diff --git a/src/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill.test.tsx b/src/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..48fbb8965
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { cleanup, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { OnboardingNavPill } from "./OnboardingNavPill";
+
+vi.mock("@tanstack/react-router", () => ({
+  Link: ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => <a>{children}</a>,
+}));
+
+let onboarding = {
+  steps: [],
+  completedCount: 1,
+  total: 4,
+  isComplete: false,
+  dismissed: false,
+  isResolved: true,
+  markDocsRead: vi.fn(),
+};
+vi.mock("@/providers/OnboardingProvider/OnboardingProvider", () => ({
+  useOnboarding: () => onboarding,
+}));
+
+function resetState() {
+  onboarding = {
+    steps: [],
+    completedCount: 1,
+    total: 4,
+    isComplete: false,
+    dismissed: false,
+    isResolved: true,
+    markDocsRead: vi.fn(),
+  };
+}
+
+beforeEach(resetState);
+afterEach(cleanup);
+
+const pill = () => screen.queryByText(/Onboarding/);
+
+describe("OnboardingNavPill", () => {
+  it("shows progress while onboarding is in progress", () => {
+    render(<OnboardingNavPill />);
+    expect(pill()).toHaveTextContent("Onboarding · 1/4");
+  });
+
+  it("is hidden once onboarding is complete", () => {
+    onboarding.isComplete = true;
+    render(<OnboardingNavPill />);
+    expect(pill()).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("is hidden once onboarding is dismissed", () => {
+    onboarding.dismissed = true;
+    render(<OnboardingNavPill />);
+    expect(pill()).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill.tsx b/src/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f49a555ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { OnboardingChecklist } from "@/components/Onboarding/OnboardingChecklist";
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { Icon } from "@/components/ui/icon";
+import { BlockStack } from "@/components/ui/layout";
+import {
+  Popover,
+  PopoverContent,
+  PopoverTrigger,
+} from "@/components/ui/popover";
+import { Heading } from "@/components/ui/typography";
+import { useOnboarding } from "@/providers/OnboardingProvider/OnboardingProvider";
+import { tracking } from "@/utils/tracking";
+
+export function OnboardingNavPill() {
+  const { completedCount, total, isComplete, dismissed, isResolved } =
+    useOnboarding();
+
+  if (!isResolved || isComplete || dismissed) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <Popover>
+      <PopoverTrigger asChild {...tracking("navigation.onboarding_pill")}>
+        <Button
+          variant="ghost"
+          size="sm"
+          className="h-8 gap-1.5 rounded-full bg-stone-700 px-3 text-xs font-semibold text-white hover:bg-stone-600 hover:text-white"
+        >
+          <Icon name="Rocket" size="sm" aria-hidden="true" />
+          Onboarding · {completedCount}/{total}
+        </Button>
+      </PopoverTrigger>
+      <PopoverContent align="end" className="w-96">
+        <BlockStack gap="3">
+          <Heading level={3}>Get started with Tangle</Heading>
+          <OnboardingChecklist />
+        </BlockStack>
+      </PopoverContent>
+    </Popover>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/components/layout/AppMenu.tsx b/src/components/layout/AppMenu.tsx
index cea3f0515..2cc453527 100644
--- a/src/components/layout/AppMenu.tsx
+++ b/src/components/layout/AppMenu.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
 import { useState } from "react";
 
 import logo from "/Tangle_white.png";
+import { OnboardingNavPill } from "@/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill";
 import { isAuthorizationRequired } from "@/components/shared/Authentication/helpers";
 import { TopBarAuthentication } from "@/components/shared/Authentication/TopBarAuthentication";
 import { CopyText } from "@/components/shared/CopyText/CopyText";
@@ -110,6 +111,8 @@ const DefaultAppMenu = () => {
             <div className="w-px h-5 bg-stone-700" />
           </div>
 
+          <OnboardingNavPill />
+
           <EditorVersionToggle />
 
           {/* Settings & status */}
diff --git a/src/providers/OnboardingProvider/OnboardingProvider.tsx b/src/providers/OnboardingProvider/OnboardingProvider.tsx
index 596ff9110..cf824b4f1 100644
--- a/src/providers/OnboardingProvider/OnboardingProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/providers/OnboardingProvider/OnboardingProvider.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
-import { type ReactNode, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { type ReactNode, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 
 import type { ListPipelineJobsResponse } from "@/api/types.gen";
 import { useDocsVisitTracking } from "@/hooks/useDocsVisitTracking";
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   createRequiredContext,
   useRequiredContext,
 } from "@/hooks/useRequiredContext";
+import useToastNotification from "@/hooks/useToastNotification";
 import { useAnalytics } from "@/providers/AnalyticsProvider";
 import { useBackend } from "@/providers/BackendProvider";
 import { useTourCompletions } from "@/providers/TourProvider/tourCompletion";
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ interface OnboardingContextValue {
   total: number;
   isComplete: boolean;
   dismissed: boolean;
+  isReady: boolean;
+  isResolved: boolean;
   markDocsRead: () => void;
   dismiss: () => void;
   reopen: () => void;
@@ -49,11 +52,14 @@ interface OnboardingContextValue {
 const OnboardingContext =
   createRequiredContext<OnboardingContextValue>("OnboardingProvider");
 
