diff --git a/doc/source/NewSiteConfigs.rst b/doc/source/NewSiteConfigs.rst
index 85fbfbe35..65b59b6b0 100644
--- a/doc/source/NewSiteConfigs.rst
+++ b/doc/source/NewSiteConfigs.rst
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ Remember to activate the ``lua`` module environment and have MacTeX in your sear
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
-   git clone -b <develop OR release/branch-name> --recurse-submodules https://github.com/jcsda/spack-stack.git
+   git clone [-b develop OR release/branch-name] --recurse-submodules https://github.com/jcsda/spack-stack.git
    cd spack-stack
 
    # Sources Spack from submodule and sets ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ It is recommended to increase the stacksize limit by using ``ulimit -S -s unlimi
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
-   git clone -b <develop OR release/branch-name> --recurse-submodules https://github.com/jcsda/spack-stack.git
+   git clone [-b develop OR release/branch-name] --recurse-submodules https://github.com/jcsda/spack-stack.git
    cd spack-stack
 
    # Sources Spack from submodule and sets ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ With all of that in mind, the following instructions were used on an Amazon Web
 
 .. code-block:: console
 
-   git clone -b <develop OR release/branch-name> --recurse-submodules https://github.com/jcsda/spack-stack.git
+   git clone [-b develop OR release/branch-name] --recurse-submodules https://github.com/jcsda/spack-stack.git
    cd spack-stack
 
    # Sources Spack from submodule and sets ${SPACK_STACK_DIR}