diff --git a/src/components/CollectionImportButton.tsx b/src/components/CollectionImportButton.tsx
index 0b1e35a4a..063124d72 100644
--- a/src/components/CollectionImportButton.tsx
+++ b/src/components/CollectionImportButton.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ import * as React from "react";
 import { Panel } from "library-simplified-reusable-components";
 import { CollectionData, ProtocolData } from "../interfaces";
 
+const IMPORT_DEFAULT_LABEL_TEXT = "Queue Import";
+const IMPORT_FORCED_FULL_LABEL_TEXT = "Force full re-import";
+
 export interface CollectionImportButtonProps {
   collection: CollectionData;
   protocols: ProtocolData[];
@@ -48,7 +51,11 @@ const CollectionImportButton: React.FC<CollectionImportButtonProps> = ({
     try {
       await importCollection(collection.id, force);
       setImporting(false);
-      setFeedback("Import task queued.");
+      setFeedback(
+        force
+          ? "Full re-import task queued. All items will be re-processed — this may take longer than a regular import. Changes will appear in the catalog once processing completes."
+          : "Import task queued. New and updated items will appear in the catalog once processing completes."
+      );
       setSuccess(true);
     } catch (e) {
       const message =
@@ -67,16 +74,21 @@ const CollectionImportButton: React.FC<CollectionImportButtonProps> = ({
 
   const feedbackClass = success ? "alert alert-success" : "alert alert-danger";
 
+  const buttonLabel = getButtonLabel(force, importing);
+
+  const buttonClass = force
+    ? "btn btn-default collection-import-button force"
+    : "btn btn-default collection-import-button";
+
   const panelContent = (
     <div className="collection-import">
-      {feedback && <div className={feedbackClass}>{feedback}</div>}
       <div className="collection-import-controls">
         <button
-          className="btn btn-default"
+          className={buttonClass}
           disabled={disabled || importing}
           onClick={handleImport}
         >
-          {importing ? "Queuing..." : "Queue Import"}
+          {buttonLabel}
         </button>
         <label>
           <input
@@ -85,9 +97,38 @@ const CollectionImportButton: React.FC<CollectionImportButtonProps> = ({
             onChange={(e) => setForce(e.target.checked)}
             disabled={disabled || importing}
           />{" "}
-          Force full re-import
+          {IMPORT_FORCED_FULL_LABEL_TEXT}
         </label>
       </div>
+      {feedback && <div className={feedbackClass}>{feedback}</div>}
+      <p className="description">
+        {IMPORT_DEFAULT_LABEL_TEXT} picks up new and changed items. Check{" "}
+        <strong>{IMPORT_FORCED_FULL_LABEL_TEXT}</strong> to re-process
+        everything.
+      </p>
+      <details className="collection-import-details" key={collection?.id}>
+        <summary>More details</summary>
+        <dl className="collection-import-docs">
+          <dt>{IMPORT_DEFAULT_LABEL_TEXT}</dt>
+          <dd>
+            Schedules a background import job that checks for new or updated
+            items from the collection source and adds them to the catalog. Only
+            items that have changed since the last import are processed. Use
+            this when new titles have been added to a collection but do not yet
+            appear in the catalog, or when you want to pick up recent changes
+            from the source.
+          </dd>
+          <dt>{IMPORT_FORCED_FULL_LABEL_TEXT}</dt>
+          <dd>
+            When checked, the import job re-processes every item in the
+            collection, regardless of whether it appears to have changed since
+            the last import. Use this to correct metadata that is out of date,
+            or to resolve issues caused by a previously incomplete import. A
+            forced re-import will take longer than a regular import because it
+            re-processes all items.
+          </dd>
+        </dl>
+      </details>
     </div>
   );
 
@@ -96,4 +137,11 @@ const CollectionImportButton: React.FC<CollectionImportButtonProps> = ({
   );
 };
 
+function getButtonLabel(force: boolean, importing: boolean): string {
+  if (force) {
+    return importing ? "Queuing Full Re-import..." : "Queue Full Re-import";
+  }
+  return importing ? "Queuing..." : "Queue Import";
+}
+
 export default CollectionImportButton;
diff --git a/src/stylesheets/collection.scss b/src/stylesheets/collection.scss
index acf40db02..5199adae1 100644
--- a/src/stylesheets/collection.scss
+++ b/src/stylesheets/collection.scss
@@ -5,12 +5,66 @@
   }
 
   i {
-    color: #AAA;
+    color: $medium-dark-gray;
     cursor: pointer;
   }
 }
 
