diff --git a/frontend/src/DesktopWorkspace.jsx b/frontend/src/DesktopWorkspace.jsx
index cdb861f..9732f46 100644
--- a/frontend/src/DesktopWorkspace.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/DesktopWorkspace.jsx
@@ -2037,7 +2037,7 @@ export const createDesktopSurface = ({ workspaceProps, renderSidebarToggle }) =>
     <>
       <button
         type="button"
-        className="icon-button ghost"
+        className="icon-button"
         onClick={onRefresh}
         aria-label="Refresh"
         title="Refresh"
diff --git a/frontend/src/detail/DetailPanel.jsx b/frontend/src/detail/DetailPanel.jsx
index dd8e0a1..4d1c2ad 100644
--- a/frontend/src/detail/DetailPanel.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/detail/DetailPanel.jsx
@@ -1002,7 +1002,7 @@ const DetailPanel = ({
               <h3 style={{ margin: 0 }}>{displayName}</h3>
               <button
                 type="button"
-                className="icon-button ghost"
+                className="icon-button"
                 onClick={startTitleEdit}
                 aria-label="Edit title"
                 title="Edit title"
@@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ const DetailPanel = ({
           <div className="panel-actions">
           <button
             type="button"
-            className="icon-button ghost"
+            className="icon-button"
             onClick={onClose}
             aria-label="Close detail panel"
             title="Close detail panel"
@@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ const DetailPanel = ({
           {singleDoc ? (
             <button
               type="button"
-              className="icon-button ghost"
+              className="icon-button"
               onClick={(event) => {
                 event.stopPropagation();
                 onOpenPreview(singleDoc.id);
@@ -1262,7 +1262,7 @@ const DetailPanel = ({
           {isBulkSelection && onBulkReanalyze ? (
             <button
               type="button"
-              className="icon-button ghost"
+              className="icon-button"
               onClick={(event) => {
                 event.stopPropagation();
                 onBulkReanalyze(bulkDocumentIds);
@@ -1289,7 +1289,7 @@ const DetailPanel = ({
           {showOcrAction ? (
             <button
               type="button"
-              className="icon-button ghost"
+              className="icon-button"
               onClick={(event) => {
                 event.stopPropagation();
                 openOcr();
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ const DetailPanel = ({
           {singleDoc ? (
             <button
               type="button"
-              className="icon-button ghost"
+              className="icon-button"
               onClick={(event) => {
                 event.stopPropagation();
                 onRegenerateThumbnails(singleDoc.id);
diff --git a/frontend/src/documents/DocumentsTable.jsx b/frontend/src/documents/DocumentsTable.jsx
index 367ff6a..4816d08 100644
--- a/frontend/src/documents/DocumentsTable.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/documents/DocumentsTable.jsx
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ const DocumentsTable = ({
                             {folder.id !== 'root' && onFolderRename && (
                               <button
                                 type="button"
-                                className="icon-button ghost"
+                                className="icon-button"
                                 title="Rename"
                                 aria-label={`Rename folder ${folder.name}`}
                                 onClick={(event) => {
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ const DocumentsTable = ({
                           {onDocumentRename && (
                             <button
                               type="button"
-                              className="icon-button ghost"
+                              className="icon-button"
                               title="Rename"
                               aria-label={`Rename document ${doc.title || doc.original_name}`}
                               onClick={(event) => {
@@ -1090,7 +1090,7 @@ export const createDocumentsTableHeaderActions = ({
       </span>
       <button
         type="button"
-        className="icon-button ghost"
+        className="icon-button"
         onClick={onRequestCreateFolder}
         disabled={creatingFolder}
         aria-label={creatingFolder ? 'Creating folder…' : 'Create folder'}
@@ -1100,7 +1100,7 @@ export const createDocumentsTableHeaderActions = ({
       </button>
       <button
         type="button"
-        className="icon-button ghost"
+        className="icon-button"
         onClick={onRefresh}
         aria-label="Refresh"
         title="Refresh"
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ export const createDocumentsSurface = ({
     ? (
         <button
           type="button"
-          className="icon-button ghost"
+          className="icon-button"
           onClick={onNavigateParent}
           aria-label="Go to parent folder"
           title="Go to parent folder"
diff --git a/frontend/src/index.jsx b/frontend/src/index.jsx
index 5b76c66..f6ad885 100644
--- a/frontend/src/index.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/index.jsx
@@ -5148,9 +5148,11 @@ const AppLayout = () => {
       tags,
       activeTagIds: activeTagFilters,
       onToggleTagFilter: toggleTagFilter,
+      onCreateTag: (label) => handleTagCreate({ label }),
       correspondents,
       activeCorrespondentIds: activeCorrespondentFilters,
       onToggleCorrespondentFilter: toggleCorrespondentFilter,
+      onCreateCorrespondent: (name) => handleCorrespondentCreate({ name }),
       appStatus,
       loading,
       previewActive,
@@ -5197,6 +5199,8 @@ const AppLayout = () => {
       tenantName,
       toggleCorrespondentFilter,
       toggleTagFilter,
+      handleTagCreate,
+      handleCorrespondentCreate,
     ],
   );
 
