diff --git a/app/components/form/FullPageForm.tsx b/app/components/form/FullPageForm.tsx
index 3f3bc94c96..4ca6f79b91 100644
--- a/app/components/form/FullPageForm.tsx
+++ b/app/components/form/FullPageForm.tsx
@@ -5,14 +5,13 @@
  *
  * Copyright Oxide Computer Company
  */
-import { cloneElement, useEffect, type ReactElement, type ReactNode } from 'react'
+import { cloneElement, useEffect, type ReactNode } from 'react'
 import type { FieldValues, UseFormReturn } from 'react-hook-form'
 import { useBlocker, type Blocker } from 'react-router-dom'
 
 import type { ApiError } from '@oxide/api'
 
 import { Modal } from '~/ui/lib/Modal'
-import { PageHeader, PageTitle } from '~/ui/lib/PageHeader'
 import { flattenChildren, pluckFirstOfType } from '~/util/children'
 import { classed } from '~/util/classed'
 
@@ -21,8 +20,6 @@ import { PageActions } from '../PageActions'
 
 interface FullPageFormProps<TFieldValues extends FieldValues> {
   id: string
-  title: string
-  icon: ReactElement
   /** Must provide a reason for submit being disabled */
   submitDisabled?: string
   error?: Error
@@ -50,11 +47,9 @@ const PageActionsContainer = classed.div`flex h-20 items-center gutter`
 
 export function FullPageForm<TFieldValues extends FieldValues>({
   id,
-  title,
   children,
   submitDisabled,
   error,
-  icon,
   loading,
   form,
   onSubmit,
@@ -85,9 +80,6 @@ export function FullPageForm<TFieldValues extends FieldValues>({
 
   return (
     <>
-      <PageHeader>
-        <PageTitle icon={icon}>{title}</PageTitle>
-      </PageHeader>
       <form
         className="ox-form pb-20"
         id={id}
diff --git a/app/forms/instance-create.tsx b/app/forms/instance-create.tsx
index 9e74ab96da..5bbffa4cb9 100644
--- a/app/forms/instance-create.tsx
+++ b/app/forms/instance-create.tsx
@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@ import {
 } from '@oxide/api'
 import {
   Images16Icon,
+  Instances16Icon,
   Instances24Icon,
   Storage16Icon,
 } from '@oxide/design-system/icons/react'
 
 import { AccordionItem } from '~/components/AccordionItem'
+import { DocsPopover } from '~/components/DocsPopover'
 import { CheckboxField } from '~/components/form/fields/CheckboxField'
 import { DescriptionField } from '~/components/form/fields/DescriptionField'
 import { DiskSizeField } from '~/components/form/fields/DiskSizeField'
@@ -56,12 +58,13 @@ import { FormDivider } from '~/ui/lib/Divider'
 import { EmptyMessage } from '~/ui/lib/EmptyMessage'
 import { Listbox } from '~/ui/lib/Listbox'
 import { Message } from '~/ui/lib/Message'
+import { PageHeader, PageTitle } from '~/ui/lib/PageHeader'
 import { RadioCard } from '~/ui/lib/Radio'
 import { Tabs } from '~/ui/lib/Tabs'
 import { TextInputHint } from '~/ui/lib/TextInput'
 import { TipIcon } from '~/ui/lib/TipIcon'
 import { readBlobAsBase64 } from '~/util/file'
-import { links } from '~/util/links'
+import { docLinks, links } from '~/util/links'
 import { nearest10 } from '~/util/math'
 import { pb } from '~/util/path-builder'
 import { GiB } from '~/util/units'
@@ -269,277 +272,304 @@ export function CreateInstanceForm() {
   )
 
   return (
-    <FullPageForm
-      submitDisabled={allImages.length ? undefined : 'Image required'}
-      id="create-instance-form"
-      form={form}
-      title="Create instance"
-      icon={<Instances24Icon />}
-      onSubmit={async (values) => {
-        setIsSubmitting(true)
-        // we should never have a presetId that's not in the list
-        const preset = PRESETS.find((option) => option.id === values.presetId)!
