diff --git a/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/index.tsx b/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/index.tsx
index c6d6f3a93f..807c96805e 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/index.tsx
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ interface BlueprintSelectorProps {
 	featured: FeaturedBlueprint[] | undefined;
 	isFeaturedLoading: boolean;
 	onPick: ( blueprint: PickedBlueprint ) => void;
+	onPickEmpty: () => void;
 }
 
 const FILE_ACCEPT = 'application/json,.json,application/zip,.zip';
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ export function BlueprintSelector( {
 	featured,
 	isFeaturedLoading,
 	onPick,
+	onPickEmpty,
 }: BlueprintSelectorProps ) {
 	const connector = useConnector();
 	const [ uploadError, setUploadError ] = useState< string | null >( null );
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@ export function BlueprintSelector( {
 			</section>
 
 			<section className={ styles.section }>
-				<h2 className={ styles.sectionTitle }>{ __( 'Featured blueprints' ) }</h2>
+				<h2 className={ styles.sectionTitle }>{ __( 'Choose a starting point' ) }</h2>
 				{ isFeaturedLoading && (
 					<p className={ styles.featuredHint }>{ __( 'Loading featured blueprints…' ) }</p>
 				) }
@@ -192,45 +194,54 @@ export function BlueprintSelector( {
 						{ __( 'No featured blueprints available right now.' ) }
 					</p>
 				) }
-				{ featured && featured.length > 0 && (
-					<ul className={ styles.grid }>
-						{ featured.map( ( item ) => (
-							<li key={ item.slug } className={ styles.cardWrapper }>
-								<button
+				<ul className={ styles.grid }>
+					<li className={ styles.cardWrapper }>
+						<button type="button" className={ styles.card } onClick={ onPickEmpty }>
+							<span className={ styles.emptySiteMedia } aria-hidden="true" />
+							<div className={ styles.cardBody }>
+								<h3 className={ styles.cardTitle }>{ __( 'Empty site' ) }</h3>
+								<p className={ styles.cardExcerpt }>
+									{ __( 'Start with a clean WordPress install and build from scratch.' ) }
+								</p>
+							</div>
+						</button>
+					</li>
+					{ featured?.map( ( item ) => (
+						<li key={ item.slug } className={ styles.cardWrapper }>
+							<button
+								type="button"
+								className={ styles.card }
+								onClick={ () => handleFeaturedClick( item ) }
+							>
+								{ item.image && (
+									<img className={ styles.cardImage } src={ item.image } alt="" loading="lazy" />
+								) }
+								<div className={ styles.cardBody }>
+									<h3 className={ styles.cardTitle }>{ item.title }</h3>
+									<p className={ styles.cardExcerpt }>{ item.excerpt }</p>
+								</div>
+							</button>
+							{ item.playgroundUrl && (
+								<Button
 									type="button"
-									className={ styles.card }
-									onClick={ () => handleFeaturedClick( item ) }
-								>
-									{ item.image && (
-										<img className={ styles.cardImage } src={ item.image } alt="" loading="lazy" />
+									variant="minimal"
+									tone="neutral"
+									size="small"
+									className={ styles.previewButton }
+									onClick={ ( event ) => handlePreviewClick( event, item ) }
+									aria-label={ sprintf(
+										// translators: %s is the blueprint title.
+										__( 'Preview %s in Playground' ),
+										item.title
 									) }
-									<div className={ styles.cardBody }>
-										<h3 className={ styles.cardTitle }>{ item.title }</h3>
-										<p className={ styles.cardExcerpt }>{ item.excerpt }</p>
-									</div>
-								</button>
-								{ item.playgroundUrl && (
-									<Button
-										type="button"
-										variant="minimal"
-										tone="neutral"
-										size="small"
-										className={ styles.previewButton }
-										onClick={ ( event ) => handlePreviewClick( event, item ) }
-										aria-label={ sprintf(
-											// translators: %s is the blueprint title.
-											__( 'Preview %s in Playground' ),
-											item.title
-										) }
-									>
-										<Icon icon={ external } />
-										<span>{ __( 'Preview' ) }</span>
-									</Button>
-								) }
-							</li>
-						) ) }
-					</ul>
-				) }
+								>
+									<Icon icon={ external } />
+									<span>{ __( 'Preview' ) }</span>
+								</Button>
+							) }
+						</li>
+					) ) }
+				</ul>
 			</section>
 		</div>
 	);
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/style.module.css b/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/style.module.css
index 6ee1545b9d..2e30ac7e8f 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/style.module.css
+++ b/apps/ui/src/components/blueprint-selector/style.module.css
@@ -78,6 +78,26 @@
 	background: #f0f0f0;
 }
 
