diff --git a/internal/mcp/agent_guide.go b/internal/mcp/agent_guide.go
index 1e9488c0..74d9780b 100644
--- a/internal/mcp/agent_guide.go
+++ b/internal/mcp/agent_guide.go
@@ -300,6 +300,7 @@ func publishDomainDecision() *toolforge.GuideDecisionBuilder {
 			Detail(publishCidLead.Then(htmlRootClause).
 				Static("Call websites_create with only {\"cid\": \"<cid>\"} — no domain, no label, no platform. The platform auto-generates a subdomain and manages DNS. Do NOT invent a label or call websites_platform_domain_availability. Do not infer a desire for custom naming from a generic request to create or publish a website.").
 				Then(validateAfterCreateClause).
+				Then(cdnDeployNoticeClause).
 				Then(reconcileNoSleep).
 				Then(siteBundleUpload())),
 		toolforge.Branch("Yes — user explicitly supplied or requested a specific label (e.g. \"call it acme\", \"use myapp\")").
@@ -307,11 +308,13 @@ func publishDomainDecision() *toolforge.GuideDecisionBuilder {
 			Detail(publishCidLead.Then(htmlRootClause).
 				Static("List platform roots with websites_platform_domains_list, then check the label is claimable with websites_platform_domain_availability <label>, then call websites_create with {\"cid\": \"<cid>\", \"platform\": true, \"label\": \"<label>\"}. Only use this branch when the user explicitly named a label — never invent one to perform the availability step.").
 				Then(validateAfterCreateClause).
+				Then(cdnDeployNoticeClause).
 				Then(reconcilePlain)),
 		toolforge.Branch("Yes — user owns a custom domain (e.g. example.com)").
 			Steps("websites_create", "websites_validate").
 			Detail(publishCidLead.Then(htmlRootClause).
 				Static("Call websites_create with {\"cid\": \"<cid>\", \"website\": \"<domain>\"}. The domain is used directly as a custom domain (not a platform subdomain). Read pinner://websites/<domain>/dns-requirements for DNS records to publish. If dns_hosting=true (managed), DNS is reconciled asynchronously — validation may report the old CID right after the update; that is reconciliation lag, not failure, so re-call websites_validate without starting a new flow. If self-managed, publish the _dnslink TXT and validation TXT before calling websites_validate.").
+				Then(cdnDeployNoticeClause).
 				Static("For a Handshake (alt-root) name such as acme/ (i.e. the user has a Handshake domain, not an ICANN TLD domain), pass {\"namespace\": \"hns\"} alongside the website so the site binds under the HNS namespace. Read pinner://websites/<domain>/dns-requirements for the HNS delegation bundle and publish the parent NS/DS/GLUE records on-chain in the HNS wallet; with managed DNS the authoritative side is handled for you.")),
 	)
 }
@@ -435,7 +438,8 @@ func buildAgentGuide(profile *hostenv.PlatformProfile) AgentGuide {
 			))).
 		Flow(toolforge.Flow("update_website", "Update an existing website").
 			Steps("websites_get", "websites_update", "websites_validate").
-			Detail(toolforge.Static("Update a deployed website's content without recreating it. 1) websites_get <domain> first to capture the current target_type and dns_hosting_enabled — never guess them. 2) If the new CID is external, pins_add it first; updating an unpinned CID returns CidNotPinned. 3) websites_update <domain> with the new cid (target-type is inherited when omitted; change it only when intentionally switching IPFS<->IPNS). 4) websites_validate. If DNS hosting is managed, validation may report the old CID right after the update — that is reconciliation lag, not failure; re-call websites_validate without starting a new flow."))).
+			Detail(toolforge.Static("Update a deployed website's content without recreating it. 1) websites_get <domain> first to capture the current target_type and dns_hosting_enabled — never guess them. 2) If the new CID is external, pins_add it first; updating an unpinned CID returns CidNotPinned. 3) websites_update <domain> with the new cid (target-type is inherited when omitted; change it only when intentionally switching IPFS<->IPNS). 4) websites_validate. If DNS hosting is managed, validation may report the old CID right after the update — that is reconciliation lag, not failure; re-call websites_validate without starting a new flow.").
+				Then(cdnDeployNoticeClause))).
 		Resolve(p)
 
