diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli/bucket_hdlr.go b/cmd/cli/cli/bucket_hdlr.go
index 5a34fa5b3de..35d90892b1b 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli/bucket_hdlr.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli/bucket_hdlr.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ var (
 	}
 	bucketCmdCopy = cli.Command{
 		Name:         commandCopy,
-		Usage:        "copy entire bucket or selected objects (to select multiple, use '--list' or '--template')",
+		Usage:        "copy entire bucket or selected objects (to select multiple, use '--list', '--template', or '--prefix')",
 		ArgsUsage:    bucketObjectSrcArgument + " " + bucketDstArgument,
 		Flags:        bucketCmdsFlags[commandCopy],
 		Action:       copyBucketHandler,
diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli/err.go b/cmd/cli/cli/err.go
index a140276cf67..382562c40a7 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli/err.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli/err.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func commandNotFoundError(c *cli.Context, cmd string) *errUsage {
 		context:       c,
 		message:       msg,
 		helpData:      c.App,
-		helpTemplate:  teb.ShortUsageTmpl,
+		helpTemplate:  teb.ExtendedUsageTmpl,
 		bottomMessage: didYouMeanMessage(c, cmd, similar, closestCommand, distance, trailingShow),
 	}
 }
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ func _errUsage(c *cli.Context, msg string) *errUsage {
 		context:      c,
 		message:      msg,
 		helpData:     c.Command,
-		helpTemplate: teb.UsageOnlyTmpl, // NOTE: `cli.CommandHelpTemplate` is often way too long
+		helpTemplate: teb.ShortUsageTmpl,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli/etl.go b/cmd/cli/cli/etl.go
index cb4bff149fd..49d879d6979 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli/etl.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli/etl.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ var (
 	}
 	bckCmdETL = cli.Command{
 		Name:         cmdBucket,
-		Usage:        "transform entire bucket or selected objects (to select multiple, use '--list' or '--template')",
+		Usage:        "transform entire bucket or selected objects (to select multiple, use '--list', '--template', or '--prefix')",
 		ArgsUsage:    etlNameArgument + " " + bucketObjectSrcArgument + " " + bucketDstArgument,
 		Action:       etlBucketHandler,
 		Flags:        etlSubFlags[cmdBucket],
diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli/parse_uri.go b/cmd/cli/cli/parse_uri.go
index 602dc944f7e..5abd1da0c95 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli/parse_uri.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli/parse_uri.go
@@ -154,8 +154,11 @@ func parseBckObjURI(c *cli.Context, uri string, emptyObjnameOK bool) (bck cmn.Bc
 		}
 		bck, objName, err = cmn.ParseBckObjectURI(uri, opts)
 		if err != nil {
-			if len(uri) > 1 && uri[:2] == "--" { // FIXME: needed smth like c.LooksLikeFlag
-				return bck, objName, incorrectUsageMsg(c, "misplaced flag %q", uri)
+			if errV := errMisplacedFlag(c, uri); errV != nil {
+				return bck, objName, errV
+			}
+			if strings.Contains(err.Error(), cos.OnlyPlus) && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "bucket name") {
+				return bck, objName, fmt.Errorf("bucket name in %q is invalid: "+cos.OnlyPlus, uri)
 			}
 			var msg string
 			if emptyObjnameOK {
diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli/tcbtco.go b/cmd/cli/cli/tcbtco.go
index 7e5a5e7f1d2..60af9822848 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli/tcbtco.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli/tcbtco.go
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ import (
 