+.emptySiteMedia {
+	display: block;
+	width: 100%;
+	aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;
+	background:
+		linear-gradient(
+			90deg,
+			color-mix(in srgb, var(--wpds-color-stroke-interactive-brand, #3858e9) 18%, transparent)
+				1px,
+			transparent 1px
+		),
+		linear-gradient(
+			color-mix(in srgb, var(--wpds-color-stroke-interactive-brand, #3858e9) 18%, transparent)
+				1px,
+			transparent 1px
+		),
+		var(--wpds-color-bg-surface-neutral, #f6f7f7);
+	background-size: 24px 24px;
+}
+
 .cardBody {
 	display: flex;
 	flex-direction: column;
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/components/onboarding-layout/style.module.css b/apps/ui/src/components/onboarding-layout/style.module.css
index 62a6679ca6..b0fad6bf53 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/components/onboarding-layout/style.module.css
+++ b/apps/ui/src/components/onboarding-layout/style.module.css
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 .root {
-	height: 100vh;
+	box-sizing: border-box;
+	min-height: 100vh;
+	padding-block: var(--wpds-dimension-padding-3xl);
 	position: relative;
 }
 
 .content {
+	box-sizing: border-box;
 	max-width: 640px;
 	width: 100%;
-	padding: var(--wpds-dimension-padding-3xl);
+	padding-inline: var(--wpds-dimension-padding-3xl);
 }
 
 /* `wide` variant — used by content-heavy onboarding pages like the blueprint
@@ -16,7 +19,7 @@
 }
 
 .close {
-	position: absolute;
+	position: fixed;
 	top: 16px;
 	right: 16px;
 }
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-blueprint/index.tsx b/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-blueprint/index.tsx
index 099c5b8c0c..40990922d5 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-blueprint/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-blueprint/index.tsx
@@ -122,16 +122,15 @@ function OnboardingBlueprintPage() {
 	if ( activeStep === 'select' ) {
 		return (
 			<div className={ styles.page }>
-				<h1 className={ styles.title }>{ __( 'Start from a Blueprint' ) }</h1>
+				<h1 className={ styles.title }>{ __( 'Build a new site' ) }</h1>
 				<p className={ styles.subtitle }>
-					{ __(
-						'Pick a featured Blueprint or drop in your own to provision plugins, content, and settings.'
-					) }
+					{ __( 'Start from scratch or choose a Blueprint to provision plugins and settings.' ) }
 				</p>
 				<BlueprintSelector
 					featured={ featured.data }
 					isFeaturedLoading={ featured.isLoading }
 					onPick={ handlePick }
+					onPickEmpty={ () => void navigate( { to: '/onboarding/create' } ) }
 				/>
 			</div>
 		);
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-create/index.tsx b/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-create/index.tsx
index bbb98abf50..206fae4cc5 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-create/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-create/index.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ function CreateSitePage() {
 				initialValues={ proposedName ? { name: proposedName } : undefined }
 				existingDomainNames={ existingDomainNames ?? [] }
 				onSubmit={ handleSubmit }
-				onCancel={ () => void navigate( { to: '/onboarding' } ) }
+				onCancel={ () => void navigate( { to: '/onboarding/blueprint' } ) }
 				isSubmitting={ createSite.isPending }
 				submitError={ submitError }
 			/>
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-home/index.tsx b/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-home/index.tsx
index be5ebbe680..5f1b3cb7a9 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-home/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/ui/src/ui-classic/router/route-onboarding-home/index.tsx
@@ -11,18 +11,10 @@ function OnboardingHomePage() {
 				{ __( 'WordPress can power anything. What are you building?' ) }
 			</p>
 			<div className={ styles.cards }>
-				<Link to="/onboarding/create" className={ styles.card }>
-					<h3 className={ styles.cardTitle }>{ __( 'Create new' ) }</h3>
-					<p className={ styles.cardBody }>
-						{ __( 'Start fresh with a blank site and build it with AI' ) }
-					</p>
-				</Link>
 				<Link to="/onboarding/blueprint" className={ styles.card }>
-					<h3 className={ styles.cardTitle }>{ __( 'Start from a blueprint' ) }</h3>
+					<h3 className={ styles.cardTitle }>{ __( 'Build a new site' ) }</h3>
 					<p className={ styles.cardBody }>
-						{ __(
-							'Pick a featured blueprint or drop in your own to provision plugins, content, and settings.'
-						) }
+						{ __( 'Start from scratch or choose a Blueprint to provision plugins and settings.' ) }
 					</p>
 				</Link>
 				<Link to="/onboarding/import" className={ styles.card }>
diff --git a/apps/ui/src/ui-desks/onboarding/index.tsx b/apps/ui/src/ui-desks/onboarding/index.tsx
index 21bb55e602..7b4f10f537 100644
--- a/apps/ui/src/ui-desks/onboarding/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/ui/src/ui-desks/onboarding/index.tsx
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ export function DeskOnboardingBlueprint() {
 						featured={ featured.data }
 						isFeaturedLoading={ featured.isLoading }
 						onPick={ handlePick }
+						onPickEmpty={ () => void navigate( { to: '/onboarding/create' } ) }
 					/>
 				</div>
 			</OnboardingLayout>