diff --git a/controlplane/src/index.ts b/controlplane/src/index.ts
index 4f7e530a..15a1608c 100644
--- a/controlplane/src/index.ts
+++ b/controlplane/src/index.ts
@@ -915,6 +915,8 @@ async function handleRequest(request: Request, env: EnvWithBindings, ctx: Pick<E
     if (authError) return authError;
     try {
       await initializeDatabase(env.DB);
+      // Seed curated starter templates on desktop (no-op on cloud + after first run).
+      await templates.seedStarterTemplates(env);
     } catch (err: unknown) {
       const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
       console.error('[init-db] FAILED:', msg, err);
diff --git a/controlplane/src/templates/handler.ts b/controlplane/src/templates/handler.ts
index 0b9fb317..4a3e49d7 100644
--- a/controlplane/src/templates/handler.ts
+++ b/controlplane/src/templates/handler.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 import type { Env } from '../types';
 import { scrubItemContent, type DashboardItemType } from './scrubber';
+import starterTemplates from './starter-templates.json';
 
 /**
  * Ensure the status and viewport_json columns exist on dashboard_templates.
@@ -59,6 +60,51 @@ export interface TemplateEdge {
   targetHandle?: string;
 }
 
+// Starter templates seeded into a fresh desktop DB — verbatim copies of the
+// curated prod templates (the cloud has real user-submitted templates; desktop
+// starts empty). Block/edge/viewport data lives in starter-templates.json.
+
+/**
+ * Seed the curated starter templates into a fresh desktop DB. Desktop only
+ * (SURFACE_TOKEN is set only by the desktop app) and once per DB (a schema
+ * marker, so a user who deletes them isn't re-seeded). Called from /init-db.
+ */
+export async function seedStarterTemplates(env: Env): Promise<void> {
+  if (!env.SURFACE_TOKEN) return;
+  await ensureTemplateColumns(env);
+
+  const marker = 'seed_desktop_starter_templates_v2';
+  const already = await env.DB.prepare(
+    `SELECT 1 FROM schema_migrations WHERE name = ?`
+  ).bind(marker).first();
+  if (already) return;
+
+  // Drop the earlier hand-made starters, superseded by these prod copies.
+  await env.DB.prepare(
+    `DELETE FROM dashboard_templates WHERE id IN
+     ('starter-agentic-coding', 'starter-automation', 'starter-documentation')`
+  ).run();
+
+  const now = new Date().toISOString();
+  for (const t of starterTemplates) {
+    await env.DB.prepare(
+      `INSERT INTO dashboard_templates
+       (id, name, description, category, author_id, author_name,
+        items_json, edges_json, viewport_json, item_count, is_featured, status, created_at, updated_at)
+       VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, 'orcabot', 'Orcabot', ?, ?, ?, ?, 1, 'approved', ?, ?)
+       ON CONFLICT(id) DO NOTHING`
+    ).bind(
+      t.id, t.name, t.description, t.category,
+      JSON.stringify(t.items), JSON.stringify(t.edges),
+      t.viewport ? JSON.stringify(t.viewport) : null,
+      t.itemCount, now, now
+    ).run();
+  }
+  await env.DB.prepare(
+    `INSERT INTO schema_migrations (name) VALUES (?)`
+  ).bind(marker).run();
+}
+
 /**
  * Dashboard template (summary for listing)
  */
diff --git a/controlplane/src/templates/starter-templates.json b/controlplane/src/templates/starter-templates.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8261e752
--- /dev/null
+++ b/controlplane/src/templates/starter-templates.json
@@ -0,0 +1,353 @@
+[
+  {
+    "id": "starter-council-of-experts",
+    "name": "Council of Experts",
+    "description": "Send your prompt to multiple LLMs",
+    "category": "custom",
+    "items": [
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_0",
+        "type": "prompt",
+        "content": "",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 784,
+          "y": 0
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 392,
+          "height": 208
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_1",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Gemini CLI\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"gemini\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 480,
+          "y": 272
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 480,
+          "height": 500
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_2",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Gemini CLI\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"gemini\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 1008,
+          "y": 272
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 480,
+          "height": 500
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_3",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Claude Code\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"claude\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 1552,
+          "y": 256
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 480,
+          "height": 500
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_4",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Codex\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"codex\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": -64,
+          "y": 256
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 480,
+          "height": 500
+        }
+      }
+    ],
+    "edges": [
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_1",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_2",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_3",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_4",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      }
+    ],
+    "viewport": {
+      "x": 243.61111437832903,
+      "y": 166.49999816035023,
+      "zoom": 0.6944444444444445
+    },
+    "itemCount": 5
+  },
