diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/add-template.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/add-template.ts
index cc45cb458..4620aadb7 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/add-template.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/add-template.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,11 @@ import { promises as fsp } from 'node:fs'
 import process from 'node:process'
 import { styleText } from 'node:util'
 
-import { intro, outro } from '@clack/prompts'
 import { defineCommand } from 'citty'
 import { dirname, isAbsolute, relative, resolve } from 'pathe'
 
 import { loadKit } from '../utils/kit'
-import { logger } from '../utils/logger'
+import { intro, logger, outro } from '../utils/logger'
 import { relativeToProcess } from '../utils/paths'
 import { templates } from '../utils/templates/index'
 import { httpMethods, modes } from '../utils/templates/modifiers'
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/analyze.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/analyze.ts
index c5703e175..cde732da3 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/analyze.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/analyze.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { promises as fsp } from 'node:fs'
 import process from 'node:process'
 
 import { styleText } from 'node:util'
-import { intro, note, outro, taskLog } from '@clack/prompts'
+import { note, taskLog } from '@clack/prompts'
 import { defineCommand } from 'citty'
 import { defu } from 'defu'
 import { join, relative, resolve } from 'pathe'
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { ActionableError } from '../utils/errors'
 import { clearDir } from '../utils/fs'
 import { loadKit } from '../utils/kit'
 import { acquireLock, acquireOutputLock, formatLockError } from '../utils/lockfile'
-import { logger } from '../utils/logger'
+import { intro, logger, outro } from '../utils/logger'
 import { relativeToProcess, resolveRootDir } from '../utils/paths'
 import { dotEnvArgs, extendsArgs, logLevelArgs, rootDirArgs } from './_shared'
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/build.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/build.ts
index 3599733c9..c3b9dfcc9 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/build.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/build.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import process from 'node:process'
 
 import { styleText } from 'node:util'
-import { intro, outro } from '@clack/prompts'
 import { defineCommand } from 'citty'
 
 import { relative } from 'pathe'
@@ -14,7 +13,7 @@ import { formatDuration } from '../utils/formatting'
 import { clearBuildDir } from '../utils/fs'
 import { loadKit } from '../utils/kit'
 import { acquireLock, acquireOutputLock, formatLockError } from '../utils/lockfile'
-import { logger } from '../utils/logger'
+import { intro, logger, outro } from '../utils/logger'
 import { resolveRootDir } from '../utils/paths'
 import { startCpuProfile, stopCpuProfile } from '../utils/profile'
 import { dotEnvArgs, envNameArgs, extendsArgs, logLevelArgs, profileArgs, rootDirArgs } from './_shared'
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/curl.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/curl.ts
index 1ffdcdc88..d55027e07 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/curl.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/curl.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export default defineCommand({
     const cwd = resolveRootDir(ctx.args)
     const input = ctx.args.url
     if (!input) {
-      logger.error(`Missing URL. Try ${styleText('cyan', 'nuxt curl /api/hello')}.`)
+      logger.error(`Missing URL. Try ${styleText('cyan', 'nuxt curl /')}.`)
       process.exit(1)
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/preview.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/preview.ts
index 3fb703b63..93b754cf4 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/preview.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/preview.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { dirname } from 'node:path'
 import process from 'node:process'
 
 import { styleText } from 'node:util'
-import { box, outro } from '@clack/prompts'
+import { box } from '@clack/prompts'
 import { tokenizeArgs } from 'args-tokenizer'
 import { defineCommand } from 'citty'
 import { resolve } from 'pathe'
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { x } from 'tinyexec'
 
 import { resolveDotenvFileNames } from '../utils/args'
 import { loadKit } from '../utils/kit'
-import { logger } from '../utils/logger'
+import { logger, outro } from '../utils/logger'
 import { withPrependedPath } from '../utils/path-env'
 import { relativeToProcess, resolveRootDir } from '../utils/paths'
 import { dotEnvArgs, envNameArgs, extendsArgs, logLevelArgs, rootDirArgs } from './_shared'
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/upgrade.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/upgrade.ts
index a5c75cbd2..db58f0959 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/upgrade.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/commands/upgrade.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { existsSync } from 'node:fs'
 import process from 'node:process'
 
