diff --git a/parallel_web_tools/cli/commands.py b/parallel_web_tools/cli/commands.py
index 2467ac2..3fdb195 100644
--- a/parallel_web_tools/cli/commands.py
+++ b/parallel_web_tools/cli/commands.py
@@ -880,18 +880,14 @@ def parse_bool(v: str) -> bool:
 # Search Command
 # =============================================================================
 
-# Beta -> V1 mode mapping. Beta had three modes; V1 has three (turbo/basic/
-# advanced). We keep the old values as accepted CLI inputs and translate them so
-# existing scripts work.
-_SEARCH_MODE_MAP = {
+# V1 modes are listed first in CLI help. Beta modes remain accepted as
+# deprecated aliases so existing scripts keep working.
+_SEARCH_MODES = ("turbo", "basic", "advanced")
+_DEPRECATED_SEARCH_MODE_ALIASES = {
     "fast": "basic",
     "one-shot": "basic",
     "agentic": "advanced",
-    "turbo": "turbo",
-    "basic": "basic",
-    "advanced": "advanced",
 }
-_DEPRECATED_SEARCH_MODES = {"fast", "one-shot", "agentic"}
 
 
 def _emit_deprecation(message: str) -> None:
@@ -926,7 +922,7 @@ def build_search_v1_kwargs(
     if objective:
         kwargs["objective"] = objective
     if mode:
-        kwargs["mode"] = _SEARCH_MODE_MAP.get(mode, mode)
+        kwargs["mode"] = _DEPRECATED_SEARCH_MODE_ALIASES.get(mode, mode)
     if excerpt_max_chars_total is not None:
         kwargs["max_chars_total"] = excerpt_max_chars_total
     if session_id:
@@ -956,16 +952,19 @@ def build_search_v1_kwargs(
 @click.option("-q", "--query", multiple=True, help="Keyword search query (can be repeated)")
 @click.option(
     "--mode",
-    type=click.Choice(list(_SEARCH_MODE_MAP.keys())),
+    type=click.Choice([*_SEARCH_MODES, *_DEPRECATED_SEARCH_MODE_ALIASES]),
     default="basic",
-    help="Search mode: turbo (fastest), basic, or advanced (one-shot/fast → basic, agentic → advanced)",
+    help=(
+        "Search mode: turbo (fastest), basic, or advanced. "
+        "Deprecated aliases: one-shot/fast → basic, agentic → advanced"
+    ),
     show_default=True,
 )
 @click.option("--max-results", type=int, help="Maximum results (defaults to server-side default of 10)")
 @click.option("--include-domains", multiple=True, help="Only search these domains (comma-separated or repeated)")
 @click.option("--exclude-domains", multiple=True, help="Exclude these domains (comma-separated or repeated)")
-@click.option("--after-date", help="Only results after this date (YYYY-MM-DD)")
-@click.option("--excerpt-max-chars-per-result", type=int, help="Max characters per result for excerpts (min 1000)")
+@click.option("--after-date", help="Only results published on or after this date (YYYY-MM-DD)")
+@click.option("--excerpt-max-chars-per-result", type=int, help="Max characters per result for excerpts")
 @click.option(
     "--excerpt-max-chars-total", type=int, default=60000, help="Max total characters for excerpts", show_default=True
 )
@@ -1012,12 +1011,9 @@ def search(
     if not objective and not query:
         raise click.UsageError("Provide an OBJECTIVE argument or at least one --query option.")
 
