diff --git a/cli/recipe/new.go b/cli/recipe/new.go
index ed513487..33a9bf87 100644
--- a/cli/recipe/new.go
+++ b/cli/recipe/new.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package recipe
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -18,10 +19,27 @@ var recipeNewCommand = &cli.Command{
 	Usage:     "Create a new recipe",
 	Aliases:   []string{"n"},
 	ArgsUsage: "<recipe>",
-	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
-		recipe := internal.ValidateRecipe(c)
+	Description: `
+This command creates a new recipe.
 
-		directory := path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipe.Name)
+Abra uses our built-in example repository which is available here:
+
+    https://git.coopcloud.tech/coop-cloud/example
+
+Files within the example repository make use of the Golang templating system
+which Abra uses to inject values into the generated recipe folder (e.g. name of
+recipe and domain in the sample environment config).
+
+The new example repository is cloned to ~/.abra/apps/<recipe>.
+`,
+	Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
+		recipeName := c.Args().First()
+
+		if recipeName == "" {
+			internal.ShowSubcommandHelpAndError(c, errors.New("no recipe provided"))
+		}
+
+		directory := path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipeName)
 		if _, err := os.Stat(directory); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			logrus.Fatalf("'%s' recipe directory already exists?", directory)
 		}
@@ -31,16 +49,16 @@ var recipeNewCommand = &cli.Command{
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		gitRepo := path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipe.Name, ".git")
+		gitRepo := path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipeName, ".git")
 		if err := os.RemoveAll(gitRepo); err != nil {
 			logrus.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		logrus.Debugf("removed git repo in '%s'", gitRepo)
 
 		toParse := []string{
-			path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipe.Name, "README.md"),
-			path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipe.Name, ".env.sample"),
-			path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipe.Name, ".drone.yml"),
+			path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipeName, "README.md"),
+			path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipeName, ".env.sample"),
+			path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipeName, ".drone.yml"),
 		}
 		for _, path := range toParse {
 			file, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_RDWR, 0755)
@@ -59,14 +77,14 @@ var recipeNewCommand = &cli.Command{
 			if err := tpl.Execute(file, struct {
 				Name        string
 				Description string
-			}{recipe.Name, "TODO"}); err != nil {
+			}{recipeName, "TODO"}); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 		}
 
 		logrus.Infof(
 			"new recipe '%s' created in %s, happy hacking!\n",
-			recipe.Name, path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipe.Name),
+			recipeName, path.Join(config.APPS_DIR, recipeName),
 		)
 
 		return nil