 import { styleText } from 'node:util'
-import { cancel, intro, isCancel, note, outro, select, spinner } from '@clack/prompts'
+import { cancel, isCancel, note, select, spinner } from '@clack/prompts'
 import { defineCommand } from 'citty'
 import { detectPackageManager } from 'nypm'
 import { dirname, relative, resolve } from 'pathe'
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { findWorkspaceDir, readPackageJSON } from 'pkg-types'
 import { resolveCatalogEntry, updateCatalogEntries } from '../utils/catalog'
 import { createInstallLog, runDedupe, runInstall, takeUnreportedIgnoredBuilds } from '../utils/install'
 import { loadKit } from '../utils/kit'
-import { logger } from '../utils/logger'
+import { intro, logger, outro } from '../utils/logger'
 import { cleanupNuxtDirs, nuxtVersionToGitIdentifier } from '../utils/nuxt'
 import { getPackageManagerVersion } from '../utils/packageManagers'
 import { relativeToProcess, resolveRootDir } from '../utils/paths'
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/listen.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/listen.ts
index 8fc1c2cee..8f09cdd6b 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/listen.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/listen.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import process from 'node:process'
 
 import { styleText } from 'node:util'
 import { getPort } from 'get-port-please'
+import { isCI } from 'std-env'
 
 import { ActionableError } from '../utils/errors'
 import { debug, logger } from '../utils/logger'
@@ -340,10 +341,11 @@ export async function createListener(bound: BoundServer, options: ListenOptions
 
     if (announce) {
       if (options.showURL !== false) {
-        if (qrURL) {
-          await printQRCode(qrURL)
+        const showQR = !!qrURL && isQRCodeVisible()
+        if (showQR) {
+          await printQRCode(qrURL!)
         }
-        showURLs({ qr: !!qrURL })
+        showURLs({ qr: showQR })
       }
 
       if (options.clipboard) {
@@ -529,6 +531,15 @@ function describeBindError(error: NodeJS.ErrnoException, port: number, hostname:
   return error
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whether block art is worth printing. A QR code is a couple of dozen lines of
+ * Unicode blocks that nothing downstream of a pipe can scan, so it is only
+ * drawn where someone is looking at a terminal.
+ */
+function isQRCodeVisible(): boolean {
+  return !!process.stdout.isTTY && !isCI
+}
+
 export async function printQRCode(url: string, { showURL = false }: { showURL?: boolean } = {}): Promise<void> {
   const { renderUnicodeCompact } = await import('uqr')
   const caption = showURL ? `\n${centerBlock(styleText('cyan', url), url.length)}` : ''
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/shortcuts.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/shortcuts.ts
index b224cd70d..46d1cd3de 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/shortcuts.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/dev/shortcuts.ts
@@ -106,13 +106,16 @@ function printHelp(context: ActionContext): void {
 }
 
 /**
- * Without a TTY there are no shortcuts to offer, so point at the way to talk to
- * the server instead: non-interactive callers (scripts, agents) otherwise have
- * no indication that one exists.
+ * Without a readable stdin there are no shortcuts to offer, so point at the way
+ * to talk to the server instead: a caller driving the CLI without a keyboard
+ * (an agent, a wrapper script) otherwise has no indication that one exists.
+ *
+ * `/` is suggested rather than an API route because it is the one path every
+ * project serves.
  */
 function printRequestHint(): void {
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-  console.log(`\n  ${styleText('dim', 'run')} ${styleText('bold', 'nuxt curl /api/hello')} ${styleText('dim', 'to send a request to this server')}\n`)
+  console.log(`\n  ${styleText('dim', 'run')} ${styleText('bold', 'nuxt curl /')} ${styleText('dim', 'to send a request to this server')}\n`)
 }
 
