diff --git a/render/src/pixelrag_render/render.py b/render/src/pixelrag_render/render.py
index 35a4753..4ac043b 100644
--- a/render/src/pixelrag_render/render.py
+++ b/render/src/pixelrag_render/render.py
@@ -193,8 +193,8 @@ def main() -> None:
         # Single URL, default CDP backend
         pixelshot https://example.com --output ./tiles
 
-        # Multiple inputs with 4 workers
-        pixelshot https://a.com https://b.com --output ./tiles --workers 4
+        # Multiple inputs
+        pixelshot https://a.com https://b.com --output ./tiles
 
         # PDF
         pixelshot report.pdf --output ./tiles
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ def main() -> None:
         # Local HTML
         pixelshot index.html --output ./tiles --backend playwright
 
-        # Pipe URLs from a file
-        cat urls.txt | xargs pixelshot --output ./tiles --workers 8
+        # URL file
+        pixelshot urls.txt --output ./tiles
 
         # Chrome management (folded from the former `pixelrag-chrome`)
         pixelshot install-chrome   # download the patched headless Chrome
@@ -294,18 +294,25 @@ def main() -> None:
     args = parser.parse_args()
     output_dir = Path(args.output)
 
-    # Partition inputs into URLs and files for batch processing
     urls = []
     files = []
     for inp in args.inputs:
-        if inp.startswith("http://") or inp.startswith("https://"):
+        if inp.lower().endswith(".txt"):
+            try:
+                with open(inp, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                    for line in f:
+                        url = line.strip()
+                        if url:
+                            urls.append(url)
+            except FileNotFoundError:
+                parser.error(f"URL file not found: {inp}")
+        elif inp.startswith("http://") or inp.startswith("https://"):
             urls.append(inp)
         else:
             files.append(Path(inp))
 
     results: list[Path] = []
 
-    # Batch-render URLs together for efficiency
     if urls:
         logger.info(
             "Rendering %d URL(s) with backend=%s workers=%d",
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 1c43df2..a3b7177 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
+import pytest
+
 # Console scripts live next to the interpreter running the tests (works whether
 # invoked via `uv run pytest` or `.venv/bin/python -m pytest`).
 _BIN = Path(sys.executable).parent
@@ -23,6 +25,57 @@ def test_pixelshot_help():
     assert "pixelshot" in r.stdout
 
 
+def test_pixelshot_txt_input_uses_batch_render(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
+    from pixelrag_render import render as render_mod
+
+    urls_file = tmp_path / "urls.txt"
+    urls_file.write_text(
+        "\n https://example.com/a \n\nhttps://example.com/b\nhttps://example.com/c\n"
+    )
+    calls = []
+
+    def fake_render_urls(urls, output_dir, **kwargs):
+        calls.append((list(urls), kwargs["workers"]))
+        return [Path(output_dir) / "a.png.tiles", Path(output_dir) / "c.png.tiles"]
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(render_mod, "render_urls", fake_render_urls)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        sys,
+        "argv",
+        ["pixelshot", str(urls_file), "-o", str(tmp_path / "out"), "-w", "8"],
+    )
+
+    render_mod.main()
+
+    assert calls == [
+        (
+            [
+                "https://example.com/a",
+                "https://example.com/b",
+                "https://example.com/c",
+            ],
+            8,
+        )
+    ]
+    stdout = capsys.readouterr().out
+    assert "a.png.tiles" in stdout
+    assert "b.png.tiles" not in stdout
+    assert "c.png.tiles" in stdout
+
+
+def test_pixelshot_missing_txt_input(monkeypatch, tmp_path, capsys):
+    from pixelrag_render import render as render_mod
+
+    missing = tmp_path / "missing.txt"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["pixelshot", str(missing)])
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        render_mod.main()
+
+    assert exc.value.code == 2
+    assert "URL file not found" in capsys.readouterr().err
+
+
 def test_pixelrag_umbrella_help():
     r = _run("pixelrag", "--help")
     assert r.returncode == 0