@@ -5333,6 +5337,7 @@ const AppLayout = () => {
       skeuoWorkspaceProps,
       ensurePreviewData,
       ensureAssetUrl,
+      resolveApiPath,
       getDocumentAsset,
       notifyApiError,
       openTagsModal,
@@ -5606,7 +5611,7 @@ const DocumentsRoute = () => {
     return (
       <button
         type="button"
-        className="icon-button ghost"
+        className="icon-button"
         onClick={expandSidebar}
         aria-label="Expand sidebar"
         title="Expand sidebar"
diff --git a/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx b/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx
index f946f6a..f64bf87 100644
--- a/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/preview/PreviewWorkspace.jsx
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ export const createPreviewWorkspaceHeaderActions = ({
       {hasOcr ? (
       <button
         type="button"
-        className="icon-button ghost"
+        className="icon-button"
         onClick={handleOcrClick}
         aria-label="View OCR text"
           title="View OCR text"
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export const createPreviewWorkspaceHeaderActions = ({
       ) : null}
       <button
         type="button"
-        className="icon-button ghost"
+        className="icon-button"
         onClick={() => onRegenerate(document.id)}
         aria-label="Re-run analysis"
         title="Re-run analysis"
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ export const createPreviewSurface = ({
     ? (
         <button
           type="button"
-          className="icon-button ghost"
+          className="icon-button"
           onClick={() => onClose?.()}
           aria-label="Close preview"
           title="Close preview"
diff --git a/frontend/src/sidebar/Sidebar.jsx b/frontend/src/sidebar/Sidebar.jsx
index b286276..4096a75 100644
--- a/frontend/src/sidebar/Sidebar.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/sidebar/Sidebar.jsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   ChevronDownIcon,
   SettingsIcon,
   CheckIcon,
+  PlusIcon,
 } from '../ui/icons';
 
