@@ -199,10 +199,12 @@ before printing any candidate text, metadata, fingerprint, or residue addends.
 It then prints a conspicuous warning covering both deliberate completion of
 newly transcribed data and recovery with many missing characters. Literal
 uppercase `YES` is required before disclosure; other case variants, blank input,
-or EOF terminate the command with status 1. Redirected damaged data may still
-reach this gate, but disclosure requires an interactive terminal channel. If no
-such channel is available, the sole message is `codex32: interactive confirmation
-required` (or `ms32:`). Output formatting and `--plain` cannot bypass the gate.
+or EOF terminate standalone `correct` with status 3 and correction embedded in
+another workflow with status 1. Redirected damaged data may still reach this
+gate, but disclosure requires an interactive terminal channel. If no such
+channel is available, the sole message is `codex32: interactive confirmation
+required` (or `ms32:`), with the same command-specific status. Output formatting
+and `--plain` cannot bypass the gate.
 Existing whole-card `[y/N]` acceptance remains required after disclosure when a
 workflow will consume the corrected artifact. `correct` only displays the
 suggestion, so it has no second acceptance prompt. The gate does not verify the
 
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ disclosure, workflows that consume the repaired artifact ask the usual `[y/N]`
 whole-card confirmation. `correct` only reports a suggestion, so it does not ask
 that second question. A checksum cannot make weak input secure.
 
+The `correct` exit status distinguishes outcomes for scripts: `0` means the
+input is already valid, `1` means a suggestion was emitted, `2` means the
+command or input syntax was invalid, and `3` means no usable suggestion was
+emitted. Status `3` includes incomplete or ambiguous searches, declined
+disclosure, and an unavailable dependency needed to present a suggestion.
+
 Choose the setup that fits you:
 
 - **Recommended: dedicated online spending wallet — easiest.** A normally
 
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ def _correct(
                 f"Add {correction.addend} at position "
                 f"{correction.reverse_index + 1}, counting backward from the end."
             )
-        return 0
+        return 1 if result else 0
     if erasures:
         raise _UsageError("--erasure can be used only with --residue.")
     normalized = "".join(value.split())
@@ -710,22 +710,23 @@ def _main(context: _CliContext, argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
     except SystemExit as error:
         return error.code if isinstance(error.code, int) else 1
     scope = f"{context.prog} {arguments.command}"
+    correction_failed = 3 if arguments.command == "correct" else 1
     try:
         return _dispatch(arguments, context)
     except CorrectionDeclined:
-        return 1
+        return correction_failed
     except InteractiveConfirmationRequired:
         _print(f"{context.prog}: interactive confirmation required", err=True)
-        return 1
+        return correction_failed
     except _UsageError as error:
         _print(f"{scope}: {error}", err=True)
         return 2
     except (_CommandError, CodexError) as error:
         _print(f"{scope}: {error}", err=True)
-        return 1
+        return correction_failed
     except BitcoinCoreError as error:
         _print(f"{scope}: {error}", err=True)
-        return 1
+        return correction_failed
     except EOFError:
         _print(f"{scope}: Input ended before recovery completed.", err=True)
         return 2
 
@@ -1713,7 +1713,7 @@ def test_cli_rejects_statistically_inadmissible_structural_burst() -> None:
 
     result = _invoke(["correct"], damaged)
 
-    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert result.exit_code == 3
     assert "No valid correction found" in result.stderr
 
 
@@ -1724,7 +1724,7 @@ def test_cli_rejects_sixteen_consecutive_erasures_as_outside_regular_bound() ->
 
     assert len("".join(damaged.split())) == 48
     assert damaged.count("?") == 16
-    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert result.exit_code == 3
     assert "No valid correction found" in result.stderr
 
 
@@ -1766,7 +1766,7 @@ def test_cli_never_accepts_an_incomplete_structural_search() -> None:
     with patch("codex32.cli._correction_candidates", return_value=((), False, 0.0, False)):
         result = _invoke(["correct"], damaged)
 
