diff --git a/src/server/routes/note.ts b/src/server/routes/note.ts
index 0415cc5..8cd597c 100644
--- a/src/server/routes/note.ts
+++ b/src/server/routes/note.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ import {
 	parseNoteFormFields,
 } from "../../lib/orchestrators/note.ts";
 import { htmlResponse } from "../../lib/response.ts";
-import { collabWsPath, noteUrl, redirect, wikiUrl } from "../../lib/urls.ts";
+import {
+	collabWsPath,
+	editNoteUrl,
+	noteUrl,
+	redirect,
+	wikiUrl,
+} from "../../lib/urls.ts";
 import { editNotePage } from "../../views/edit-note.ts";
 import {
 	HISTORY_PAGE_SIZE,
@@ -59,7 +65,9 @@ export const noteRoutes = new Elysia()
 
 		try {
 			const { noteSlug } = await createNoteAction(ctx, fields, msg);
-			return redirect(noteUrl(ctx.ownerHandle, ctx.wiki.slug, noteSlug));
+			// Drop the author straight into the live collaborative editor: the note
+			// now exists on the wiki, and its body is written there, not here.
+			return redirect(editNoteUrl(ctx.ownerHandle, ctx.wiki.slug, noteSlug));
 		} catch (err) {
 			if (err instanceof ValidationError) {
 				return htmlResponse(
diff --git a/src/views/new-note.ts b/src/views/new-note.ts
index 96b3d1d..cc388dc 100644
--- a/src/views/new-note.ts
+++ b/src/views/new-note.ts
@@ -29,28 +29,17 @@ export function newNotePage(
 	const titleValue = escapeHtml(options?.titleValue ?? "");
 	const escapedContent = escapeHtml(options?.contentValue ?? "");
 
-	// Editor/preview sizing is owned by editor.ts (shared with the edit page), so
-	// there's no page-local height hack here anymore.
+	// Creation captures only a title (optionally pre-filled by importing a file).
+	// The body is authored afterwards in the collaborative editor, so the content
+	// field here is hidden — it exists solely to carry imported file text to the
+	// server. initFileImport() in editor.ts fills it; initEditor() skips it because
+	// it is display:none, so no solo CodeMirror is mounted on this page.
 	return layout(
 		`${msg.wiki.newNote} — ${wiki.name}`,
 		`
     <h1 class="text-3xl font-bold ${THEME.text} mb-6">${msg.wiki.newNote}</h1>
     ${errorHtml}
-    <div class="mb-6 pb-4 border-b ${THEME.border}">
-      <label class="block text-sm font-medium ${THEME.textSecondary} mb-1">${msg.editor.importFile}</label>
-      <input
-        type="file"
-        id="import-file"
-        accept=".md,.markdown,.txt"
-        class="hidden"
-        data-filename-target="import-filename"
-      >
-      <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
-        <button type="button" data-action="click-target" data-target="import-file" class="${outlineSmallButtonClass}">${msg.editor.importFileBrowse}</button>
-        <span id="import-filename" class="text-sm ${THEME.textMuted} truncate"></span>
-      </div>
-    </div>
-    <form method="POST" action="${newNoteUrl(wiki.handle, wiki.slug)}" class="space-y-4">
+    <form method="POST" action="${newNoteUrl(wiki.handle, wiki.slug)}" class="space-y-6">
       <div>
         <label for="title" class="block text-sm font-medium ${THEME.textSecondary} mb-1">${msg.editor.title}</label>
         <input
@@ -59,38 +48,28 @@ export function newNotePage(
           type="text"
           value="${titleValue}"
           required
+          autofocus
           class="${inputClass}"
           placeholder="${msg.editor.titlePlaceholder}"
         >
       </div>
       <div>
-        <label for="content" class="block text-sm font-medium ${THEME.textSecondary} mb-1">${msg.editor.content}</label>
-        <textarea
-          id="content"
-          name="content"
-          rows="16"
-          data-wiki-slug="${escapeHtml(wiki.slug)}"
-          data-owner-handle="${escapeHtml(wiki.handle)}"
-          class="${inputClass} ${THEME.fontMono}"
-          placeholder="${msg.editor.newNotePlaceholder}"
-        >${escapedContent}</textarea>
-      </div>
-      <div>
-        <label for="message" class="block text-sm font-medium ${THEME.textSecondary} mb-1">${msg.editor.editSummary}</label>
+        <label class="block text-sm font-medium ${THEME.textSecondary} mb-1">${msg.editor.importFile}</label>
         <input
-          id="message"
-          name="message"
-          type="text"
-          class="${inputClass}"
-          placeholder="${msg.editor.editSummaryPlaceholder}"
+          type="file"
+          id="import-file"
+          accept=".md,.markdown,.txt"
+          class="hidden"
+          data-filename-target="import-filename"
         >
+        <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
+          <button type="button" data-action="click-target" data-target="import-file" class="${outlineSmallButtonClass}">${msg.editor.importFileBrowse}</button>
+          <span id="import-filename" class="text-sm ${THEME.textMuted} truncate"></span>
+        </div>
       </div>
-      <input type="hidden" id="blob_metadata" name="blob_metadata" value="">
+      <textarea id="content" name="content" style="display:none">${escapedContent}</textarea>
       <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
-        <button
-          type="submit"
-          class="${primaryButtonClass}"
-        >${msg.editor.createNote}</button>
+        <button type="submit" class="${primaryButtonClass}">${msg.editor.createNote}</button>
         <a href="${wikiUrl(wiki.handle, wiki.slug)}" class="text-sm ${THEME.textMuted} hover:underline">${msg.editor.cancel}</a>
       </div>
     </form>
diff --git a/tests/integration/http-roundtrip.test.ts b/tests/integration/http-roundtrip.test.ts
index 538de0b..820add6 100644
--- a/tests/integration/http-roundtrip.test.ts
+++ b/tests/integration/http-roundtrip.test.ts
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ describe("HTTP forward flow: user → route → orchestrator → DB", () => {
 		});
 		expect(createRes.status).toBe(302);
 		const noteLocation = createRes.headers.get("location");
-		expect(noteLocation).toBe(`/@${handle}/${wikiSlug}/first-note`);
+		// Creation lands in the collaborative editor, not the read view.
+		expect(noteLocation).toBe(`/@${handle}/${wikiSlug}/first-note/edit`);
 
 		const initial = getCurrentNote(wiki.at_uri, "first-note");
 		expect(initial?.content).toBe("Initial content");
diff --git a/tests/server/routes/note.test.ts b/tests/server/routes/note.test.ts
index 69342ff..651d123 100644
--- a/tests/server/routes/note.test.ts
+++ b/tests/server/routes/note.test.ts
@@ -116,7 +116,9 @@ describe("note routes", () => {
 			}),
 		);
 		expect(res.status).toBe(302);
+		// Creation now drops the author straight into the collaborative editor.
 		expect(res.headers.get("Location")).toContain(`/@${TEST_DID}/${SLUG}/`);
+		expect(res.headers.get("Location")).toContain("/edit");
 	});
 
 	test("POST /@handle/:slug/new with empty title returns validation error", async () => {