diff --git a/src/features/instance/config/secrets/index.tsx b/src/features/instance/config/secrets/index.tsx
index 174ea2084..fdb7f2637 100644
--- a/src/features/instance/config/secrets/index.tsx
+++ b/src/features/instance/config/secrets/index.tsx
@@ -133,6 +133,16 @@ export function ConfigSecretsIndex() {
 				onSelectName={onSelectName}
 				nameHeader="Secret"
 				delivery={true}
+				docsLink={
+					<a
+						className="inline-block underline text-sm text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
+						href="https://docs.harperdb.io/reference/v5/security/secrets"
+						target="_blank"
+						rel="noreferrer"
+					>
+						Secrets Docs
+					</a>
+				}
 				grantableComponents={grantableComponents}
 				addDescription="The value is encrypted in your browser against the cluster's secrets key — plaintext never reaches the API, the operation log, or disk. It can be replaced or deleted, but never read back."
 				editDescription="The current value can't be shown — it's stored encrypted. Enter a new value to replace it, adjust how applications read it, or delete the secret."
diff --git a/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretDeliveryPicker.tsx b/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretDeliveryPicker.tsx
index 69d550e57..974f483dd 100644
--- a/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretDeliveryPicker.tsx
+++ b/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretDeliveryPicker.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import { ReactNode } from 'react';
 import { SecretTier } from './accessExample';
 import { SecretAccessExample } from './SecretAccessExample';
 
+/** The Harper docs hub for the secrets store — the `secrets` accessor, tiers, and change subscriptions. */
+const SECRETS_DOCS_URL = 'https://docs.harperdb.io/reference/v5/security/secrets';
+
 export function SecretDeliveryPicker({
 	name,
 	tier,
@@ -61,6 +64,14 @@ export function SecretDeliveryPicker({
 					How to read it in your component
 				</span>
 				<SecretAccessExample name={name} tier={tier} />
+				<a
+					className="inline-block underline text-sm text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground"
+					href={SECRETS_DOCS_URL}
+					target="_blank"
+					rel="noreferrer"
+				>
+					Learn more about secrets in the Harper docs
+				</a>
 			</div>
 		</div>
 	);
diff --git a/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.delivery.test.tsx b/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.delivery.test.tsx
index 5426fadf8..a1d4d5f8c 100644
--- a/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.delivery.test.tsx
+++ b/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.delivery.test.tsx
@@ -47,6 +47,23 @@ function exampleText(): string {
 	return document.querySelector('pre code')?.textContent ?? '';
 }
 
+describe('SecretsManager toolbar', () => {
+	it('renders docsLink at the start of the toolbar, before Refresh/Add', () => {
+		renderManager({
+			onRefresh: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+			docsLink: (
+				<a href="https://docs.example/secrets" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
+					Secrets Docs
+				</a>
+			),
+		});
+		const docs = screen.getByRole('link', { name: /secrets docs/i });
+		const refresh = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /refresh/i });
+		// docsLink precedes Refresh in DOM order — it sits at the left, matching the sshKeys/certificates pages.
+		expect(docs.compareDocumentPosition(refresh) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_FOLLOWING).toBeTruthy();
+	});
+});
+
 describe('SecretsManager delivery tier — Add', () => {
 	async function openAddWithKeyValue() {
 		fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /add/i }));
@@ -58,10 +75,16 @@ describe('SecretsManager delivery tier — Add', () => {
 		renderManager();
 		await openAddWithKeyValue();
 
-		// Scoped is the default: the example destructures the accessor, never touches process.env.
+		// Scoped is the default: the example reads the live accessor and subscribes for rotations,
+		// never touching process.env.
 		expect(exampleText()).toContain("import { secrets } from 'harper';");
-		expect(exampleText()).toContain('const { NEW_KEY } = secrets;');
+		expect(exampleText()).toContain('let value = secrets.NEW_KEY;');
+		expect(exampleText()).toContain("secrets.subscribe('NEW_KEY')");
 		expect(exampleText()).not.toContain('process.env');
+
+		// The example links out to the Harper secrets docs for deeper reading.
+		const docsLink = screen.getByRole('link', { name: /learn more about secrets/i });
+		expect(docsLink.getAttribute('href')).toBe('https://docs.harperdb.io/reference/v5/security/secrets');
 	});
 
