diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cd7630024..df8746230 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ LDFLAGS = -X $(GIT_IMPORT).BuildDate=$(BUILD_DATE) -X $(GIT_IMPORT).GitCommit=$(
 # GORELEASER_DOCKER_IMAGE = ghcr.io/goreleaser/goreleaser-cross:v1.25.7
 GORELEASER_DOCKER_IMAGE = ghcr.io/goreleaser/goreleaser:latest
 
-.PHONY: test test-race test-coverage harness inner-loop cli-wayfinding docs-wayfinding install-smoke provider-conformance-mock provider-conformance lint fmt install-tools proto clean help gorelease-dry-run gorelease-dry-run-docker
+.PHONY: test test-race test-coverage harness zero-to-hero-transcript inner-loop cli-wayfinding docs-wayfinding install-smoke provider-conformance-mock provider-conformance lint fmt install-tools proto clean help gorelease-dry-run gorelease-dry-run-docker
 
 # Default target
 help:
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ help:
 	@echo "  make test-coverage - Run tests with coverage"
 	@echo "  make lint          - Run linter"
 	@echo "  make harness       - Run deterministic getting-started and end-to-end harnesses"
+	@echo "  make zero-to-hero-transcript - Verify the ordered 0→hero lifecycle transcript"
 	@echo "  make inner-loop    - Verify scaffold → run/chat/inspect → deploy dry-run contract"
 	@echo "  make cli-wayfinding - Verify installed first-agent CLI wayfinding commands"
 	@echo "  make docs-wayfinding - Verify first-agent docs/CLI wayfinding stays in sync"
@@ -54,10 +55,16 @@ test-coverage:
 harness:
 	$(MAKE) cli-wayfinding
 	$(MAKE) inner-loop
-	./internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh
+	$(MAKE) zero-to-hero-transcript
 	go run ./internal/harness/agent-flow
 	$(MAKE) provider-conformance-mock
 
+# Verify the maintained 0→hero transcript in the same order documented for new
+# developers: scaffold → run/chat/inspect → support-agent chat → flow history →
+# deploy dry-run. This is the focused CI contract for the full lifecycle path.
+zero-to-hero-transcript:
+	./internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh
+
 # Focused provider-free CLI inner-loop contract: scaffold a service, keep the
 # run/chat/inspect commands discoverable, and prove deploy dry-run reaches the
 # documented boundary without remote side effects. Use this when README/docs/CLI
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7b128431f..ee0bc14c1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -84,8 +84,13 @@ To verify the focused CLI inner-loop contract — scaffold → run/chat/inspect
 make inner-loop
 ```
 
-To run the broader local contract (including the [0→hero services → agents → workflows path](internal/website/docs/guides/zero-to-hero.md),
-chat/inspect CLI boundaries, and deploy dry-run), use:
+To run only the ordered [0→hero services → agents → workflows transcript](internal/website/docs/guides/zero-to-hero.md) that CI guards, use:
+
+```bash
+make zero-to-hero-transcript
+```
+
+To run the broader local contract (including that transcript, chat/inspect CLI boundaries, and deploy dry-run), use:
 