 import { getTagColorStyle } from '../utils/colors';
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ const FolderNode = ({
           <div className="folder-row__actions">
             <button
               type="button"
-              className="icon-button ghost"
+              className="icon-button"
               onClick={(event) => {
                 event.stopPropagation();
                 if (!onRename) return;
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ const FolderNode = ({
             </button>
             <button
               type="button"
-              className="icon-button ghost"
+              className="icon-button"
               onClick={(event) => {
                 event.stopPropagation();
                 onDelete(node.id);
@@ -146,6 +147,8 @@ const Sidebar = ({
   onToggleCorrespondentFilter,
   onManageTags,
   onManageCorrespondents,
+  onCreateTag,
+  onCreateCorrespondent,
   searchQuery = '',
   onSearchChange,
   onSearchSubmit,
@@ -175,6 +178,37 @@ const Sidebar = ({
   const activeTagSet = new Set(activeTagIds);
   const handleManageTags = onManageTags || (() => {});
   const handleManageCorrespondents = onManageCorrespondents || (() => {});
+  const handleCreateTag = useCallback(async () => {
+    const input = window.prompt('New tag name');
+    if (!input) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const trimmed = input.trim();
+    if (!trimmed) {
+      return;
+    }
+    try {
+      await onCreateTag?.(trimmed);
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('[sidebar] failed to create tag', error);
+    }
+  }, [onCreateTag]);
+
+  const handleCreateCorrespondent = useCallback(async () => {
+    const input = window.prompt('New correspondent name');
+    if (!input) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const trimmed = input.trim();
+    if (!trimmed) {
+      return;
+    }
+    try {
+      await onCreateCorrespondent?.(trimmed);
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('[sidebar] failed to create correspondent', error);
+    }
+  }, [onCreateCorrespondent]);
   const handleSearchInputChange = useCallback(
     (event) => {
       onSearchChange?.(event.target.value);
@@ -408,14 +442,26 @@ const Sidebar = ({
         </div>
         <div className="sidebar-section">
           <div className="sidebar-section__header">
-            <button
-              type="button"
-              className="sidebar-section__title"
-              onClick={handleManageTags}
-            >
-              <h3>Tags</h3>
+            <h3>Tags</h3>
+            <div className="sidebar-section__actions">
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                className="icon-button"
+                onClick={handleCreateTag}
+                aria-label="Create tag"
+              >
+                <PlusIcon size={16} />
+              </button>
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                className="icon-button"
+                onClick={handleManageTags}
+                aria-label="Manage tags"
+              >
+                <SettingsIcon size={16} />
+              </button>
               <span className="meta">{tags.length}</span>
-            </button>
+            </div>
           </div>
           <div
             className={`sidebar-tag-cloud${
@@ -460,14 +506,26 @@ const Sidebar = ({
         </div>
         <div className="sidebar-section">
           <div className="sidebar-section__header">
-            <button
-              type="button"
-              className="sidebar-section__title"
-              onClick={handleManageCorrespondents}
-            >
-              <h3>Correspondents</h3>
+            <h3>Correspondents</h3>
+            <div className="sidebar-section__actions">
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                className="icon-button"
+                onClick={handleCreateCorrespondent}
+                aria-label="Create correspondent"
+              >
+                <PlusIcon size={16} />
+              </button>
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                className="icon-button"
+                onClick={handleManageCorrespondents}
+                aria-label="Manage correspondents"
+              >
+                <SettingsIcon size={16} />
+              </button>
               <span className="meta">{correspondents.length}</span>
-            </button>
+            </div>
           </div>
           <ul className="sidebar-correspondent-list">
             {sortedCorrespondents.map((correspondent) => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles.css b/frontend/src/styles.css
index a2c53ff..6bb084f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles.css
@@ -1406,6 +1406,17 @@ button.danger:hover:not([disabled]) {
   font-weight: 600;
 }
 
+.sidebar-section__actions {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.35rem;
+}
+
+.sidebar-section__actions .meta {
+  font-size: 0.75rem;
+  color: var(--muted);
+}
+
 .sidebar-item {
   background: transparent;
   padding: 0.16rem 0.26rem;
@@ -1511,7 +1522,6 @@ button.danger:hover:not([disabled]) {
 
 .sidebar-correspondent-item:hover {
   background: var(--sidebar-hover-bg);
-  box-shadow: 0 1px 3px var(--shadow-soft);
   color: var(--fg);
 }
 
@@ -1522,7 +1532,6 @@ button.danger:hover:not([disabled]) {
 
 .sidebar-correspondent-item.active {
   background: var(--sidebar-active-bg);
-  box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px var(--sidebar-active-pill-border);
   color: var(--fg);
 }
 
@@ -1917,7 +1926,6 @@ button.danger:hover:not([disabled]) {
   text-decoration: underline;
   text-decoration-thickness: 1.5px;
   background-color: transparent;
-  box-shadow: none;
 }
 
 .doc-correspondent-link:not(.is-static):focus-visible {
diff --git a/frontend/src/ui/icons.js b/frontend/src/ui/icons.js
index 4b34f9b..f62f958 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ui/icons.js
+++ b/frontend/src/ui/icons.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
   IconX,
   IconSettings,
   IconCheck,
+  IconPlus,
 } from '@tabler/icons-react';
 import FolderSvg from '../assets/folder.svg';
 
@@ -206,6 +207,15 @@ export const SettingsIcon = ({ className, size = '1em', stroke = 1.6, ...rest })
   />
 );
 
+export const PlusIcon = ({ className, size = '1em', stroke = 1.6, ...rest }) => (
+  <IconPlus
+    className={composeClassName('icon', className)}
+    size={size}
+    stroke={stroke}
+    {...rest}
+  />
+);
+
 export const CheckIcon = ({ className, size = '1em', stroke = 1.6, ...rest }) => (
   <IconCheck
     className={composeClassName('icon', className)}