diff --git a/modules/rdocs/components/folk-docs-app.ts b/modules/rdocs/components/folk-docs-app.ts
index 04d58a31..0e8f6cbb 100644
--- a/modules/rdocs/components/folk-docs-app.ts
+++ b/modules/rdocs/components/folk-docs-app.ts
@@ -354,6 +354,8 @@ class FolkDocsApp extends HTMLElement {
 					}
 					this.loading = false;
 					this.render();
+					// Auto-open first note of first notebook
+					this.autoOpenFirstNote();
 					return;
 				}
 			}
@@ -494,7 +496,20 @@ Gear:          EUR  400 (10%)</code></pre><p><em>Maya is tracking expenses in rF
 			},
 		];
 
+		// Starter notebook with a blank note (always first)
+		const starterNote: Note = {
+			id: "demo-note-starter", title: "Untitled", content: "", content_plain: "",
+			content_format: 'tiptap-json',
+			type: "NOTE", tags: null, is_pinned: false, sort_order: 0,
+			created_at: new Date(now).toISOString(), updated_at: new Date(now).toISOString(),
+		};
+
 		this.demoNotebooks = [
+			{
+				id: "demo-nb-new", title: "New Documents", description: "",
+				cover_color: "#3b82f6", note_count: "1", updated_at: new Date(now).toISOString(),
+				notes: [starterNote],
+			} as any,
 			{
 				id: "demo-nb-1", title: "Alpine Explorer Planning", description: "Shared knowledge base for our July 2026 trip across France, Switzerland, and Italy",
 				cover_color: "#f59e0b", note_count: "8", updated_at: new Date(now - hour).toISOString(),
@@ -522,9 +537,28 @@ Gear:          EUR  400 (10%)</code></pre><p><em>Maya is tracking expenses in rF
 		}
 		this.loading = false;
 		this.render();
+
+		// Auto-open the blank starter note
+		this.selectedNotebook = { ...this.demoNotebooks[0] };
+		this.selectedNote = starterNote;
+		this.renderNav();
+		this.renderMeta();
+		this.mountEditor(starterNote);
+
 		this.saveDemoState(); // persist initial state
 	}
 
+	/** Open the first note of the first notebook (used on demo restore and fresh load). */
+	private autoOpenFirstNote() {
+		const firstNb = this.demoNotebooks[0];
+		if (!firstNb?.notes?.length) return;
+		this.selectedNotebook = { ...firstNb };
+		this.selectedNote = firstNb.notes[0];
+		this.renderNav();
+		this.renderMeta();
+		this.mountEditor(firstNb.notes[0]);
+	}
+
 	private demoSearchNotes(query: string) {
 		if (!query.trim()) {
 			this.searchResults = [];
@@ -1228,6 +1262,40 @@ Gear:          EUR  400 (10%)</code></pre><p><em>Maya is tracking expenses in rF
 		}
 		this.loading = false;
 		this.render();
+
+		// Auto-scaffold a starter notebook with a blank note on first use
+		if (this.notebooks.length === 0 && !this.error) {
+			await this.scaffoldStarterNotebook();
+		}
+	}
+
+	/** Create a "New Documents" notebook with one blank note for first-time users. */
+	private async scaffoldStarterNotebook() {
+		try {
+			const base = this.getApiBase();
+			const res = await fetch(`${base}/api/notebooks`, {
+				method: "POST",
+				headers: this.authHeaders({ "Content-Type": "application/json" }),
+				body: JSON.stringify({ title: "New Documents", cover_color: "#3b82f6" }),
+			});
+			const nb = await res.json();
+			if (!nb?.id) return;
+
+			// Refresh notebook list so the new notebook appears
+			const listRes = await fetch(`${base}/api/notebooks`, { headers: this.authHeaders() });
+			const listData = await listRes.json();
+			this.notebooks = listData.notebooks || [];
+			this.render();
+
+			// Subscribe and create a blank note inside it
+			this.selectedNotebook = { ...nb, notes: [] };
+			this.expandedNotebooks.add(nb.id);
+			this.notebookNotes.set(nb.id, []);
+			await this.loadNotebook(nb.id);
+			this.createNoteViaSync();
+		} catch {
+			// Non-critical — user can still create manually
+		}
 	}
 
 	private async loadNotebook(id: string) {