diff --git a/src/renderer/App.tsx b/src/renderer/App.tsx
index b570be8..604318d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/App.tsx
@@ -592,6 +592,7 @@ export default function App() {
     content = (
       <WelcomePane
         hasProjects={hasUserProjects}
+        connectionStatus={sidecarCapabilities?.connection.status}
         onAddProject={() => void api.addProject()}
         onNewScratchpad={() => handleCreateScratchpad()}
         onOpenSettings={() => setShowSettings(true)}
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/WelcomePane.tsx b/src/renderer/components/WelcomePane.tsx
index 8e7ece7..9367615 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/WelcomePane.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/WelcomePane.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-import { FolderPlus, MessageSquarePlus, Settings } from 'lucide-react';
+import { CheckCircle2, Circle, FolderPlus, MessageSquarePlus, Settings, Zap } from 'lucide-react';
 import { motion } from 'motion/react';
 
+import type { SidecarConnectionStatus } from '@shared/contracts/sidecar';
 import appIconUrl from '../../../assets/icons/icon.png';
 
 interface WelcomePaneProps {
   hasProjects: boolean;
+  connectionStatus?: SidecarConnectionStatus;
   onNewScratchpad: () => void;
   onAddProject: () => void;
   onOpenSettings: () => void;
@@ -22,14 +24,19 @@ interface ActionCardProps {
   title: string;
   description: string;
   onClick: () => void;
+  highlight?: boolean;
 }
 
-function ActionCard({ icon, title, description, onClick }: ActionCardProps) {
+function ActionCard({ icon, title, description, onClick, highlight }: ActionCardProps) {
   return (
     <button
       type="button"
       onClick={onClick}
-      className="group flex w-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-4 rounded-xl border border-[var(--color-glass-border)] bg-[var(--color-glass)] px-5 py-4 text-left backdrop-blur-sm transition-all duration-200 hover:border-[var(--color-border-glow)] hover:shadow-[0_0_20px_rgba(36,92,249,0.08),0_4px_12px_rgba(0,0,0,0.2)]"
+      className={`group flex w-full cursor-pointer items-center gap-4 rounded-xl border px-5 py-4 text-left backdrop-blur-sm transition-all duration-200 ${
+        highlight
+          ? 'border-[var(--color-border-glow)] bg-[var(--color-accent-muted)] shadow-[0_0_24px_rgba(36,92,249,0.1)] hover:shadow-[0_0_32px_rgba(36,92,249,0.15)]'
+          : 'border-[var(--color-glass-border)] bg-[var(--color-glass)] hover:border-[var(--color-border-glow)] hover:shadow-[0_0_20px_rgba(36,92,249,0.08),0_4px_12px_rgba(0,0,0,0.2)]'
+      }`}
     >
       <div className="brand-gradient-bg flex size-9 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full">
         {icon}
@@ -46,12 +53,42 @@ function ActionCard({ icon, title, description, onClick }: ActionCardProps) {
   );
 }
 
+interface SetupStepProps {
+  label: string;
+  done: boolean;
+  active?: boolean;
+}
+
+function SetupStep({ label, done, active }: SetupStepProps) {
+  return (
+    <div className={`flex items-center gap-2 text-[12px] ${active ? 'text-[var(--color-text-primary)]' : 'text-[var(--color-text-muted)]'}`}>
+      {done
+        ? <CheckCircle2 className="size-3.5 text-[var(--color-status-success)]" />
+        : <Circle className={`size-3.5 ${active ? 'text-[var(--color-accent)]' : 'text-[var(--color-text-muted)]'}`} />
+      }
+      <span className={done ? 'line-through opacity-60' : ''}>{label}</span>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 export function WelcomePane({
   hasProjects,
+  connectionStatus,
   onNewScratchpad,
   onAddProject,
   onOpenSettings,
 }: WelcomePaneProps) {
+  const isConnected = connectionStatus === 'ready';
+  const isFirstRun = !hasProjects;
+
+  // Determine setup progress
+  const steps = [
+    { label: 'GitHub Copilot connected', done: isConnected },
+    { label: 'First project added', done: hasProjects },
+  ];
+  const completedSteps = steps.filter((s) => s.done).length;
+  const allDone = completedSteps === steps.length;
+
   return (
     <div className="relative flex h-full flex-col items-center justify-center overflow-hidden px-8">
       {/* Ambient nebula glow */}
@@ -67,7 +104,7 @@ export function WelcomePane({
         }}
       />
 
