diff --git a/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.svelte b/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.svelte
index 9c069ae..49b3aa3 100644
--- a/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.svelte
+++ b/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.svelte
@@ -64,12 +64,16 @@
           <h3 id="chart-pulse">Last 14 days</h3>
           <p>Unique visitors and cloners summed across this catalog.</p>
         </header>
-        <div class="pulse-chart" aria-hidden="true">
+        <div class="pulse-chart">
           {#each pulse as day}
             <div class="pulse-col">
+              <p class="pulse-tip">
+                <span>{formatCount(day.viewUniques)}</span>
+                <span class="is-clone">{formatCount(day.cloneUniques)}</span>
+              </p>
               <div class="pulse-pair">
-                <div class="traffic-bar" style={`height:${day.viewHeight}`}></div>
-                <div class="traffic-bar traffic-bar-clone" style={`height:${day.cloneHeight}`}></div>
+                <div class="traffic-bar" style={`height:${day.viewHeight}`} title={`${formatCount(day.viewUniques)} unique visitor${day.viewUniques === 1 ? "" : "s"}`}></div>
+                <div class="traffic-bar traffic-bar-clone" style={`height:${day.cloneHeight}`} title={`${formatCount(day.cloneUniques)} unique cloner${day.cloneUniques === 1 ? "" : "s"}`}></div>
               </div>
               <span>{day.label}</span>
             </div>
diff --git a/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.test.js b/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.test.js
index 53022e6..9336c31 100644
--- a/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.test.js
+++ b/web/src/components/CatalogCharts.test.js
@@ -60,4 +60,11 @@ describe("CatalogCharts", () => {
     expect(within(quiet).getByRole("link", { name: "cais" })).toHaveAttribute("href", "https://github.com/puppe1990/cais");
     expect(within(screen.getByRole("region", { name: "Unique visitors by language" })).queryByRole("link")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  test("pulse bars show unique counts on hover", () => {
+    render(CatalogCharts, { props: { repos } });
+    const pulse = screen.getByRole("region", { name: "Last 14 days" });
+    expect(within(pulse).getByTitle("8 unique visitors")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(within(pulse).getByTitle("1 unique cloner")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/web/src/components/CatalogSpinner.svelte b/web/src/components/CatalogSpinner.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f0acde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/components/CatalogSpinner.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<script>
+  export let size = "md";
+</script>
+
+<div class="atlas-spinner" class:is-sm={size === "sm"} aria-hidden="true">
+  <span class="atlas-spinner-orbit"></span>
+  <span class="atlas-spinner-arc"></span>
+  <span class="atlas-spinner-core"></span>
+</div>
diff --git a/web/src/main.js b/web/src/main.js
index 1623af3..c8b7547 100644
--- a/web/src/main.js
+++ b/web/src/main.js
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ import { createInertiaApp } from '@inertiajs/svelte'
 import { mount } from 'svelte'
 
 createInertiaApp({
+  progress: {
+    delay: 80,
+    color: "#d4a06a",
+    includeCSS: true,
+    showSpinner: false,
+  },
   resolve: (name) => {
     const pages = import.meta.glob('./pages/**/*.svelte', { eager: true })
     const page = pages[`./pages/${name}.svelte`]
diff --git a/web/src/pages/Home.svelte b/web/src/pages/Home.svelte
index 842fca1..3776609 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/Home.svelte
+++ b/web/src/pages/Home.svelte
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   import RepoCard from "../components/RepoCard.svelte";
   import CatalogCharts from "../components/CatalogCharts.svelte";
   import CatalogPager from "../components/CatalogPager.svelte";
+  import CatalogSpinner from "../components/CatalogSpinner.svelte";
   import SortModal from "../components/SortModal.svelte";
   import { applyFilters, languageOptions } from "../lib/filter.js";
   import { sliceCatalogPage } from "../lib/catalogPage.js";
@@ -61,7 +62,10 @@
 
   function go(path) {
     loading = true;
-    router.get(path, {}, { onFinish: () => { loading = false } });
+    router.get(path, {}, {
+      onStart: () => { loading = true },
+      onFinish: () => { loading = false },
+    });
   }
 
   function submit() {
@@ -128,7 +132,10 @@
     <div class="search-shell">
       <span class="search-prefix" aria-hidden="true">@</span>
       <input id="username" name="username" type="text" spellcheck="false" autocapitalize="off" autocorrect="off" placeholder="username" bind:value={username}>
-      <button type="submit" id="search-btn">Look up</button>
+      <button type="submit" id="search-btn" disabled={loading} aria-busy={loading}>
+        {#if loading}<CatalogSpinner size="sm" />{/if}
+        Look up
+      </button>
     </div>
     <p class="hints">
       <span>Try</span>
@@ -258,14 +265,15 @@
     </section>
   {/if}
 