+  {
+    "id": "starter-code-and-review",
+    "name": "Code and Review",
+    "description": "Have one agent review the code of another",
+    "category": "coding",
+    "items": [
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_0",
+        "type": "prompt",
+        "content": "Start work on new feature X",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 256,
+          "y": -176
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 440,
+          "height": 144
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_1",
+        "type": "prompt",
+        "content": "Review the latest changes",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 864,
+          "y": 48
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 312,
+          "height": 144
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_2",
+        "type": "browser",
+        "content": "",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 1312,
+          "y": 0
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 680,
+          "height": 480
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_3",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Terminal\",\"agentic\":false,\"bootCommand\":\"cd \\\"$HOME/github/robdmac/turtledash\\\" && exec bash\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 1376,
+          "y": -208
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 576,
+          "height": 200
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_4",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Claude Code\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"cd \\\"$HOME/github\\\" && claude\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 240,
+          "y": 48
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 496,
+          "height": 692
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_5",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Codex\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"codex\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 784,
+          "y": 240
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 480,
+          "height": 500
+        }
+      }
+    ],
+    "edges": [
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_4",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_1",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_5",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_4",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_1",
+        "sourceHandle": "right-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_5",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_4",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "left-in"
+      }
+    ],
+    "viewport": {
+      "x": 8.070002649095425,
+      "y": 253.78388832963515,
+      "zoom": 0.7925
+    },
+    "itemCount": 6
+  },
+  {
+    "id": "starter-agents-chess",
+    "name": "Agents Chess",
+    "description": "Comparing agents chess skills.",
+    "category": "custom",
+    "items": [
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_0",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Gemini CLI\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"gemini\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 896,
+          "y": 48
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 480,
+          "height": 500
+        },
+        "metadata": {
+          "minimized": false,
+          "expandedSize": {
+            "width": 480,
+            "height": 500
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_1",
+        "type": "terminal",
+        "content": "{\"name\":\"Claude Code\",\"agentic\":true,\"bootCommand\":\"claude\",\"subagentIds\":[],\"skillIds\":[],\"mcpToolIds\":[]}",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 240,
+          "y": 48
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 480,
+          "height": 500
+        },
+        "metadata": {
+          "minimized": false,
+          "expandedSize": {
+            "width": 480,
+            "height": 500
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_2",
+        "type": "prompt",
+        "content": "Lets play chess. You are white so you can go first...",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 256,
+          "y": -176
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 440,
+          "height": 144
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_3",
+        "type": "note",
+        "content": "",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 240,
+          "y": 608
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 472,
+          "height": 280
+        }
+      },
+      {
+        "placeholderId": "item_4",
+        "type": "note",
+        "content": "",
+        "position": {
+          "x": 896,
+          "y": 608
+        },
+        "size": {
+          "width": 472,
+          "height": 280
+        },
+        "metadata": {
+          "color": "blue"
+        }
+      }
+    ],
+    "edges": [
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_2",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_1",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_1",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_3",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_1",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_4",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      },
+      {
+        "sourcePlaceholderId": "item_0",
+        "targetPlaceholderId": "item_1",
+        "sourceHandle": "bottom-out",
+        "targetHandle": "top-in"
+      }
+    ],
+    "viewport": {
+      "x": 209.1131436314363,
+      "y": 186.37127371273712,
+      "zoom": 0.6876693766937669
+    },
+    "itemCount": 5
+  }
+]
\ No newline at end of file