 function availableShortcuts(context: ShortcutContext): Shortcut[] {
@@ -127,7 +130,9 @@ function availableShortcuts(context: ShortcutContext): Shortcut[] {
  */
 export function setupShortcuts(context: ShortcutContext): void {
   if (!process.stdin.isTTY || isCI || isTest) {
-    if (!isCI && !isTest) {
+    // A hint written into a redirected log is read by nobody and answered by
+    // nobody, so it is only offered while stdout is still a terminal.
+    if (process.stdout.isTTY && !isCI && !isTest) {
       context.onReady(() => printRequestHint())
     }
     return
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/utils/logger.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/utils/logger.ts
index bfcfbdf0e..c81cb21eb 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/src/utils/logger.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/src/utils/logger.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,39 @@
+import process from 'node:process'
 import { styleText } from 'node:util'
-import { log, S_INFO } from '@clack/prompts'
+import { intro as clackIntro, outro as clackOutro, log, S_ERROR, S_INFO, S_STEP_SUBMIT, S_SUCCESS, S_WARN } from '@clack/prompts'
 import { createDebug } from 'obug'
+import { isCI } from 'std-env'
 
 import { blankLineBefore, writeDirect } from './stdout'
 
 type LoggerImpl = Pick<typeof log, 'info' | 'warn' | 'error' | 'success' | 'step' | 'message'>
 
-let impl: LoggerImpl = log
+type LineColor = 'blue' | 'yellow' | 'red' | 'green'
+
+/**
+ * A log line with no clack framing: the `│` gutter connects one prompt to the
+ * next on screen, and in a redirected log it is a bare column of punctuation
+ * between every line of real output.
+ */
+function plainLine(symbol: string, color: LineColor, message?: string): void {
+  const body = String(message ?? '').replace(/\n/g, '\n  ')
+  writeDirect(`${styleText(color, symbol)} ${body}\n`)
+}
+
+const plain: LoggerImpl = {
+  info: message => plainLine(S_INFO, 'blue', message),
+  warn: message => plainLine(S_WARN, 'yellow', message),
+  error: message => plainLine(S_ERROR, 'red', message),
+  success: message => plainLine(S_SUCCESS, 'green', message),
+  step: message => plainLine(S_STEP_SUBMIT, 'green', message),
+  message: message => writeDirect(`${String(message ?? '')}\n`),
+}
+
+function defaultImpl(): LoggerImpl {
+  return !process.stdout.isTTY || isCI ? plain : log
+}
+
+let impl: LoggerImpl | undefined
 let depth = 0
 
 /**
@@ -36,16 +63,37 @@ function emit<T>(write: () => T): T {
  * guideline, which reads as a stray artefact next to a persistent footer.
  */
 export function setLoggerImpl(next?: LoggerImpl): void {
-  impl = next ?? log
+  impl = next
 }
 
 export const logger: LoggerImpl = {
-  info: message => emit(() => impl.info(message)),
-  warn: message => emit(() => impl.warn(message)),
-  error: message => emit(() => impl.error(message)),
-  success: message => emit(() => impl.success(message)),
-  step: message => emit(() => impl.step(message)),
-  message: (message, options) => emit(() => impl.message(message, options)),
+  info: message => emit(() => (impl ?? defaultImpl()).info(message)),
+  warn: message => emit(() => (impl ?? defaultImpl()).warn(message)),
+  error: message => emit(() => (impl ?? defaultImpl()).error(message)),
+  success: message => emit(() => (impl ?? defaultImpl()).success(message)),
+  step: message => emit(() => (impl ?? defaultImpl()).step(message)),
+  message: (message, options) => emit(() => (impl ?? defaultImpl()).message(message, options)),
+}
+
+/**
+ * Open a command's output. Falls back to a bare headline where clack's opening
+ * corner would only introduce a gutter nothing draws against.
+ */
+export function intro(message: string): void {
+  if (!process.stdout.isTTY || isCI) {
+    writeDirect(`${message}\n`)
+    return
+  }
+  clackIntro(message)
+}
+
+/** {@link intro}, for the line a command finishes on. */
+export function outro(message: string): void {
+  if (!process.stdout.isTTY || isCI) {
+    writeDirect(`${styleText('green', S_SUCCESS)} ${message}\n`)
+    return
+  }
+  clackOutro(message)
 }
 
