diff --git a/cli/src/export.rs b/cli/src/export.rs
index 2b9cd0e..631b46a 100644
--- a/cli/src/export.rs
+++ b/cli/src/export.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 //! `txcript export` — write a session as a Simple interchange document.
 //!
-//! The source is resolved exactly like `view` (id or exact title, optional
-//! `#range`). The output is the full-fidelity Simple rendering of the
-//! canonical model — every `Transcript<Common>` field has a slot in Simple —
-//! so the document is the session as txcript sees it, detached from any
-//! harness's store. `txcript continue <file> --with <harness>` brings it
-//! back into a harness, on this machine or another.
+//! The source is resolved exactly like `view` (id, exact title, or an existing
+//! Simple document file or stdin `-`, with optional `#range`). The output is the
+//! full-fidelity Simple rendering of the canonical model — every
+//! `Transcript<Common>` field has a slot in Simple — so the document is the
+//! session as txcript sees it, detached from any harness's store.
+//! `txcript continue <file> --with <harness>` brings it back into a harness,
+//! on this machine or another.
 
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::ExitCode;
@@ -178,4 +179,32 @@ mod tests {
         let back = Simple::to_common(&parsed).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(back, original);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn cmd_export_slices_existing_simple_document() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let input_path = dir.path().join("input.json");
+        let output_path = dir.path().join("sliced.json");
+        std::fs::write(
+            &input_path,
+            r#"{
+                "id": "doc-export-test",
+                "messages": [
+                    {"role": "user", "content": "msg 1"},
+                    {"role": "assistant", "content": "msg 2"},
+                    {"role": "user", "content": "msg 3"}
+                ]
+            }"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let source = format!("{}#1-2", input_path.display());
+        let status = super::cmd_export(&source, None, Some(&output_path)).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(status, std::process::ExitCode::SUCCESS);
+
+        let out_text = std::fs::read_to_string(&output_path).unwrap();
+        let parsed = Simple::from_text(&out_text).unwrap();
+        let common = Simple::to_common(&parsed).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(common.body.len(), 2);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/cli/src/lib.rs b/cli/src/lib.rs
index 4bb7309..68120c9 100644
--- a/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@
 //!     --with <harness> [...]                #   for `-`) into <harness>; see
 //!                                           #   docs/formats/simple.md
 //!                                           #   --with grok_bot never launches a CLI
-//! txcript crop <id>[#range]             # interactively cut messages and save a copy
+//! txcript crop <id|file>[#range]         # interactively cut messages and save a copy
 //!     [--with <harness>]                    #   optionally convert the cropped copy
 //!     [--from <harness>]                    #   scope the source lookup
-//! txcript view <id>[#range]             # view a session; compact text when piped
+//! txcript view <id|file|->[#range]       # view a session; compact text when piped
 //!     [--from <harness>]                    #   scope the id lookup to one harness
 //!     [--no-pager]                          #   print the terminal view directly
 //! txcript query '<pattern>'             # one-shot literal search, ranked hits
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ pub enum SessionCommand {
         /// `#range` of 1-based inclusive message numbers (`abc#5-12`, `#7`,
         /// `#5-`, `#-10`)
         // Other: without a hint, generated completions fall back to filenames.
-        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other)]
+        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other, allow_hyphen_values = true)]
         id: String,
         /// Continue in this harness instead of the session's own
         #[arg(long, value_name = "HARNESS", value_parser = HarnessParser)]
@@ -194,9 +194,10 @@ pub enum SessionCommand {
     /// The source is never modified. By default the cropped copy is written
     /// to the source harness; --with converts it to another harness instead.
     Crop {
-        /// Session id (any unambiguous prefix) or exact title, optionally with
-        /// an initial message range (`abc#5-12`, `abc#7`, `abc#5-`, `abc#-10`)
-        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other)]
+        /// Session id (any unambiguous prefix) or exact title; or a Simple
+        /// document file. Optionally with an initial message range (`abc#5-12`,
+        /// `abc#7`, `abc#5-`, `abc#-10`)
+        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other, allow_hyphen_values = true)]
         source: String,
         /// Write the cropped copy in this harness instead of the source harness
         #[arg(long, value_name = "HARNESS", value_parser = HarnessParser)]
@@ -216,11 +217,12 @@ pub enum SessionCommand {
     /// number messages so a printed ordinal can be fed straight back as a
     /// `#range`.
     View {
-        /// Session id (any unambiguous prefix) or its exact title, with an
-        /// optional `#range` of 1-based inclusive message numbers
-        /// (`abc#5-12`, `#7`, `#5-`, `#-10`)
+        /// Session id (any unambiguous prefix) or its exact title; or a
+        /// Simple document (a file path, `-` for stdin). Takes an optional
+        /// `#range` of 1-based inclusive message numbers (`abc#5-12`, `#7`,
+        /// `#5-`, `#-10`)
         // Other: without a hint, generated completions fall back to filenames.
-        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other)]
+        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other, allow_hyphen_values = true)]
         source: String,
         /// Only look for the session in this harness
         #[arg(long, value_name = "HARNESS", value_parser = HarnessParser)]
@@ -236,10 +238,11 @@ pub enum SessionCommand {
     /// Move it to another machine and `continue <file> --with <harness>`
     /// picks the session up there; a `#range` exports just those messages.
     Export {
-        /// Session id (any unambiguous prefix) or its exact title, with an
-        /// optional `#range` of 1-based inclusive message numbers
-        /// (`abc#5-12`, `#7`, `#5-`, `#-10`)
-        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other)]
+        /// Session id (any unambiguous prefix) or its exact title; or a
+        /// Simple document (a file path, `-` for stdin). Takes an optional
+        /// `#range` of 1-based inclusive message numbers (`abc#5-12`, `#7`,
+        /// `#5-`, `#-10`)
+        #[arg(value_hint = clap::ValueHint::Other, allow_hyphen_values = true)]
         source: String,
         /// Only look for the session in this harness
         #[arg(long, value_name = "HARNESS", value_parser = HarnessParser)]
@@ -951,6 +954,37 @@ mod identity_tests {
             crate::Command::Session(crate::SessionCommand::Continue { ref id, .. }) if id == "session-123"
         ));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn hyphen_prefixed_source_arguments_parse_across_commands() {
+        use clap::Parser;
+
+        let cli =
+            crate::Cli::try_parse_from(["txcript", "continue", "-#1", "--with", "codex"]).unwrap();
+        assert!(matches!(
+            cli.command,
+            crate::Command::Session(crate::SessionCommand::Continue { ref id, .. }) if id == "-#1"
+        ));
+
+        let cli = crate::Cli::try_parse_from(["txcript", "view", "-#1"]).unwrap();
+        assert!(matches!(
+            cli.command,
+            crate::Command::Session(crate::SessionCommand::View { ref source, .. }) if source == "-#1"
+        ));
+
+        let cli = crate::Cli::try_parse_from(["txcript", "export", "-#1-5"]).unwrap();
+        assert!(matches!(
+            cli.command,
+            crate::Command::Session(crate::SessionCommand::Export { ref source, .. }) if source == "-#1-5"
+        ));
+
+        let cli = crate::Cli::try_parse_from(["txcript", "crop", "-#1", "--with", "claude_code"])
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(matches!(
+            cli.command,
+            crate::Command::Session(crate::SessionCommand::Crop { ref source, .. }) if source == "-#1"
+        ));
+    }
 }
 
