feat: agent-agnostic copy and first-run onboarding

app/auth/forgot-password/page.tsx

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export default function ForgotPasswordPage() {
   return (
     <AdminShell
       title="Reset password"
-      description="Enter your email address and Neon Auth will send password recovery instructions."
+      description="Enter your email address and we'll send password recovery instructions."
     >
       <form className="mt-2 space-y-4" onSubmit={onSubmit}>
         <div className="space-y-2">

app/auth/sign-in/page.tsx

@@ -66,9 +66,15 @@ function SignInForm() {
   return (
     <AdminShell
       title="Sign in"
-      description="Sign in with your Neon Auth account to manage nodes, routes, and events."
+      description="Sign in to manage your nodes, routes, and events."
     >
       <form className="mt-2 space-y-4" onSubmit={onSubmit}>
+        {searchParams.get('registered') === '1' ? (
+          <Alert>
+            <AlertDescription>Account created. Sign in to continue.</AlertDescription>
+          </Alert>
+        ) : null}
+
         <div className="space-y-2">
           <Label htmlFor="sign-in-email">Email</Label>
           <Input
@@ -109,7 +115,11 @@ function SignInForm() {
       </form>
 
       <p className="text-muted-foreground mt-6 text-sm">
-        Need an account? Create one through your Neon Auth configuration flow first.
+        Need an account?{' '}
+        <Link className="text-foreground underline underline-offset-4" href="/auth/sign-up">
+          Create one
+        </Link>
+        .
       </p>
 
       <div className="mt-6 flex items-center justify-between gap-2 text-sm">

app/auth/sign-up/page.tsx

@@ -46,11 +46,18 @@ export default function SignUpPage() {
       posthog.identify(email, { email, name: name.trim() || email });
       posthog.capture('user_signed_up', { email, name: name.trim() || email });
 
-      setSuccess('Account created. You can now sign in.');
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        router.push('/auth/sign-in');
+      // Sign the new account straight in: bouncing to the sign-in form made a successful
+      // sign-up look like a failure. If that doesn't work, say so on the sign-in page.
+      const signedIn = await auth.signIn.email({ email, password });
+      if (signedIn?.error) {
+        router.push('/auth/sign-in?registered=1');
         router.refresh();
-      }, 800);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      setSuccess('Account created. Taking you to your dashboard…');
+      router.push('/dashboard');
+      router.refresh();
     } catch (err) {
       posthog.captureException(err);
       setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Sign-up failed');
@@ -62,7 +69,7 @@ export default function SignUpPage() {
   return (
     <AdminShell
       title="Create account"
-      description="Create a Neon Auth account for managing nodes, routes, and events."
+      description="Create an account to manage your nodes, routes, and events."
     >
       <form className="mt-2 space-y-4" onSubmit={onSubmit}>
         <div className="space-y-2">

app/dashboard/nodes/nodes-client.tsx

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import posthog from 'posthog-js';
 
 import { formatRelativeTime } from '@/app/lib/dashboard/datetime';
 import {
+  buildHermesSetup,
   buildOpenClawSetupBlock,
   getNodeHealth,
   type NodeHealth,
@@ -141,15 +142,29 @@ function ConnectGuide({
   const pullUrl = `${origin}/api/nodes/pull`;
   const ackUrl = `${origin}/api/nodes/ack`;
   const setupBlock = buildOpenClawSetupBlock(origin, token, forwardBaseUrl || undefined);
+  const hermesSetup = buildHermesSetup(origin, token);
 
   return (
     <>
-      <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold">Connect your OpenClaw node</h3>
+      <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold">Connect your node</h3>
       <p className="text-muted-foreground mt-1 text-sm">
-        Install this skill on your OpenClaw node. The skill will connect to clawproxy via WebSocket
-        for real-time event delivery, falling back to HTTP polling when needed.
+        Your node connects out to clawproxy over WebSocket for real-time delivery, falling back to
+        HTTP polling when needed. Hermes Agent has a plugin; any other agent can speak the protocol
+        below.
       </p>
 
