diff --git a/app/src/api/onboarding.ts b/app/src/api/onboarding.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..058aac83a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/api/onboarding.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { api } from './client';
+
+export type OnboardingStatus = {
+  has_expense: boolean;
+  has_category: boolean;
+  has_bill: boolean;
+  has_budget_goal: boolean;
+  profile_complete: boolean;
+};
+
+export type StepResult = {
+  step: string;
+  completed?: boolean;
+  already_completed?: boolean;
+};
+
+export type Suggestion = {
+  step: string;
+  action: string;
+};
+
+export async function getStatus(): Promise<OnboardingStatus> {
+  return api<OnboardingStatus>('/onboarding/status');
+}
+
+export async function completeStep(step: string): Promise<StepResult> {
+  return api<StepResult>('/onboarding/complete-step', {
+    method: 'POST',
+    body: { step },
+  });
+}
+
+export async function getSuggestions(): Promise<Suggestion[]> {
+  return api<Suggestion[]>('/onboarding/suggestions');
+}
diff --git a/packages/backend/app/routes/__init__.py b/packages/backend/app/routes/__init__.py
index f13b0f897..22af5ea34 100644
--- a/packages/backend/app/routes/__init__.py
+++ b/packages/backend/app/routes/__init__.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 from .categories import bp as categories_bp
 from .docs import bp as docs_bp
 from .dashboard import bp as dashboard_bp
+from .onboarding import bp as onboarding_bp
 
 
 def register_routes(app: Flask):
@@ -18,3 +19,4 @@ def register_routes(app: Flask):
     app.register_blueprint(categories_bp, url_prefix="/categories")
     app.register_blueprint(docs_bp, url_prefix="/docs")
     app.register_blueprint(dashboard_bp, url_prefix="/dashboard")
+    app.register_blueprint(onboarding_bp, url_prefix="/onboarding")
diff --git a/packages/backend/app/routes/onboarding.py b/packages/backend/app/routes/onboarding.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab6685e67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/app/routes/onboarding.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import json
+import logging
+from flask import Blueprint, jsonify, request
+from flask_jwt_extended import jwt_required, get_jwt_identity
+from ..extensions import db
+from ..models import AuditLog, Expense, Category, Bill
+
+bp = Blueprint("onboarding", __name__)
+logger = logging.getLogger("finmind.onboarding")
+
+ONBOARDING_STEPS = [
+    "has_expense",
+    "has_category",
+    "has_bill",
+    "has_budget_goal",
+    "profile_complete",
+]
+
+
+def _get_completed_steps(uid):
+    rows = (
+        db.session.query(AuditLog)
+        .filter(AuditLog.user_id == uid, AuditLog.action.like("onboarding_step:%"))
+        .all()
+    )
+    completed = set()
+    for r in rows:
+        try:
+            step = r.action.split(":", 1)[1]
+            completed.add(step)
+        except IndexError:
+            continue
+    return completed
+
+
+def _check_status(uid):
+    manual = _get_completed_steps(uid)
+    status = {}
+    status["has_expense"] = (
+        "has_expense" in manual
+        or db.session.query(Expense).filter(Expense.user_id == uid).first() is not None
+    )
+    status["has_category"] = (
+        "has_category" in manual
+        or db.session.query(Category).filter(Category.user_id == uid).first() is not None
+    )
+    status["has_bill"] = (
+        "has_bill" in manual
+        or db.session.query(Bill).filter(Bill.user_id == uid).first() is not None
+    )
+    status["has_budget_goal"] = "has_budget_goal" in manual
+    status["profile_complete"] = "profile_complete" in manual
+    return status
+
+
+@bp.get("/status")
+@jwt_required()
+def get_status():
+    uid = int(get_jwt_identity())
+    status = _check_status(uid)
+    logger.info("Onboarding status user=%s", uid)
+    return jsonify(status)
+
+
+@bp.post("/complete-step")
+@jwt_required()
+def complete_step():
+    uid = int(get_jwt_identity())