-  {#if loading}
-    <div id="loader" class="loader-wrap">
-      <div class="loader" aria-hidden="true"></div>
-      <p id="loader-copy">Reading the public graph…</p>
-    </div>
-  {/if}
+  <div class="catalog-stage" class:is-busy={loading} aria-busy={loading}>
+    {#if loading}
+      <div id="loader" class="loader-overlay" role="status" aria-labelledby="loader-copy" aria-live="polite">
+        <CatalogSpinner />
+        <p id="loader-copy">Reading the public graph…</p>
+      </div>
+    {/if}
 
-  {#if populated && !loading}
+    {#if populated}
     {#if hasTraffic}
       <div class="view-tabs" role="tablist" aria-label="Catalog view">
         <button type="button" class="view-tab" role="tab" id="tab-catalog" aria-controls="projects" aria-selected={view === "catalog"} on:click={() => (view = "catalog")}>Catalog</button>
@@ -273,7 +281,7 @@
       </div>
     {/if}
     {#if view === "catalog" || !hasTraffic}
-      <div id="projects" role={hasTraffic ? "tabpanel" : undefined} aria-labelledby={hasTraffic ? "tab-catalog" : undefined}>
+      <div id="projects" class="catalog-panel" role={hasTraffic ? "tabpanel" : undefined} aria-labelledby={hasTraffic ? "tab-catalog" : undefined}>
         {#if visible.length === 0}
           <div class="projects">
             <div class="empty">
@@ -296,11 +304,12 @@
         {/if}
       </div>
     {:else}
-      <div id="panel-charts" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="tab-charts">
+      <div id="panel-charts" class="catalog-panel" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="tab-charts">
         <CatalogCharts repos={visible} />
       </div>
     {/if}
-  {/if}
+    {/if}
+  </div>
 </div>
 
 <SortModal bind:open={sortOpen} bind:sortBy bind:sortOrder bind:sortThen bind:sortThenOrder {hasTraffic} />
diff --git a/web/src/pages/Home.test.js b/web/src/pages/Home.test.js
index c332a20..452986e 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/Home.test.js
+++ b/web/src/pages/Home.test.js
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ describe("Home", () => {
     expect(screen.getByLabelText("GitHub username")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  test("shows a catalog spinner while looking up a username", async () => {
+    render(Home, { props: { populated: false, repos: [], orgs: [], profile: {}, source: {}, error: "" } });
+    await fireEvent.input(screen.getByLabelText("GitHub username"), { target: { value: "octocat" } });
+    await fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Look up" }));
+    expect(screen.getByRole("status", { name: /Reading the public graph/ })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(document.querySelector(".atlas-spinner")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   test("renders a populated profile and repo card", () => {
     render(Home, {
       props: {
diff --git a/web/static/css/atlas.css b/web/static/css/atlas.css
index c316739..e05c322 100644
--- a/web/static/css/atlas.css
+++ b/web/static/css/atlas.css
@@ -295,6 +295,10 @@ html[data-theme="light"] .theme-toggle .icon-moon {
 }
 
 #search-btn {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  gap: 0.45rem;
   margin: 0.4rem;
   border: 0;
   border-radius: 999px;
@@ -907,21 +911,111 @@ a.stat:hover {
   box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px var(--copper-dim);
 }
 
-.loader-wrap {
+.catalog-stage {
+  position: relative;
+  min-height: 4rem;
+}
+
+.catalog-stage.is-busy > :not(.loader-overlay) {
+  opacity: 0.32;
+  filter: blur(1.4px);
+  pointer-events: none;
+  transition:
+    opacity 0.45s ease,
+    filter 0.45s ease;
+}
+
+.loader-overlay {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: 4;
   display: grid;
+  place-content: center;
   place-items: center;
-  gap: 0.85rem;
-  padding: 3.5rem 0;
+  gap: 0.95rem;
+  min-height: 12rem;
+  padding: 2.5rem 0 3rem;
   color: var(--ink-dim);
+  animation: rise 0.4s ease both;
 }
 
