diff --git a/.Rbuildignore b/.Rbuildignore
index de74a95..08013a6 100644
--- a/.Rbuildignore
+++ b/.Rbuildignore
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@
 ^\.claude$
 ^\.playwright-mcp$
 ^civilytics-site\.png$
+^Rplots\.pdf$
diff --git a/R/logo.R b/R/logo.R
index c3a6d55..c531204 100644
--- a/R/logo.R
+++ b/R/logo.R
@@ -205,18 +205,18 @@ make_logo_grob <- function(type = c("wordmark", "mark"),
 #' Add a Civilytics logo to a ggplot (pipe-friendly)
 #'
 #' A convenience wrapper that creates the logo grob and attaches it below the
-#' plot in one call. Designed for use with the base pipe `|>`:
+#' plot in one call. Designed for use with the base pipe `|>`.
+#'
+#' **Important:** R's `|>` has *higher* precedence than `+`, so you must
+#' wrap the ggplot chain in parentheses before piping:
 #'
 #' ```
-#' ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
+#' (ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
 #'   geom_point() +
-#'   theme_civilytics() |>
+#'   theme_civilytics()) |>
 #'   civilytics_logo()
 #' ```
 #'
-#' Since `|>` has lower precedence than `+`, the entire ggplot chain is piped
-#' as the first argument — no parentheses needed.
-#'
 #' @param plot A ggplot object.
 #' @param type Character. `"wordmark"` (default) or `"mark"`. Passed to
 #'   [make_logo_grob()].
@@ -233,17 +233,17 @@ make_logo_grob <- function(type = c("wordmark", "mark"),
 #' \dontrun{
 #' library(ggplot2); library(grid)
 #'
-#' # Pipe-friendly usage
-#' ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
+#' # Pipe usage — parentheses required around the ggplot chain
+#' (ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
 #'   geom_point() +
-#'   theme_civilytics() |>
+#'   theme_civilytics()) |>
 #'   civilytics_logo() |>
 #'   grid.draw()
 #'
 #' # Dark theme with mark
-#' ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
+#' (ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
 #'   geom_point() +
-#'   theme_civilytics_dark() |>
+#'   theme_civilytics_dark()) |>
 #'   civilytics_logo(variant = "dark", type = "mark") |>
 #'   grid.draw()
 #' }
diff --git a/man/civilytics_logo.Rd b/man/civilytics_logo.Rd
index 26699a8..5ade49a 100644
--- a/man/civilytics_logo.Rd
+++ b/man/civilytics_logo.Rd
@@ -29,34 +29,34 @@ A grob (from [gridExtra::arrangeGrob()]) ready to draw with
 }
 \description{
 A convenience wrapper that creates the logo grob and attaches it below the
-plot in one call. Designed for use with the base pipe `|>`:
+plot in one call. Designed for use with the base pipe `|>`.
 }
 \details{
+**Important:** R's `|>` has *higher* precedence than `+`, so you must
+wrap the ggplot chain in parentheses before piping:
+
 ```
-ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
+(ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
   geom_point() +
-  theme_civilytics() |>
+  theme_civilytics()) |>
   civilytics_logo()
 ```
-
-Since `|>` has lower precedence than `+`, the entire ggplot chain is piped
-as the first argument — no parentheses needed.
 }
 \examples{
 \dontrun{
 library(ggplot2); library(grid)
 
-# Pipe-friendly usage
-ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
+# Pipe usage — parentheses required around the ggplot chain
+(ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
   geom_point() +
-  theme_civilytics() |>
+  theme_civilytics()) |>
   civilytics_logo() |>
   grid.draw()
 
 # Dark theme with mark
-ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
+(ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) +
   geom_point() +
-  theme_civilytics_dark() |>
+  theme_civilytics_dark()) |>
   civilytics_logo(variant = "dark", type = "mark") |>
   grid.draw()
 }
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test_theme.R b/tests/testthat/test_theme.R
index 21de497..e7beae7 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test_theme.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test_theme.R
@@ -190,8 +190,11 @@ test_that("civilytics_logo returns a grob", {
 })
 
 test_that("civilytics_logo works with pipe operator", {
-  p <- ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) + geom_point() + theme_civilytics()
-  result <- suppressWarnings(p |> civilytics_logo())
+  # |> has higher precedence than +, so parens are required
+  result <- suppressWarnings(
+    (ggplot(mpg, aes(displ, hwy)) + geom_point() + theme_civilytics()) |>
+      civilytics_logo()
+  )
   expect_s3_class(result, "grob")
 })