 // via (I) x-copy-bucket ("full bucket") _or_ (II) x-copy-listrange ("multi-object")
 // Notice a certain usable redundancy:
-// (I)  `ais cp from to --prefix abc"
-// is the same as:
-// (II) `ais cp from to --template abc"
+//
+//	(I) `ais cp from to --prefix abc" is the same as (II) `ais cp from to --template abc"
+//
+// Also, note [CONVENTIONS] below.
 func copyBucketHandler(c *cli.Context) (err error) {
 	var (
 		bckFrom, bckTo cmn.Bck
@@ -39,11 +40,6 @@ func copyBucketHandler(c *cli.Context) (err error) {
 		err = missingArgumentsError(c, c.Command.ArgsUsage)
 	case c.NArg() == 1:
 		bckFrom, objFrom, err = parseBckObjURI(c, c.Args().Get(0), true /*emptyObjnameOK*/)
-		if err != nil {
-			if strings.Contains(err.Error(), cos.OnlyPlus) && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "bucket name") {
-				err = fmt.Errorf("bucket name in %q is invalid: "+cos.OnlyPlus, c.Args().Get(0))
-			}
-		}
 	default:
 		bckFrom, bckTo, objFrom, err = parseBcks(c, bucketSrcArgument, bucketDstArgument, 0 /*shift*/, true /*optionalSrcObjname*/)
 	}
@@ -51,11 +47,26 @@ func copyBucketHandler(c *cli.Context) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if flagIsSet(c, syncFlag) && bckTo.IsEmpty() {
+	// [CONVENTIONS]
+	// 1. '--sync' and '--latest' both require aistore to reach out for remote metadata and, therefore,
+	//   if destination is omitted both options imply namesake in-cluster destination (ie., bckTo = bckFrom)
+	// 2. in addition, '--sync' also implies '--all' (will traverse non-present)
+
+	if bckTo.IsEmpty() {
+		if !flagIsSet(c, syncFlag) && !flagIsSet(c, latestVerFlag) {
+			var hint string
+			if bckFrom.IsRemote() {
+				hint = fmt.Sprintf(" (or, did you mean 'ais cp %s %s' or 'ais cp %s %s'?)",
+					c.Args().Get(0), flprn(syncFlag), c.Args().Get(0), flprn(latestVerFlag))
+			}
+			return incorrectUsageMsg(c, "missing destination bucket%s", hint)
+		}
 		bckTo = bckFrom
 	}
 
-	return copyTransform(c, "" /*etlName*/, objFrom, bckFrom, bckTo, flagIsSet(c, copyAllObjsFlag))
+	allIncludingRemote := flagIsSet(c, copyAllObjsFlag) || flagIsSet(c, syncFlag)
+
+	return copyTransform(c, "" /*etlName*/, objFrom, bckFrom, bckTo, allIncludingRemote)
 }
 
 //
diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli/utils.go b/cmd/cli/cli/utils.go
index 4dc3c01353c..b2a08535927 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli/utils.go
@@ -96,6 +96,13 @@ func arg0Node(c *cli.Context) (node *meta.Snode, sname string, err error) {
 	return
 }
 
+func errMisplacedFlag(c *cli.Context, arg string) (err error) {
+	if len(arg) > 1 && arg[0] == '-' {
+		err = incorrectUsageMsg(c, "missing command line argument (hint: flag '%s' misplaced?)", arg)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
 func isWebURL(url string) bool { return cos.IsHTTP(url) || cos.IsHTTPS(url) }
 
 func jsonMarshalIndent(v any) ([]byte, error) { return jsoniter.MarshalIndent(v, "", "    ") }
diff --git a/cmd/cli/teb/templates.go b/cmd/cli/teb/templates.go
index 70f8082e806..92409fd16a1 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/teb/templates.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/teb/templates.go
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ const (
 		"{{end}}" +
 		"TOTAL\t "
 
-	ShortUsageTmpl = "{{if .UsageText}}{{.UsageText}}{{else}}{{.HelpName}}{{if .VisibleFlags}} [command options]{{end}} {{if .ArgsUsage}}{{.ArgsUsage}}{{else}}[arguments...]{{end}}{{end}} - {{.Usage}}\n" +
+	ExtendedUsageTmpl = "{{if .UsageText}}{{.UsageText}}{{else}}{{.HelpName}}{{if .VisibleFlags}} [command options]{{end}} {{if .ArgsUsage}}{{.ArgsUsage}}{{else}}[arguments...]{{end}}{{end}} - {{.Usage}}\n" +
 		"\n\tCOMMANDS:\t" +
 		"{{range .VisibleCategories}}" +
 		"{{ range $index, $element := .VisibleCommands}}" +
@@ -277,8 +277,11 @@ const (
 		"--{{FlagName $flag }}" +
 		"{{end}}{{end}}\n"
 
-	UsageOnlyTmpl = `{{.HelpName}} - {{.Usage}}
+	ShortUsageTmpl = `{{.HelpName}} - {{.Usage}}
    {{.UsageText}}
+USAGE:
+   {{.HelpName}} {{.ArgsUsage}}
+
 See '--help' and docs/cli for details.`
 
 	AuthNClusterTmpl = "CLUSTER ID\tALIAS\tURLs\n" +