+    data = request.get_json() or {}
+    step = (data.get("step") or "").strip()
+    if step not in ONBOARDING_STEPS:
+        return jsonify(error=f"invalid step, must be one of {ONBOARDING_STEPS}"), 400
+
+    existing = (
+        db.session.query(AuditLog)
+        .filter(AuditLog.user_id == uid, AuditLog.action == f"onboarding_step:{step}")
+        .first()
+    )
+    if existing:
+        return jsonify({"step": step, "already_completed": True})
+
+    log = AuditLog(user_id=uid, action=f"onboarding_step:{step}")
+    db.session.add(log)
+    db.session.commit()
+    logger.info("Onboarding step completed user=%s step=%s", uid, step)
+    return jsonify({"step": step, "completed": True}), 201
+
+
+@bp.get("/suggestions")
+@jwt_required()
+def get_suggestions():
+    uid = int(get_jwt_identity())
+    status = _check_status(uid)
+    suggestions = []
+    if not status["has_expense"]:
+        suggestions.append({"step": "has_expense", "action": "Add your first expense"})
+    if not status["has_category"]:
+        suggestions.append({"step": "has_category", "action": "Create a spending category"})
+    if not status["has_bill"]:
+        suggestions.append({"step": "has_bill", "action": "Set up a recurring bill"})
+    if not status["has_budget_goal"]:
+        suggestions.append({"step": "has_budget_goal", "action": "Set a budget goal"})
+    if not status["profile_complete"]:
+        suggestions.append({"step": "profile_complete", "action": "Complete your profile"})
+    return jsonify(suggestions)
diff --git a/packages/backend/tests/test_onboarding.py b/packages/backend/tests/test_onboarding.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef3eac795
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/tests/test_onboarding.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+def test_onboarding_requires_auth(client):
+    r = client.get("/onboarding/status")
+    assert r.status_code in (401, 422)
+
+    r = client.post("/onboarding/complete-step", json={"step": "has_expense"})
+    assert r.status_code in (401, 422)
+
+    r = client.get("/onboarding/suggestions")
+    assert r.status_code in (401, 422)
+
+
+def test_status_empty(client, auth_header):
+    r = client.get("/onboarding/status", headers=auth_header)
+    assert r.status_code == 200
+    status = r.get_json()
+    assert status["has_expense"] is False
+    assert status["has_category"] is False
+    assert status["has_bill"] is False
+    assert status["has_budget_goal"] is False
+    assert status["profile_complete"] is False
+
+
+def test_complete_step(client, auth_header):
+    r = client.post(
+        "/onboarding/complete-step",
+        json={"step": "has_budget_goal"},
+        headers=auth_header,
+    )
+    assert r.status_code == 201
+    assert r.get_json()["completed"] is True
+
+    r = client.get("/onboarding/status", headers=auth_header)
+    assert r.status_code == 200
+    assert r.get_json()["has_budget_goal"] is True
+
+    # Repeating should not error
+    r = client.post(
+        "/onboarding/complete-step",
+        json={"step": "has_budget_goal"},
+        headers=auth_header,
+    )
+    assert r.status_code == 200
+    assert r.get_json()["already_completed"] is True
+
+
+def test_suggestions(client, auth_header):
+    r = client.get("/onboarding/suggestions", headers=auth_header)
+    assert r.status_code == 200
+    suggestions = r.get_json()
+    assert len(suggestions) == 5
+    steps = [s["step"] for s in suggestions]
+    assert "has_expense" in steps
+    assert "has_budget_goal" in steps
+
+    # Complete a step and check suggestions shrink
+    client.post(
+        "/onboarding/complete-step",
+        json={"step": "profile_complete"},
+        headers=auth_header,
+    )
+    r = client.get("/onboarding/suggestions", headers=auth_header)
+    assert r.status_code == 200
+    suggestions = r.get_json()
+    assert len(suggestions) == 4
+    assert "profile_complete" not in [s["step"] for s in suggestions]