diff --git a/R/progress-client.R b/R/progress-client.R
index 93612451..edae4463 100644
--- a/R/progress-client.R
+++ b/R/progress-client.R
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@
 #' like the elapsed time, of the ETA manually. You can also use your own
 #' variables in the calling function:
 #'
+#' To leave a completion or failure message on screen after the progress bar
+#' finishes, set `clear = FALSE` and customize `format_done` and
+#' `format_failed`. The `pb_elapsed` variable is often useful for reporting the
+#' total runtime.
+#'
 #' ```{asciicast progress-format}
 #' #| asciicast_at = "all",
 #' #| asciicast_knitr_output = "svg",
@@ -230,6 +235,9 @@
 #'       "{col_green(symbol$tick)} Downloaded {pb_total} files ",
 #'       "in {pb_elapsed}."
 #'     ),
+#'     format_failed = paste0(
+#'       "{col_red(symbol$cross)} Download failed after {pb_elapsed}."
+#'     ),
 #'     clear = FALSE,
 #'     total = length(urls)
 #'   )
diff --git a/man/cli_progress_bar.Rd b/man/cli_progress_bar.Rd
index fcdd96ae..b28bfb92 100644
--- a/man/cli_progress_bar.Rd
+++ b/man/cli_progress_bar.Rd
@@ -337,6 +337,11 @@ are probably useful to avoid calculating some progress bar quantities
 like the elapsed time, of the ETA manually. You can also use your own
 variables in the calling function:
 
+To leave a completion or failure message on screen after the progress bar
+finishes, set \code{clear = FALSE} and customize \code{format_done} and
+\code{format_failed}. The \code{pb_elapsed} variable is often useful for reporting the
+total runtime.
+
 \if{html}{\out{<div class="sourceCode r">}}\preformatted{fun <- function(urls) \{
   cli_progress_bar(
     format = paste0(
@@ -347,6 +352,9 @@ variables in the calling function:
       "\{col_green(symbol$tick)\} Downloaded \{pb_total\} files ",
       "in \{pb_elapsed\}."
     ),
+    format_failed = paste0(
+      "\{col_red(symbol$cross)\} Download failed after \{pb_elapsed\}."
+    ),
     clear = FALSE,
     total = length(urls)
   )