diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f12f84c..bc636ac 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,14 +51,16 @@ A manifest is driven through the full chain: signature (Stages 2-6), canary (Sta
 - `--now` sets the verified-time reference for the canary and origin-expiry checks (defaults to the corpus clock).
 - `--fetched-onion` is the onion address the manifest was fetched from; with it, Stage 9 origin binding runs. Omit to skip Stage 9.
 - `--content-index` is the served `/content_index.json`; when the manifest declares `content_root`, Stage 9b verifies it (and its absence with a declared `content_root` surfaces the fetch failure).
+- `--expected-runtime-pubkey` is the manifest's `canary.runtime_pubkey`; for a content or transaction document, it is the key the signature is checked against. Without it, a content/transaction has no authorized key and reports a signature rejection.
 
 Skipped stages are reported, so an accept is never mistaken for a full-pipeline pass.
 
 ```sh
 entangled-tool verify --input manifest.json --fetched-onion dkptfye...onion --content-index content_index.json
+entangled-tool verify --input post.json --expected-runtime-pubkey jzFtzi...F7o
 ```
 
-Content and transaction documents are verified through signature only here; their binding checks need the fetch path / submit body, which a future revision will accept.
+A content document is signed by a runtime key, and only the manifest declares which runtime key is authorized. So a content or transaction document is verified in the context of its manifest: pass `--expected-runtime-pubkey` to check its signature against the authorized key. See `examples/blog` for the full manifest-plus-content flow.
 
 ### `build <kind> --input <unsigned.json> (--key-seed-file <path> | --key-seed-hex <64 hex>) [--now <time>]`
 
diff --git a/examples/blog/README.md b/examples/blog/README.md
index cfe1f03..1b6d9f6 100644
--- a/examples/blog/README.md
+++ b/examples/blog/README.md
@@ -1,62 +1,84 @@
-# Example: a minimal Entangled blog post
+# Example: a minimal Entangled site
 
-This directory is a runnable example of authoring a content document with
-`entangled-tool`. It contains:
+This directory is a runnable, end-to-end example: it authors a content document
+from Markdown, signs it, builds the manifest that anchors the site, and verifies
+both. It shows the relationship Entangled is built on - the manifest authorizes a
+runtime key, the content is signed by that key, and verification checks the
+content in the manifest's context.
+
+## Files
 
 - `post.md` - a Markdown post exercising every construct the `content` command
   maps (headings, marks, a list, a code block, a quote, links, an image, a
   divider);
 - `assets/photo.png` - a 16x16 PNG the post references, so the image block's
   hash and dimensions are read from a real file;
-- `post.unsigned.json` - the unsigned content document `content` produces from
-  `post.md`, checked in as a reference of the output;
-- `post.json` - that document signed with `build content`, also checked in as a
-  reference. It is signed with the public test runtime seed from the spec
-  corpus (`ENTANGLED-v1.0-runtime-test0001`), not a real key; do not reuse it.
-  Regenerating with the flow below reproduces these two files byte for byte
-  (the conversion and signature are deterministic).
+- `post.unsigned.json` / `post.json` - the content document `content` produces
+  from `post.md`, and that document signed with `build content`;
+- `manifest.unsigned.json` / `manifest.json` - the site manifest and its signed
+  form. The manifest declares the publisher key, the carrier origin, and the
+  canary, whose `runtime_pubkey` is the key that signs the content.
+
+All four `.json` files are checked in as reference output. They are signed with
+the public test seeds from the spec corpus (`ENTANGLED-v1.0-publisher-test01`,
+`...-runtime-test0001`, `...-origin-test00001`), not real keys; do not reuse
+them. Regenerating with the flow below reproduces them byte for byte, since the
+conversion and the Ed25519 signatures are deterministic.
 
