diff --git a/.changeset/next-steps-animation-order.md b/.changeset/next-steps-animation-order.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..18b05b09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/next-steps-animation-order.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"clerk": patch
+---
+
+Print the "Next steps" list before sweeping the highlight across its header, so the animation no longer leaves a lone "Next steps" line that looks hung while the steps are hidden.
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/deploy/index.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/deploy/index.ts
index e96719f3..73b5339e 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/deploy/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/deploy/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { Program } from "../../cli-program.ts";
 import { deployStatus } from "./status-command.ts";
 import { isAgent } from "../../mode.ts";
-import { isInsideGutter, log } from "../../lib/log.ts";
+import { applyPrefix, isInsideGutter, log } from "../../lib/log.ts";
 import { bold, dim } from "../../lib/color.ts";
 import { animateHeader } from "../../lib/gradient.ts";
 import { bar, intro, outro, pausedOutro, withSpinner } from "../../lib/spinner.ts";
@@ -633,8 +633,8 @@ async function finishDeploy(
     prefix: isInsideGutter() ? `${dim("│")}  ` : "",
     label: "Next steps",
     fallback: bold,
+    body: `${applyPrefix(nextStepsBody(ctx.appId, productionInstanceId))}\n`,
   });
-  log.info(nextStepsBody(ctx.appId, productionInstanceId));
   outro("Success");
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.test.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.test.ts
index 1f3653e2..338666e7 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.test.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,17 @@ describe("animateHeader (non-interactive)", () => {
     await animateHeader({ prefix: "│  ", label: "Next steps", fallback: bold });
     expect(captured.stderr[0]).toBe(`│  ${bold("Next steps")}\n`);
   });
+
+  test("prints the header and body together in one write", async () => {
+    await animateHeader({
+      prefix: "",
+      label: "Next steps",
+      fallback: bold,
+      body: "   → a\n   → b\n",
+    });
+    expect(captured.stderr).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(captured.stderr[0]).toBe(`${bold("Next steps")}\n   → a\n   → b\n`);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("animateHeader (interactive gating)", () => {
@@ -145,6 +156,25 @@ describe("animateHeader (interactive gating)", () => {
     expect(captured.err).toContain("\x1b[?25h");
   });
 
+  test("prints the body before sweeping the header so it never looks hung", async () => {
+    await animateHeader({
+      prefix: "",
+      label: "Hi",
+      fallback: bold,
+      body: "   → a\n   → b\n",
+      frames: 2,
+      intervalMs: 1,
+    });
+    const out = captured.err;
+    expect(out).toContain("→ a");
+    expect(out).toContain("→ b");
+    // The body is written before the first in-place header redraw (\r).
+    expect(out.indexOf("→ a")).toBeLessThan(out.indexOf("\r"));
+    // The cursor steps up to the header (1 + 2 body newlines) and back down.
+    expect(out).toContain("\x1b[3A");
+    expect(out).toContain("\x1b[3B");
+  });
+
   test("NO_COLOR disables the animation (plain fallback, no redraw)", async () => {
     process.env.NO_COLOR = "1";
     await run();
@@ -169,4 +199,25 @@ describe("animateHeader (interactive gating)", () => {
     await run();
     expect(captured.err).toContain("\r");
   });
+
+  test("falls back to a plain write when the block is taller than the terminal", async () => {
+    const savedRows = process.stderr.rows;
+    try {
+      Object.defineProperty(process.stderr, "rows", { value: 5, configurable: true });
+      await animateHeader({
+        prefix: "",
+        label: "Hi",
+        fallback: bold,
+        // 5 newlines → rowsBelow = 6, which exceeds rows = 5
+        body: "a\nb\nc\nd\ne\n",
+        frames: 2,
+        intervalMs: 1,
+      });
+      expect(captured.err).not.toContain("\r");
+      expect(captured.err).not.toContain("\x1b[?25l");
+      expect(captured.err).toContain("a");
+    } finally {
+      Object.defineProperty(process.stderr, "rows", { value: savedRows, configurable: true });
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.ts
index 0a88de49..439302a2 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/gradient.ts
@@ -114,29 +114,63 @@ interface AnimateHeaderOptions {
   prefix: string;
   label: string;
   fallback: (s: string) => string;
+  /**
+   * Text printed beneath the header (e.g. the next-steps list), including its
+   * own trailing newline(s). It is rendered up front so the whole block is on
+   * screen immediately; the highlight then sweeps across the header in place.
+   * Without it, only a lone header animates and looks hung until the caller
+   * prints the rest.
+   */
+  body?: string;
   frames?: number;
   intervalMs?: number;
   write?: (s: string) => void;
 }
 