 	// The resolved guide is filtered to the server surface: flows whose
diff --git a/internal/mcp/agent_guide_test.go b/internal/mcp/agent_guide_test.go
index 4b49c7dc..6ac7a5e8 100644
--- a/internal/mcp/agent_guide_test.go
+++ b/internal/mcp/agent_guide_test.go
@@ -381,6 +381,39 @@ func TestAgentGuidePublishBranchesPerProfile(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestAgentGuideCDNDeployNotice verifies every website publish path (generic
+// platform subdomain, explicit label, custom domain) and the update flow tells
+// the agent to inform the user that CDN deployment can take up to 5 minutes, so
+// the user is set to expect the site to not be reachable at its URL immediately.
+func TestAgentGuideCDNDeployNotice(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, p := range []*hostenv.PlatformProfile{
+		strPtr(hostenv.ProfileStdioGeneric),
+		strPtr(hostenv.ProfileHTTPGeneric),
+		strPtr(hostenv.ProfileGrokHTTP),
+		strPtr(hostenv.ProfileOpenAITunnel),
+	} {
+		guide := buildAgentGuide(p)
+
+		pub := guideFlowByName(t, guide, "publish_website")
+		require.NotNil(t, pub.Decision, "publish_website must be a decision flow for %s", p.Transport)
+		var domain *GuideDecision
+		for _, br := range pub.Decision.Branches {
+			if domain == nil && br.Next != nil {
+				domain = br.Next
+			}
+		}
+		require.NotNil(t, domain, "publish_website must nest the domain decision for %s", p.Transport)
+		require.Len(t, domain.Branches, 3, "publish_website must keep the generic/label/custom-domain branches for %s", p.Transport)
+		for _, br := range domain.Branches {
+			require.Contains(t, br.Detail, "5 minutes to fully deploy to the CDN",
+				"every publish domain branch must carry the CDN deploy notice for %s", p.Transport)
+		}
+
+		up := guideFlowByName(t, guide, "update_website")
+		require.Contains(t, up.Detail, "5 minutes to fully deploy to the CDN", "update_website must carry the CDN deploy notice for %s", p.Transport)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestAgentGuideSandboxFilesRouteToFileNotMint regresses audit F-002. On a host
 // with both FeatFileHostInput and mint (OpenAI HTTP, host_file_first), an
 // assistant-generated sandbox file must route to the `file` parameter; the mint
diff --git a/internal/mcp/guide_fragments.go b/internal/mcp/guide_fragments.go
index 3a580817..a24d3376 100644
--- a/internal/mcp/guide_fragments.go
+++ b/internal/mcp/guide_fragments.go
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@ var htmlRootClause = toolforge.Static("Upload with wrap=true and do NOT set an e
 // the platform-subdomain publish branches.
 var validateAfterCreateClause = toolforge.Static("After creation, call websites_validate to confirm DNS propagation.")
 
+// cdnDeployNoticeClause tells the agent to inform the user that a newly
+// published or updated site can take up to 5 minutes to fully deploy to the
+// CDN, so it may not be reachable at its URL immediately even though
+// create/validation succeeded. CDN deployment is independent of validation
+// (platform-domain validation is instant).
+var cdnDeployNoticeClause = toolforge.Static("Let the user know that after publishing, the site can take up to 5 minutes to fully deploy to the CDN, so it may not be reachable at its URL immediately even though create/validation succeeded.")
+
 // reconcileNoSleep is the reconciliation-lag guidance for hosts with no sleep
 // tool: pending validation is lag, not failure, so re-check later.
 var reconcileNoSleep = toolforge.Static("On this host there is no sleep tool: if validation is still pending or failing, treat that as reconciliation lag rather than failure and re-call websites_validate after other work, without starting a new flow.")
diff --git a/internal/mcp/prompttemplates/website_onboarding.tmpl b/internal/mcp/prompttemplates/website_onboarding.tmpl
index b312f167..843aaa64 100644
--- a/internal/mcp/prompttemplates/website_onboarding.tmpl
+++ b/internal/mcp/prompttemplates/website_onboarding.tmpl
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ Read the pinner://websites/{domain}/dns-requirements resource (substitute the do
 {{define "website_step_validate"}}Read the pinner://websites/{id}/validation-status resource (use the website ID from the create step's response). If validation fails, instruct the user to wait for DNS propagation (may take minutes to hours) and retry. Call `websites_wizard_step` with input: {"retry": true} to re-run validation. Call with input: {} to accept the current status and finish.
 {{end}}
 
-{{define "website_step_complete"}}When the wizard returns "complete": true, the website onboarding is done. Summarize the result for the user: domain, CID, target type, DNS mode, and validation status. If validation failed, provide the reason and suggest next steps. DNS validation confirms reachability, not content correctness — if the root URL serves a directory listing or 404 instead of the expected page, the CID's directory layout is likely wrong (e.g. missing index.html at the root).
+{{define "website_step_complete"}}When the wizard returns "complete": true, the website onboarding is done. Summarize the result for the user: domain, CID, target type, DNS mode, and validation status. Let the user know the site can take up to 5 minutes to fully deploy to the CDN, so it may not resolve at its URL immediately even though create/validation succeeded. If validation failed, provide the reason and suggest next steps. DNS validation confirms reachability, not content correctness — if the root URL serves a directory listing or 404 instead of the expected page, the CID's directory layout is likely wrong (e.g. missing index.html at the root).
 {{end}}
 
 {{/* website-update prompt templates. Rendered when updating an existing website's
@@ -203,5 +203,6 @@ If the error mentions an unpinned CID (CID_NOT_PINNED), go back to the ensure_pi
 
 {{define "website_update_step_complete"}}Update workflow finished.
 Summarize the new CID ({{.CID}}){{if .CurrentType}}, target type preserved ({{.CurrentType}}){{end}}, and the current
-validation status. If DNS is still reconciling, advise checking again in a few minutes.
+validation status. Let the user know the site can take up to 5 minutes to fully deploy to the CDN, so it may
+not resolve at its URL immediately after the update.
 {{end}}