## CHANGES

- Replaced empty-state button with a helpful Auto Run onboarding panel 🧭
- Added feature highlights for Markdown docs, tasks, and batch execution 📄
- Introduced checkbox-task callout using a new CheckSquare icon ☑️
- Improved “Select Auto Run Folder” button styling and prominence 🎛️
- Auto Run setup now opens native folder picker for local sessions 🗂️
- SSH/remote sessions keep using the modal for path entry securely 🌐
- Setup modal title standardized to “Change Auto Run Folder” everywhere 🏷️
- Updated accessibility labeling to match the new modal title ♿
- Simplified setup-modal tests to reflect unified title behavior 🧪

src/__tests__/renderer/components/AutoRunSetupModal.test.tsx

@@ -95,26 +95,6 @@ describe('AutoRunSetupModal', () => {
       });
 
       expect(screen.getByRole('dialog')).toBeInTheDocument();
-      expect(screen.getByText('Set Up Auto Run')).toBeInTheDocument();
-    });
-
-    it('renders with "Change Auto Run Folder" title when currentFolder is provided', async () => {
-      const onClose = vi.fn();
-      const onFolderSelected = vi.fn();
-
-      renderWithLayerStack(
-        <AutoRunSetupModal
-          theme={theme}
-          onClose={onClose}
-          onFolderSelected={onFolderSelected}
-          currentFolder="/existing/folder"
-        />
-      );
-
-      await act(async () => {
-        await vi.runAllTimersAsync();
-      });
-
       expect(screen.getByText('Change Auto Run Folder')).toBeInTheDocument();
     });
 
@@ -136,7 +116,7 @@ describe('AutoRunSetupModal', () => {
 
       const dialog = screen.getByRole('dialog');
       expect(dialog).toHaveAttribute('aria-modal', 'true');
-      expect(dialog).toHaveAttribute('aria-label', 'Set Up Auto Run');
+      expect(dialog).toHaveAttribute('aria-label', 'Change Auto Run Folder');
     });
 
     it('renders close button with X icon', async () => {
@@ -1661,7 +1641,7 @@ describe('AutoRunSetupModal', () => {
         await vi.runAllTimersAsync();
       });
 
-      expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Set Up Auto Run' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: 'Change Auto Run Folder' })).toBeInTheDocument();
     });
 
     it('has labeled input field', async () => {

src/renderer/components/AutoRun.tsx

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React, { useState, useRef, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useCallback, memo,
 import ReactMarkdown from 'react-markdown';
 import remarkGfm from 'remark-gfm';
 import rehypeSlug from 'rehype-slug';
-import { Eye, Edit, Play, Square, HelpCircle, Loader2, Image, X, Search, ChevronDown, ChevronRight, FolderOpen, FileText, RefreshCw, Maximize2, AlertTriangle, SkipForward, XCircle, RotateCcw, LayoutGrid } from 'lucide-react';
+import { Eye, Edit, Play, Square, HelpCircle, Loader2, Image, X, Search, ChevronDown, ChevronRight, FolderOpen, FileText, RefreshCw, Maximize2, AlertTriangle, SkipForward, XCircle, RotateCcw, LayoutGrid, CheckSquare } from 'lucide-react';
 import { getEncoder, formatTokenCount } from '../utils/tokenCounter';
 import type { BatchRunState, SessionState, Theme, Shortcut } from '../types';
 import type { FileNode } from '../types/fileTree';
@@ -1307,20 +1307,70 @@ const AutoRunInner = forwardRef<AutoRunHandle, AutoRunProps>(function AutoRunInn
         }
       }}
     >
-      {/* No folder selected - show centered button only */}
+      {/* No folder selected - show setup content inline */}
       {!folderPath && (
-        <div className="flex-1 flex items-center justify-center">
-          <button
-            onClick={onOpenSetup}
-            className="flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1.5 rounded text-xs font-medium transition-colors hover:opacity-90"
-            style={{
-              backgroundColor: theme.colors.accent,
-              color: theme.colors.accentForeground,
-            }}
-          >
-            <FolderOpen className="w-3.5 h-3.5" />
-            Select Auto Run Folder
-          </button>
+        <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col items-center justify-center px-4">
+          <div className="max-w-sm space-y-4">
+            {/* Explanation */}
+            <p className="text-sm leading-relaxed text-center" style={{ color: theme.colors.textMain }}>
+              Auto Run lets you manage and execute Markdown documents containing open tasks.
+              Select a folder that contains your task documents.
+            </p>
+
+            {/* Feature list */}
+            <div className="space-y-3">
+              <div className="flex items-start gap-3">
+                <FileText className="w-5 h-5 mt-0.5 flex-shrink-0" style={{ color: theme.colors.accent }} />
+                <div>
+                  <div className="text-sm font-medium" style={{ color: theme.colors.textMain }}>
+                    Markdown Documents
+                  </div>
+                  <div className="text-xs" style={{ color: theme.colors.textDim }}>
+                    Each .md file in your folder becomes a runnable document
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+
+              <div className="flex items-start gap-3">
+                <CheckSquare className="w-5 h-5 mt-0.5 flex-shrink-0" style={{ color: theme.colors.accent }} />
+                <div>
+                  <div className="text-sm font-medium" style={{ color: theme.colors.textMain }}>
+                    Checkbox Tasks
+                  </div>
+                  <div className="text-xs" style={{ color: theme.colors.textDim }}>
+                    Use markdown checkboxes (- [ ]) to define tasks that can be automated
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+
+              <div className="flex items-start gap-3">
+                <Play className="w-5 h-5 mt-0.5 flex-shrink-0" style={{ color: theme.colors.accent }} />
+                <div>
+                  <div className="text-sm font-medium" style={{ color: theme.colors.textMain }}>
+                    Batch Execution
+                  </div>
+                  <div className="text-xs" style={{ color: theme.colors.textDim }}>
+                    Run multiple documents in sequence with loop and reset options
+                  </div>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+
+            {/* Select Folder Button */}
+            <div className="pt-2 flex justify-center">
+              <button
+                onClick={onOpenSetup}
+                className="flex items-center gap-1.5 px-4 py-2 rounded text-sm font-medium transition-colors hover:opacity-90"
+                style={{
+                  backgroundColor: theme.colors.accent,
+                  color: theme.colors.accentForeground,
+                }}
+              >
+                <FolderOpen className="w-4 h-4" />
+                Select Auto Run Folder
+              </button>
+            </div>
+          </div>
         </div>
       )}
 

