diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 1674ce6..5c69bd2 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import Documents from "./scenes/Documents";
 import CommandBar from "./components/CommandBar";
 import Toaster from "./components/Toaster";
 import Console from "./components/Console";
+import OnboardingTour from "./components/OnboardingTour";
 import { Cmd, Home, Layers, HistoryIcon, Pulse, Refresh, Branch, Cog, User, Sun, Moon, Bot, Bell } from "./components/icons";
 import { useBackendHealth } from "./lib/useBackendHealth";
 
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ export default function App() {
       <CommandBar />
       <Console />
       <Toaster />
+      {isAuthed && scene !== "login" && scene !== "sso-callback" && <OnboardingTour />}
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/OnboardingTour.tsx b/src/components/OnboardingTour.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..174dd84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/OnboardingTour.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+// First-visit onboarding tour. Highlights five tabs in sequence with a
+// minimal popover. localStorage flag fm.canvas.tour.seen prevents replay.
+// No external dep (driver.js is 18 KB; this is ~3 KB and matches our
+// design language).
+
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+
+interface TourStep {
+  selector: string;
+  title: string;
+  body: string;
+}
+
+const STEPS: TourStep[] = [
+  {
+    selector: '.tab[aria-selected][role="tab"]:nth-of-type(1)',
+    title: "Mission Control",
+    body: "Live work-items, the process graph, and the inspector. Start here every morning to see what's running.",
+  },
+  {
+    selector: ".tab:nth-of-type(2)",
+    title: "Approvals",
+    body: "Anything waiting on your signature. The badge counts unread; the topbar bell aggregates everything that needs you.",
+  },
+  {
+    selector: ".tab:nth-of-type(4)",
+    title: "Process Studio",
+    body: "Describe a new process in plain English, pick the steps, add the form fields and rules, publish to EA2. Five guided phases.",
+  },
+  {
+    selector: ".tab:nth-of-type(5)",
+    title: "Team Chat",
+    body: "Text a manager or teammate without booting another app. Replaces the 'quick question' Teams ping for procurement and approvals.",
+  },
+  {
+    selector: ".tab:nth-of-type(6)",
+    title: "Command Assistant",
+    body: "Ask in plain language: 'start laptop procurement for store 204', 'find INC-4427', 'remember the spending cap is 5000'.",
+  },
+];
+
+const LS_KEY = "fm.canvas.tour.seen";
+
+export default function OnboardingTour() {
+  const [index, setIndex] = useState<number | null>(null);
+  const [anchor, setAnchor] = useState<DOMRect | null>(null);
+  const tipRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (typeof window === "undefined") return;
+    if (localStorage.getItem(LS_KEY)) return;
+    const t = window.setTimeout(() => setIndex(0), 800);
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(t);
+  }, []);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (index === null) return;
+    const step = STEPS[index];
+    const el = document.querySelector(step.selector) as HTMLElement | null;
+    if (!el) {
+      setAnchor(null);
+      return;
+    }
+    el.scrollIntoView({ block: "nearest", inline: "nearest" });
+    const measure = () => setAnchor(el.getBoundingClientRect());
+    measure();
+    window.addEventListener("resize", measure);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener("resize", measure);
+  }, [index]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (index === null) return;
+    const onKey = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
+      if (e.key === "Escape") finish();
+      if (e.key === "ArrowRight" || e.key === "Enter") next();
+      if (e.key === "ArrowLeft") prev();
+    };
+    document.addEventListener("keydown", onKey);
+    return () => document.removeEventListener("keydown", onKey);
+  });
+
+  if (index === null) return null;
+
+  function finish() {
+    try { localStorage.setItem(LS_KEY, String(Date.now())); } catch { /* quota */ }
+    setIndex(null);
+  }
+  function next() {
+    if (index === null) return;
+    if (index >= STEPS.length - 1) finish();
+    else setIndex(index + 1);
+  }
+  function prev() {
+    if (index === null) return;
+    if (index > 0) setIndex(index - 1);
+  }
+
+  const step = STEPS[index];
+  const tipTop = anchor ? anchor.bottom + 12 : 80;
+  const tipLeft = anchor ? Math.max(16, Math.min(window.innerWidth - 360, anchor.left)) : 16;
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <div className="tour-backdrop" onClick={finish} aria-hidden />
+      {anchor && (
+        <div
+          className="tour-spotlight"
+          style={{
+            top: anchor.top - 4,
+            left: anchor.left - 4,
+            width: anchor.width + 8,
+            height: anchor.height + 8,
+          }}
+          aria-hidden
+        />
+      )}
+      <div
+        ref={tipRef}
+        className="tour-tip"
+        role="dialog"
+        aria-label={step.title}
+        style={{ top: tipTop, left: tipLeft }}
+      >
+        <div className="tour-tip-head">
+          <span className="tour-tip-step">{index + 1} / {STEPS.length}</span>
+          <button className="tour-tip-skip" onClick={finish} aria-label="Skip tour">Skip</button>
+        </div>
+        <h3 className="tour-tip-title">{step.title}</h3>
+        <p className="tour-tip-body">{step.body}</p>
+        <div className="tour-tip-actions">
+          {index > 0 && (
+            <button className="btn btn-ghost btn-sm" onClick={prev}>Back</button>
+          )}
+          <button className="btn btn-primary btn-sm" onClick={next}>
+            {index >= STEPS.length - 1 ? "Done" : "Next →"}
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index 9543eb4..a58afa2 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -2377,3 +2377,58 @@ select.studio-input { background: var(--bp-paper); }
   color: var(--bp-navy);
 }
 .cmd-try-hint { color: var(--bp-muted); font-size: 11px; }
+
+/* Onboarding tour */
+.tour-backdrop {
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--bp-navy) 50%, transparent);
+  z-index: 9000;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+.tour-spotlight {
+  position: fixed;
+  z-index: 9001;
+  border: 2px solid var(--bp-amber, #d97a00);
+  background: transparent;
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 9999px color-mix(in srgb, var(--bp-navy) 50%, transparent);
+  pointer-events: none;
+  transition: top 180ms ease, left 180ms ease, width 180ms ease, height 180ms ease;
+}
+.tour-tip {
+  position: fixed;
+  z-index: 9002;
+  width: 320px;
+  background: var(--bp-paper, #fdfaf2);
+  border: 1px solid var(--bp-navy, #1a2740);
+  padding: 14px 16px;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 8px;
+  box-shadow: 0 8px 24px color-mix(in srgb, var(--bp-navy) 30%, transparent);
+}
+.tour-tip-head { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; }
+.tour-tip-step {
+  font-family: var(--bp-mono);
+  font-size: 10px;
+  letter-spacing: 0.08em;
+  color: var(--bp-muted);
+}
+.tour-tip-skip {
+  background: transparent;
+  border: 0;
+  font-family: var(--bp-mono);
+  font-size: 10px;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+  color: var(--bp-muted);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  padding: 0;
+}
+.tour-tip-skip:hover { color: var(--bp-navy); text-decoration: underline; }
+.tour-tip-title { margin: 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; color: var(--bp-navy); }
+.tour-tip-body { margin: 0; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5; color: var(--bp-navy); }
+.tour-tip-actions { display: flex; gap: 6px; justify-content: flex-end; margin-top: 4px; }
+.btn-sm { font-size: 11px; padding: 4px 10px; }
+[data-theme="dark"] .tour-tip { background: #1a2333; border-color: #d97a00; color: #f5e7c8; }
+[data-theme="dark"] .tour-tip-title, [data-theme="dark"] .tour-tip-body { color: #f5e7c8; }