-    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert result.exit_code == 3
     assert result.stdout == ""
     assert "did not complete" in result.stderr and original not in result.stderr
 
@@ -1788,7 +1788,7 @@ def test_correction_options_control_lengths_deadline_and_search_envelope(
     with patch("codex32.indel._search_many", return_value=((), True)) as search:
         result = _invoke(["correct", *options], damaged)
 
-    assert result.exit_code == 1 and result.stdout == ""
+    assert result.exit_code == 3 and result.stdout == ""
     assert search.call_count == 1
     contexts, observed = search.call_args.args
     assert observed == damaged
@@ -1815,7 +1815,7 @@ def test_fixed_correction_repairs_legacy_cl_header_and_residue_reverse_positions
     residue = _invoke(["correct", "--residue"], "2ppjkw73qdjvc")
 
     assert fixed.exit_code == 1 and original in fixed.stderr
-    assert residue.exit_code == 0
+    assert residue.exit_code == 1
     assert "Add x at position 38, counting backward from the end." in residue.stdout
 
 
@@ -1848,7 +1848,7 @@ def test_correction_infers_prefix_and_marks_invalid_data_as_erasures() -> None:
     bip39 = _invoke(["correct"], BIP39_12W_ZERO)
     assert removed.exit_code == 2
     assert "Remove or correct these arguments: --prefix" in removed.stderr
-    assert damaged_prefix.exit_code == 1
+    assert damaged_prefix.exit_code == 3
     assert bip39.exit_code == 0 and "already valid" in bip39.stdout
 
 
@@ -1915,7 +1915,7 @@ def stop_after_first(value, *_args, **_kwargs):
 def test_correction_hides_internal_candidate_reparse_failures() -> None:
     result = _invoke(["correct"], "ms12auxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxda3kr3s0s2swg")
 
-    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert result.exit_code == 3
     assert result.stdout == ""
     assert result.stderr.strip() in {
         "codex32 correct: No valid correction found. Check the original backup.",
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def test_noninteractive_gate_emits_only_operational_error(entrypoint, plain):
     ):
         status = entrypoint(["correct", *(["--plain"] if plain else [])])
     prog = "codex32" if entrypoint is cli.main else "ms32"
-    assert status == 1 and stdout.getvalue() == ""
+    assert status == 3 and stdout.getvalue() == ""
     assert stderr.getvalue() == f"{prog}: interactive confirmation required\n"
 
 
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ def respond(prompt, prefill=""):
         contextlib.redirect_stderr(stderr),
     ):
         status = (cli.ms_main if command == "create" else cli.main)(args)
-    assert status == 1 and stdout.getvalue() == ""
+    expected_status = 3 if command == "correct" else 1
+    assert status == expected_status and stdout.getvalue() == ""
     assert len(prompts) == 2 and core.imported is None
     warning = stderr.getvalue()
     assert "\x1b[1;31mWarning:\x1b[0m If you are generating new data" in warning
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ def test_redirected_stderr_blocks_low_discrimination_disclosure(monkeypatch):
         contextlib.redirect_stdout(stdout),
         contextlib.redirect_stderr(stderr),
     ):
-        assert cli.main(["correct", "--plain"]) == 1
+        assert cli.main(["correct", "--plain"]) == 3
     assert stdout.getvalue() == ""
     assert stderr.getvalue().strip() == "codex32: interactive confirmation required"
 
@@ -292,7 +293,7 @@ def test_residue_completion_is_gated_but_ordinary_repair_is_not(degree):
         contextlib.redirect_stdout(stdout),
         contextlib.redirect_stderr(stderr),
     ):
-        assert cli.main(args) == 1
+        assert cli.main(args) == 3
     assert stdout.getvalue() == ""
     assert stderr.getvalue() == "codex32: interactive confirmation required\n"