diff --git a/crates/CLAUDE.md b/crates/CLAUDE.md
index 096de515..9afd8d3c 100644
--- a/crates/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/crates/CLAUDE.md
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ fbuild-test-support (test utilities) ──────────────
 
 ## Crate Responsibilities
 
-- **fbuild-core** — `FbuildError`/`Result`, `BuildProfile`, `Platform`, `SizeInfo`, `DaemonState`
+- **fbuild-core** — `FbuildError`/`Result`, `BuildProfile`, `Platform`, `SizeInfo`, `DaemonState`. Also ships the `dump_usb_ids` example (`examples/dump_usb_ids.rs`) — **tier-1 source** for the nightly `online-data` USB-VID merge (FastLED/fbuild#720). Do not delete; the `usb-ids` workspace dep exists *only* for that example, so removing it drops the aggregator from 4 → 3 independent sources.
 - **fbuild-config** — `PlatformIOConfig` (INI parser with `extends` inheritance), `BoardConfig`, `McuSpec`
 - **fbuild-paths** — Dev/prod path isolation (`~/.fbuild/{dev|prod}/`), port mapping (8765/8865), cache dirs
 - **fbuild-packages** — URL-based package downloads, toolchain resolution, library manager, parallel pipeline
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-core/examples/dump_usb_ids.rs b/crates/fbuild-core/examples/dump_usb_ids.rs
index 76c54596..b8736183 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-core/examples/dump_usb_ids.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-core/examples/dump_usb_ids.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,26 @@
 //! Dump the bundled `usb-ids` database as a JSON object to stdout.
 //!
+//! # DO NOT REMOVE — anti-removal policy (FastLED/fbuild#720)
+//!
+//! This example is **tier-1** of the USB-VID name merge. It is invoked
+//! by the `Update data` workflow (`.github/workflows/update-data.yml`)
+//! to export the bundled [`usb-ids`](https://crates.io/crates/usb-ids)
+//! crate snapshot as JSON; `tools/merge_sources.py` then unions that
+//! with the linux-usb.org mirror, the usbids GitHub mirror, and the
+//! curated `vendor_names_inlined.py` overlay to produce the published
+//! `online-data/data/usb-vid.json`.
+//!
+//! The fbuild **runtime** USB resolver (`fbuild-core::usb::resolver`)
+//! does not depend on this example — it uses the compile-time-embedded
+//! `usb-vendors.tar.zst` (`fbuild-core::usb::embedded`). The `usb-ids`
+//! workspace dependency is now pulled in *only* by this example, so
+//! removing the example would also remove the dependency, dropping the
+//! aggregator from 4 → 3 independent sources of truth. Decoupling
+//! recorded in #719; anti-removal policy in #720.
+//!
+//! If your LLM-driven cleanup pass flagged this file as "dead code,"
+//! it is not — please read FastLED/fbuild#720 before deleting.
+//!
 //! Used by the `online-data` branch's nightly workflow (see
 //! `.github/workflows/update-data.yml`) as one of the input sources
 //! for the merged `usb-vid.json`. Running this example via