-        const instance =
-          values.presetId === 'custom'
-            ? { memory: values.memory, ncpus: values.ncpus }
-            : { memory: preset.memory, ncpus: preset.ncpus }
-
-        const bootDisk = getBootDiskAttachment(values)
-
-        const userData = values.userData
-          ? await readBlobAsBase64(values.userData)
-          : undefined
-
-        await createInstance.mutateAsync({
-          query: { project },
-          body: {
-            name: values.name,
-            hostname: values.hostname || values.name,
-            description: values.description,
-            memory: instance.memory * GiB,
-            ncpus: instance.ncpus,
-            disks: [bootDisk, ...values.disks],
-            externalIps: values.externalIps,
-            start: values.start,
-            networkInterfaces: values.networkInterfaces,
-            sshPublicKeys: values.sshPublicKeys,
-            userData,
-          },
-        })
-      }}
-      loading={createInstance.isPending}
-      submitError={createInstance.error}
-    >
-      <NameField name="name" control={control} disabled={isSubmitting} />
-      <DescriptionField name="description" control={control} disabled={isSubmitting} />
-      <CheckboxField
-        id="start-instance"
-        name="start"
-        control={control}
-        disabled={isSubmitting}
-      >
-        Start Instance
-      </CheckboxField>
-      <FormDivider />
-      <Form.Heading id="hardware">Hardware</Form.Heading>
-      <TextInputHint id="hw-gp-help-text" className="mb-12 max-w-xl text-sans-md">
-        Pick a pre-configured machine type that offers balanced vCPU and memory for most
-        workloads or create a custom machine.
-      </TextInputHint>
-      <Tabs.Root
-        id="choose-cpu-ram"
-        className="full-width"
-        defaultValue="general"
-        onValueChange={(val) => {
-          // Having an option selected from a non-current tab is confusing,
-          // especially in combination with the custom inputs. So we auto
-          // select the first option from the current tab
-          const firstOption = PRESETS.find((preset) => preset.category === val)
-          if (firstOption) {
-            setValue('presetId', firstOption.id)
-          }
-        }}
-      >
-        <Tabs.List aria-labelledby="hardware">
-          <Tabs.Trigger value="general" disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            General Purpose
-          </Tabs.Trigger>
-          <Tabs.Trigger value="highCPU" disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            High CPU
-          </Tabs.Trigger>
-          <Tabs.Trigger value="highMemory" disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            High Memory
-          </Tabs.Trigger>
-          <Tabs.Trigger value="custom" disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            Custom
-          </Tabs.Trigger>
-        </Tabs.List>
-        <Tabs.Content value="general">
-          <RadioFieldDyn name="presetId" label="" control={control} disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            {renderLargeRadioCards('general')}
-          </RadioFieldDyn>
-        </Tabs.Content>
-
-        <Tabs.Content value="highCPU">
-          <RadioFieldDyn name="presetId" label="" control={control} disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            {renderLargeRadioCards('highCPU')}
-          </RadioFieldDyn>
-        </Tabs.Content>
-
-        <Tabs.Content value="highMemory">
-          <RadioFieldDyn name="presetId" label="" control={control} disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            {renderLargeRadioCards('highMemory')}
-          </RadioFieldDyn>
-        </Tabs.Content>
-
-        <Tabs.Content value="custom">
-          <NumberField
-            required
-            label="CPUs"
-            name="ncpus"
-            min={1}
-            max={INSTANCE_MAX_CPU}
-            control={control}
-            validate={(cpus) => {
-              if (cpus < 1) {
-                return `Must be at least 1 vCPU`
-              }
-              if (cpus > INSTANCE_MAX_CPU) {
-                return `CPUs capped to ${INSTANCE_MAX_CPU}`
-              }
-            }}
-            disabled={isSubmitting}
-          />
-          <NumberField
-            units="GiB"
-            required
-            label="Memory"
-            name="memory"
-            min={1}
-            max={INSTANCE_MAX_RAM_GiB}
-            control={control}
-            validate={(memory) => {
-              if (memory < 1) {
-                return `Must be at least 1 GiB`
-              }
-              if (memory > INSTANCE_MAX_RAM_GiB) {
-                return `Can be at most ${INSTANCE_MAX_RAM_GiB} GiB`
-              }
-            }}
-            disabled={isSubmitting}
-          />
-        </Tabs.Content>
-      </Tabs.Root>
-
-      <FormDivider />
-
-      <Form.Heading id="boot-disk">Boot disk</Form.Heading>
-      <Tabs.Root
-        id="boot-disk-tabs"
-        className="full-width"
-        // default to the project images tab if there are only project images
-        defaultValue={defaultSource}
-        onValueChange={(val) => {
-          setValue('bootDiskSourceType', val as BootDiskSourceType)
-          if (imageSizeGiB && imageSizeGiB > bootDiskSize) {
-            setValue('bootDiskSize', nearest10(imageSizeGiB))
-          }
+    <>
+      <PageHeader>
+        <PageTitle icon={<Instances24Icon />}>Create instance</PageTitle>
+        <DocsPopover
+          heading="instances"
+          icon={<Instances16Icon />}
+          summary="Instances are virtual machines that run on the Oxide platform."