 fn cmd_list(
@@ -1111,6 +1145,29 @@ fn cmd_crop(
         ensure_crop_target(target)?;
     }
 
+    if let Some((input, request)) = document_source(source) {
+        if from.is_some() {
+            return Err(
+                "--from scopes the search for a local session; a Simple document is its own input"
+                    .to_string(),
+            );
+        }
+        let target = with.ok_or_else(|| {
+            "a Simple document has no harness of its own to crop into; \
+             pass --with <harness> (e.g. --with claude_code)"
+                .to_string()
+        })?;
+        ensure_crop_target(target)?;
+        if matches!(input, DocInput::Stdin) {
+            return Err(
+                "cannot crop a document from stdin because crop requires interactive terminal input"
+                    .to_string(),
+            );
+        }
+        let common = read_document_input(&input)?;
+        return crop_loaded(&common, HarnessId::Simple, target, request.as_ref());
+    }
+
     if let Some(loaded) = load_direct_claude_chat(source, from) {
         let target = with.unwrap_or(HarnessId::ClaudeChat);
         ensure_crop_target(target)?;
@@ -1365,9 +1422,9 @@ fn parse_metadata_specs(specs: &[String]) -> Result<serde_json::Value, String> {
     Ok(serde_json::Value::Object(map))
 }
 