+      <div className="border-border/70 bg-background/40 mt-4 rounded-xl border p-4">
+        <div className="mb-1.5 flex items-center justify-between">
+          <p className="text-xs font-medium">Hermes Agent — install the plugin</p>
+          <Button size="xs" variant="outline" onClick={() => onCopy(hermesSetup, 'hermes')}>
+            {copiedField === 'hermes' ? 'Copied' : 'Copy'}
+          </Button>
+        </div>
+        <pre className="text-muted-foreground overflow-x-auto text-[11px] leading-relaxed whitespace-pre-wrap">
+          {hermesSetup}
+        </pre>
+      </div>
+
       <div className="mt-5 space-y-4">
         <div>
           <p className="mb-1.5 text-xs font-medium">
@@ -214,7 +229,7 @@ function ConnectGuide({
 
         <div>
           <Label htmlFor="openclaw-url" className="mb-1.5 text-xs font-medium">
-            OpenClaw base URL{' '}
+            Delivery base URL{' '}
             <span className="text-muted-foreground font-normal">(optional)</span>
           </Label>
           <Input
@@ -225,15 +240,15 @@ function ConnectGuide({
             onChange={(e) => setForwardBaseUrl(e.target.value)}
           />
           <p className="text-muted-foreground mt-1 text-xs">
-            The base URL of your OpenClaw instance. Used to fill in the{' '}
+            Where your agent receives forwarded events. Used to fill in the{' '}
             <code className="bg-muted rounded px-1 py-0.5">forward.webhook_url</code> in the skill
             configuration below.
           </p>
         </div>
 
         <div>
           <div className="mb-1.5 flex items-center justify-between">
-            <p className="text-xs font-medium">One-paste OpenClaw setup block</p>
+            <p className="text-xs font-medium">Any other agent — protocol setup block</p>
             <Button
               size="xs"
               variant="outline"
@@ -258,7 +273,7 @@ function ConnectGuide({
         The skill connects via WebSocket and receives events in real-time. Alternatively, it polls
         the pull endpoint with{' '}
         <code className="bg-muted rounded px-1 py-0.5">Authorization: Bearer &lt;token&gt;</code>.
-        Each event&apos;s original headers and body are forwarded to your OpenClaw webhook system
+        Each event&apos;s original headers and body are forwarded to your agent&apos;s webhook
         using the <code className="bg-muted rounded px-1 py-0.5">forward.webhook_url</code>{' '}
         (replacing <code className="bg-muted rounded px-1 py-0.5">{'{routeSlug}'}</code> with the
         event&apos;s route slug), then delivery is acknowledged via the ack endpoint.
@@ -278,6 +293,7 @@ export function NodesClient({ initialNodes }: Props) {
   const [nodeList, setNodeList] = useState<NodeRow[]>(initialNodes);
   const [openClawBaseUrl, setOpenClawBaseUrl] = useState(DEFAULT_OPENCLAW_BASE_URL);
   const [openClawInput, setOpenClawInput] = useState(DEFAULT_OPENCLAW_BASE_URL);
+  const [savedBaseUrl, setSavedBaseUrl] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [showCreateForm, setShowCreateForm] = useState(false);
   const [nameInput, setNameInput] = useState('');
   const [slugInput, setSlugInput] = useState('');
@@ -410,12 +426,14 @@ export function NodesClient({ initialNodes }: Props) {
     }
     setOpenClawBaseUrl(savedUrl);
     setOpenClawInput(savedUrl);
+    setSavedBaseUrl(savedUrl);
   }, [OPENCLAW_URL_STORAGE_KEY]);
 
   function handleSaveOpenClawBaseUrl() {
     const normalized = openClawInput.trim();
     window.localStorage.setItem(OPENCLAW_URL_STORAGE_KEY, normalized);
     setOpenClawBaseUrl(normalized);
+    setSavedBaseUrl(normalized);
   }
 
   return (
@@ -431,9 +449,10 @@ export function NodesClient({ initialNodes }: Props) {
 