 export const debug = createDebug('nuxi')
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/commands/build.spec.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/commands/build.spec.ts
index e9227918a..4ae864c22 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/commands/build.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/commands/build.spec.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ vi.mock('../../../src/utils/lockfile', () => ({
 }))
 vi.mock('../../../src/utils/logger', () => ({
   logger: { error: vi.fn(), info: vi.fn(), warn: vi.fn() },
+  intro: vi.fn(),
+  outro: vi.fn(),
 }))
 vi.mock('../../../src/utils/profile', () => ({
   startCpuProfile: mocks.startCpuProfile,
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/listen.spec.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/listen.spec.ts
index cde3e288c..66342cfd7 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/listen.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/listen.spec.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ import { copyURL, formatDisplayURL, getNetworkAddresses, isReusePortSupported, l
 const writeText = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn())
 const isolatedEnvironment = vi.hoisted(() => ({ current: undefined as string | undefined }))
 
+vi.mock('std-env', async importOriginal => ({
+  ...await importOriginal<typeof import('std-env')>(),
+  isCI: false,
+}))
+
 vi.mock('tinyclip', () => ({ writeText }))
 vi.mock('../../src/dev/environment', () => ({
   detectIsolatedEnvironment: () => isolatedEnvironment.current,
@@ -234,6 +239,26 @@ describe('listen', () => {
     return listener
   }
 
+  it('should not draw a QR code into output nothing can scan it from', async () => {
+    const log = vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation(() => {})
+    const originalIsTTY = process.stdout.isTTY
+    Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: false, configurable: true })
+
+    try {
+      const listener = await listen((_req, res) => res.end('ok'), { port: 0, hostname: '127.0.0.1', qr: true })
+      listeners.push(listener)
+      const printed = log.mock.calls.map(([line]) => String(line)).join('\n')
+
+      expect(printed).toContain('Local:')
+      expect(printed).not.toContain('[QR code]')
+      expect(printed).not.toMatch(/[\u2580-\u259F]/)
+    }
+    finally {
+      Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: originalIsTTY, configurable: true })
+      log.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
+
   it('should accept connections on both loopback addresses in an isolated environment', async () => {
     isolatedEnvironment.current = 'the container'
     const listener = await start({ port: 0 })
@@ -356,12 +381,19 @@ describe('listener.close', () => {
         throw new Error('qr unavailable')
       },
     }))
+    const originalIsTTY = process.stdout.isTTY
+    Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: true, configurable: true })
 
-    await expect(listen((_req, res) => res.end('ok'), { port: 0, hostname: '127.0.0.1', tunnel: true, qr: true })).rejects.toThrow('qr unavailable')
+    try {
+      await expect(listen((_req, res) => res.end('ok'), { port: 0, hostname: '127.0.0.1', tunnel: true, qr: true })).rejects.toThrow('qr unavailable')
 
-    expect(closeTunnel).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-    vi.doUnmock('../../src/dev/tunnel')
-    vi.doUnmock('uqr')
+      expect(closeTunnel).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    }
+    finally {
+      Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: originalIsTTY, configurable: true })
+      vi.doUnmock('../../src/dev/tunnel')
+      vi.doUnmock('uqr')
+    }
   })
 
   it('should release the port when setup fails after binding', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/shortcuts.spec.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/shortcuts.spec.ts
index e9ef0c4b2..02ce39df4 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/shortcuts.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/shortcuts.spec.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe('setupShortcuts', () => {
     vi.clearAllMocks()
   })
 
-  function setup(context: Partial<ShortcutContext> = {}, { isTTY = true, isRaw = false } = {}) {
+  function setup(context: Partial<ShortcutContext> = {}, { isTTY = true, isRaw = false, stdoutIsTTY = true } = {}) {
     const stdin = new PassThrough() as unknown as typeof process.stdin
     Object.assign(stdin, { isTTY, isRaw, setRawMode: vi.fn((raw: boolean) => Object.assign(stdin, { isRaw: raw })) })
 
