diff --git a/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.1 b/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.1
index f4398bb2..76e19da7 100644
--- a/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.1
+++ b/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.1
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 .\" Automatically generated by Pandoc 3.2
 .\"
-.TH "download" "1" "November 2025" "Version 0.1.0" "Sample application"
+.TH "download" "1" "December 2025" "Version 0.1.0" "Sample application"
 .SH NAME
 \f[B]download\f[R] \- Sample application
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.md b/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.md
index d1dfb470..552fac15 100644
--- a/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.md
+++ b/examples/render-mandoc/docs/download.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 % download(1) Version 0.1.0 | Sample application
 % Lana Lang
-% November 2025
+% December 2025
 
 NAME
 ==================================================
diff --git a/lib/bashly/concerns/renderable.rb b/lib/bashly/concerns/renderable.rb
index 56ae490b..ebbc5750 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/concerns/renderable.rb
+++ b/lib/bashly/concerns/renderable.rb
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ def user_file_exist?(file)
       File.exist? user_file_path(file)
     end
 
+    # Returns a wrapped, indented and sanitized string
+    # Designed to place help and example messages inside bash's 'printf'
+    def user_string(text, indent: 0)
+      wrap = Settings.word_wrap - indent
+      text.wrap(wrap).indent(indent).sanitize_for_print
+    end
+
   private
 
     def view_path(view)
diff --git a/lib/bashly/extensions/string.rb b/lib/bashly/extensions/string.rb
index 7c7c20f2..ea066729 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/extensions/string.rb
+++ b/lib/bashly/extensions/string.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def to_path
     tr(' ', '/').downcase
   end
 
-  def wrap(length = 80)
+  def wrap(length)
     strip!
     split("\n").collect! do |line|
       if line.length > length
diff --git a/lib/bashly/libraries/settings/settings.yml b/lib/bashly/libraries/settings/settings.yml
index 5f05de2b..92af221b 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/libraries/settings/settings.yml
+++ b/lib/bashly/libraries/settings/settings.yml
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ strict: false
 # (every 2 leading spaces will be converted to a tab character)
 tab_indent: false
 
+# Set the character width used to wrap help and example messages
+word_wrap: 80
+
 # Choose a post-processor for the generated script:
 # formatter: internal     # Use Bashly’s built-in formatter (removes extra newlines)
 # formatter: external     # Run the external command `shfmt --case-indent --indent 2`
diff --git a/lib/bashly/settings.rb b/lib/bashly/settings.rb
index c07d0014..6bb0b354 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/settings.rb
+++ b/lib/bashly/settings.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ class << self
         :tab_indent,
         :target_dir,
         :usage_colors,
-        :var_aliases
+        :var_aliases,
+        :word_wrap
       )
 
       def commands_dir
@@ -173,6 +174,10 @@ def var_aliases
         @var_aliases ||= get :var_aliases
       end
 
+      def word_wrap
+        @word_wrap ||= get :word_wrap
+      end
+
     private
 
       def get(key)
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/argument/usage.gtx b/lib/bashly/views/argument/usage.gtx
index 1b8d992c..2c2d46b8 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/argument/usage.gtx
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/argument/usage.gtx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 = view_marker
 
 > printf "  %s\n" "{{ label.color(:arg) }}"
-> printf "{{ help.wrap(76).indent(4).sanitize_for_print }}\n"
+> printf "{{ user_string help, indent: 4 }}\n"
 
 if allowed
   > printf "    %s\n" "{{ strings[:allowed] % { values: allowed.join(', ') } }}"
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/command/examples_on_error.gtx b/lib/bashly/views/command/examples_on_error.gtx
index 66999f50..222a83d0 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/command/examples_on_error.gtx
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/command/examples_on_error.gtx
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@ if Settings.show_examples_on_error && examples
 