       <Card size="sm" className="border-border/70 bg-background/40 ring-0">
         <CardHeader>
-          <CardTitle>Connect your OpenClaw instance</CardTitle>
+          <CardTitle>Where should events be delivered?</CardTitle>
           <CardDescription>
-            Save your OpenClaw base URL once and reuse it in node connect instructions.
+            Save your agent&apos;s base URL once and reuse it in every node&apos;s connect
+            instructions.
           </CardDescription>
         </CardHeader>
         <CardContent>
@@ -451,8 +470,8 @@ export function NodesClient({ initialNodes }: Props) {
               Save URL
             </Button>
           </div>
-          {openClawBaseUrl && (
-            <p className="text-muted-foreground mt-2 text-xs">Saved: {openClawBaseUrl}</p>
+          {savedBaseUrl && (
+            <p className="text-muted-foreground mt-2 text-xs">Saved: {savedBaseUrl}</p>
           )}
         </CardContent>
       </Card>
@@ -507,8 +526,16 @@ export function NodesClient({ initialNodes }: Props) {
       )}
 
       {nodeList.length === 0 ? (
-        <div className="border-border/70 bg-background/40 rounded-2xl border p-5">
-          <p className="text-muted-foreground text-sm">No nodes have been registered yet.</p>
+        <div className="border-border/70 bg-background/40 space-y-3 rounded-2xl border p-5">
+          <p className="text-muted-foreground text-sm">
+            No nodes yet. A node is the agent that receives your webhooks — Hermes Agent, OpenClaw,
+            or your own client.
+          </p>
+          {!showCreateForm && (
+            <Button size="sm" onClick={() => setShowCreateForm(true)}>
+              Create your first node
+            </Button>
+          )}
         </div>
       ) : (
         <div className="border-border/70 bg-background/40 overflow-hidden rounded-2xl border">

app/dashboard/page.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'server-only';
 
 import { count, desc, eq } from 'drizzle-orm';
+import Link from 'next/link';
 
 import { requireAdminUser } from '@/app/lib/auth/require-admin';
 import {
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ import {
 import { decrypt } from '@/app/lib/crypto/encryption';
 import { db } from '@/app/lib/db/client';
 import { events, nodes } from '@/db/schema';
+import { overviewIntro } from '@/app/lib/dashboard/overview-intro';
+import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { DashboardEventsChart } from '@/components/app/dashboard-events-chart';
 import { DashboardMetricCards } from '@/components/app/dashboard-metric-cards';
 import { DashboardPageHeader } from '@/components/app/dashboard-page-header';
@@ -22,7 +25,7 @@ export const dynamic = 'force-dynamic';
 export default async function DashboardPage() {
   const user = await requireAdminUser();
 
-  const [countsByStatus, dailySeries, recentList] = await Promise.all([
+  const [countsByStatus, dailySeries, recentList, nodeCountRows] = await Promise.all([
     db
       .select({
         status: events.status,
@@ -45,8 +48,11 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
       .where(eq(events.userId, user.id))
       .orderBy(desc(events.receivedAt))
       .limit(10),
+    db.select({ count: count() }).from(nodes).where(eq(nodes.userId, user.id)),
   ]);
 
+  const intro = overviewIntro(Number(nodeCountRows[0]?.count ?? 0));
+
   const totals = countsByStatus.reduce<Record<string, number>>((acc, row) => {
     acc[row.status] = Number(row.count);
     return acc;
@@ -70,23 +76,27 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
 
   return (
     <section className="space-y-8">
-      <DashboardPageHeader
-        eyebrow="Overview"
-        title="Welcome back"
-        description="Use the dashboard navigation to manage nodes, routes, and events for your public ingress and Hermes Agent / OpenClaw delivery pipeline."
-      />
+      <DashboardPageHeader eyebrow="Overview" title={intro.title} description={intro.description} />
+
+      {intro.cta ? (
+        <Button asChild size="lg" className="w-fit rounded-full px-5">
+          <Link href={intro.cta.href}>{intro.cta.label}</Link>
+        </Button>
+      ) : null}
 
