diff --git a/web/src/defaults.js b/web/src/defaults.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01a0a18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/defaults.js
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// defaults.js - demo-friendly defaults so views work with one click (or none).
+// Each picker falls back to "" so the form still validates when data is absent.
+
+export function pickFirst(items) {
+  const list = Array.isArray(items) ? items : [];
+  return list.length ? list[0] : null;
+}
+
+// pickLatestSnapshot returns the snapshot with the newest observed time.
+export function pickLatestSnapshot(snaps) {
+  let best = null;
+  for (const s of Array.isArray(snaps) ? snaps : []) {
+    const t = s.at ? new Date(s.at).getTime() : 0;
+    if (!best || t > new Date(best.at).getTime()) best = s;
+  }
+  return best;
+}
+
+// pickNamespace returns the most common namespace across streams.
+export function pickNamespace(streams) {
+  const counts = new Map();
+  for (const st of Array.isArray(streams) ? streams : []) {
+    if (!st.namespace) continue;
+    counts.set(st.namespace, (counts.get(st.namespace) || 0) + 1);
+  }
+  let best = '';
+  let bestCount = 0;
+  for (const [ns, c] of counts) {
+    if (c > bestCount) { best = ns; bestCount = c; }
+  }
+  return best;
+}
+
+// pickObject returns the first observed object {namespace, name}.
+export function pickObject(events) {
+  for (const ev of Array.isArray(events) ? events : []) {
+    if (ev.namespace && ev.name) return { namespace: ev.namespace, name: ev.name };
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+// setSelect assigns a value and fires change so dependent options rebuild.
+export function setSelect(sel, value) {
+  sel.value = value || '';
+  sel.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
+}
diff --git a/web/src/views/diff.js b/web/src/views/diff.js
index e150042..6cdb18a 100644
--- a/web/src/views/diff.js
+++ b/web/src/views/diff.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 // list every path with added/removed/modified badges.
 import { api } from '../api.js';
 import { el, asList, badge, fmtTime, field, formCard } from '../util.js';
+import { pickFirst, pickNamespace, setSelect } from '../defaults.js';
 
 const toLocalInput = (d) => {
   const p = (n) => String(n).padStart(2, '0');
@@ -12,7 +13,9 @@ const toLocalInput = (d) => {
 
 export async function viewDiff(mount) {
   mount.appendChild(el('h1', { textContent: 'JSON diff' }));
-  const clusters = asList(await api.clusters().catch(() => []));
+  const [c, s] = await Promise.all([api.clusters().catch(() => []), api.streams().catch(() => [])]);
+  const clusters = asList(c);
+  const streams = asList(s);
 
   const clusterSel = el('select');
   clusterSel.appendChild(el('option', { value: '', textContent: '— cluster —' }));
@@ -22,13 +25,14 @@ export async function viewDiff(mount) {
   const sinceInput = el('input', { type: 'datetime-local', step: '1', value: toLocalInput(new Date(Date.now() - 3600e3)) });
   const untilInput = el('input', { type: 'datetime-local', step: '1', value: toLocalInput(new Date()) });
 
+  const defCluster = pickFirst(clusters);
+  const defNs = pickNamespace(streams);
+  if (defCluster) setSelect(clusterSel, defCluster.id);
+  if (defNs) namespaceInput.value = defNs;
+
   const results = el('div');
-  mount.appendChild(formCard([
-    field('cluster', clusterSel),
-    field('namespace', namespaceInput),
-    field('before (observed)', sinceInput),
-    field('after (observed)', untilInput),
-  ], 'show diff', async () => {
+
+  async function run() {
     results.textContent = '';
     if (!clusterSel.value || !namespaceInput.value.trim() || !sinceInput.value || !untilInput.value) {
       results.appendChild(el('div', { className: 'notice warn', textContent: 'cluster, namespace, before and after are required.' }));
@@ -49,8 +53,17 @@ export async function viewDiff(mount) {
       results.textContent = '';
       results.appendChild(el('div', { className: 'notice error', textContent: err.message || String(err) }));
     }
-  }));
+  }
+
+  mount.appendChild(formCard([
+    field('cluster', clusterSel),
+    field('namespace', namespaceInput),
+    field('before (observed)', sinceInput),
+    field('after (observed)', untilInput),
+  ], 'show diff', run));
   mount.appendChild(results);
+
+  run();
 }
 
