diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 488c8e7..842c69f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Changed
 
+- Changed `style` parameter on `indented_text()` and `RemediationReporter.to_text()` from `str` to `Literal["without_comments", "merged", "with_comments"]` via new `TextStyle` type alias (#189).
 - Renamed `load_hconfig_v2_options` to `load_driver_rules` (#221).
 - Renamed `load_hconfig_v2_tags` to `load_tag_rules` (#221).
 - Renamed `tags_add()`/`tags_remove()` to `add_tags()`/`remove_tags()` (#216).
diff --git a/hier_config/__init__.py b/hier_config/__init__.py
index c56ec3e..ec8d8e1 100644
--- a/hier_config/__init__.py
+++ b/hier_config/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     IncompatibleDriverError,
     InvalidConfigError,
 )
-from .models import ChangeDetail, MatchRule, Platform, ReportSummary, TagRule
+from .models import ChangeDetail, MatchRule, Platform, ReportSummary, TagRule, TextStyle
 from .reporting import RemediationReporter
 from .root import HConfig
 from .workflows import WorkflowRemediation
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     "RemediationReporter",
     "ReportSummary",
     "TagRule",
+    "TextStyle",
     "WorkflowRemediation",
     "get_hconfig",
     "get_hconfig_driver",
diff --git a/hier_config/child.py b/hier_config/child.py
index fada308..513bd6a 100644
--- a/hier_config/child.py
+++ b/hier_config/child.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 from .base import HConfigBase
-from .models import Instance, MatchRule, SetLikeOfStr
+from .models import Instance, MatchRule, SetLikeOfStr, TextStyle
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Iterable, Iterator
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def path(self) -> Iterator[str]:
 
     def indented_text(
         self,
-        style: str = "without_comments",
+        style: TextStyle = "without_comments",
         tag: str | None = None,
     ) -> str:
         """Return an indented text line i.e. indentation_level + text ! comments."""
diff --git a/hier_config/models.py b/hier_config/models.py
index c69f08a..cb5da59 100644
--- a/hier_config/models.py
+++ b/hier_config/models.py
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 from enum import Enum, auto
+from typing import Literal
 
 from pydantic import BaseModel as PydanticBaseModel
 from pydantic import ConfigDict, NonNegativeInt, PositiveInt
 
+TextStyle = Literal["without_comments", "merged", "with_comments"]
+
 
 class BaseModel(PydanticBaseModel):
     """Pydantic.BaseModel with a safe config applied."""
diff --git a/hier_config/reporting.py b/hier_config/reporting.py
index 8b55b51..b9949a0 100644
--- a/hier_config/reporting.py
+++ b/hier_config/reporting.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from typing import Any
 
 from hier_config.child import HConfigChild
-from hier_config.models import ChangeDetail, ReportSummary, TagRule
+from hier_config.models import ChangeDetail, ReportSummary, TagRule, TextStyle
 from hier_config.root import HConfig
 
 
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ def to_text(
         self,
         file_path: str | Path,
         *,
-        style: str = "merged",
+        style: TextStyle = "merged",
         include_tags: Iterable[str] = (),
         exclude_tags: Iterable[str] = (),
     ) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_child.py b/tests/unit/test_child.py
index 711f9ae..cbc314c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_child.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_child.py
@@ -1255,3 +1255,29 @@ def test_child_dict_key_lookup_with_order_weight() -> None:
     lookup: dict[HConfigChild, str] = {child1: "found"}
     # child2 is equal to child1, so it must find the same dict entry
     assert lookup[child2] == "found"
+
+
+def test_indented_text_style_literal_values() -> None:
+    """Test that indented_text accepts each valid TextStyle literal value."""
+    platform = Platform.CISCO_IOS
+    config = get_hconfig(platform)
+    child = config.add_child("interface GigabitEthernet0/0")
+    child.comments.add("a comment")
+
+    # without_comments: should NOT include the comment
+    result_without = child.indented_text(style="without_comments")
+    assert "interface GigabitEthernet0/0" in result_without
+    assert "!" not in result_without
+
+    # with_comments: should include the comment
+    result_with = child.indented_text(style="with_comments")
+    assert "interface GigabitEthernet0/0" in result_with
+    assert "!a comment" in result_with
+
+    # merged: should include instance count info
+    instance = Instance(
+        id=1, comments=frozenset(["inst comment"]), tags=frozenset(["tag1"])
+    )
+    child.instances.append(instance)
+    result_merged = child.indented_text(style="merged")
+    assert "1 instance" in result_merged