 ## The full flow
 
-From this directory:
+The example uses the corpus test seeds so the steps are reproducible. For a real
+site you would generate fresh seeds with `keygen` and store them offline.
 
 ```sh
-# 1. Generate a runtime key seed and keep it (store it offline for real use).
-entangled-tool keygen runtime --seed-file runtime.seed >/dev/null 2>&1 \
-  || entangled-tool keygen runtime | tee /dev/stderr | \
-     sed -n 's/^seed_hex: //p' > runtime.seed
+# 0. The three role seeds (here, the public corpus test seeds).
+printf '454e54414e474c45442d76312e302d7075626c69736865722d74657374303100' > publisher.seed
+printf '454e54414e474c45442d76312e302d72756e74696d652d746573743030303100' > runtime.seed
+printf '454e54414e474c45442d76312e302d6f726967696e2d74657374303030303100' > origin.seed
+
+# 1. Derive the public material. Note the runtime_pubkey (it goes in the
+#    manifest canary) and the origin onion address (it is the carrier address).
+entangled-tool keygen publisher --seed-file publisher.seed
+entangled-tool keygen runtime   --seed-file runtime.seed
+entangled-tool keygen origin    --seed-file origin.seed
 
 # 2. Convert the Markdown into an unsigned content document. The image path
-#    /assets/photo.png is read from ./assets/photo.png (the Markdown file's
-#    directory), and the hash, media type, and dimensions are filled in.
-entangled-tool content \
-  --markdown post.md \
-  --path /articles/first \
-  --title "A first post" \
-  --published-at 2026-05-07T00:00:00Z \
-  > post.unsigned.json
-
-# 3. Sign it with the runtime key.
+#    /assets/photo.png is read from ./assets/photo.png, and its hash, media
+#    type, and dimensions are filled in.
+entangled-tool content --markdown post.md --path /articles/first \
+  --title "A first post" --published-at 2026-05-07T00:00:00Z > post.unsigned.json
+
+# 3. Sign the content with the runtime key.
 entangled-tool build content --input post.unsigned.json --key-seed-file runtime.seed > post.json
-```
 
-`post.json` is now a signed content document ready to publish at
-`/articles/first`.
+# 4. Sign the manifest with the publisher key. manifest.unsigned.json already
+#    declares the runtime_pubkey and origin from step 1.
+entangled-tool build manifest --input manifest.unsigned.json \
+  --key-seed-file publisher.seed --now 2026-05-07T00:00:00Z > manifest.json
+
+# 5. Verify the manifest from its onion address: this runs the signature,
+#    canary (Stage 8), and origin binding (Stage 9) checks.
+entangled-tool verify --input manifest.json \
+  --fetched-onion dkptfyethnbfsj7qsxscia4w6lg4yssjca2gdrqlk457qav2lkna4xqd.onion
+
+# 6. Verify the content in the manifest's context: pass the manifest's
+#    canary.runtime_pubkey so the content signature is checked against the key
+#    the manifest authorizes.
+entangled-tool verify --input post.json \
+  --expected-runtime-pubkey jzFtziEJkbIdjI15I4u3ni3bBa6IFElyyjEmMVSGF7o
+```
 
-Step 1 prints a secret seed; in a real ceremony you would generate it once,
-store it offline, and reuse the file. See the top-level README's "Handling key
-seeds" section.
+Steps 5 and 6 both report `accept`; step 5 also prints `canary_state: Fresh`.
 
-## A note on verifying content
+## Why the content needs the manifest
 
-`entangled-tool verify` checks a content document's signature against the
-runtime key the **manifest** authorizes for the site. A content document on its
-own does not carry that key, so verifying `post.json` standalone reports a
-signature rejection (the command has no authorized runtime key to check
-against) - this is expected, not a failure of the document. In a real client
-the content is verified in the context of the verified manifest. `verify` is
-most useful here against a manifest, where it runs the canary, origin-binding,
-and content-index stages too.
+A content document carries no key of its own: it is signed by a runtime key, and
+only the manifest says which runtime key is authorized (its
+`canary.runtime_pubkey`). So verifying `post.json` standalone, without
+`--expected-runtime-pubkey`, reports a signature rejection - there is no
+authorized key to check against. That is the whole point of the manifest:
+identity and authorization live there, not in the individual document. This is
+also where the canary, origin binding, and content-index checks run.
 
 ## What gets rejected
 
diff --git a/examples/blog/manifest.json b/examples/blog/manifest.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c09be8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/blog/manifest.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"canary":{"issued_at":"2026-05-07T00:00:00Z","next_expected":"2026-06-06T00:00:00Z","runtime_pubkey":"jzFtziEJkbIdjI15I4u3ni3bBa6IFElyyjEmMVSGF7o","statement":"No warrants received."},"kind":"manifest","min_refresh_interval":3600,"navigation":[{"label":"Home","path":"/"}],"origin":{"address":"dkptfyethnbfsj7qsxscia4w6lg4yssjca2gdrqlk457qav2lkna4xqd.onion","carrier":"tor-v3","origin_pubkey":"Gp8y4JM7Qlkn8JXkJAOW8s3MSkkQNGHGC1c7-AK6Wpo"},"publisher_pubkey":"moyzpl3i5hUIcMNRLPMxir4sdmSO3gO79gLUtvYDWxc","sig":"hhT2nXE_AqT-WGNjKns28vKI1HDx9SMzKOMRTwt8DmxJtFc8EXbwHpE2fvu5l5uXhshcYHC4shE3UU_wDG3PAQ","spec_version":"1.0","state_policy":[],"updated":"2026-05-07T00:00:00Z"}