 ```bash
 make harness
diff --git a/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/docs_test.go b/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/docs_test.go
index 4ed58cf4b..6105d2dc2 100644
--- a/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/docs_test.go
+++ b/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/docs_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ func TestZeroToHeroReferenceDocs(t *testing.T) {
 	guide := readFile(t, filepath.Join(root, "internal", "website", "docs", "guides", "zero-to-hero.md"))
 	for _, want := range []string{
 		"make harness",
+		"make zero-to-hero-transcript",
 		"make inner-loop",
 		"go test ./cmd/micro/cli/new -run TestZeroToOne -count=1",
 		"go test ./cmd/micro -run TestFirstAgentWalkthroughCLIBoundaries -count=1",
@@ -70,6 +71,9 @@ func TestZeroToHeroReferenceDocs(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(readme, "internal/website/docs/guides/zero-to-hero.md") {
 		t.Fatal("README does not point to the canonical 0→hero guide")
 	}
+	if !strings.Contains(readme, "make zero-to-hero-transcript") {
+		t.Fatal("README does not expose the focused ordered 0→hero transcript contract")
+	}
 	if !strings.Contains(readme, "make inner-loop") {
 		t.Fatal("README does not expose the focused CLI inner-loop contract")
 	}
@@ -80,6 +84,33 @@ func TestZeroToHeroReferenceDocs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestZeroToHeroTranscriptTargetStaysOrdered(t *testing.T) {
+	root := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join("..", "..", ".."))
+	makefile := readFile(t, filepath.Join(root, "Makefile"))
+	if !strings.Contains(makefile, "zero-to-hero-transcript:") {
+		t.Fatal("Makefile missing focused zero-to-hero-transcript target")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(makefile, "./internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh") {
+		t.Fatal("zero-to-hero-transcript target must run the maintained CI transcript")
+	}
+
+	runScript := readFile(t, filepath.Join(root, "internal", "harness", "zero-to-hero-ci", "run.sh"))
+	assertOrderedMarkers(t, "0→hero CI transcript", runScript, []string{
+		`run_step "scaffold: 0→1 service contract"`,
+		`run_step "run/chat/inspect: first-agent CLI boundaries"`,
+		`run_step "chat/inspect: no-secret first-agent transcript and docs"`,
+		`run_step "first-agent app: runnable provider-free example"`,
+		`run_step "0→hero app: support lifecycle smoke"`,
+		`run_step "flow history: deterministic services → agents → workflows harnesses"`,
+		`run_step "deploy dry-run: configured target plan"`,
+	})
+
+	guide := readFile(t, filepath.Join(root, "internal", "website", "docs", "guides", "zero-to-hero.md"))
+	if !strings.Contains(guide, "make zero-to-hero-transcript") {
+		t.Fatal("0→hero guide must point developers at the focused ordered transcript target")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestZeroToHeroDeployDryRunCommandSmoke(t *testing.T) {
 	root := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join("..", "..", ".."))
 	absRoot, err := filepath.Abs(root)
diff --git a/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh b/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh
index ceb66e875..3481799f6 100755
--- a/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh
+++ b/internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ run_step "scaffold: 0→1 service contract" \
   go test ./cmd/micro/cli/new -run TestZeroToOne -count=1
 run_step "run/chat/inspect: first-agent CLI boundaries" \
   go test ./cmd/micro -run 'TestFirstAgentWalkthroughCLIBoundaries|TestExamplesWayfindingIndexStaysLinked|TestExamplesCommandPointsAtWayfindingIndex|TestZeroToHeroCLIBoundaries|TestZeroToHeroCommandPrintsMaintainedNoSecretPath' -count=1
-run_step "deploy dry-run: configured target plan" \
-  go test ./cmd/micro/cli/deploy -run TestDeployDryRun -count=1
 run_step "chat/inspect: no-secret first-agent transcript and docs" \
   go test ./internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci -run 'TestNoSecretFirstAgentTranscript|TestFirstAgentCLIChatInspectFixture|TestNoSecretFirstAgentDebuggingSmoke|TestZeroToHeroReferenceDocs|TestZeroToHeroDeployDryRunCommandSmoke|TestYourFirstAgentTutorialSmoke' -count=1
 
@@ -37,3 +35,5 @@ run_step "0→hero app: support lifecycle smoke" \
   go test ./examples/support -run 'TestRunSupportMockSmoke|TestZeroToHeroReadmeDocumentsLifecycle|TestZeroToHeroInspectTranscript' -count=1
 run_step "flow history: deterministic services → agents → workflows harnesses" \
   go test ./internal/harness/universe ./internal/harness/plan-delegate -run 'Test.*Harness|TestPlanDelegateEndToEnd|TestPlanDelegateFlowHandoff' -count=1
+run_step "deploy dry-run: configured target plan" \
+  go test ./cmd/micro/cli/deploy -run TestDeployDryRun -count=1
diff --git a/internal/website/docs/guides/zero-to-hero.md b/internal/website/docs/guides/zero-to-hero.md
index 501080147..bb9999805 100644
--- a/internal/website/docs/guides/zero-to-hero.md
+++ b/internal/website/docs/guides/zero-to-hero.md
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ cloud credentials?"
 | Deploy | `micro deploy --dry-run prod` resolves the documented deploy target without touching remote infrastructure. | `go test ./internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci -run TestZeroToHeroDeployDryRunCommandSmoke -count=1` |
 | Smallest first agent | `examples/first-agent` runs one service-backed agent with a deterministic mock model and no provider key. | `go test ./examples/first-agent -run TestRunFirstAgent -count=1` |
 | Runtime reference app | `examples/support` runs typed services, an agent using those services as tools, an event-driven flow handoff, and an approval gate with only the model mocked. | `go test ./examples/support -run 'TestRunSupportMockSmoke|TestZeroToHeroReadmeDocumentsLifecycle|TestZeroToHeroInspectTranscript' -count=1` |
+| Ordered 0→hero transcript | The maintained CI transcript walks scaffold → run/chat/inspect → support-agent chat → flow history → deploy dry-run without provider keys. | `make zero-to-hero-transcript` |
 | Runtime harnesses | Real services, agents, durable flows, store-backed history, delegation, and A2A run with only the model mocked. | `./internal/harness/zero-to-hero-ci/run.sh` and `make provider-conformance-mock` |
 
 ## Find the one-command entrypoint
@@ -62,6 +63,12 @@ From the repository root:
 make harness
 ```
 
+For the focused ordered transcript only, run:
+
+```sh
+make zero-to-hero-transcript
+```
+
 That target runs the scaffold contract, the CLI boundary smoke tests, the
 0→hero runtime harnesses, the event-driven agent-flow harness, and mock provider
 conformance. It is intentionally deterministic: no provider key, cloud account,