 export async function animateHeader(options: AnimateHeaderOptions): Promise<void> {
-  const { prefix, label, fallback, frames = 18, intervalMs = 25, write = log.ui } = options;
+  const {
+    prefix,
+    label,
+    fallback,
+    body = "",
+    frames = 18,
+    intervalMs = 25,
+    write = log.ui,
+  } = options;
 
   if (!isInteractive() || colorDisabled()) {
-    write(`${prefix}${fallback(label)}\n`);
+    write(`${prefix}${fallback(label)}\n${body}`);
     return;
   }
 
   const truecolor = supportsTruecolor();
   const span = Math.max(1, frames - 1);
+  // Rows the cursor ends below the header after the block is printed: the
+  // header's own newline plus every newline inside the body.
+  const rowsBelow = 1 + (body.match(/\n/g)?.length ?? 0);
+
+  // The cursor-up escape only lands on the header when the block fits on screen
+  // without scrolling. Fall back to a plain write on short terminals where the
+  // scroll would push the header out of reach.
+  if (process.stderr.rows != null && rowsBelow >= process.stderr.rows) {
+    write(`${prefix}${fallback(label)}\n${body}`);
+    return;
+  }
+
   hideCursor();
   try {
+    // Print the whole block first so the body is visible immediately, then step
+    // back up to the header line and sweep the highlight across it. Only the
+    // header line is rewritten each frame, so the body stays put.
+    write(`${prefix}${shineText(label, { truecolor })}\n${body}`);
+    write(`\x1b[${rowsBelow}A`);
     for (let frame = 0; frame < frames; frame++) {
       const center = -0.3 + (frame / span) * 1.6;
       write(`\r\x1b[K${prefix}${shineText(label, { center, truecolor })}`);
       await sleep(intervalMs);
     }
-    write(`\r\x1b[K${prefix}${shineText(label, { truecolor })}\n`);
+    write(`\r\x1b[K${prefix}${shineText(label, { truecolor })}`);
+    write(`\x1b[${rowsBelow}B\r`);
   } finally {
     showCursor();
   }
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/log.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/log.ts
index c5ee367a..18e6a5c2 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/log.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/log.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export function isInsideGutter(): boolean {
   return prefixDepth > 0;
 }
 
-function applyPrefix(msg: string): string {
+export function applyPrefix(msg: string): string {
   if (prefixDepth === 0) return msg;
   const bar = dim(S_BAR);
   if (!msg) return bar;
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/spinner.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/spinner.ts
index 7457e3c0..b668c35c 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/lib/spinner.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/lib/spinner.ts
@@ -54,16 +54,14 @@ export async function outro(messageOrSteps?: string | readonly string[]) {
   popPrefix();
 
   if (Array.isArray(messageOrSteps)) {
+    const body = `${messageOrSteps.map((step) => `   ${cyan("→")} ${step}`).join("\n")}\n\n`;
     await animateHeader({
       prefix: `${dim(S_BAR_END)}  `,
       label: "Next steps",
       fallback: dim,
+      body,
       write: writeUi,
     });
-    for (const step of messageOrSteps) {
-      writeUi(`   ${cyan("→")} ${step}\n`);
-    }
-    writeUi("\n");
     return;
   }