       <DashboardRelaySummary />
 
-      <DashboardMetricCards
-        total={total}
-        successRate={successRate}
-        delivered={delivered}
-        failed={failed}
-        pending={pending}
-        leased={leased}
-        expired={expired}
-      />
+      {intro.showMetrics ? (
+        <DashboardMetricCards
+          total={total}
+          successRate={successRate}
+          delivered={delivered}
+          failed={failed}
+          pending={pending}
+          leased={leased}
+          expired={expired}
+        />
+      ) : null}
 
       <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-6">
         <Card size="sm" className="min-w-0">

app/lib/dashboard/node-connect.ts

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ description: Pulls and delivers webhook events from clawproxy
 connection:
   ws_url: "${wsOrigin}/api/nodes/ws"
   pull_url: "${origin}/api/nodes/pull"
+  pull_method: "POST"
   ack_url: "${origin}/api/nodes/ack"
   token: "${tokenValue}"
 
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ connection:
   http_fallback:
     enabled: true
     pull_url: "${origin}/api/nodes/pull"
+    pull_method: "POST"
     ack_url: "${origin}/api/nodes/ack"
     auth_header: "Authorization: Bearer ${tokenValue}"
     poll_interval_seconds: 30
@@ -80,3 +82,22 @@ export function getNodeHealth(
   if (ms < 60 * 60 * 1000) return 'stale';
   return 'offline';
 }
+
+/**
+ * Setup for Hermes Agent, which has a first-party plugin: it holds this node's connection inside
+ * the gateway and hands each event to the Hermes webhook route of the same name.
+ */
+export function buildHermesSetup(origin: string, token?: string): string {
+  const tokenValue = token ?? 'YOUR_NODE_TOKEN_HERE';
+  return `# 1. Install the plugin on the machine running Hermes Agent
+hermes plugins install ericdahl-dev/clawproxy-hermes
+
+# 2. Add these to ~/.hermes/.env (or your profile's .env)
+CLAWPROXY_NODE_TOKEN=${tokenValue}
+CLAWPROXY_HERMES_WEBHOOK_SECRET=<platforms.webhook.extra.secret from ~/.hermes/config.yaml>
+${origin === 'https://clawproxy.io' ? '' : `CLAWPROXY_SERVER_URL=${origin}\n`}
+# 3. Restart the gateway, then check: hermes gateway status
+
+# Route names must match: a clawproxy route named "github-prs" is delivered to the Hermes
+# webhook route with the same name, so create that route in Hermes first.`;
+}

app/lib/dashboard/overview-intro.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+export type OverviewIntro = {
+  title: string;
+  description: string;
+  isFirstRun: boolean;
+  showMetrics: boolean;
+  cta: { href: string; label: string } | null;
+};
+
+/**
+ * What the dashboard home should say. A new account has no nodes, so greeting it with
+ * "Welcome back" above eight zeroed metrics tells it nothing; point it at the first step instead.
+ */
+export function overviewIntro(nodeCount: number): OverviewIntro {
+  if (nodeCount === 0) {
+    return {
+      title: 'Set up your first node',
+      description:
+        'A node is the agent that receives your webhooks. Create one, connect it, then point a provider at the route URL clawproxy gives you.',
+      isFirstRun: true,
+      showMetrics: false,
+      cta: { href: '/dashboard/nodes', label: 'Create your first node' },
+    };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    title: 'Welcome back',
+    description:
+      'Manage the nodes, routes and events behind your public ingress and private agent delivery.',
+    isFirstRun: false,
+    showMetrics: true,
+    cta: null,
+  };
+}