-    if mode in _DEPRECATED_SEARCH_MODES:
-        new_mode = _SEARCH_MODE_MAP[mode]
-        _emit_deprecation(
-            f"--mode {mode} is a Beta value and will stop working after the Beta API sunset (June 2026). "
-            f"Use --mode {new_mode} instead."
-        )
+    if mode in _DEPRECATED_SEARCH_MODE_ALIASES:
+        new_mode = _DEPRECATED_SEARCH_MODE_ALIASES[mode]
+        _emit_deprecation(f"--mode {mode} is a deprecated alias. Use --mode {new_mode} instead.")
 
     source_policy: dict[str, Any] = {}
     if include_domains:
@@ -1154,7 +1150,7 @@ def build_extract_v1_kwargs(
 @click.option("--full-content", is_flag=True, help="Include complete page content")
 @click.option("--full-content-max-chars", type=int, help="Max characters per result for full content")
 @click.option("--no-excerpts", is_flag=True, help="Strip excerpts from output (V1 always returns them server-side)")
-@click.option("--excerpt-max-chars-per-result", type=int, help="Max characters per result for excerpts (min 1000)")
+@click.option("--excerpt-max-chars-per-result", type=int, help="Max characters per result for excerpts")
 @click.option("--excerpt-max-chars-total", type=int, help="Max total characters for excerpts across all URLs")
 @click.option("--max-age-seconds", type=int, help="Max age in seconds before fetching live content (min 600)")
 @click.option("--timeout-seconds", type=float, help="Timeout in seconds for fetching live content")
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 78e45d6..1f1ca71 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -358,6 +358,26 @@ def test_search_help_shows_comma_separated(self, runner):
         assert "--exclude-domains" in result.output
         assert "comma-separated" in result.output
 
+    def test_search_help_prioritizes_native_modes(self, runner):
+        """Should list V1-native modes before deprecated aliases."""
+        result = runner.invoke(main, ["search", "--help"])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert "--mode [turbo|basic|advanced|fast|one-shot|agentic]" in result.output
+        assert "Deprecated aliases" in result.output
+
+    def test_search_help_describes_after_date_as_inclusive(self, runner):
+        """Should reflect the API's inclusive after_date behavior."""
+        result = runner.invoke(main, ["search", "--help"])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert "published on or after" in result.output
+
+    def test_search_help_does_not_claim_excerpt_minimum(self, runner):
+        """Search accepts excerpt sizes below the removed 1000-character minimum."""
+        result = runner.invoke(main, ["search", "--help"])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert "--excerpt-max-chars-per-result" in result.output
+        assert "min 1000" not in result.output
+
     def test_search_no_args(self, runner):
         """Should error without objective or query."""
         result = runner.invoke(main, ["search"])
@@ -375,6 +395,13 @@ def test_extract_help(self, runner):
         assert "Extract content" in result.output
         assert "--json" in result.output
 
+    def test_extract_help_does_not_claim_excerpt_minimum(self, runner):
+        """Extract accepts excerpt sizes below the removed 1000-character minimum."""
+        result = runner.invoke(main, ["extract", "--help"])
+        assert result.exit_code == 0
+        assert "--excerpt-max-chars-per-result" in result.output
+        assert "min 1000" not in result.output
+
 
 class TestFetchCommand:
     """Tests for the fetch command (alias for extract)."""
@@ -1635,16 +1662,16 @@ def test_deprecated_modes_emit_warning_to_stderr(self, runner, mock_cli_client,
         )
 
         assert result.exit_code == 0
-        assert "[deprecated]" in result.stderr
-        assert deprecated_mode in result.stderr
-        assert expected_new in result.stderr
+        assert result.stderr.strip() == (
+            f"[deprecated] --mode {deprecated_mode} is a deprecated alias. Use --mode {expected_new} instead."
+        )
         # JSON stdout must remain clean
         json.loads(result.stdout)
         # SDK call uses translated mode
         call_kwargs = mock_cli_client.search.call_args.kwargs
         assert call_kwargs["mode"] == expected_new
 
-    @pytest.mark.parametrize("new_mode", ["basic", "advanced"])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("new_mode", ["turbo", "basic", "advanced"])
     def test_new_modes_do_not_emit_warning(self, runner, mock_cli_client, new_mode):
         """Should not warn when V1-native mode values are used."""
         self._setup_mock_search(mock_cli_client)