diff --git a/examples/blog/manifest.unsigned.json b/examples/blog/manifest.unsigned.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bfe6399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/blog/manifest.unsigned.json
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+  "spec_version": "1.0",
+  "publisher_pubkey": "moyzpl3i5hUIcMNRLPMxir4sdmSO3gO79gLUtvYDWxc",
+  "origin": {
+    "carrier": "tor-v3",
+    "address": "dkptfyethnbfsj7qsxscia4w6lg4yssjca2gdrqlk457qav2lkna4xqd.onion",
+    "origin_pubkey": "Gp8y4JM7Qlkn8JXkJAOW8s3MSkkQNGHGC1c7-AK6Wpo"
+  },
+  "canary": {
+    "runtime_pubkey": "jzFtziEJkbIdjI15I4u3ni3bBa6IFElyyjEmMVSGF7o",
+    "issued_at": "2026-05-07T00:00:00Z",
+    "next_expected": "2026-06-06T00:00:00Z",
+    "statement": "No warrants received."
+  },
+  "state_policy": [],
+  "navigation": [
+    {
+      "label": "Home",
+      "path": "/"
+    }
+  ],
+  "min_refresh_interval": 3600,
+  "updated": "2026-05-07T00:00:00Z"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 047586c..cacc3e7 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -188,6 +188,14 @@ pub struct VerifyArgs {
     /// Manifest documents only.
     #[arg(long)]
     pub content_index: Option<std::path::PathBuf>,
+
+    /// The runtime public key (base64url) the manifest authorizes, i.e. its
+    /// canary.runtime_pubkey. Supply it to verify a content or transaction
+    /// document's signature in the context of its manifest. Without it, a
+    /// content/transaction is checked with no authorized key and reports a
+    /// signature rejection. Content and transaction documents only.
+    #[arg(long)]
+    pub expected_runtime_pubkey: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, clap::Args)]
diff --git a/src/commands/verify.rs b/src/commands/verify.rs
index e75ce22..2f0b254 100644
--- a/src/commands/verify.rs
+++ b/src/commands/verify.rs
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ pub fn run(args: VerifyArgs) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let kind = document_kind(&bytes)?;
     match kind.as_str() {
         "manifest" => verify_manifest(&args, &bytes, &now),
-        "content" => verify_content(&bytes),
-        "transaction" => verify_transaction(&bytes),
+        "content" => verify_content(&args, &bytes),
+        "transaction" => verify_transaction(&args, &bytes),
         other => Err(format!("unsupported document kind: {other}").into()),
     }
 }
@@ -95,33 +95,54 @@ fn verify_manifest(args: &VerifyArgs, bytes: &[u8], now: &EntangledTimestamp) ->
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn verify_content(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    // No verified manifest is available at the CLI to supply the authorized
-    // runtime key, so signature verification reaches Stage 6 with no key and
-    // reports E_SIG_INVALID_KEY. A future revision will accept the manifest.
-    let placeholder = RuntimePubkey::from_bytes([0u8; 32]);
-    match parse_and_verify_content(bytes, &placeholder) {
+fn verify_content(args: &VerifyArgs, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let (runtime_pk, has_key) = runtime_key(args)?;
+    match parse_and_verify_content(bytes, &runtime_pk) {
         Ok(_) => {
             println!("verdict: accept");
-            println!("note: signature only; supply the authorizing manifest for full verification");
+            print_runtime_note(has_key);
             Ok(())
         }
         Err(d) => report_reject(&d),
     }
 }
 
-fn verify_transaction(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
-    let placeholder = RuntimePubkey::from_bytes([0u8; 32]);
-    match parse_and_verify_transaction(bytes, &placeholder, None) {
+fn verify_transaction(args: &VerifyArgs, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    let (runtime_pk, has_key) = runtime_key(args)?;
+    match parse_and_verify_transaction(bytes, &runtime_pk, None) {
         Ok(_) => {
             println!("verdict: accept");
-            println!("note: signature only; supply the authorizing manifest for full verification");
+            print_runtime_note(has_key);
             Ok(())
         }
         Err(d) => report_reject(&d),
     }
 }
 
+/// Resolve the runtime key to verify a content/transaction signature against:
+/// the manifest-authorized key from `--expected-runtime-pubkey` when given, or
+/// a placeholder otherwise (in which case the signature check has no authorized
+/// key and will reject). Returns the key and whether a real one was supplied.
+fn runtime_key(args: &VerifyArgs) -> Result<(RuntimePubkey, bool), Error> {
+    match args.expected_runtime_pubkey.as_deref() {
+        Some(b64) => {
+            let key = RuntimePubkey::try_from(b64)
+                .map_err(|e| format!("--expected-runtime-pubkey is invalid: {e}"))?;
+            Ok((key, true))
+        }
+        None => Ok((RuntimePubkey::from_bytes([0u8; 32]), false)),
+    }
+}
+
+fn print_runtime_note(has_key: bool) {
+    if !has_key {
+        println!(
+            "note: no authorizing runtime key given; pass --expected-runtime-pubkey \
+             (the manifest's canary.runtime_pubkey) to verify against the manifest"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 fn report_reject(diag: &Diagnostic) -> Result<(), Error> {
     println!("verdict: reject");
     println!("diagnostic: {}", diag.code);