 function renderDiff(results, data) {
diff --git a/web/src/views/plans.js b/web/src/views/plans.js
index efd4540..f5a8550 100644
--- a/web/src/views/plans.js
+++ b/web/src/views/plans.js
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 // Replay plans: create (POST /v1/replay-plans), review objects/exclusions, dry-run.
 import { api } from '../api.js';
 import { el, asList, simpleTable, badge, fmtTime, field, formCard } from '../util.js';
+import { pickFirst, pickLatestSnapshot, pickNamespace, setSelect } from '../defaults.js';
 
 export async function viewPlans(mount) {
   mount.appendChild(el('h1', { textContent: 'Replay plans' }));
 
-  const [clusters, snaps] = await Promise.all([api.clusters().catch(() => []), api.snapshots().catch(() => [])]);
+  const [clusters, snaps, streams] = await Promise.all([
+    api.clusters().catch(() => []),
+    api.snapshots().catch(() => []),
+    api.streams().catch(() => []),
+  ]);
   const clusterList = asList(clusters);
   const snapshotList = asList(snaps);
+  const streamList = asList(streams);
 
   const clusterSel = el('select');
   clusterSel.appendChild(el('option', { value: '', textContent: '— cluster —' }));
@@ -29,13 +35,39 @@ export async function viewPlans(mount) {
   const sourceInput = el('input', { type: 'text', placeholder: 'source namespace' });
   const targetInput = el('input', { type: 'text', placeholder: 'target namespace' });
   const list = el('div', { className: 'plan-list' });
+  let bootstrapped = false;
+
+  const defCluster = pickFirst(clusterList);
+  const defSnapshot = pickLatestSnapshot(snapshotList);
+  const defNs = pickNamespace(streamList);
+  if (defCluster) setSelect(clusterSel, defCluster.id);
+  fillSnapshots();
+  if (defSnapshot && (!clusterSel.value || defSnapshot.cluster_id === clusterSel.value)) snapshotSel.value = defSnapshot.id;
+  if (defNs) {
+    sourceInput.value = defNs;
+    targetInput.value = defNs ? `${defNs}-copy` : '';
+  }
+
+  async function create(body) {
+    list.textContent = '';
+    list.appendChild(el('p', { className: 'muted', textContent: 'creating plan…' }));
+    try {
+      const plan = await api.createPlan(body);
+      list.textContent = '';
+      if (plan && plan.id) list.appendChild(planCard(plan));
+      await load();
+    } catch (err) {
+      list.textContent = '';
+      list.appendChild(el('div', { className: 'notice error', textContent: err.message || String(err) }));
+    }
+  }
 
   mount.appendChild(formCard([
     field('cluster', clusterSel),
     field('snapshot', snapshotSel),
     field('source namespace', sourceInput),
     field('target namespace', targetInput),
-  ], 'create plan', async () => {
+  ], 'create plan', () => {
     list.textContent = '';
     const body = {
       cluster_id: clusterSel.value,
@@ -47,16 +79,7 @@ export async function viewPlans(mount) {
       list.appendChild(el('div', { className: 'notice warn', textContent: 'cluster, snapshot, source and target namespace are required.' }));
       return;
     }
-    list.appendChild(el('p', { className: 'muted', textContent: 'creating plan…' }));
-    try {
-      const plan = await api.createPlan(body);
-      list.textContent = '';
-      if (plan && plan.id) list.appendChild(planCard(plan));
-      await load();
-    } catch (err) {
-      list.textContent = '';
-      list.appendChild(el('div', { className: 'notice error', textContent: err.message || String(err) }));
-    }
+    create(body);
   }));
   mount.appendChild(list);
 