+          links={[docLinks.instances, docLinks.vms, docLinks.quickStart]}
+        />
+      </PageHeader>
+      <FullPageForm
+        submitDisabled={allImages.length ? undefined : 'Image required'}
+        id="create-instance-form"
+        form={form}
+        onSubmit={async (values) => {
+          setIsSubmitting(true)
+          // we should never have a presetId that's not in the list
+          const preset = PRESETS.find((option) => option.id === values.presetId)!
+          const instance =
+            values.presetId === 'custom'
+              ? { memory: values.memory, ncpus: values.ncpus }
+              : { memory: preset.memory, ncpus: preset.ncpus }
+
+          const bootDisk = getBootDiskAttachment(values)
+
+          const userData = values.userData
+            ? await readBlobAsBase64(values.userData)
+            : undefined
+
+          await createInstance.mutateAsync({
+            query: { project },
+            body: {
+              name: values.name,
+              hostname: values.hostname || values.name,
+              description: values.description,
+              memory: instance.memory * GiB,
+              ncpus: instance.ncpus,
+              disks: [bootDisk, ...values.disks],
+              externalIps: values.externalIps,
+              start: values.start,
+              networkInterfaces: values.networkInterfaces,
+              sshPublicKeys: values.sshPublicKeys,
+              userData,
+            },
+          })
         }}
+        loading={createInstance.isPending}
+        submitError={createInstance.error}
       >
-        <Tabs.List aria-describedby="boot-disk">
-          <Tabs.Trigger
-            value={'siloImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
-            disabled={isSubmitting}
-          >
-            Silo images
-          </Tabs.Trigger>
-          <Tabs.Trigger
-            value={'projectImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
-            disabled={isSubmitting}
-          >
-            Project images
-          </Tabs.Trigger>
-          <Tabs.Trigger value={'disk' satisfies BootDiskSourceType} disabled={isSubmitting}>
-            Existing disks
-          </Tabs.Trigger>
-        </Tabs.List>
-        {allImages.length === 0 && disks.length === 0 && (
-          <Message
-            className="mb-8 ml-10 max-w-lg"
-            variant="notice"
-            content="Images or disks are required to create or attach a boot disk."
-          />
-        )}
-        <Tabs.Content
-          value={'siloImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
-          className="space-y-4"
+        <NameField name="name" control={control} disabled={isSubmitting} />
+        <DescriptionField name="description" control={control} disabled={isSubmitting} />
+        <CheckboxField
+          id="start-instance"
+          name="start"
+          control={control}
+          disabled={isSubmitting}
         >
-          {siloImages.length === 0 ? (
-            <div className="flex max-w-lg items-center justify-center rounded-lg border p-6 border-default">
-              <EmptyMessage
-                icon={<Images16Icon />}
-                title="No silo images found"
-                body="Promote a project image to see it here"
-              />
-            </div>
-          ) : (
-            <>
-              <ImageSelectField
-                images={siloImages}
-                control={control}
-                disabled={isSubmitting}
-                name="siloImageSource"
-              />
-              {bootDiskSizeAndName}
-            </>
-          )}
-        </Tabs.Content>
-        <Tabs.Content
-          value={'projectImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
-          className="space-y-4"
+          Start Instance
+        </CheckboxField>
+        <FormDivider />
+        <Form.Heading id="hardware">Hardware</Form.Heading>
+        <TextInputHint id="hw-gp-help-text" className="mb-12 max-w-xl text-sans-md">
+          Pick a pre-configured machine type that offers balanced vCPU and memory for most
+          workloads or create a custom machine.