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ describe('setupShortcuts', () => {
     Object.defineProperty(process, 'stdin', { value: stdin, configurable: true })
     restores.push(() => Object.defineProperty(process, 'stdin', { value: original, configurable: true }))
 
+    const originalStdoutIsTTY = process.stdout.isTTY
+    Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: stdoutIsTTY, configurable: true })
+    restores.push(() => Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: originalStdoutIsTTY, configurable: true }))
+
     const log = vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation(() => {})
 
     const listener = {
@@ -89,10 +93,16 @@ describe('setupShortcuts', () => {
     expect(setup().stdin.listenerCount('data')).toBe(0)
   })
 
-  it('should suggest `nuxt curl` when there is no TTY', () => {
+  it('should suggest `nuxt curl` when stdin cannot be read', () => {
     const { log } = setup({}, { isTTY: false })
 
-    expect(log.mock.calls.join('\n')).toContain('nuxt curl /api/hello')
+    expect(log.mock.calls.join('\n')).toContain('nuxt curl /')
+  })
+
+  it('should stay silent when the output is redirected', () => {
+    const { log } = setup({}, { isTTY: false, stdoutIsTTY: false })
+
+    expect(log.mock.calls.join('\n')).not.toContain('nuxt curl')
   })
 
   it('should stay silent in CI', () => {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/utils/banner.spec.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/utils/banner.spec.ts
index 6a43919a4..9e6a8e84a 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/utils/banner.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/utils/banner.spec.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import { render, screen } from '../../utils/terminal'
 
+vi.mock('std-env', async importOriginal => ({
+  ...await importOriginal<typeof import('std-env')>(),
+  isCI: false,
+}))
+
 const VERSIONS: Record<string, string> = {
   'webpack': '5.99.0',
   '@rspack/core': '1.3.0',
diff --git a/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/utils/logger.spec.ts b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/utils/logger.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..131ca699b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt-cli/test/unit/utils/logger.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { stripAnsi } from '../../../src/dev/tui/width'
+import { logger } from '../../../src/utils/logger'
+
+const environment = vi.hoisted(() => ({ isCI: false }))
+
+vi.mock('std-env', async importOriginal => ({
+  ...await importOriginal<typeof import('std-env')>(),
+  get isCI() {
+    return environment.isCI
+  },
+}))
+
+describe('logger', () => {
+  const restores: Array<() => void> = []
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    restores.splice(0).forEach(restore => restore())
+    environment.isCI = false
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  function capture(isTTY: boolean): { written: () => string } {
+    const original = process.stdout.isTTY
+    Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: isTTY, configurable: true })
+    restores.push(() => Object.defineProperty(process.stdout, 'isTTY', { value: original, configurable: true }))
+
+    const chunks: string[] = []
+    const write = vi.spyOn(process.stdout, 'write').mockImplementation((chunk: unknown) => {
+      chunks.push(String(chunk))
+      return true
+    })
+    restores.push(() => write.mockRestore())
+
+    return { written: () => stripAnsi(chunks.join('')) }
+  }
+
+  it('should leave no clack gutter in redirected output', () => {
+    const { written } = capture(false)
+
+    logger.info('Bundling app')
+    logger.warn('Slow')
+
+    expect(written()).toBe('● Bundling app\n▲ Slow\n')
+  })
+
+  it('should keep clack framing in a terminal', () => {
+    const { written } = capture(true)
+
+    logger.info('Bundling app')
+
+    expect(written()).toContain('│\n')
+  })
+
+  it('should leave no clack gutter in CI, where nothing draws against it', () => {
+    environment.isCI = true
+    const { written } = capture(true)
+
+    logger.info('Bundling app')
+
+    expect(written()).toBe('● Bundling app\n')
+  })
+
+  it('should indent a continuation line under its symbol', () => {
+    const { written } = capture(false)
+
+    logger.info('Ready in 2.4s\nconfig 320ms')
+
+    expect(written()).toBe('● Ready in 2.4s\n  config 320ms\n')
+  })
+})