diff --git a/charmcraft/cmdbase.py b/charmcraft/cmdbase.py
index 6106a7f..8009afc 100644
--- a/charmcraft/cmdbase.py
+++ b/charmcraft/cmdbase.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import json
 import craft_cli
 
 JSON_FORMAT = "json"
+FORMAT_HELP_STR = "Produce the result in the specified format (currently only 'json')"
 
 
 class BaseCommand(craft_cli.BaseCommand):
@@ -50,5 +51,5 @@ class BaseCommand(craft_cli.BaseCommand):
         parser.add_argument(
             "--format",
             choices=[JSON_FORMAT],
-            help="Produce the result formatted as a JSON string",
+            help=FORMAT_HELP_STR,
         )

diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index 48202da..feb1304 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ from craft_cli import (
 from craft_store.errors import CraftStoreError
 
 from charmcraft import __version__, env, utils
-from charmcraft.cmdbase import BaseCommand, JSON_FORMAT
+from charmcraft.cmdbase import BaseCommand, JSON_FORMAT, FORMAT_HELP_STR
 from charmcraft.commands.store.client import ALTERNATE_AUTH_ENV_VAR
 from charmcraft.main import COMMAND_GROUPS, main, _get_system_details
 
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ def test_basecommand_include_format_option(config):
     assert action.dest == "format"
     assert action.default is None
     assert action.choices == [JSON_FORMAT]
-    assert action.help == "Produce the result formatted as a JSON string"
+    assert action.help == FORMAT_HELP_STR
 
 
 def test_basecommand_format_content_json(config):

Clarify `charmcraft status --help` text for `--format`
#784 implements structured output of `charmcraft status`, but the help text on it is a bit misleading:
```
base ❯ time charmcraft status --help                               
Usage:
    charmcraft status [options] <name>

...

Options:
...
             --format:  Produce the result formatted as a JSON string
```

The above makes it seem like `charmcraft status charmname --format` will export in JSON, but really it wants `--format json`.  Easy to fix by changing the option string to say it needs an extra arg, one of `json` or whatever else is available.
tests/test_main.py::test_main_ok tests/test_main.py::test_main_managed_instance_init tests/test_main.py::test_main_managed_instance_error[side_effect0] tests/test_main.py::test_main_managed_instance_error[side_effect1] tests/test_main.py::test_main_managed_instance_error[side_effect2] tests/test_main.py::test_main_managed_instance_error[side_effect3] tests/test_main.py::test_main_load_config_ok tests/test_main.py::test_main_load_config_not_present_ok tests/test_main.py::test_main_load_config_not_present_but_needed tests/test_main.py::test_main_no_args tests/test_main.py::test_main_controlled_error tests/test_main.py::test_main_controlled_return_code tests/test_main.py::test_main_crash tests/test_main.py::test_main_interrupted tests/test_main.py::test_main_controlled_arguments_error tests/test_main.py::test_main_providing_help tests/test_main.py::test_main_logs_system_details tests/test_main.py::test_systemdetails_basic tests/test_main.py::test_systemdetails_extra_environment tests/test_main.py::test_systemdetails_charmcraft_environment tests/test_main.py::test_systemdetails_hidden_auth tests/test_main.py::test_commands[AnalyzeCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[CleanCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[PackCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[InitCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[VersionCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[LoginCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[LogoutCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[WhoamiCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[RegisterCharmNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[RegisterBundleNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[ListNamesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[UploadCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[ListRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[ReleaseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[StatusCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[CloseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[CreateLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[PublishLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[ListLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[FetchLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[ListResourcesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[UploadResourceCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_commands[ListResourceRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[AnalyzeCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[CleanCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[PackCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[InitCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[VersionCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[LoginCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[LogoutCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[WhoamiCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[RegisterCharmNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[RegisterBundleNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[ListNamesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[UploadCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[ListRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[ReleaseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[StatusCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[CloseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[CreateLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[PublishLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[ListLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[FetchLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[ListResourcesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[UploadResourceCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_help_msg[ListResourceRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[AnalyzeCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[CleanCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[PackCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[InitCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[VersionCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[LoginCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[LogoutCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[WhoamiCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[RegisterCharmNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[RegisterBundleNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[ListNamesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[UploadCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[ListRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[ReleaseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[StatusCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[CloseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[CreateLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[PublishLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[ListLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[FetchLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[ListResourcesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[UploadResourceCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_aesthetic_args_options_msg[ListResourceRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[AnalyzeCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[CleanCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[PackCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[InitCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[VersionCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[LoginCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[LogoutCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[WhoamiCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[RegisterCharmNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[RegisterBundleNameCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[ListNamesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[UploadCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[ListRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[ReleaseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[StatusCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[CloseCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[CreateLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[PublishLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[ListLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[FetchLibCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[ListResourcesCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[UploadResourceCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_usage_of_parsed_args[ListResourceRevisionsCommand] tests/test_main.py::test_basecommand_needs_config_default tests/test_main.py::test_basecommand_include_format_option tests/test_main.py::test_basecommand_format_content_json tests/test_main.py::test_basecommand_format_content_unkown