diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/docs.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/docs.ts
index 39ee43df6..388d6dcfe 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/docs.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/docs.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import * as p from '@clack/prompts';
 import { validateInstallationOptions } from '@/utils/installation/codegen';
+import { isRendererValidForUseCase } from '@/utils/installation/detect-renderer';
 import { RENDERER_LABELS } from '@/utils/installation/renderer-options';
-import type { InstallMethod, Renderer, UseCase } from '@/utils/installation/types';
+import { type InstallMethod, type Renderer, type UseCase, VALID_RENDERERS } from '@/utils/installation/types';
 import type { Framework } from '../utils/config.js';
 import { getConfigValue } from '../utils/config.js';
 import { docExistsInAnyFramework, readBundledDoc, readLlmsTxt } from '../utils/docs.js';
@@ -59,6 +60,12 @@ function mapPresetToUseCase(preset: string): UseCase {
   return result;
 }
 
+const PRESET_NAMES: Record<UseCase, string> = {
+  'default-video': 'video',
+  'default-audio': 'audio',
+  'background-video': 'background-video',
+};
+
 const ALL_RENDERERS = Object.keys(RENDERER_LABELS) as Renderer[];
 
 function validateMedia(media: string): Renderer {
@@ -184,6 +191,17 @@ export async function handleDocs(flags: ParsedFlags, positionals: string[]): Pro
       process.exit(1);
     }
 
+    // The interactive prompt builds its renderer list from VALID_RENDERERS[useCase],
+    // so an invalid renderer/use-case pairing can only arrive via the explicit
+    // `--media` flag. Reject it here to keep the CLI at parity with the UI.
+    if (!isRendererValidForUseCase(opts.renderer, opts.useCase)) {
+      const validMedia = VALID_RENDERERS[opts.useCase].join(', ');
+      console.error(
+        `Error: media type "${opts.renderer}" is not valid for the "${PRESET_NAMES[opts.useCase]}" preset. Valid options: ${validMedia}`
+      );
+      process.exit(1);
+    }
+
     // The interactive prompt hides CDN for renderers without a CDN build; guard
     // the non-interactive flag path so a `--install-method cdn` request for one
     // can't emit a broken snippet.
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/tests/docs.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/tests/docs.test.ts
index fcbcc62f7..ff91bc700 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/tests/docs.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/tests/docs.test.ts
@@ -300,6 +300,22 @@ describe('handleDocs', () => {
         ).rejects.toThrow(ExitError);
         expect(errors()).toContain('no CDN build');
       });
+
+      it('errors when --media is not valid for the chosen --preset (dash + audio)', async () => {
+        await expect(
+          handleDocs(htmlFlags({ preset: 'audio', skin: 'default', media: 'dash' }), ['how-to/installation'])
+        ).rejects.toThrow(ExitError);
+        const err = errors();
+        expect(err).toContain('media type "dash" is not valid for the "audio" preset');
+        expect(err).toContain('html5-audio');
+      });
+
+      it('errors when --media is an audio-only renderer for the video preset (mux-audio + video)', async () => {
+        await expect(
+          handleDocs(htmlFlags({ preset: 'video', skin: 'default', media: 'mux-audio' }), ['how-to/installation'])
+        ).rejects.toThrow(ExitError);
+        expect(errors()).toContain('media type "mux-audio" is not valid for the "video" preset');
+      });
     });
 
     describe('React framework', () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/site-modules.d.ts b/packages/cli/src/site-modules.d.ts
index 613bae79f..da638001d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/site-modules.d.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/site-modules.d.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ declare module '@/utils/installation/detect-renderer' {
   }
 
   export function detectRenderer(url: string, useCase: UseCase): DetectionResult | null;
+  export function isRendererValidForUseCase(renderer: Renderer, useCase: UseCase): boolean;
 }
 
 declare module '@/utils/installation/cdn-code' {