diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 4f65c01..73bbb2b 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -100,10 +100,10 @@ packages/<name>/
 - supertest for Express middleware integration tests
 
 ### current status
-Tests are not yet implemented across packages. Priority order for adding tests:
-1. proxyabl-core (security-critical: SSRF, auth modes, proxy execution)
-2. transformabl-core (correctness-critical: PII regex patterns)
-3. validatabl-core (security-critical: policy enforcement)
-4. identifiabl-core (security-critical: JWT verification)
-5. limitabl-core (correctness-critical: rate limiting, budget tracking)
-6. request-context, explicabl, middleware wrappers
+Every `-core` package and the middleware wrappers have vitest suites under
+`packages/<name>/__tests__/` (note: `__tests__/`, not `tests/`). `npm test` at
+the repo root runs the whole suite; `npm run build` must pass first (the tests
+import built workspace packages). Security-critical coverage is real:
+proxyabl-core SSRF, transformabl-core PII regex + redaction, validatabl-core
+policy enforcement, identifiabl-core JWT verification, limitabl-core
+rate/budget/agent-guard.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d4b42b4..923b522 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ Hermes Agent uses a native Python plugin instead ([why](https://agenticcontrolpl
 pip install hermes-acp && hermes plugins enable acp
 ```
 
+**Prefer to see the guarantees work first — zero config, no IdP, no backend?**
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/agentic-control-plane/GatewayStack
+cd GatewayStack/examples/quickstart && npm install && npm start
+```
+
+Prints three real decisions — a deny-by-default policy, PII redaction, and a
+rate limit — as pure local library code ([`examples/quickstart`](examples/quickstart)).
+
 Your own framework code — drop in a package:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9d30f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Examples
+
+Runnable GatewayStack examples.
+
+| Example | What it shows | Setup |
+|---------|---------------|-------|
+| [`quickstart/`](./quickstart) | Deny-by-default policy, PII redaction, and rate limiting — three real decisions printed to your console | **None.** `npm install && npm start` |
+
+The quickstart uses only the framework-agnostic `-core` packages, so it runs
+anywhere Node runs, with zero external services. Wiring the same layers as
+Express middleware (which does need an IdP for the identity layer) is covered in
+the [root README](../README.md#full-stack-example).
diff --git a/examples/quickstart/README.md b/examples/quickstart/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c43835
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/quickstart/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Quickstart — governance in 30 seconds
+
+Three real GatewayStack decisions running on your machine. **No IdP, no backend,
+no config.**
+
+```bash
+npm install
+npm start
+```
+
+You'll see:
+
+```
+1 · Deny-by-default policy (validatabl)
+  ✅ ALLOW  read_file        → Matched rule: allow-reads (allow)
+  🛑 DENY   delete_database  → No rules matched; default: deny
+
+2 · PII redaction (transformabl)
+  in : Email me at john@acme.com or call about SSN 123-45-6789.
+  out: Email me at [EMAIL] or call about SSN [SSN].
+  detected: email, ssn
+
+3 · Rate limit + budget guard (limitabl)
+  call 1: ✅ ALLOW
+  ...
+  call 4: 🛑 DENY  → Rate limited. Retry after 60s
+```
+
+Everything here is pure `-core` library code — the same logic the Express
+middleware wraps. See [`index.ts`](./index.ts); it's ~50 lines. To wire these as
+HTTP middleware in front of your own tools/models, see the
+[full-stack example](../../README.md#full-stack-example).
diff --git a/examples/quickstart/index.ts b/examples/quickstart/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8568c57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/quickstart/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/**
+ * GatewayStack — 30-second quickstart.
+ *
+ * Three real governance decisions, running entirely on your machine. No IdP, no
+ * backend, no config. Run it:
+ *
+ *   npm install && npm start
+ *
+ * Everything here is pure library code from the `-core` packages — the same
+ * logic the Express middleware wraps. If you can see these decisions happen,
+ * you can drop them into your own gateway.
+ */
+
+import { applyPolicies, type PolicySet } from "@gatewaystack/validatabl-core";
+import { transformContent } from "@gatewaystack/transformabl-core";
+import { LimitablEngine } from "@gatewaystack/limitabl-core";
+
+const ALLOW = "\x1b[32m✅ ALLOW\x1b[0m";
+const DENY = "\x1b[31m🛑 DENY \x1b[0m";
+const h = (s: string) => console.log(`\n\x1b[1m${s}\x1b[0m`);
+
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// 1. Deny-by-default policy — a tool call is refused unless a rule allows it.
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+h("1 · Deny-by-default policy (validatabl)");
+
+const policy: PolicySet = {
+  defaultEffect: "deny", // nothing is allowed unless a rule says so
+  rules: [
+    {
+      id: "allow-reads",
+      effect: "allow",
+      conditions: [{ field: "tool", operator: "in", value: ["read_file", "list_files"] }],
+    },
+  ],
+};
+
+for (const tool of ["read_file", "delete_database"]) {
+  const d = applyPolicies(policy, { identity: { sub: "agent-1" }, tool });
+  console.log(`  ${d.allowed ? ALLOW : DENY}  ${tool.padEnd(16)} → ${d.reason}`);
+}
+
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// 2. PII redaction — sensitive values are stripped before they leave.
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+h("2 · PII redaction (transformabl)");
+
+const raw = "Email me at john@acme.com or call about SSN 123-45-6789.";
+const result = transformContent(raw, { redaction: { mode: "placeholder" } });
+
+console.log(`  in : ${raw}`);
+console.log(`  out: ${result.content}`);
+console.log(`  detected: ${result.piiMatches.map((m) => m.type).join(", ") || "none"}`);
+
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// 3. Rate limit — the 4th call in the window is refused.
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+h("3 · Rate limit + budget guard (limitabl)");
+
+const engine = new LimitablEngine({ rateLimit: { windowMs: 60_000, maxRequests: 3 } });
+const key = { sub: "agent-1" };
+
+for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
+  const r = engine.preflight(key);
+  console.log(`  call ${i}: ${r.allowed ? ALLOW : DENY}  ${r.allowed ? "" : "→ " + r.reason}`);
+}
+
+h("Next → wire these as Express middleware: see ../../README.md#full-stack-example");
+console.log();
diff --git a/examples/quickstart/package.json b/examples/quickstart/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70abf75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/quickstart/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "name": "gatewaystack-quickstart",
+  "private": true,
+  "type": "module",
+  "description": "30-second, zero-config GatewayStack governance demo",
+  "scripts": {
+    "start": "tsx index.ts"
+  },
+  "dependencies": {
+    "@gatewaystack/validatabl-core": "^0.1.0",
+    "@gatewaystack/transformabl-core": "^0.4.0",
+    "@gatewaystack/limitabl-core": "^0.1.0"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "tsx": "^4.19.2"
+  }
+}