diff --git a/src/components/CodingChallengeWrapper.tsx b/src/components/CodingChallengeWrapper.tsx
index 88d047a..43691b3 100644
--- a/src/components/CodingChallengeWrapper.tsx
+++ b/src/components/CodingChallengeWrapper.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const CodingChallengeWrapper: React.FC<CodingChallengeWrapperProps> = ({ pattern
         <Instructions
           readmes={pattern.readmes}
           onClose={handleInstructionsClose}
+          interviewId={pattern.id}
         />
       ) : (
         <div className="challenge-content">
diff --git a/src/components/Instructions.css b/src/components/Instructions.css
index bbfe1a4..c83f135 100644
--- a/src/components/Instructions.css
+++ b/src/components/Instructions.css
@@ -268,6 +268,17 @@
   /* color: #a0aec0; */
 }
 
+.markdown-content a {
+  color: var(--primary);
+  text-decoration: underline;
+  text-underline-offset: 2px;
+  transition: opacity 0.2s ease;
+}
+
+.markdown-content a:hover {
+  opacity: 0.8;
+}
+
 .instructions-footer {
   border-top: 1px solid #404040;
   padding: 16px 24px;
diff --git a/src/components/Instructions.tsx b/src/components/Instructions.tsx
index d63c151..0b56ec5 100644
--- a/src/components/Instructions.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Instructions.tsx
@@ -21,19 +21,41 @@ import { ScrollArea } from "@/components/ui/scroll-area";
 interface InstructionsProps {
   readmes: ReadmeFile[];
   onClose: () => void;
+  interviewId?: string;
 }
 
-const Instructions: React.FC<InstructionsProps> = ({ readmes, onClose }) => {
-  const [currentIndex, setCurrentIndex] = useState(0);
+const STORAGE_KEY_PREFIX = "instructions-page-";
+
+const Instructions: React.FC<InstructionsProps> = ({ readmes, onClose, interviewId }) => {
+  // Initialize from localStorage if we have an interviewId
+  const [currentIndex, setCurrentIndex] = useState(() => {
+    if (interviewId) {
+      const saved = localStorage.getItem(`${STORAGE_KEY_PREFIX}${interviewId}`);
+      if (saved !== null) {
+        const parsed = parseInt(saved, 10);
+        // Validate the saved index is within bounds
+        if (!isNaN(parsed) && parsed >= 0 && parsed < readmes.length) {
+          return parsed;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return 0;
+  });
   const [visibleTabs, setVisibleTabs] = useState<number[]>([]);
   const [overflowTabs, setOverflowTabs] = useState<number[]>([]);
   const [showTopShadow, setShowTopShadow] = useState(false);
   const [showBottomShadow, setShowBottomShadow] = useState(false);
   const tabsListRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
-  const scrollAreaRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
   const currentReadme = readmes[currentIndex];
 
+  // Persist current page to localStorage
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (interviewId) {
+      localStorage.setItem(`${STORAGE_KEY_PREFIX}${interviewId}`, currentIndex.toString());
+    }
+  }, [currentIndex, interviewId]);
+
   // Focus management for modal
   useEffect(() => {
     const firstTab = document.getElementById('tab-0');
@@ -274,6 +296,7 @@ const Instructions: React.FC<InstructionsProps> = ({ readmes, onClose }) => {
       .replace(/^### (.*$)/gim, "<h3>$1</h3>")
       .replace(/\*\*(.*?)\*\*/g, "<strong>$1</strong>")
       .replace(/\*(.*?)\*/g, "<em>$1</em>")
+      .replace(/\[([^\]]+)\]\(([^)]+)\)/g, '<a href="$2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$1</a>')
       .replace(/\n\n/g, "</p><p>");
 
     // Restore inline code
@@ -352,7 +375,6 @@ const Instructions: React.FC<InstructionsProps> = ({ readmes, onClose }) => {
 
             <ScrollArea
               className="h-full"
-              ref={scrollAreaRef}
               onScrollCapture={handleScroll}
             >
               <main className="px-8 py-2">
diff --git a/src/components/InterviewShell.tsx b/src/components/InterviewShell.tsx
index 1b4f6e3..b142746 100644
--- a/src/components/InterviewShell.tsx
+++ b/src/components/InterviewShell.tsx
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ const ResizableSidebarContent: React.FC<{
       <Sidebar variant="inset" collapsible="offcanvas">
         <SidebarContent className="overflow-hidden">
           {pattern.readmes ? (
-            <Instructions readmes={pattern.readmes} onClose={() => {}} />
+            <Instructions readmes={pattern.readmes} onClose={() => {}} interviewId={pattern.id} />
           ) : null}
         </SidebarContent>
       </Sidebar>
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ const ResizableSidebarContent: React.FC<{
               key={`instructions-${sidebarWidth}`}
               readmes={pattern.readmes}
               onClose={() => {}}
+              interviewId={pattern.id}
             />
           ) : null}
         </SidebarContent>
@@ -102,6 +103,8 @@ const ResizableSidebarContent: React.FC<{
   );
 };
 
+const SIDEBAR_OPEN_KEY_PREFIX = "sidebar-open-";
+
 const InterviewShell: React.FC<InterviewShellProps> = ({ pattern, onBack }) => {
   const [showInstructions, setShowInstructions] = useState(false);
   const [hasViewedInstructions, setHasViewedInstructions] = useState(false);
@@ -110,6 +113,18 @@ const InterviewShell: React.FC<InterviewShellProps> = ({ pattern, onBack }) => {
   const sidebarRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const isResizing = useRef(false);
 
+  // Sidebar open state persisted to localStorage
+  const [sidebarOpen, setSidebarOpen] = useState(() => {
+    const saved = localStorage.getItem(`${SIDEBAR_OPEN_KEY_PREFIX}${pattern.id}`);
+    // Default to open (true) if no saved state
+    return saved === null ? true : saved === "true";
+  });
+
+  const handleSidebarOpenChange = (open: boolean) => {
+    setSidebarOpen(open);
+    localStorage.setItem(`${SIDEBAR_OPEN_KEY_PREFIX}${pattern.id}`, String(open));
+  };
+
   // Resize functionality
   useEffect(() => {
     const handleMouseMove = (e: MouseEvent) => {
@@ -194,7 +209,7 @@ const InterviewShell: React.FC<InterviewShellProps> = ({ pattern, onBack }) => {
         </div>
       </header>
       <div className="flex-1 overflow-y-auto flex flex-col relative">
-        <SidebarProvider>
+        <SidebarProvider open={sidebarOpen} onOpenChange={handleSidebarOpenChange}>
           <ResizableSidebarContent
             pattern={pattern}
             sidebarWidth={sidebarWidth}
@@ -241,6 +256,7 @@ const InterviewShell: React.FC<InterviewShellProps> = ({ pattern, onBack }) => {
                 <Instructions
                   readmes={pattern.readmes}
                   onClose={() => setShowInstructions(false)}
+                  interviewId={pattern.id}
                 />
               ) : isCodingChallenge ? (
                 <CodingChallengeWrapper pattern={pattern} />