diff --git a/docs/applications/kubernetes-replicator/index.rst b/docs/applications/kubernetes-replicator/index.rst
index 89bf636092..f7eeb2ccdd 100644
--- a/docs/applications/kubernetes-replicator/index.rst
+++ b/docs/applications/kubernetes-replicator/index.rst
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .. px-app:: kubernetes-replicator
 
 #################################################
-kubernetes-replicator - Cross-namespace resources
+kubernetes-replicator — Cross-namespace resources
 #################################################
 
 kubernetes-replicator is a Kubernetes operator that replicates resources across namespaces.
diff --git a/docs/applications/linters/index.rst b/docs/applications/linters/index.rst
index e91f97b9c2..e055a99ede 100644
--- a/docs/applications/linters/index.rst
+++ b/docs/applications/linters/index.rst
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 .. px-app:: linters
 
-######################################
-linters - automated chechking of DNS
-######################################
+####################################
+linters — Automated chechking of DNS
+####################################
 
 Linters provides a way to automatically and repeatedly check things in ops, such as if DNS entries
 are pointing to IP addresses that we are using, or are they dangling.  We use the route53 API
diff --git a/docs/applications/obsloctap/index.rst b/docs/applications/obsloctap/index.rst
index 889cf8770c..2de2285249 100644
--- a/docs/applications/obsloctap/index.rst
+++ b/docs/applications/obsloctap/index.rst
@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 .. px-app:: obsloctap
 
 ####################################
-obsloctap — serve observing schedule
+obsloctap — Serve observing schedule
 ####################################
 
 Lookup and reformat ``lsst.sal.Scheduler.logevent_predictedSchedule``.
-Return a json file of the future observations.
+Return a JSON file of the future observations.
 Todo: Also track which observations were made implement ObsLocTAP_ IVOA standard.
 
 .. _ObsLocTAP: https://www.ivoa.net/documents/ObsLocTAP/
 
-
 .. jinja:: obsloctap
    :file: applications/_summary.rst.jinja
 
diff --git a/docs/applications/onepassword-connect-dev/index.rst b/docs/applications/onepassword-connect-dev/index.rst
index 24462e04e6..4961a87c67 100644
--- a/docs/applications/onepassword-connect-dev/index.rst
+++ b/docs/applications/onepassword-connect-dev/index.rst
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .. px-app:: onepassword-connect-dev
 
 ####################################################
-onepassword-connect-dev - 1Password API server (dev)
+onepassword-connect-dev — 1Password API server (dev)
 ####################################################
 
 1Password Connect provides API access to a 1Password vault.
diff --git a/src/phalanx/cli.py b/src/phalanx/cli.py
index 9d82bfd2ac..2fc2b971b2 100644
--- a/src/phalanx/cli.py
+++ b/src/phalanx/cli.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import json
+import re
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -121,7 +122,10 @@ def application() -> None:
     "-d",
     "--description",
     prompt="Short description",
-    help="Short description of the new application.",
+    help=(
+        "Short description of the new application. Must start with capital"
+        " letter and, with the application name, be less than 80 characters."
+    ),
 )
 @click.option(
     "-s",
@@ -142,6 +146,10 @@ def application_create(
     """
     if not config:
         config = _find_config()
+    if len(name) + 3 + len(description) > 80:
+        raise click.UsageError("Name plus description is too long")
+    if not re.match("[A-Z0-9]", description):
+        raise click.UsageError("Description must start with capital letter")
     factory = Factory(config)
     application_service = factory.create_application_service()
     application_service.create_application(
diff --git a/tests/cli/application_test.py b/tests/cli/application_test.py
index b19be99328..0048775d99 100644
--- a/tests/cli/application_test.py
+++ b/tests/cli/application_test.py
@@ -117,6 +117,35 @@ def test_create(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     assert environment.applications["hips"].chart["sources"][0] == expected
 
 
+def test_create_errors(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    config_path = tmp_path / "phalanx"
+    shutil.copytree(str(phalanx_test_path()), str(config_path))
+    result = run_cli(
+        "application",
+        "create",
+        "some-really-long-app-name-please-do-not-do-this",
+        "--description",
+        "Some really long description on top of the app name",
+        "--config",
+        str(config_path),
+        needs_config=False,
+    )
+    assert "Name plus description is too long" in result.output
+    assert result.exit_code == 2
+    result = run_cli(
+        "application",
+        "create",
+        "app",
+        "--description",
+        "lowercase description",
+        "--config",
+        str(config_path),
+        needs_config=False,
+    )
+    assert "Description must start with capital letter" in result.output
+    assert result.exit_code == 2
+
+
 def test_create_prompt(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     config_path = tmp_path / "phalanx"
     shutil.copytree(str(phalanx_test_path()), str(config_path))
diff --git a/tests/docs/applications_test.py b/tests/docs/applications_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a3ec54fc13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/applications_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+"""Tests for the application documentation pages."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def test_descriptions() -> None:
+    """Ensure all application pages have proper short descriptions."""
+    doc_root = Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent / "docs" / "applications"
+    for application in doc_root.iterdir():
+        if not application.is_dir():
+            continue
+        index_path = application / "index.rst"
+        index_rst = index_path.read_text()
+        m = re.search(r"\n(#+)\n([^\n]+)\n\1\n", index_rst)
+        assert m, f"No title found in {index_path}"
+        title = m.group(2)
+        assert len(title) <= 80, f"Title too long in {index_path}"
+        m = re.match(r"\S+ — (\S.*$)", title)
+        assert m, f"Invalid title format in {index_path}"
+        description = m.group(1)
+        m = re.match("[A-Z0-9]", description)
+        assert m, f"Description must start with capital letter in {index_path}"