@@ -68,6 +91,7 @@ export async function viewPlans(mount) {
       list.textContent = '';
       if (!plans.length) {
         list.appendChild(el('p', { className: 'muted', textContent: 'No plans yet — create one above.' }));
+        bootstrapIfEmpty();
         return;
       }
       for (const p of plans) list.appendChild(planCard(p));
@@ -77,6 +101,23 @@ export async function viewPlans(mount) {
     }
   }
   await load();
+
+  // Demo bootstrap: with a real cluster + snapshot, auto-create one plan so a
+  // visitor sees a populated page without filling the form.
+  async function bootstrapIfEmpty() {
+    if (bootstrapped) return;
+    bootstrapped = true;
+    const body = {
+      cluster_id: clusterSel.value,
+      snapshot_id: snapshotSel.value,
+      source_namespace: sourceInput.value.trim(),
+      target_namespace: targetInput.value.trim(),
+    };
+    if (!body.cluster_id || !body.snapshot_id || !body.source_namespace || !body.target_namespace) return;
+    const plans = asList(await api.plans().catch(() => []));
+    if (plans.length) return;
+    create(body);
+  }
 }
 
 const itemName = (x) => (x.namespace ? `${x.namespace}/${x.name}` : x.name);
diff --git a/web/src/views/timeline.js b/web/src/views/timeline.js
index 64a679b..ebbbd70 100644
--- a/web/src/views/timeline.js
+++ b/web/src/views/timeline.js
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 // Object timeline: observed events for one object, with GAP rows shown distinctly.
 import { api } from '../api.js';
 import { el, asList, badge, watchBadge, fmtTime, streamLabel, streamTitle, field, formCard } from '../util.js';
+import { pickFirst, pickObject, setSelect } from '../defaults.js';
 
 export async function viewTimeline(mount) {
   mount.appendChild(el('h1', { textContent: 'Object timeline' }));
-  const [clusters, streams] = await Promise.all([api.clusters().catch(() => []), api.streams().catch(() => [])]);
+  const [clusters, streams, evs] = await Promise.all([
+    api.clusters().catch(() => []),
+    api.streams().catch(() => []),
+    api.events({ limit: 30 }).catch(() => []),
+  ]);
   const clusterList = asList(clusters);
   const streamList = asList(streams);
+  const events = asList(evs);
 
   const clusterSel = el('select');
   clusterSel.appendChild(el('option', { value: '', textContent: '— cluster —' }));
@@ -29,14 +35,20 @@ export async function viewTimeline(mount) {
   const nameInput = el('input', { type: 'text', placeholder: 'name' });
   const sinceInput = el('input', { type: 'number', min: '1', max: '8760', value: '24' });
 
+  const defCluster = pickFirst(clusterList);
+  const defObject = pickObject(events);
+  if (defCluster) setSelect(clusterSel, defCluster.id);
+  fillStreams();
+  const defStream = streamList.find((st) => st.cluster_id === (defCluster && defCluster.id)) || pickFirst(streamList);
+  if (defStream) streamSel.value = defStream.id;
+  if (defObject) {
+    namespaceInput.value = defObject.namespace;
+    nameInput.value = defObject.name;
+  }
+
   const results = el('div');
-  mount.appendChild(formCard([
-    field('cluster', clusterSel),
-    field('stream', streamSel),
-    field('namespace', namespaceInput),
-    field('name', nameInput),
-    field('since (hours)', sinceInput),
-  ], 'show timeline', async () => {
+
+  async function run() {
     results.textContent = '';
     const cluster = clusterSel.value;
     const stream = streamSel.value;
@@ -57,8 +69,18 @@ export async function viewTimeline(mount) {
       results.textContent = '';
       results.appendChild(el('div', { className: 'notice error', textContent: err.message || String(err) }));
     }
-  }));
+  }
+
+  mount.appendChild(formCard([
+    field('cluster', clusterSel),
+    field('stream', streamSel),
+    field('namespace', namespaceInput),
+    field('name', nameInput),
+    field('since (hours)', sinceInput),
+  ], 'show timeline', run));
   mount.appendChild(results);
+
+  run();
 }
 
 function renderHistory(results, data) {