-/// What `continue` received when it wasn't a session id: a Simple document
-/// on stdin or in a file.
-enum DocInput {
+/// What `continue`, `view`, `export`, or `crop` received when it wasn't a
+/// session id: a Simple document on stdin or in a file.
+pub(crate) enum DocInput {
     Stdin,
     File(PathBuf),
 }
@@ -1377,7 +1434,7 @@ enum DocInput {
 /// document. A whole argument that names one wins over the range
 /// interpretation, so a filename containing `#` still opens. Everything
 /// else is a session reference for the discovery path.
-fn document_source(input: &str) -> Option<(DocInput, Option<fragment::SpanReq>)> {
+pub(crate) fn document_source(input: &str) -> Option<(DocInput, Option<fragment::SpanReq>)> {
     if input == "-" {
         return Some((DocInput::Stdin, None));
     }
@@ -1401,22 +1458,8 @@ fn readable_document(path: &str) -> bool {
     std::fs::metadata(path).is_ok_and(|m| !m.is_dir())
 }
 
-/// Continue a Simple document into `--with`: parse, convert, write into the
-/// target's store, launch. The document is read once and never modified;
-/// from here on the conversation lives in the target harness.
-fn continue_document(
-    input: &DocInput,
-    span_req: Option<&fragment::SpanReq>,
-    with: Option<HarnessId>,
-    out: Option<&std::path::Path>,
-    resume: bool,
-    metadata: Option<&serde_json::Value>,
-) -> Result<ExitCode, String> {
-    let target = with.ok_or_else(|| {
-        "a Simple document has no harness of its own to resume; \
-         pass --with <harness> (e.g. --with claude_code)"
-            .to_string()
-    })?;
+/// Read a Simple document input into the canonical Common model.
+pub(crate) fn read_document_input(input: &DocInput) -> Result<Transcript<Common>, String> {
     let text = match input {
         DocInput::Stdin => {
             let mut buffer = String::new();
@@ -1434,7 +1477,26 @@ fn continue_document(
         DocInput::Stdin => None,
         DocInput::File(path) => Some(path.as_path()).filter(|p| p.is_file()),
     };
-    let common = document_to_common(&text, origin)?;
+    document_to_common(&text, origin)
+}
+
+/// Continue a Simple document into `--with`: parse, convert, write into the
+/// target's store, launch. The document is read once and never modified;
+/// from here on the conversation lives in the target harness.
+fn continue_document(
+    input: &DocInput,
+    span_req: Option<&fragment::SpanReq>,
+    with: Option<HarnessId>,
+    out: Option<&std::path::Path>,
+    resume: bool,
+    metadata: Option<&serde_json::Value>,
+) -> Result<ExitCode, String> {
+    let target = with.ok_or_else(|| {
+        "a Simple document has no harness of its own to resume; \
+         pass --with <harness> (e.g. --with claude_code)"
+            .to_string()
+    })?;
+    let common = read_document_input(input)?;
 
     let mut copy = match span_req {
         Some(req) => fragment::sliced(&common, req)?,
diff --git a/cli/src/view.rs b/cli/src/view.rs
index 9055772..1f015b9 100644
--- a/cli/src/view.rs
+++ b/cli/src/view.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,16 @@ pub fn load_source(
     source: &str,
     from: Option<HarnessId>,
 ) -> Result<(Transcript<Common>, Option<fragment::SpanReq>), String> {
+    if let Some((input, request)) = super::document_source(source) {
+        if from.is_some() {
+            return Err(
+                "--from scopes the search for a local session; a Simple document is its own input"
+                    .to_string(),
+            );
+        }
+        let common = super::read_document_input(&input)?;
+        return Ok((common, request));
+    }
     if let Some(loaded) = super::load_direct_claude_chat(source, from) {
         return loaded;
     }
@@ -1148,4 +1158,42 @@ mod tests {
             "rendered session\n"
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn load_source_reads_simple_document_file_with_optional_range() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let doc_path = dir.path().join("transcript.json");
+        std::fs::write(
+            &doc_path,
+            r#"{
+                "id": "my-doc",
+                "messages": [
+                    {"role": "user", "content": "one"},
+                    {"role": "assistant", "content": "two"}
+                ]
+            }"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let (transcript, req) = load_source(doc_path.to_str().unwrap(), None).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(transcript.meta.id, "my-doc");
+        assert_eq!(transcript.body.len(), 2);
+        assert!(req.is_none());
+
+        let ranged = format!("{}#1", doc_path.display());
+        let (transcript, req) = load_source(&ranged, None).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(transcript.meta.id, "my-doc");
+        assert!(req.is_some());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn load_source_rejects_from_scoping_on_simple_document() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let doc_path = dir.path().join("transcript.json");
+        std::fs::write(&doc_path, "{}").unwrap();
+
+        let err =
+            load_source(doc_path.to_str().unwrap(), Some(txcript::HarnessId::Codex)).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.contains("--from scopes the search for a local session"));
+    }
 }