   > printf "{{ strings[:examples_caption_on_error] }}\n" >&2
   examples.each do |example|
-    > printf "{{ example.wrap(78).indent(2).sanitize_for_print }}\n" >&2
+    > printf "{{ user_string example, indent: 2 }}\n" >&2
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/command/usage.gtx b/lib/bashly/views/command/usage.gtx
index b87e9510..57db51a6 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/command/usage.gtx
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/command/usage.gtx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ else
     = help_header_override.indent 4
   else
     >     printf "{{ full_name }}\n\n"
-    >     printf "{{ help.wrap(78).indent(2).sanitize_for_print }}\n\n"
+    >     printf "{{ user_string help, indent: 2 }}\n\n"
   end
   >   else
   >     printf "{{ caption_string.sanitize_for_print }}\n\n"
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_args.gtx b/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_args.gtx
index 60f5b498..6927450f 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_args.gtx
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_args.gtx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ end
 if catch_all.help
   >
   > echo "  {{ catch_all.label }}"
-  > printf "{{ catch_all.help.wrap(76).indent(4).sanitize_for_print }}\n"
+  > printf "{{ user_string catch_all.help, indent: 4 }}\n"
   > echo
 end
 
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_examples.gtx b/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_examples.gtx
index 9a15953a..e0b93223 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_examples.gtx
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/command/usage_examples.gtx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 > printf "%s\n" "{{ strings[:examples].color(:caption) }}"
 
 examples.each do |example|
-  > printf "{{ example.wrap(78).indent(2).sanitize_for_print }}\n"
+  > printf "{{ user_string example, indent: 2 }}\n"
 end
 
 > echo
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/environment_variable/usage.gtx b/lib/bashly/views/environment_variable/usage.gtx
index 3e92f893..57573af2 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/environment_variable/usage.gtx
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/environment_variable/usage.gtx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 = view_marker
 
 > printf "  %s\n" "{{ usage_string(extended: true).color(:environment_variable) }}"
-> printf "{{ help.wrap(76).indent(4).sanitize_for_print }}\n"
+> printf "{{ user_string help, indent: 4 }}\n"
 
 if allowed
   > printf "    %s\n" "{{ strings[:allowed] % { values: allowed.join(', ') } }}"
diff --git a/lib/bashly/views/flag/usage.gtx b/lib/bashly/views/flag/usage.gtx
index 25d684c8..a13ce1de 100644
--- a/lib/bashly/views/flag/usage.gtx
+++ b/lib/bashly/views/flag/usage.gtx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 = view_marker
 
 > printf "  %s\n" "{{ usage_string(extended: true).color(:flag) }}"
-> printf "{{ help.wrap(76).indent(4).sanitize_for_print }}\n"
+> printf "{{ user_string help, indent: 4 }}\n"
 
 if allowed
   > printf "    %s\n" "{{ strings[:allowed] % { values: allowed.join(', ') } }}"
diff --git a/schemas/settings.json b/schemas/settings.json
index 057bab36..1dfc8f55 100644
--- a/schemas/settings.json
+++ b/schemas/settings.json
@@ -132,6 +132,12 @@
       "type": "boolean",
       "default": false
     },
+    "word_wrap": {
+      "title": "word wrap",
+      "description": "Configure the character width used to wrap help and example messages\nhttps://bashly.dev/usage/settings/#word_wrap",
+      "type": "integer",
+      "default": 80
+    },
     "compact_short_flags": {
       "title": "compact short flags",
       "description": "Whether to expand -abc to -a -b -c in the input line\nhttps://bashly.dev/usage/settings/#compact_short_flags",
diff --git a/support/schema/settings.yml b/support/schema/settings.yml
index d8ef047c..c1845a7e 100644
--- a/support/schema/settings.yml
+++ b/support/schema/settings.yml
@@ -111,6 +111,13 @@ properties:
       https://bashly.dev/usage/settings/#tab_indent
     type: boolean
     default: false
+  word_wrap:
+    title: word wrap
+    description: |-
+      Configure the character width used to wrap help and example messages
+      https://bashly.dev/usage/settings/#word_wrap
+    type: integer
+    default: 80
   compact_short_flags:
     title: compact short flags
     description: |-