src/renderer/components/AutoRunSetupModal.tsx

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ interface AutoRunSetupModalProps {
   theme: Theme;
   onClose: () => void;
   onFolderSelected: (folderPath: string) => void;
-  currentFolder?: string; // If changing existing folder
+  currentFolder?: string; // Current folder path (for changing existing folder)
   sessionName?: string; // Name of the agent session
   sshRemoteId?: string; // SSH remote ID if agent uses remote execution
   sshRemoteHost?: string; // SSH remote host for tooltip display
@@ -135,13 +135,11 @@ export function AutoRunSetupModal({ theme, onClose, onFolderSelected, currentFol
     }
   };
 
-  const modalTitle = currentFolder ? 'Change Auto Run Folder' : 'Set Up Auto Run';
-
   return (
     <div onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}>
       <Modal
         theme={theme}
-        title={modalTitle}
+        title="Change Auto Run Folder"
         priority={MODAL_PRIORITIES.AUTORUN_SETUP}
         onClose={onClose}
         width={520}

src/renderer/hooks/batch/useAutoRunHandlers.ts

@@ -294,9 +294,27 @@ export function useAutoRunHandlers(
   }, [activeSession?.autoRunFolderPath, activeSession?.sshRemoteId, activeSession?.sessionSshRemoteConfig?.remoteId, autoRunDocumentList.length, setAutoRunDocumentList, setAutoRunDocumentTree, setAutoRunIsLoadingDocuments, setSuccessFlashNotification]);
 
   // Auto Run open setup handler
-  const handleAutoRunOpenSetup = useCallback(() => {
-    setAutoRunSetupModalOpen(true);
-  }, [setAutoRunSetupModalOpen]);
+  // If no folder is configured, directly open folder picker
+  // If folder exists, open modal to allow changing it
+  const handleAutoRunOpenSetup = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (activeSession?.autoRunFolderPath) {
+      // Folder exists - open modal to change it
+      setAutoRunSetupModalOpen(true);
+    } else {
+      // No folder - directly open folder picker
+      const sshRemoteId = getSshRemoteId(activeSession);
+      if (sshRemoteId) {
+        // SSH remote session - must use modal for path input (no folder picker)
+        setAutoRunSetupModalOpen(true);
+      } else {
+        // Local session - use native folder picker
+        const folder = await window.maestro.dialog.selectFolder();
+        if (folder) {
+          handleAutoRunFolderSelected(folder);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }, [activeSession?.autoRunFolderPath, activeSession, setAutoRunSetupModalOpen, handleAutoRunFolderSelected]);
 
   // Auto Run create new document handler
   const handleAutoRunCreateDocument = useCallback(async (filename: string): Promise<boolean> => {