diff --git a/app/cli/pkg/action/util.go b/app/cli/pkg/action/util.go
index f48d079a7..230d84807 100644
--- a/app/cli/pkg/action/util.go
+++ b/app/cli/pkg/action/util.go
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ func LoadFileOrURL(fileRef string) ([]byte, error) {
 
 // ValidateAndExtractName validates and extracts a name from either
 // an explicit name parameter OR from metadata.name in the file content.
-// Ensures exactly one source is provided. Returns error when:
+// Returns error when:
 // - Neither explicit name nor metadata.name is provided
-// - Both explicit name and metadata.name are provided (ambiguous)
+// - Both are provided and they differ (providing both with the same value is allowed)
 func ValidateAndExtractName(explicitName, filePath string) (string, error) {
 	// Load file content if provided
 	var content []byte
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ func ValidateAndExtractName(explicitName, filePath string) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("parse content: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Both provided - ambiguous
-	if explicitName != "" && metadataName != "" {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("conflicting names: explicit name (%q) and metadata.name (%q) both provided", explicitName, metadataName)
+	// Both provided - only an error if they differ
+	if explicitName != "" && metadataName != "" && explicitName != metadataName {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("--name %q and metadata.name %q differ: pass only one, or set them to the same value", explicitName, metadataName)
 	}
 
 	// Neither provided - missing required name
diff --git a/app/cli/pkg/action/util_test.go b/app/cli/pkg/action/util_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea7494aaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/cli/pkg/action/util_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+//
+// Copyright 2026 The Chainloop Authors.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package action
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestValidateAndExtractName(t *testing.T) {
+	contractWithName := `apiVersion: chainloop.dev/v1
+kind: Contract
+metadata:
+  name: container-image-contract
+spec:
+  materials:
+    - type: CONTAINER_IMAGE
+      name: image
+`
+
+	contractWithoutName := `schemaVersion: v1
+materials:
+  - type: CONTAINER_IMAGE
+    name: image
+`
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		explicitName string
+		fileContent  string
+		wantName     string
+		wantErr      string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "explicit name only, no file",
+			explicitName: "my-contract",
+			wantName:     "my-contract",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "metadata.name only",
+			fileContent: contractWithName,
+			wantName:    "container-image-contract",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "explicit name matching metadata.name is accepted",
+			explicitName: "container-image-contract",
+			fileContent:  contractWithName,
+			wantName:     "container-image-contract",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "explicit name differing from metadata.name errors with actionable message",
+			explicitName: "another-name",
+			fileContent:  contractWithName,
+			wantErr:      `--name "another-name" and metadata.name "container-image-contract" differ: pass only one, or set them to the same value`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "neither name nor file",
+			wantErr: "name is required when no file is provided",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "file without metadata.name and no explicit name",
+			fileContent: contractWithoutName,
+			wantErr:     "name is required: either provide explicit name or include metadata.name in the schema",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "explicit name with file without metadata.name",
+			explicitName: "my-contract",
+			fileContent:  contractWithoutName,
+			wantName:     "my-contract",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var filePath string
+			if tc.fileContent != "" {
+				filePath = filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "contract.yaml")
+				require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filePath, []byte(tc.fileContent), 0o600))
+			}
+
+			got, err := ValidateAndExtractName(tc.explicitName, filePath)
+			if tc.wantErr != "" {
+				assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tc.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.wantName, got)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/docs/examples/contracts/sbom/sbom-quality.yaml b/docs/examples/contracts/sbom/sbom-quality.yaml
index 387db3f85..541ba36d7 100644
--- a/docs/examples/contracts/sbom/sbom-quality.yaml
+++ b/docs/examples/contracts/sbom/sbom-quality.yaml
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-#release-contract
+# DO NOT CHANGE metadata.name, it's used in the SSDF and CRA guides
+# https://docs.chainloop.dev/guides/ssdf and https://docs.chainloop.dev/guides/cra
 apiVersion: chainloop.dev/v1
 kind: Contract
 metadata:
-  name: sbom-quality
+  name: release-contract
   description: Contract for SBOM quality checks
 spec:
   materials:
diff --git a/docs/examples/contracts/slsa/github.yaml b/docs/examples/contracts/slsa/github.yaml
index 5545761f0..5e62dab3b 100644
--- a/docs/examples/contracts/slsa/github.yaml
+++ b/docs/examples/contracts/slsa/github.yaml
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-# Require a container image reference and include SLSA complicance verification
+# Require a container image reference and include SLSA compliance verification
+# DO NOT CHANGE metadata.name, it's used in the SLSA guide
+# https://docs.chainloop.dev/guides/slsa
 apiVersion: chainloop.dev/v1
 kind: Contract
 metadata:
-  name: github
+  name: skynet-build
   description: Require a container image reference and include SLSA compliance verification
 spec:
   materials:
diff --git a/docs/examples/contracts/vulnerabilities/vulnerability-management.yaml b/docs/examples/contracts/vulnerabilities/vulnerability-management.yaml
index 11dc031e9..ce40a014e 100644
--- a/docs/examples/contracts/vulnerabilities/vulnerability-management.yaml
+++ b/docs/examples/contracts/vulnerabilities/vulnerability-management.yaml
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-#vuln-scan-contract
+# DO NOT CHANGE metadata.name, it's used in the SSDF and CRA guides
+# https://docs.chainloop.dev/guides/ssdf and https://docs.chainloop.dev/guides/cra
 apiVersion: chainloop.dev/v1
 kind: Contract
 metadata:
-  name: vulnerability-management
+  name: vuln-scan-contract
   description: Contract for vulnerability scanning and management
 spec:
   materials: