diff --git a/actions/setup/js/safe_outputs_tools.json b/actions/setup/js/safe_outputs_tools.json
index 8a9ddc54c41..e914f7052b5 100644
--- a/actions/setup/js/safe_outputs_tools.json
+++ b/actions/setup/js/safe_outputs_tools.json
@@ -855,13 +855,13 @@
   },
   {
     "name": "upload_artifact",
-    "description": "Upload files as a run-scoped GitHub Actions artifact. Files can be pre-staged in $RUNNER_TEMP/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/ or referenced by their original path — files not already in the staging directory are automatically copied there before upload. Absolute paths and paths relative to the workspace are supported. Returns a temporary artifact ID (aw_*) that can be resolved to a download URL by an authorised step. Retention and archive settings are fixed by workflow configuration. Exactly one of path or filters must be present.",
+    "description": "Upload files as a run-scoped GitHub Actions artifact. Files can be referenced by their original absolute path (auto-copied into the staging area under /tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/) or by a short relative filename if already staged. Use /tmp/gh-aw/... paths for staging-related references. Shell variable syntax (for example, \"$VAR/...\") must NOT appear in path values because variables are not expanded in JSON strings. Absolute paths and paths relative to the workspace are supported. Returns a temporary artifact ID (aw_*) that can be resolved to a download URL by an authorized step. Retention and archive settings are fixed by workflow configuration. Exactly one of path or filters must be present.",
     "inputSchema": {
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {
         "path": {
           "type": "string",
-          "description": "Path to the file or directory to upload. Can be relative to $RUNNER_TEMP/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/, an absolute path, or a path relative to the workspace. Files not already in the staging directory are automatically copied there. Required unless filters is provided."
+          "description": "Path to the file or directory to upload. Three formats are accepted: (1) filename only (e.g., \"chart.png\") for files already in the upload staging directory at /tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/; (2) absolute path (e.g., \"/tmp/gh-aw/charts/chart.png\") to auto-copy from disk into the staging directory; (3) workspace-relative path (e.g., \"reports/summary.json\") resolved from the workspace root. Do NOT use shell variable syntax like \"$VAR/...\" because shell variables are not expanded in JSON string values. Example: \"path\": \"activity_overview.png\" is correct for staged files, while \"path\": \"$VAR/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/activity_overview.png\" is invalid. Required unless filters is provided."
         },
         "filters": {
           "type": "object",
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/js/safe_outputs_tools.json b/pkg/workflow/js/safe_outputs_tools.json
index 0129b2bf7ae..02bb7c0b5a9 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/js/safe_outputs_tools.json
+++ b/pkg/workflow/js/safe_outputs_tools.json
@@ -1590,13 +1590,13 @@
     },
     {
         "name": "upload_artifact",
-        "description": "Upload files as a run-scoped GitHub Actions artifact. Files can be pre-staged in $RUNNER_TEMP/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/ or referenced by their original path — files not already in the staging directory are automatically copied there before upload. Absolute paths and paths relative to the workspace are supported. Returns a temporary artifact ID (aw_*) that can be resolved to a download URL by an authorised step. Retention and archive settings are fixed by workflow configuration. Exactly one of path or filters must be present.",
+        "description": "Upload files as a run-scoped GitHub Actions artifact. Files can be referenced by their original absolute path (auto-copied into the staging area under /tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/) or by a short relative filename if already staged. Use /tmp/gh-aw/... paths for staging-related references. Shell variable syntax (for example, \"$VAR/...\") must NOT appear in path values because variables are not expanded in JSON strings. Absolute paths and paths relative to the workspace are supported. Returns a temporary artifact ID (aw_*) that can be resolved to a download URL by an authorized step. Retention and archive settings are fixed by workflow configuration. Exactly one of path or filters must be present.",
         "inputSchema": {
             "type": "object",
             "properties": {
                 "path": {
                     "type": "string",
-                    "description": "Path to the file or directory to upload. Can be relative to $RUNNER_TEMP/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/, an absolute path, or a path relative to the workspace. Files not already in the staging directory are automatically copied there. Required unless filters is provided."
+                    "description": "Path to the file or directory to upload. Three formats are accepted: (1) filename only (e.g., \"chart.png\") for files already in the upload staging directory at /tmp/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/; (2) absolute path (e.g., \"/tmp/gh-aw/charts/chart.png\") to auto-copy from disk into the staging directory; (3) workspace-relative path (e.g., \"reports/summary.json\") resolved from the workspace root. Do NOT use shell variable syntax like \"$VAR/...\" because shell variables are not expanded in JSON string values. Example: \"path\": \"activity_overview.png\" is correct for staged files, while \"path\": \"$VAR/gh-aw/safeoutputs/upload-artifacts/activity_overview.png\" is invalid. Required unless filters is provided."
                 },
                 "filters": {
                     "type": "object",