-      <div className="relative z-10 flex w-full max-w-xs flex-col items-center gap-8 text-center">
+      <div className="relative z-10 flex w-full max-w-sm flex-col items-center gap-6 text-center">
         {/* Icon */}
         <motion.div {...fadeUp(0)}>
           <img
@@ -82,22 +119,70 @@ export function WelcomePane({
         {/* Heading */}
         <motion.div {...fadeUp(0.08)}>
           <h1 className="font-display brand-gradient-text text-2xl font-bold tracking-tight">
-            aryx
+            {isFirstRun ? 'Welcome to Aryx' : 'aryx'}
           </h1>
           <p className="mt-2 max-w-sm text-[13px] leading-relaxed text-[var(--color-text-secondary)]">
-            Start a scratchpad conversation for ad-hoc questions or connect a project to work with
-            repo-aware Copilot agents.
+            {isFirstRun
+              ? 'Your AI workspace powered by GitHub Copilot. Start a scratchpad for quick questions or connect a project for full agent support.'
+              : 'Start a scratchpad conversation for ad-hoc questions or connect a project to work with repo-aware Copilot agents.'
+            }
           </p>
         </motion.div>
 
+        {/* Setup progress — only for first-run */}
+        {isFirstRun && !allDone && (
+          <motion.div {...fadeUp(0.12)} className="w-full rounded-xl border border-[var(--color-border)] bg-[var(--color-surface-1)]/60 p-4">
+            <div className="mb-3 flex items-center justify-between">
+              <span className="text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-wider text-[var(--color-text-muted)]">
+                Getting started
+              </span>
+              <span className="text-[11px] text-[var(--color-text-muted)]">
+                {completedSteps}/{steps.length}
+              </span>
+            </div>
+            {/* Progress bar */}
+            <div className="mb-3 h-1 overflow-hidden rounded-full bg-[var(--color-surface-3)]">
+              <motion.div
+                className="h-full rounded-full bg-gradient-to-r from-[var(--color-accent)] to-[var(--color-accent-purple)]"
+                initial={{ width: 0 }}
+                animate={{ width: `${(completedSteps / steps.length) * 100}%` }}
+                transition={{ duration: 0.6, ease: 'easeOut', delay: 0.3 }}
+              />
+            </div>
+            <div className="space-y-2">
+              {steps.map((step, i) => (
+                <SetupStep
+                  key={step.label}
+                  label={step.label}
+                  done={step.done}
+                  active={!step.done && steps.slice(0, i).every((s) => s.done)}
+                />
+              ))}
+            </div>
+          </motion.div>
+        )}
+
         {/* Action cards */}
-        <motion.div {...fadeUp(0.16)} className="flex w-full flex-col gap-2.5">
+        <motion.div {...fadeUp(isFirstRun && !allDone ? 0.2 : 0.16)} className="flex w-full flex-col gap-2.5">
+          {/* Primary CTA adapts to state */}
+          {!isConnected && (
+            <ActionCard
+              icon={<Zap className="size-4 text-white" />}
+              title="Connect GitHub Copilot"
+              description="Check connection status and configure your CLI"
+              onClick={onOpenSettings}
+              highlight
+            />
+          )}
+
           <ActionCard
             icon={<MessageSquarePlus className="size-4 text-white" />}
-            title="New Scratchpad"
-            description="Ask anything without a project context"
+            title={isFirstRun ? 'Try a Quick Scratchpad' : 'New Scratchpad'}
+            description={isFirstRun ? 'Start a conversation — no setup needed' : 'Ask anything without a project context'}
             onClick={onNewScratchpad}
+            highlight={isConnected && isFirstRun}
           />
+
           {!hasProjects && (
             <ActionCard
               icon={<FolderPlus className="size-4 text-white" />}
@@ -106,6 +191,7 @@ export function WelcomePane({
               onClick={onAddProject}
             />
           )}
+
           <ActionCard
             icon={<Settings className="size-4 text-white" />}
             title="Manage Patterns"
@@ -113,6 +199,20 @@ export function WelcomePane({
             onClick={onOpenSettings}
           />
         </motion.div>
+
+        {/* Keyboard shortcut hints for returning users */}
+        {!isFirstRun && (
+          <motion.div {...fadeUp(0.24)} className="flex items-center gap-4 text-[11px] text-[var(--color-text-muted)]">
+            <span>
+              <kbd className="rounded border border-[var(--color-border)] px-1.5 py-0.5 font-mono text-[10px]">Ctrl+N</kbd>
+              {' '}new session
+            </span>
+            <span>
+              <kbd className="rounded border border-[var(--color-border)] px-1.5 py-0.5 font-mono text-[10px]">Ctrl+K</kbd>
+              {' '}commands
+            </span>
+          </motion.div>
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   );