 	it('submits a scoped secret with its pending grants', async () => {
@@ -126,7 +149,7 @@ describe('SecretsManager delivery tier — Edit', () => {
 			selectedName: 'DB_PASSWORD',
 			renderEditExtras: () => <div data-testid="live-grants">grants</div>,
 		});
-		await waitFor(() => expect(exampleText()).toContain('const { DB_PASSWORD } = secrets;'));
+		await waitFor(() => expect(exampleText()).toContain('let value = secrets.DB_PASSWORD;'));
 		// Tier matches what's stored (scoped, unchanged), so the live grant_secret editor is safe.
 		expect(screen.getByTestId('live-grants')).toBeTruthy();
 	});
@@ -144,7 +167,7 @@ describe('SecretsManager delivery tier — Edit', () => {
 		// Flip to scoped without saving: the secret is still processEnv server-side, so a live
 		// grant_secret would be rejected — show the "save first" hint instead of the editor.
 		fireEvent.click(screen.getAllByRole('radio')[0]);
-		await waitFor(() => expect(exampleText()).toContain('const { TOKEN } = secrets;'));
+		await waitFor(() => expect(exampleText()).toContain('let value = secrets.TOKEN;'));
 		expect(screen.queryByTestId('live-grants')).toBeNull();
 		expect(screen.getByText(/save this as a scoped secret first/i)).toBeTruthy();
 	});
diff --git a/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.tsx b/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.tsx
index 437c3d4dd..ed7020606 100644
--- a/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.tsx
+++ b/src/features/instance/secrets/SecretsManager.tsx
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export function SecretsManager({
 	onSet,
 	onDelete,
 	renderEditExtras,
+	docsLink,
 	children,
 	delivery = false,
 	deliveryDefaultTier = 'scoped',
@@ -73,6 +74,8 @@ export function SecretsManager({
 	onDelete?: (key: string) => Promise<unknown>;
 	/** Extra per-secret content for the edit dialog (e.g. a live grants editor). */
 	renderEditExtras?: (name: string) => ReactNode;
+	/** A docs link rendered at the START of the toolbar (before Refresh/Add), matching the sshKeys/certificates config pages. */
+	docsLink?: ReactNode;
 	/** Extra toolbar actions, rendered after Refresh/Add. */
 	children?: ReactNode;
 	/** Enable the delivery-tier chooser (process.env vs scoped) + access examples in the dialogs. */
@@ -115,6 +118,7 @@ export function SecretsManager({
 				isFetching={isFetching}
 				onRowClick={canManage ? onRowClick : undefined}
 			>
+				{docsLink}
 				{onRefresh && (
 					<Button
 						variant="defaultOutline"
diff --git a/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.test.ts b/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.test.ts
index e29ed726c..9420239a8 100644
--- a/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.test.ts
@@ -30,22 +30,27 @@ describe('buildSecretAccessExample', () => {
 		expect(buildSecretAccessExample('my-key', 'processEnv')).toContain("const value = process.env['my-key'];");
 	});
 
-	it('scoped destructures the secrets accessor for identifier names', () => {
+	it('scoped reads the live accessor and subscribes for identifier names', () => {
 		const code = buildSecretAccessExample('DB_PASSWORD', 'scoped');
 		expect(code).toContain("import { secrets } from 'harper';");
-		expect(code).toContain('const { DB_PASSWORD } = secrets;');
+		expect(code).toContain('let value = secrets.DB_PASSWORD;');
+		expect(code).toContain("for await (const next of secrets.subscribe('DB_PASSWORD'))");
+		expect(code).toContain('if (next === value) continue;'); // skip the redundant startup rebuild
+		expect(code).toContain('} catch (error) {'); // subscription errors don't become unhandled rejections
 		expect(code).toContain('top level'); // the module-top-level guidance
 		expect(code).not.toContain('process.env');
 	});
 
