diff --git a/changes/43857-improve-error-on-missing-gitops-name b/changes/43857-improve-error-on-missing-gitops-name
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3a064f2763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/43857-improve-error-on-missing-gitops-name
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Improved error when `name` key is omitted from a GitOps YAML file.
diff --git a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/gitops_test.go b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/gitops_test.go
index c3ae8e7c10..d04ef3b59d 100644
--- a/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/gitops_test.go
+++ b/cmd/fleetctl/fleetctl/gitops_test.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ org_settings:
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	_, err = RunAppNoChecks([]string{"gitops", "-f", badFile.Name()})
 	require.Error(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "'org_settings' is required")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "add `org_settings:` as a top-level key")
 
 	// DoGitOps error
 	t.Setenv("ORG_NAME", "")
diff --git a/pkg/spec/gitops.go b/pkg/spec/gitops.go
index 6f6a79c88c..3c4674461f 100644
--- a/pkg/spec/gitops.go
+++ b/pkg/spec/gitops.go
@@ -468,10 +468,10 @@ func GitOpsFromFile(filePath, baseDir string, appConfig *fleet.EnrichedAppConfig
 		// If the file is no-team.yml, the name must be "No team".
 		switch {
 		case filepath.Base(filePath) == "no-team.yml" && !result.IsNoTeam():
-			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, fmt.Errorf("file %q must have team name 'No Team'", filePath))
+			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, errors.New("`name` must be `No Team` for `no-team.yml`"))
 			return result, multiError.ErrorOrNil()
 		case filepath.Base(filePath) == "unassigned.yml" && !result.IsUnassignedTeam():
-			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, fmt.Errorf("file %q must have team name 'Unassigned'", filePath))
+			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, errors.New("`name` must be `Unassigned` for `unassigned.yml`"))
 			return result, multiError.ErrorOrNil()
 		case result.IsNoTeam() && filepath.Base(filePath) != "no-team.yml":
 			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, fmt.Errorf("file `%s` for No Team must be named `no-team.yml`", filePath))
@@ -496,7 +496,14 @@ func GitOpsFromFile(filePath, baseDir string, appConfig *fleet.EnrichedAppConfig
 			multiError = parseTeamSettings(settingsRaw, result, baseDir, filePath, multiError)
 		}
 	default:
-		multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, errors.New("if `name` is not provided, 'org_settings' is required"))
+		switch filepath.Base(filePath) {
+		case "no-team.yml":
+			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, errors.New("`name` must be `No Team` for `no-team.yml`"))
+		case "unassigned.yml":
+			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, errors.New("`name` must be `Unassigned` for `unassigned.yml`"))
+		default:
+			multiError = multierror.Append(multiError, fmt.Errorf("No `name` was provided in %s. If this file is intended to define org-level settings, add `org_settings:` as a top-level key. Otherwise, use `name` to specify the fleet name.", filePath))
+		}
 	}
 
 	for _, topKey := range topKeys {
diff --git a/pkg/spec/gitops_test.go b/pkg/spec/gitops_test.go
index 4052d72262..5970d85344 100644
--- a/pkg/spec/gitops_test.go
+++ b/pkg/spec/gitops_test.go
@@ -728,6 +728,38 @@ func TestWhitespaceOnlyTeamName(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "team 'name' is required")
 }
 
+func TestMissingNameErrorMessages(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	// Empty default.yml should report the generic missing-name guidance.
+	defaultPath, defaultBase := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "default.yml", "")
+	_, err := GitOpsFromFile(defaultPath, defaultBase, nil, nopLogf)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "No `name` was provided")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "add `org_settings:` as a top-level key.")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "Otherwise, use `name` to specify the fleet name.")
+
+	// Empty no-team.yml should report the No Team name requirement.
+	noTeamPath, noTeamBase := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "no-team.yml", "")
+	_, err = GitOpsFromFile(noTeamPath, noTeamBase, nil, nopLogf)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "`name` must be `No Team` for `no-team.yml`")
+
+	// Empty unassigned.yml should report the Unassigned name requirement.
+	unassignedPath, unassignedBase := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "unassigned.yml", "")
+	_, err = GitOpsFromFile(unassignedPath, unassignedBase, nil, nopLogf)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "`name` must be `Unassigned` for `unassigned.yml`")
+
+	// Any other team file missing `name` should report the generic requirement.
+	teamPath, teamBase := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "workstations.yml", "")
+	_, err = GitOpsFromFile(teamPath, teamBase, nil, nopLogf)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "No `name` was provided")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "add `org_settings:` as a top-level key.")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "Otherwise, use `name` to specify the fleet name.")
+}
+
 func TestPaddedTeamNameIsTrimmed(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	config := getTeamConfig([]string{"name"})
@@ -932,28 +964,28 @@ func TestInvalidGitOpsYaml(t *testing.T) {
 					config += "name: SomeOtherTeam\nsettings:\n  secrets:\n"
 					noTeamPath7, noTeamBasePath7 := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "no-team.yml", config)
 					_, err = GitOpsFromFile(noTeamPath7, noTeamBasePath7, nil, nopLogf)
-					assert.ErrorContains(t, err, fmt.Sprintf("file %q must have team name 'No Team'", noTeamPath7))
+					require.ErrorContains(t, err, "`name` must be `No Team` for `no-team.yml`")
 
 					// unassigned.yml with a non-"Unassigned" name should fail.
 					config = getConfig([]string{"name", "settings"})
 					config += "name: SomeOtherTeam\nsettings:\n  secrets:\n"
 					unassignedPathBadName, unassignedBasePathBadName := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "unassigned.yml", config)
 					_, err = GitOpsFromFile(unassignedPathBadName, unassignedBasePathBadName, nil, nopLogf)
-					assert.ErrorContains(t, err, fmt.Sprintf("file %q must have team name 'Unassigned'", unassignedPathBadName))
+					require.ErrorContains(t, err, "`name` must be `Unassigned` for `unassigned.yml`")
 
 					// no-team.yml with "Unassigned" name should fail (wrong name for this file).
 					config = getConfig([]string{"name", "settings"})
 					config += "name: Unassigned\n"
 					noTeamPath8, noTeamBasePath8 := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "no-team.yml", config)
 					_, err = GitOpsFromFile(noTeamPath8, noTeamBasePath8, nil, nopLogf)
-					assert.ErrorContains(t, err, fmt.Sprintf("file %q must have team name 'No Team'", noTeamPath8))
+					require.ErrorContains(t, err, "`name` must be `No Team` for `no-team.yml`")
 
 					// unassigned.yml with "No team" name should fail (wrong name for this file).
 					config = getConfig([]string{"name", "settings"})
 					config += "name: No team\n"
 					unassignedPathNoTeam, unassignedBasePathNoTeam := createNamedFileOnTempDir(t, "unassigned.yml", config)
 					_, err = GitOpsFromFile(unassignedPathNoTeam, unassignedBasePathNoTeam, nil, nopLogf)
-					assert.ErrorContains(t, err, fmt.Sprintf("file %q must have team name 'Unassigned'", unassignedPathNoTeam))
+					require.ErrorContains(t, err, "`name` must be `Unassigned` for `unassigned.yml`")
 
 					// 'Unassigned' team in unassigned.yml should work and coerce to "No team" internally.
 					config = getConfig([]string{"name", "settings"})
@@ -1221,7 +1253,7 @@ func TestTopLevelGitOpsValidation(t *testing.T) {
 				if test.shouldPass {
 					assert.NoError(t, err)
 				} else {
-					assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "is required")
+					assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "add `org_settings:` as a top-level key")
 				}
 			},
 		)