diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 844e7a7..3d66a99 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
### Added
+- Empty-state improvements — all list views now show a contextual title and an actionable hint; search result empty states include a "Clear search" link; history and stats link to active jobs; processes and recurring tasks explain what to do next
- Inline notifications — bulk and single-job actions now surface a flash notice; Turbo Stream discard responses prepend the message to the page without a full reload; bulk discard/retry counts are shown ("3 jobs discarded")
- Dark mode — toggle button in the header switches between light and dark palettes; preference persisted in `localStorage`; respects `prefers-color-scheme` on first visit; driven entirely by CSS custom properties on `[data-theme="dark"]`
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0530615..8aa40af 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ The dashboard will be available at `/solid_stack` (or whatever path you choose).
- **Auto-refresh** — dashboard, jobs, processes, and history views poll automatically; pauses when the tab is hidden or a checkbox is checked; intervals configurable via `dashboard_refresh_interval` and `default_refresh_interval`
- **Turbo Stream** job discard — removes the row inline without a full page reload
- **Dark mode** — toggle button in the header switches between light and dark palettes; preference persisted in `localStorage`; respects `prefers-color-scheme` on first visit
+- **Empty-state improvements** — all list views show a contextual title and an actionable hint; search empty states include a "Clear search" link; filters-active history view offers "Clear filters"; processes and recurring tasks explain the next step
- **Inline notifications** — bulk and single-job actions surface a flash notice; Turbo Stream discard responses inject the message inline without a full page reload; bulk actions report the affected count ("3 jobs discarded")
### Configuration
diff --git a/ROADMAP.md b/ROADMAP.md
index 0991d69..ae7bbc7 100644
--- a/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/ROADMAP.md
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ The path to v1.0.0 is staged: first achieve feature parity with `solid_queue_das
> _Make the interface feel fast and operational, not just functional._
### Added
-- **Empty-state improvements** — contextual empty states per section with actionable next steps
- **Responsive layout** — stats cards and tables adapt to narrow viewports
- **CSS audit** — review all inline styles, consolidate utility classes, remove duplication, and enforce consistent use of CSS custom properties across all stylesheets
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/solid_stack_web/_04_table.css b/app/assets/stylesheets/solid_stack_web/_04_table.css
index 9130597..0b1ce4e 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/solid_stack_web/_04_table.css
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/solid_stack_web/_04_table.css
@@ -42,3 +42,15 @@
text-align: center;
color: var(--muted);
}
+
+.sqw-empty__title {
+ font-size: 15px;
+ font-weight: 600;
+ color: var(--text);
+ margin-bottom: 0.375rem;
+}
+
+.sqw-empty__hint {
+ font-size: 13px;
+ margin-top: 0.375rem;
+}
diff --git a/app/views/solid_stack_web/cable/index.html.erb b/app/views/solid_stack_web/cable/index.html.erb
index 552b21d..35c9d2b 100644
--- a/app/views/solid_stack_web/cable/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/solid_stack_web/cable/index.html.erb
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@
<% else %>
-
<%= @search.present? ? "No channels matching “#{@search}”.".html_safe : "No cable messages." %>
+ <% if @search.present? %>
+
No channels matching “<%= @search %>”
+
<%= link_to "Clear search", cable_path %>
+ <% else %>
+
No cable messages
+
Messages will appear here once clients connect and broadcast over Action Cable.
+ <% end %>
-
<%= @search.present? ? "No messages matching “#{@search}”.".html_safe : "No messages for this channel." %>
+ <% if @search.present? %>
+
No messages matching “<%= @search %>”
+
<%= link_to "Clear search", cable_channel_messages_path(params[:channel_hash]) %>
+ <% else %>
+
No messages for this channel
+
Messages may have been purged or the channel has gone quiet. <%= link_to "Back to channels →", cable_path %>
+ <% end %>
-
<%= @search.present? ? "No entries matching “#{@search}”.".html_safe : "No cache entries." %>
+ <% if @search.present? %>
+
No entries matching “<%= @search %>”
+
<%= link_to "Clear search", cache_entries_path %>
+ <% else %>
+
No cache entries
+
Entries will appear here once your application writes to the cache.
+ <% end %>
-
No failed jobs.
+
No failed jobs
+
All clear — your jobs are running without errors.
-
No finished jobs found.
+ <% if @search.present? || @queue.present? || @period.present? %>
+
No finished jobs match your filters
+
<%= link_to "Clear filters", history_path %>
+ <% else %>
+
No finished jobs yet
+
Completed jobs will appear here once workers process them.
+ <% end %>
-
No <%= @status %> jobs.
-
No <%= @status %> jobs matching “<%= @search %>”
+ <%= link_to "Clear search", jobs_path(status: @status) %>
+ <% else %>
+ No <%= @status %> jobs
+
+ <% case @status %>
+ <% when "ready" %>
+ Jobs will appear here once they are enqueued and ready to be picked up.
+ <% when "scheduled" %>
+ No jobs are scheduled to run in the future.
+ <% when "claimed" %>
+ No jobs are currently being processed by a worker.
+ <% when "blocked" %>
+ No jobs are blocked by concurrency controls.
+ <% end %>
+
+ <% end %>
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views/solid_stack_web/processes/index.html.erb b/app/views/solid_stack_web/processes/index.html.erb
index 512e933..3dbf02f 100644
--- a/app/views/solid_stack_web/processes/index.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/solid_stack_web/processes/index.html.erb
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
<% else %>
-
No active processes.
+
No active processes
+
Start a Solid Queue worker to begin processing jobs.
-
No queues with ready jobs.
+
No queues with ready jobs
+
Workers are idle or all jobs are in another state. <%= link_to "Check job statuses →", jobs_path %>
-
No recurring tasks configured.
+
No recurring tasks configured
+
Define recurring tasks in your Solid Queue configuration to see them here.
-
No finished jobs yet.
+
No finished jobs yet
+
Performance stats appear here once jobs complete. <%= link_to "View active jobs →", jobs_path %>