-.loader {
-  width: 36px;
-  height: 36px;
+.loader-overlay #loader-copy {
+  margin: 0;
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  font-size: 0.78rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0.08em;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  color: var(--ink-mute);
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner {
+  position: relative;
+  width: 3.35rem;
+  height: 3.35rem;
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner.is-sm {
+  width: 0.95rem;
+  height: 0.95rem;
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner-orbit,
+.atlas-spinner-arc,
+.atlas-spinner-core {
+  position: absolute;
+  display: block;
   border-radius: 50%;
-  border: 2px solid var(--line-strong);
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner-orbit {
+  inset: 0;
+  border: 1px dashed color-mix(in srgb, var(--copper) 55%, transparent);
+  animation: spin 5.2s linear infinite;
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner-arc {
+  inset: 7px;
+  border: 2px solid transparent;
   border-top-color: var(--copper);
-  animation: spin 0.8s linear infinite;
+  border-right-color: var(--copper-hot);
+  animation: spin 0.85s cubic-bezier(0.45, 0.05, 0.2, 1) infinite;
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner.is-sm .atlas-spinner-arc {
+  inset: 1px;
+  border-width: 1.5px;
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner-core {
+  inset: 38%;
+  background: var(--copper);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 14px var(--glow-a);
+  animation: pulse-core 1.15s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+.atlas-spinner.is-sm .atlas-spinner-core {
+  inset: 32%;
+  box-shadow: none;
+}
+
+.catalog-panel {
+  animation: rise 0.45s ease both;
+}
+
+#search-btn:disabled {
+  opacity: 0.72;
+  cursor: wait;
+}
+
+#nprogress .bar {
+  background: var(--copper) !important;
+  height: 2px;
+}
+
+#nprogress .peg {
+  box-shadow:
+    0 0 10px var(--copper),
+    0 0 5px var(--copper) !important;
 }
 
 .projects {
@@ -1306,11 +1400,12 @@ a.rank-name:focus-visible {
   align-items: flex-end;
   justify-content: flex-start;
   gap: 0.45rem;
-  height: 148px;
+  height: 168px;
   overflow-x: auto;
 }
 
 .pulse-col {
+  position: relative;
   flex: 1 1 1.7rem;
   max-width: 2.4rem;
   min-width: 1.35rem;
@@ -1319,6 +1414,42 @@ a.rank-name:focus-visible {
   flex-direction: column;
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: flex-end;
+  padding-top: 1.45rem;
+}
+
+.pulse-tip {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0;
+  left: 50%;
+  transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(4px);
+  display: flex;
+  gap: 0.28rem;
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0.12rem 0.32rem;
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  background: var(--bg-elev);
+  border: 1px solid var(--line-strong);
+  box-shadow: var(--card-shadow);
+  font-family: var(--font-mono);
+  font-size: 0.62rem;
+  line-height: 1;
+  color: var(--copper);
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  opacity: 0;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  transition:
+    opacity 0.16s ease,
+    transform 0.16s ease;
+}
+
+.pulse-tip .is-clone {
+  color: var(--moss);
+}
+
+.pulse-col:hover .pulse-tip,
+.pulse-col:focus-within .pulse-tip {
+  opacity: 1;
+  transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(0);
 }
 
 .pulse-pair {
@@ -1334,6 +1465,7 @@ a.rank-name:focus-visible {
   flex: 1;
   max-width: 9px;
   min-height: 0;
+  cursor: pointer;
 }
 
 .pulse-col span {
@@ -1421,6 +1553,18 @@ a.rank-name:focus-visible {
   }
 }
 
+@keyframes pulse-core {
+  0%,
+  100% {
+    transform: scale(0.82);
+    opacity: 0.7;
+  }
+  50% {
+    transform: scale(1);
+    opacity: 1;
+  }
+}
+
 @media (max-width: 860px) {
   .app {
     padding-top: 2.6rem;