-function useHasMyRun(): boolean {
+function useHasMyRun(): {
+  hasRun: boolean;
+  isLoading: boolean;
+} {
   const { available, backendUrl } = useBackend();
   const filterQuery = filtersToFilterQuery(parseFilterParam("created_by:me"));
 
-  const { data } = useQuery({
+  const { data, isLoading } = useQuery({
     queryKey: ["onboarding", "myRunCount", backendUrl],
     enabled: available && Boolean(backendUrl),
     staleTime: STALE_MS,
@@ -67,19 +73,23 @@ function useHasMyRun(): boolean {
       return payload.pipeline_runs?.length ?? 0;
     },
   });
-  return (data ?? 0) > 0;
+  return { hasRun: (data ?? 0) > 0, isLoading };
 }
 
 export function OnboardingProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const { track } = useAnalytics();
-  const { data: progress } = useOnboardingProgress();
+  const notify = useToastNotification();
+  const { ready: backendReady, configured } = useBackend();
+  const { data: progress, isLoading: progressLoading } =
+    useOnboardingProgress();
   const persist = usePersistOnboardingProgress();
 
-  const { data: tourCompletions } = useTourCompletions();
+  const { data: tourCompletions, isLoading: toursLoading } =
+    useTourCompletions();
   const hasCompletedTour = Boolean(
     tourCompletions && Object.keys(tourCompletions).length > 0,
   );
-  const hasMyRun = useHasMyRun();
+  const { hasRun: hasMyRun, isLoading: runsLoading } = useHasMyRun();
 
   const stored = progress?.steps;
   const desiredSteps: OnboardingSteps = {
@@ -90,6 +100,8 @@ export function OnboardingProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   };
 
   const isComplete = ONBOARDING_STEP_IDS.every((id) => desiredSteps[id]);
+  const isReady = !progressLoading && !toursLoading && !runsLoading;
+  const isResolved = (backendReady || !configured) && isReady;
 
   const [pipelineWriteCount, setPipelineWriteCount] = useState(0);
 
@@ -116,6 +128,32 @@ export function OnboardingProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
     track("onboarding.step.completed", { step_id: "create_pipeline" });
   }, [pipelineWriteCount, progress, persist, track]);
 
+  const completedRef = useRef<Set<string> | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isResolved) return;
+    const current = new Set(
+      ONBOARDING_STEP_IDS.filter((id) => desiredSteps[id]),
+    );
+    const previous = completedRef.current;
+    completedRef.current = current;
+    if (previous === null) return;
+
+    const newlyCompleted = ONBOARDING_STEP_IDS.filter(
+      (id) => current.has(id) && !previous.has(id),
+    );
+    if (newlyCompleted.length === 0) return;
+
+    if (isComplete) {
+      notify("You're all set up - onboarding complete!", "success");
+      return;
+    }
+    for (const id of newlyCompleted) {
+      const label = ONBOARDING_STEPS.find((step) => step.id === id)?.label;
+      if (label) notify(`Completed: ${label}`, "success");
+    }
+  }, [isResolved, desiredSteps, isComplete, notify]);
+
   const markDocsRead = () => {
     if (!progress || progress.steps.read_docs) return;
     persist({ ...progress, steps: { ...progress.steps, read_docs: true } });
@@ -128,6 +166,7 @@ export function OnboardingProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
     if (!progress || progress.dismissed) return;
     persist({ ...progress, dismissed: true });
     track("onboarding.dismissed");
+    notify("You can resume onboarding from the Learning Hub", "info");
   };
 
   const reopen = () => {
@@ -147,6 +186,8 @@ export function OnboardingProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
     total: steps.length,
     isComplete,
     dismissed: progress?.dismissed ?? false,
+    isReady,
+    isResolved,
     markDocsRead,
     dismiss,
     reopen,
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AppMenuActions.tsx b/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AppMenuActions.tsx
index 3fe3fc8ee..0fe78a982 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AppMenuActions.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/v2/shared/components/AppMenuActions.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Link as RouterLink } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 
+import { OnboardingNavPill } from "@/components/Onboarding/OnboardingNavPill";
 import { isAuthorizationRequired } from "@/components/shared/Authentication/helpers";
 import { TopBarAuthentication } from "@/components/shared/Authentication/TopBarAuthentication";
 import TooltipButton from "@/components/shared/Buttons/TooltipButton";
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ export function AppMenuActions() {
       className="shrink-0"
       data-testid="app-menu-actions"
     >
+      {!tourMode && <OnboardingNavPill />}
       <EditorVersionToggle />
       {tourMode ? (
         <TooltipButton