diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py b/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py
index 8eb100f1ff8..f389086c988 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py
@@ -17,12 +17,10 @@
 COMMON_OPTIONS = {
     "R": r"""
         region : str or list
-            *Required if this is the first plot command*.
             *xmin/xmax/ymin/ymax*\ [**+r**][**+u**\ *unit*].
             Specify the :doc:`region </tutorials/regions>` of interest.""",
     "J": r"""
         projection : str
-            *Required if this is the first plot command*.
             *projcode*\[*projparams*/]\ *width*.
             Select map :doc:`projection </projections/index>`.""",
     "A": r"""
@@ -448,11 +446,9 @@ def fmt_docstring(module_func):
         data variables, or a :class:`geopandas.GeoDataFrame` containing the
         tabular data.
     region : str or list
-        *Required if this is the first plot command*.
         *xmin/xmax/ymin/ymax*\ [**+r**][**+u**\ *unit*].
         Specify the :doc:`region </tutorials/regions>` of interest.
     projection : str
-        *Required if this is the first plot command*.
         *projcode*\[*projparams*/]\ *width*.
         Select map :doc:`projection </projections/index>`.
     <BLANKLINE>
diff --git a/pygmt/src/basemap.py b/pygmt/src/basemap.py
index 1a742ea4d59..cd4b6c83a89 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/basemap.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/basemap.py
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ def basemap(self, **kwargs):
     zscale/zsize : float or str
         Set z-axis scaling or z-axis size.
     {R}
+        *Required if this is the first plot command.*
     {B}
     map_scale : str
         [**g**\|\ **j**\|\ **J**\|\ **n**\|\ **x**]\ *refpoint*\
diff --git a/pygmt/src/coast.py b/pygmt/src/coast.py
index a57c0286fc3..7111f3d6f5a 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/coast.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/coast.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ def coast(self, **kwargs):
     ----------
     {J}
     {R}
+        *Required if this is the first plot command.*
     {A}
     {B}
     lakes : str or list
diff --git a/pygmt/src/text.py b/pygmt/src/text.py
index e8b042f4537..cd362dc0b08 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/text.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/text.py
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ def text_(
         then the input to ``textfiles`` must have this as a column.
     {J}
     {R}
+        *Required if this is the first plot command.*
     clearance : str
         [*dx/dy*][**+to**\|\ **O**\|\ **c**\|\ **C**].
         Adjust the clearance between the text and the surrounding box