diff --git a/cli-config.yaml.example b/cli-config.yaml.example
index 0675156986..6cb99466dc 100644
--- a/cli-config.yaml.example
+++ b/cli-config.yaml.example
@@ -1792,8 +1792,11 @@ display:
 # Nothing is uploaded unless you also set `send: true`. That is a separate
 # opt-in and requires `enabled`; it never turns collection on by itself.
 # When sending is on:
-#   * only packages whose period starts on or after the day you opted in are
-#     ever transmitted, so data collected beforehand stays on this machine;
+#   * only packages whose entire collection period falls within one
+#     continuous recorded consent window are ever sent. Consent windows open
+#     when you enable sending and close when you disable it, so data
+#     collected before you opted in — or during any gap between opt-ins —
+#     stays on this machine;
 #   * each package carries the profile-scoped ID as-is. It is a random UUID
 #     with no hardware, account, or host-derived content, and deleting the
 #     shared-metrics directory resets it.
diff --git a/hermes_cli/setup.py b/hermes_cli/setup.py
index 2ec08da8af..e1baacd0ca 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/setup.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/setup.py
@@ -2467,9 +2467,11 @@ def setup_telemetry(config: dict):
     print_info("service. Packages carry your profile-scoped install ID, a")
     print_info("stable random UUID that identifies this profile across days")
     print_info("(it contains no personal information and is reset by deleting")
-    print_info("the shared-metrics directory). Only packages from the day you")
-    print_info("opt in onwards are ever sent, and sending can be turned off")
-    print_info("again at any time.")
+    print_info("the shared-metrics directory). Only packages whose entire")
+    print_info("collection period falls inside a recorded consent window are")
+    print_info("ever sent — data from before you opt in, or from any gap")
+    print_info("while sending was off, stays on this machine. Sending can be")
+    print_info("turned off again at any time.")
     shared_metrics["send"] = prompt_yes_no(
         "Send shared metrics to Nous?",
         default=shared_metrics.get("send") is True,