+        </TextInputHint>
+        <Tabs.Root
+          id="choose-cpu-ram"
+          className="full-width"
+          defaultValue="general"
+          onValueChange={(val) => {
+            // Having an option selected from a non-current tab is confusing,
+            // especially in combination with the custom inputs. So we auto
+            // select the first option from the current tab
+            const firstOption = PRESETS.find((preset) => preset.category === val)
+            if (firstOption) {
+              setValue('presetId', firstOption.id)
+            }
+          }}
         >
-          {projectImages.length === 0 ? (
-            <div className="flex max-w-lg items-center justify-center rounded-lg border p-6 border-default">
-              <EmptyMessage
-                icon={<Images16Icon />}
-                title="No project images found"
-                body="Upload an image to see it here"
-                buttonText="Upload image"
-                onClick={() => navigate(pb.projectImagesNew({ project }))}
-              />
-            </div>
-          ) : (
-            <>
-              <ImageSelectField
-                images={projectImages}
-                control={control}
-                disabled={isSubmitting}
-                name="projectImageSource"
-              />
-              {bootDiskSizeAndName}
-            </>
-          )}
-        </Tabs.Content>
-
-        <Tabs.Content value={'disk' satisfies BootDiskSourceType} className="space-y-4">
-          {disks.length === 0 ? (
-            <div className="flex max-w-lg items-center justify-center rounded-lg border p-6 border-default">
-              <EmptyMessage
-                icon={<Storage16Icon />}
-                title="No detached disks found"
-                body="Only detached disks can be used as a boot disk"
-              />
-            </div>
-          ) : (
-            <ListboxField
-              label="Disk"
-              name="diskSource"
-              description="Existing disks that are not attached to an instance"
-              items={disks}
+          <Tabs.List aria-labelledby="hardware">
+            <Tabs.Trigger value="general" disabled={isSubmitting}>
+              General Purpose
+            </Tabs.Trigger>
+            <Tabs.Trigger value="highCPU" disabled={isSubmitting}>
+              High CPU
+            </Tabs.Trigger>
+            <Tabs.Trigger value="highMemory" disabled={isSubmitting}>
+              High Memory
+            </Tabs.Trigger>
+            <Tabs.Trigger value="custom" disabled={isSubmitting}>
+              Custom
+            </Tabs.Trigger>
+          </Tabs.List>
+          <Tabs.Content value="general">
+            <RadioFieldDyn
+              name="presetId"
+              label=""
+              control={control}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            >
+              {renderLargeRadioCards('general')}
+            </RadioFieldDyn>
+          </Tabs.Content>
+
+          <Tabs.Content value="highCPU">
+            <RadioFieldDyn
+              name="presetId"
+              label=""
+              control={control}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            >
+              {renderLargeRadioCards('highCPU')}
+            </RadioFieldDyn>
+          </Tabs.Content>
+
+          <Tabs.Content value="highMemory">
+            <RadioFieldDyn
+              name="presetId"
+              label=""
+              control={control}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            >
+              {renderLargeRadioCards('highMemory')}
+            </RadioFieldDyn>
+          </Tabs.Content>
+
+          <Tabs.Content value="custom">
+            <NumberField
               required
+              label="CPUs"
+              name="ncpus"
+              min={1}
+              max={INSTANCE_MAX_CPU}
               control={control}
+              validate={(cpus) => {
+                if (cpus < 1) {
+                  return `Must be at least 1 vCPU`
+                }
+                if (cpus > INSTANCE_MAX_CPU) {
+                  return `CPUs capped to ${INSTANCE_MAX_CPU}`
+                }
+              }}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            />
+            <NumberField
+              units="GiB"
+              required
+              label="Memory"
+              name="memory"
+              min={1}
+              max={INSTANCE_MAX_RAM_GiB}
+              control={control}
+              validate={(memory) => {
+                if (memory < 1) {
+                  return `Must be at least 1 GiB`
+                }
+                if (memory > INSTANCE_MAX_RAM_GiB) {
+                  return `Can be at most ${INSTANCE_MAX_RAM_GiB} GiB`
+                }
+              }}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            />
+          </Tabs.Content>
+        </Tabs.Root>
+
+        <FormDivider />
+
+        <Form.Heading id="boot-disk">Boot disk</Form.Heading>
+        <Tabs.Root
+          id="boot-disk-tabs"
+          className="full-width"
+          // default to the project images tab if there are only project images
+          defaultValue={defaultSource}
+          onValueChange={(val) => {
+            setValue('bootDiskSourceType', val as BootDiskSourceType)
+            if (imageSizeGiB && imageSizeGiB > bootDiskSize) {
+              setValue('bootDiskSize', nearest10(imageSizeGiB))
+            }
+          }}
+        >
+          <Tabs.List aria-describedby="boot-disk">
+            <Tabs.Trigger
+              value={'siloImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            >
+              Silo images
+            </Tabs.Trigger>
+            <Tabs.Trigger
+              value={'projectImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            >
+              Project images
+            </Tabs.Trigger>
+            <Tabs.Trigger
+              value={'disk' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
+              disabled={isSubmitting}
+            >
+              Existing disks
+            </Tabs.Trigger>
+          </Tabs.List>
+          {allImages.length === 0 && disks.length === 0 && (
+            <Message
+              className="mb-8 ml-10 max-w-lg"
+              variant="notice"
+              content="Images or disks are required to create or attach a boot disk."
