diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4e62ef5..190ea92 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,20 +2,28 @@
   <img alt="gitguardex logo" src="./logo.png" width="390">
 </p>
 
-<h1 align="center"> guardian t-rex for multi-agent repos</h1>
+<h1 align="center">GitGuardex</h1>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <strong>guardian t-rex for multi-agent repos</strong>
+</p>
 
 <p align="center">
   isolated worktrees, file locks, and PR-only merges for codex, claude, and human teammates
 </p>
 
 <p align="center">
-  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@imdeadpool/guardex"><img alt="npm version" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/%40imdeadpool%2Fguardex?label=npm&style=flat-square&color=cb3837&logo=npm&logoColor=white"></a>
-  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@imdeadpool/guardex"><img alt="npm downloads per month" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/%40imdeadpool%2Fguardex?label=downloads%2Fmonth&style=flat-square&color=0b76c5"></a>
-  <a href="https://github.com/recodeee/gitguardex/actions/workflows/ci.yml"><img alt="CI status" src="https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/recodeee/gitguardex/ci.yml?branch=main&label=CI&style=flat-square"></a>
-  <a href="https://scorecard.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com/recodeee/gitguardex"><img alt="OpenSSF Scorecard" src="https://img.shields.io/ossf-scorecard/github.com/recodeee/gitguardex?label=OpenSSF%20Scorecard&style=flat-square"></a>
-  <a href="https://github.com/recodeee/gitguardex/stargazers"><img alt="stars" src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/recodeee/gitguardex?label=stars&style=flat-square&color=d4ac0d"></a>
-  <a href="https://github.com/recodeee/gitguardex/commits/main"><img alt="last commit" src="https://img.shields.io/github/last-commit/recodeee/gitguardex?label=last%20commit&style=flat-square&color=7aa2f7"></a>
-  <a href="./LICENSE"><img alt="license" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/l/%40imdeadpool%2Fguardex?label=license&style=flat-square&color=97ca00"></a>
+  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@imdeadpool/guardex"><img alt="CLI version" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/v/%40imdeadpool%2Fguardex?label=CLI&style=for-the-badge&color=0b76c5&labelColor=3f3f46&logo=npm&logoColor=white"></a>
+  <a href="https://www.npmjs.com/package/@imdeadpool/guardex"><img alt="npm downloads per month" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/dm/%40imdeadpool%2Fguardex?label=downloads%2Fmonth&style=for-the-badge&color=22c55e&labelColor=3f3f46"></a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/recodeee/gitguardex/actions/workflows/ci.yml"><img alt="CI status" src="https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/recodeee/gitguardex/ci.yml?branch=main&label=CI&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=3f3f46"></a>
+  <a href="./LICENSE"><img alt="license" src="https://img.shields.io/npm/l/%40imdeadpool%2Fguardex?label=license&style=for-the-badge&color=97ca00&labelColor=3f3f46"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="https://github.com/recodeee/gitguardex/stargazers"><img alt="stars" src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/recodeee/gitguardex?label=stars&style=for-the-badge&color=0b76c5&labelColor=3f3f46"></a>
+  <a href="https://scorecard.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com/recodeee/gitguardex"><img alt="OpenSSF Scorecard" src="https://img.shields.io/ossf-scorecard/github.com/recodeee/gitguardex?label=OpenSSF%20Scorecard&style=for-the-badge&labelColor=3f3f46"></a>
+  <a href="https://nodejs.org"><img alt="Node 18 or newer" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/node-18%2B-f59e0b?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=3f3f46&logo=node.js&logoColor=white"></a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/sponsors/recodeecom"><img alt="GitHub Sponsors support development" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/GitHub%20Sponsors-support%20development-db2777?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=3f3f46&logo=githubsponsors&logoColor=white"></a>
 </p>
 
 <p align="center">
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-codex-readme-cli-version-and-scanability-2026-04-23-18-38/notes.md b/openspec/changes/agent-codex-readme-cli-version-and-scanability-2026-04-23-18-38/notes.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8003ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-codex-readme-cli-version-and-scanability-2026-04-23-18-38/notes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# T1 Notes
+
+- Handoff: branch=`agent/codex/readme-cli-version-and-scanability-2026-04-23-18-38`; scope=`README hero title/badges, focused metadata regression`; action=`make the README top scan like the screenshot reference by leading with GitGuardex and the live CLI version while keeping the layout GitHub-native`.
+- Rework the hero into two balanced `for-the-badge` rows so CLI version, downloads, CI, license, stars, scorecard, Node floor, and support CTA scan in one glance.
+- Promote the product name to the top-level heading and keep the existing install/about copy below it.
+- Keep verification focused on `test/metadata.test.js` so README drift gets caught without reopening broader suites.
+- Result: README hero now leads with `GitGuardex`, uses two scan-friendly badge rows, and passed `node --test test/metadata.test.js` (`24/24`); `openspec validate --specs` returned `No items found to validate.` for this notes-only lane.
+- BLOCKED: `gx branch finish --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup` opened PR `#396` (`https://github.com/recodeee/gitguardex/pull/396`), but merge is currently blocked by branch protection because GitHub still shows `REVIEW_REQUIRED` and all required checks remain `QUEUED`.
+- Fresh blocker evidence: `.github/CODEOWNERS` names `@recodeecom @NagyVikt`, but `gh pr edit 396 --add-reviewer recodeecom` fails with `GraphQL: Could not resolve user with login 'recodeecom'.`; visible collaborators only return `NagyVikt`, and `gh pr merge 396 --auto --squash` fails with `GraphQL: Auto merge is not allowed for this repository (enablePullRequestAutoMerge)`.
+- Fresh infrastructure evidence: repo Actions are enabled (`gh api repos/recodeee/gitguardex/actions/permissions` -> `enabled: true`), but recent runs across this PR, other agent branches, and even `main` stay `queued` with no jobs started; GitHub status unresolved incidents (`https://www.githubstatus.com/api/v2/incidents/unresolved.json`) currently report `Incident with multple GitHub services`, with `Actions` in `degraded_performance` and an update at `2026-04-23T16:34:19Z` saying `Actions is experiencing degraded performance. We are continuing to investigate.`
diff --git a/test/metadata.test.js b/test/metadata.test.js
index 15dfc12..635959c 100644
--- a/test/metadata.test.js
+++ b/test/metadata.test.js
@@ -78,6 +78,19 @@ test('README release notes include current package version', () => {
   );
 });
 
+test('README hero keeps CLI-first scannable badges', () => {
+  const readme = fs.readFileSync(readmePath, 'utf8');
+  assert.match(readme, /<h1 align="center">GitGuardex<\/h1>/);
+  assert.match(readme, /label=CLI&style=for-the-badge/);
+  assert.match(readme, /label=downloads%2Fmonth&style=for-the-badge/);
+  assert.match(readme, /label=CI&style=for-the-badge/);
+  assert.match(readme, /label=license&style=for-the-badge/);
+  assert.match(readme, /label=stars&style=for-the-badge/);
+  assert.match(readme, /label=OpenSSF%20Scorecard&style=for-the-badge/);
+  assert.match(readme, /https:\/\/img\.shields\.io\/badge\/node-18%2B-f59e0b\?style=for-the-badge/);
+  assert.match(readme, /GitHub%20Sponsors-support%20development-db2777\?style=for-the-badge/);
+});
+
 test('README documents gx release as README-driven GitHub release writer', () => {
   const readme = fs.readFileSync(readmePath, 'utf8');
   assert.match(readme, /gx release\s+# create\/update the current GitHub release from README notes/);