 	it('scoped uses bracket access for non-identifier names', () => {
 		const code = buildSecretAccessExample('my.key', 'scoped');
-		expect(code).toContain("const value = secrets['my.key'];");
-		expect(code).not.toContain('const { my.key }');
+		expect(code).toContain("let value = secrets['my.key'];");
+		expect(code).toContain("secrets.subscribe('my.key')");
+		expect(code).not.toContain('secrets.my.key'); // never dot-access a non-identifier name
 	});
 
 	it('falls back to a placeholder name when empty or whitespace', () => {
-		expect(buildSecretAccessExample('', 'scoped')).toContain(`const { ${SECRET_NAME_PLACEHOLDER} } = secrets;`);
+		expect(buildSecretAccessExample('', 'scoped')).toContain(`let value = secrets.${SECRET_NAME_PLACEHOLDER};`);
+		expect(buildSecretAccessExample('', 'scoped')).toContain(`secrets.subscribe('${SECRET_NAME_PLACEHOLDER}')`);
 		expect(buildSecretAccessExample('   ', 'processEnv')).toContain(`process.env.${SECRET_NAME_PLACEHOLDER}`);
 	});
 
diff --git a/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.ts b/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.ts
index a278b07e1..bb77be3ac 100644
--- a/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.ts
+++ b/src/features/instance/secrets/accessExample.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@
  *  - 'processEnv' — the value is materialized into the real `process.env` at component load and
  *    inherited by child processes (global, `.env` semantics). Read it as `process.env.NAME`.
  *  - 'scoped'     — never placed on `process.env`; exposed only to granted components through the
- *    `secrets` accessor (`import { secrets } from 'harper'`), read at module top level.
+ *    `secrets` accessor (`import { secrets } from 'harper'`), read at module top level. On this tier
+ *    the accessor is live and `secrets.subscribe('NAME')` streams the current value then each
+ *    rotation (harper#1787), so the example reads the value immediately, then subscribes in a
+ *    background task — module load isn't blocked and the component hot-swaps a rotated secret
+ *    without a restart. (The global tier stays reload-only, so its example is just the read.)
  *
  * The two tiers are mutually exclusive server-side (a processEnv secret is global, so scoping it
  * with grants is rejected). The secret-name grammar (`[\w.-]+`) permits `.` and `-`, which aren't
@@ -46,16 +50,29 @@ export function buildSecretAccessExample(name: string, tier: SecretTier): string
 		].join('\n');
 	}
 
-	// Scoped: the `secrets` accessor is bound to the loading component, so it must be read at module
-	// top level (during load) — reading it inside a request handler throws.
-	const read = identifier
-		? `const { ${key} } = secrets;`
-		: `const value = secrets[${quote(key)}];`;
+	// Scoped: the `secrets` accessor is bound to the loading component, so read it at module top
+	// level (during load), not inside a request handler. The accessor is live on this tier, and
+	// `secrets.subscribe(name)` streams the current value then each rotation (harper#1787) — so read
+	// the value immediately, then subscribe in a fire-and-forget task that never blocks module load.
+	const read = identifier ? `secrets.${key}` : `secrets[${quote(key)}]`;
 	return [
 		"import { secrets } from 'harper';",
 		'',
-		'// Read granted secrets at the top level of your component module',
-		'// (the accessor is bound during load, not inside request handlers).',
-		read,
+		"// Use the current value right away — read at your module's top level.",
+		`let value = ${read};`,
+		'',
+		'// Then react to rotations without blocking startup. Subscribing in a background',
+		'// task lets module load finish, so the rest of your app keeps initializing.',
+		'(async () => {',
+		'  try {',
+		`    for await (const next of secrets.subscribe(${quote(key)})) {`,
+		'      if (next === value) continue; // the first yield is the current value you already have',
+		'      value = next; // rotated — rebuild anything bound to the secret (e.g. an API client) here',
+		'    }',
+		'  } catch (error) {',
+		'    // Log and keep serving the last value; it stays valid until the next reload.',
+		`    console.error('secret subscription ended for', ${quote(key)}, error);`,
+		'  }',
+		'})();',
 	].join('\n');
 }