to publish a description and
+                  skills, then Re-read the card here.
+                </template>
               </div>
               <Button
                 size="sm"
diff --git a/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Row.vue b/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Row.vue
index e9553605..df7d7ca9 100644
--- a/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Row.vue
+++ b/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Row.vue
@@ -210,7 +210,12 @@ const failReason = computed<string | null>(() => {
           v-else
           class="text-xs text-amber-700 dark:text-amber-500"
         >
-          Advertises nothing — reachable by name only, never by topic.
+          <template v-if="peer.card?.description">
+            No skills advertised — matching leans on its description alone.
+          </template>
+          <template v-else>
+            Advertises nothing — reachable by name only, never by topic.
+          </template>
           <template v-if="peer.peerAgentId">
             Give it a description or
             <NuxtLink
diff --git a/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Tab.vue b/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Tab.vue
index 9327715a..53c3bf14 100644
--- a/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Tab.vue
+++ b/admin/slices/agent/peer/components/peer/Tab.vue
@@ -46,6 +46,21 @@ const address = computed(
 const nothingAdvertised = computed(
   () => Boolean(ownCard.value) && !ownCard.value!.skills.length,
 );
+// Per-source status for the hint: a card with a description but no skills is
+// NOT "nothing" — matching already runs on that text (CLEAN-95 prod run
+// proved it); the hint must say what is set and what is still missing.
+const cardHasDescription = computed(() =>
+  Boolean(ownCard.value?.description?.trim()),
+);
+const templateSkillCount = computed(
+  () =>
+    ownCard.value?.skills.filter((s) => s.tags.includes('skill')).length ?? 0,
+);
+const knowledgeSkillCount = computed(
+  () =>
+    ownCard.value?.skills.filter((s) => s.tags.includes('knowledge')).length ??
+    0,
+);
 const needAttention = computed(
   () =>
     peers.value.filter((p) => !p.peerExists || p.peerStatus !== 'running')
@@ -215,22 +230,70 @@ function goToKnowledge() {
             class="max-w-xl space-y-2 rounded-lg border border-amber-500/30 bg-amber-500/10 px-3 py-2.5"
           >
             <p class="text-sm font-medium text-amber-700 dark:text-amber-500">
-              This card advertises nothing yet
+              {{
+                cardHasDescription
+                  ? 'This card has no skills yet'
+                  : 'This card advertises nothing yet'
+              }}
             </p>
             <p class="text-sm text-amber-700/90 dark:text-amber-500/90">
               A delegating agent matches questions against this exact text.
-              Empty card = it will only ask this agent when the user names it
-              outright — never by topic. The card fills itself from:
+              <template v-if="cardHasDescription">
+                Right now that is the description alone — skills sharpen the
+                match and fill the CAN-DO section other agents read.
+              </template>
+              <template v-else>
+                An empty card means it will only be asked when the user names
+                this agent outright — never by topic.
+              </template>
+              Where the card stands:
             </p>
-            <ul class="list-disc space-y-0.5 pl-5 text-sm text-amber-700/90 dark:text-amber-500/90">
-              <li>
-                <b>Description</b> — the agent's description field
-                (<b>Edit</b>, top right of this page)
+            <!-- ✓/○ per source, so what is already set (and visible right
+                 above) is never listed as if it were missing. -->
+            <ul class="space-y-0.5 text-sm">
+              <li
+                :class="
+                  cardHasDescription
+                    ? 'text-emerald-700 dark:text-emerald-500'
+                    : 'text-amber-700/90 dark:text-amber-500/90'
+                "
+              >
+                {{ cardHasDescription ? '✓' : '○' }} <b>Description</b> —
+                <template v-if="cardHasDescription">
+                  set (the text above; edit via <b>Edit</b>, top right)
+                </template>
+                <template v-else>
+                  missing — the agent's description field (<b>Edit</b>, top
+                  right of this page)
+                </template>
               </li>
-              <li><b>Skills</b> — the skills of its template</li>
-              <li>
-                <b>Knowledge</b> — every bound knowledge base becomes a
-                "can answer about …" skill
+              <li
+                :class="
+                  templateSkillCount
+                    ? 'text-emerald-700 dark:text-emerald-500'
+                    : 'text-amber-700/90 dark:text-amber-500/90'
+                "
+              >
+                {{ templateSkillCount ? '✓' : '○' }} <b>Skills</b> —
+                {{
+                  templateSkillCount
+                    ? `${templateSkillCount} from its template`
+                    : 'none: its template has no skills'
+                }}
+              </li>
+              <li
+                :class="
+                  knowledgeSkillCount
+                    ? 'text-emerald-700 dark:text-emerald-500'
+                    : 'text-amber-700/90 dark:text-amber-500/90'
+                "
+              >
+                {{ knowledgeSkillCount ? '✓' : '○' }} <b>Knowledge</b> —
+                {{
+                  knowledgeSkillCount
+                    ? `${knowledgeSkillCount} base${knowledgeSkillCount === 1 ? '' : 's'} advertised`
+                    : 'none bound — every base becomes a "can answer about …" skill'
+                }}
               </li>
             </ul>
             <Button
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 64fab2a1..35d0a8b3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ranch",
-  "version": "0.3.52",
+  "version": "0.3.53",
   "private": true,
   "packageManager": "bun@1.2.12",
   "workspaces": [