 .collection-import {
+  .collection-import-button.force {
+    background: darken($yellow, 8%);
+    border-color: darken($yellow, 20%);
+    color: $dark-gray;
+
+    &:hover,
+    &:focus-visible {
+      background: $yellow;
+      border-color: darken($yellow, 25%);
+      color: $dark-gray;
+    }
+  }
+
+  details.collection-import-details {
+    margin-bottom: 1em;
+
+    summary {
+      list-style: none;
+      color: $dark-gray;
+      cursor: pointer;
+      font-size: 0.8rem;
+      text-decoration: underline;
+
+      &::-webkit-details-marker {
+        display: none;
+      }
+
+      &:hover,
+      &:focus-visible {
+        color: $blue-dark;
+        text-decoration: underline;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  .collection-import-docs {
+    font-size: 0.8rem;
+    margin-bottom: 1em;
+
+    dt {
+      font-weight: bold;
+      margin-top: 0.75em;
+
+      &:first-child {
+        margin-top: 0;
+      }
+    }
+
+    dd {
+      margin-left: 0;
+      color: $dark-gray;
+    }
+  }
+
   .collection-import-controls {
     display: flex;
     align-items: center;
diff --git a/tests/jest/components/CollectionImportButton.test.tsx b/tests/jest/components/CollectionImportButton.test.tsx
index f08be022a..3321c6081 100644
--- a/tests/jest/components/CollectionImportButton.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/jest/components/CollectionImportButton.test.tsx
@@ -79,7 +79,56 @@ describe("CollectionImportButton", () => {
       screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Import" })
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByRole("checkbox")).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByText("Force full re-import")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByLabelText("Force full re-import")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("shows compact summary by default; detailed docs are hidden", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderButton();
+    await expandPanel(user);
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/queue import picks up new and changed items/i)
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/schedules a background import job/i)
+    ).not.toBeVisible();
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/the import job re-processes every item/i)
+    ).not.toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  it("clicking 'More details' reveals the detailed docs", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderButton();
+    await expandPanel(user);
+
+    const details = screen.getByText("More details").closest("details");
+    expect(details).not.toHaveAttribute("open");
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByText("More details"));
+
+    expect(details).toHaveAttribute("open");
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/schedules a background import job/i)
+    ).toBeVisible();
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/the import job re-processes every item/i)
+    ).toBeVisible();
+  });
+
+  it("clicking 'More details' again hides the detailed docs", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderButton();
+    await expandPanel(user);
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByText("More details"));
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/schedules a background import job/i)
+    ).toBeVisible();
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByText("More details"));
+    const details = screen.getByText("More details").closest("details");
+    expect(details).not.toHaveAttribute("open");
   });
 
   it("checkbox toggles force state", async () => {
@@ -94,6 +143,41 @@ describe("CollectionImportButton", () => {
     expect(checkbox).not.toBeChecked();
   });
 
+  it("button text changes to 'Queue Full Re-import' when force is checked", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderButton();
+    await expandPanel(user);
+
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Import" })
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("checkbox"));
+
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Full Re-import" })
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(
+      screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "Queue Import" })
+    ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("button uses force class when force is checked", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderButton();
+    await expandPanel(user);
+
+    const button = screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Import" });
+    expect(button).not.toHaveClass("force");
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("checkbox"));
+
+    const forceButton = screen.getByRole("button", {
+      name: "Queue Full Re-import",
+    });
+    expect(forceButton).toHaveClass("force");
+  });
+
   it("button triggers import with correct args (force=false)", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     const { importCollection } = renderButton();
@@ -109,18 +193,39 @@ describe("CollectionImportButton", () => {
     await expandPanel(user);
     const checkbox = screen.getByRole("checkbox");
     await user.click(checkbox);
-    const button = screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Import" });
+    const button = screen.getByRole("button", {
+      name: "Queue Full Re-import",
+    });
     await user.click(button);
     expect(importCollection).toHaveBeenCalledWith(42, true);
   });
 
-  it("shows success feedback with alert-success styling after import", async () => {
+  it("shows success feedback for regular import", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     renderButton();
     await expandPanel(user);
     await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Import" }));
     await waitFor(() => {
-      const feedback = screen.getByText("Import task queued.");
+      const feedback = screen.getByText(
+        /import task queued\. new and updated items will appear/i
+      );
+      expect(feedback).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(feedback).toHaveClass("alert", "alert-success");
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("shows success feedback for force re-import", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    renderButton();
+    await expandPanel(user);
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("checkbox"));
+    await user.click(
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Full Re-import" })
+    );
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      const feedback = screen.getByText(
+        /full re-import task queued\. all items will be re-processed/i
+      );
       expect(feedback).toBeInTheDocument();
       expect(feedback).toHaveClass("alert", "alert-success");
     });
@@ -150,9 +255,13 @@ describe("CollectionImportButton", () => {
     await user.click(checkbox);
     expect(checkbox).toBeChecked();
 
-    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Import" }));
+    await user.click(
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Full Re-import" })
+    );
     await waitFor(() => {
-      expect(screen.getByText("Import task queued.")).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(
+        screen.getByText(/full re-import task queued/i)
+      ).toBeInTheDocument();
     });
 
     const nextCollection: CollectionData = {
@@ -171,7 +280,9 @@ describe("CollectionImportButton", () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(screen.getByRole("checkbox")).not.toBeChecked();
-      expect(screen.queryByText("Import task queued.")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(
+        screen.queryByText(/full re-import task queued/i)
+      ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
     });
   });
 
@@ -204,4 +315,31 @@ describe("CollectionImportButton", () => {
       ).toBeEnabled();
     });
   });
+
+  it("shows 'Queuing Full Re-import...' while importing with force", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    let resolveImport: () => void;
+    const pendingImport = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      resolveImport = resolve;
+    });
+    const mockImport = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(pendingImport);
+    renderButton({ importCollection: mockImport });
+    await expandPanel(user);
+
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("checkbox"));
+    await user.click(
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Full Re-import" })
+    );
+
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queuing Full Re-import..." })
+    ).toBeDisabled();
+
+    resolveImport();
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(
+        screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Queue Full Re-import" })
+      ).toBeEnabled();
+    });
+  });
 });