             />
           )}
-        </Tabs.Content>
-      </Tabs.Root>
-      <FormDivider />
-      <Form.Heading id="additional-disks">Additional disks</Form.Heading>
-      <DisksTableField control={control} disabled={isSubmitting} />
-      <FormDivider />
-      <Form.Heading id="authentication">Authentication</Form.Heading>
-      <SshKeysField control={control} isSubmitting={isSubmitting} />
-      <FormDivider />
-      <Form.Heading id="advanced">Advanced</Form.Heading>
-      <AdvancedAccordion
-        control={control}
-        isSubmitting={isSubmitting}
-        siloPools={siloPools.items}
-      />
-      <Form.Actions>
-        <Form.Submit loading={createInstance.isPending}>Create instance</Form.Submit>
-        <Form.Cancel onClick={() => navigate(pb.instances({ project }))} />
-      </Form.Actions>
-    </FullPageForm>
+          <Tabs.Content
+            value={'siloImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
+            className="space-y-4"
+          >
+            {siloImages.length === 0 ? (
+              <div className="flex max-w-lg items-center justify-center rounded-lg border p-6 border-default">
+                <EmptyMessage
+                  icon={<Images16Icon />}
+                  title="No silo images found"
+                  body="Promote a project image to see it here"
+                />
+              </div>
+            ) : (
+              <>
+                <ImageSelectField
+                  images={siloImages}
+                  control={control}
+                  disabled={isSubmitting}
+                  name="siloImageSource"
+                />
+                {bootDiskSizeAndName}
+              </>
+            )}
+          </Tabs.Content>
+          <Tabs.Content
+            value={'projectImage' satisfies BootDiskSourceType}
+            className="space-y-4"
+          >
+            {projectImages.length === 0 ? (
+              <div className="flex max-w-lg items-center justify-center rounded-lg border p-6 border-default">
+                <EmptyMessage
+                  icon={<Images16Icon />}
+                  title="No project images found"
+                  body="Upload an image to see it here"
+                  buttonText="Upload image"
+                  onClick={() => navigate(pb.projectImagesNew({ project }))}
+                />
+              </div>
+            ) : (
+              <>
+                <ImageSelectField
+                  images={projectImages}
+                  control={control}
+                  disabled={isSubmitting}
+                  name="projectImageSource"
+                />
+                {bootDiskSizeAndName}
+              </>
+            )}
+          </Tabs.Content>
+
+          <Tabs.Content value={'disk' satisfies BootDiskSourceType} className="space-y-4">
+            {disks.length === 0 ? (
+              <div className="flex max-w-lg items-center justify-center rounded-lg border p-6 border-default">
+                <EmptyMessage
+                  icon={<Storage16Icon />}
+                  title="No detached disks found"
+                  body="Only detached disks can be used as a boot disk"
+                />
+              </div>
+            ) : (
+              <ListboxField
+                label="Disk"
+                name="diskSource"
+                description="Existing disks that are not attached to an instance"
+                items={disks}
+                required
+                control={control}
+              />
+            )}
+          </Tabs.Content>
+        </Tabs.Root>
+        <FormDivider />
+        <Form.Heading id="additional-disks">Additional disks</Form.Heading>
+        <DisksTableField control={control} disabled={isSubmitting} />
+        <FormDivider />
+        <Form.Heading id="authentication">Authentication</Form.Heading>
+        <SshKeysField control={control} isSubmitting={isSubmitting} />
+        <FormDivider />
+        <Form.Heading id="advanced">Advanced</Form.Heading>
+        <AdvancedAccordion
+          control={control}
+          isSubmitting={isSubmitting}
+          siloPools={siloPools.items}
+        />
+        <Form.Actions>
+          <Form.Submit loading={createInstance.isPending}>Create instance</Form.Submit>
+          <Form.Cancel onClick={() => navigate(pb.instances({ project }))} />
+        </Form.Actions>
+      </FullPageForm>
+    </>
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/app/util/links.ts b/app/util/links.ts
index b9b5a4298a..e1af292667 100644
--- a/app/util/links.ts
+++ b/app/util/links.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export const links: Record<string, string> = {
   keyConceptsProjectsDocs:
     'https://docs.oxide.computer/guides/key-entities-and-concepts#_projects',
   projectsDocs: 'https://docs.oxide.computer/guides/onboarding-projects',
+  quickStart: 'https://docs.oxide.computer/guides/quickstart',
   sledDocs:
     'https://docs.oxide.computer/guides/architecture/service-processors#_server_sled',
   snapshotsDocs:
@@ -74,6 +75,10 @@ export const docLinks = {
     href: links.projectsDocs,
     linkText: 'Managing Projects',
   },
+  quickStart: {
+    href: links.quickStart,
+    linkText: 'Quick Start',
+  },
   sleds: {
     href: links.sledDocs,
     linkText: 'Server Sleds',