diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5b2fd13..274a284 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 `pobsync` is a pull-based backup service. It runs on a central backup server and pulls data from remote machines via
 rsync over SSH.
 
-The current refactor is SQL-first:
+The current refactor is Django-first and SQL-backed:
 
-- Django is the management layer and source of truth.
+- The Django control panel is the primary interface for setup and operations.
+- The database is the source of truth for hosts, schedules, runs, snapshots, credentials, and retention settings.
 - SQLite is the default database; MariaDB is optional.
 - Backups use the existing rsync snapshot engine internally.
 - Scheduling is handled by a Django scheduler service, not host cron.
@@ -159,6 +160,6 @@ systemctl status pobsync-web pobsync-worker pobsync-scheduler
 
 ## Development
 
-Development, Docker, migration helper commands, and architecture notes live in:
+Development, Docker, maintainer tooling, and architecture notes live in:
 
 - [docs/development.md](docs/development.md)
diff --git a/docs/development.md b/docs/development.md
index b1f4ef6..9162b99 100644
--- a/docs/development.md
+++ b/docs/development.md
@@ -34,58 +34,32 @@ docker compose build web scheduler worker
 docker compose run --rm web python manage.py test pobsync_backend --verbosity 2
 ```
 
-## SQL-First Commands
+## Maintainer CLI
 
-The Django UI is the normal operating surface, but the `pobsync` entrypoint remains useful for setup and inspection.
+The Django UI is the normal operating surface. The `pobsync` entrypoint and direct `manage.py` commands are kept for
+debugging, automated maintenance, and migrations. Prefer using the control panel for day-to-day host configuration,
+schedule changes, manual backup queueing, snapshot discovery, retention planning, and SSH credential management.
 
-Create global config:
-
-```
-pobsync configure-global --backup-root /mnt/backups/pobsync
-```
-
-Create a host config:
-
-```
-pobsync configure-host <host> --address <host-or-ip>
-```
-
-Run a backup:
-
-```
-pobsync backup <host> --prune
-```
-
-Create or update a schedule:
-
-```
-pobsync schedule <host> --cron "15 2 * * *" --prune
-```
-
-Run the scheduler:
-
-```
-pobsync scheduler --loop --interval 60
-```
-
-Plan or apply retention manually:
-
-```
-pobsync retention <host>
-pobsync retention <host> --apply --yes --max-delete 10
-```
-
-Discover snapshots already present on disk:
-
-```
-pobsync discover-snapshots --host <host>
-```
-
-The `pobsync` executable is a thin wrapper around Django management commands. Direct Django access is also available:
+Useful checks:
 
 ```
 pobsync django check
-python3 manage.py run_pobsync_backup <host> --prune
+python3 manage.py showmigrations pobsync_backend
+```
+
+Worker and scheduler commands are normally run by systemd services:
+
+```
+pobsync worker --loop --interval 15
+pobsync scheduler --loop --interval 60
+```
+
+One-off maintenance commands are still available when the UI is not the right tool:
+
+```
+pobsync backup <host> --dry-run
+pobsync discover-snapshots --host <host>
+pobsync retention <host>
 ```
 
 ## Migration Helpers
@@ -102,7 +76,8 @@ Export SQL config to legacy runtime YAML for inspection or one-off compatibility
 python3 manage.py export_pobsync_configs --prefix /opt/pobsync
 ```
 
-These commands are migration helpers, not the normal operating model.
+These commands are migration helpers, not the normal operating model. After import, review and continue operating from
+the Django control panel.
 
 ## Docker With SQLite
 
@@ -158,7 +133,8 @@ sudo scripts/install-systemd --install-extras mariadb
 
 ## Current Architecture
 
-The public command surface is Django-first. The old YAML/cron CLI has been retired from the `pobsync` entrypoint.
+The public operating surface is Django-first. The CLI is now a maintainer layer around Django management commands and
+the old YAML/cron workflow has been retired from the `pobsync` entrypoint.
 Discovered snapshots are stored in `SnapshotRecord`, including the base snapshot metadata and a nullable SQL link to the
 base record when it is known.