diff --git a/frontend/src/app/canvas/CanvasPage.tsx b/frontend/src/app/canvas/CanvasPage.tsx
index 378dbda..7af504a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/canvas/CanvasPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/canvas/CanvasPage.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import {
   ContextMenuGroup,
 } from '@/components/ui/context-menu'
 import { CanvasMenubar } from '@/app/canvas/CanvasMenubar'
+import { createContextualNode } from '@/app/canvas/ContextualZoomNode'
 import { FlowKeyboardShortcuts } from '@/components/base/FlowKeyboardShortcuts'
 import {
   Empty,
@@ -227,7 +228,10 @@ export function CanvasPage({ projectId }: CanvasPageProps) {
   )
 
   const nodeTypes = useMemo(
-    () => Object.fromEntries(getRegisteredNodeTypes().map((r) => [r.id, r.component])),
+    () =>
+      Object.fromEntries(
+        getRegisteredNodeTypes().map((r) => [r.id, createContextualNode(r.component)])
+      ),
     []
   )
   const edgeTypes = useMemo(() => ({ animated: AnimatedEdge }), [])
@@ -625,6 +629,8 @@ export function CanvasPage({ projectId }: CanvasPageProps) {
                       edgeTypes={edgeTypes}
                       defaultEdgeOptions={defaultEdgeOptions}
                       colorMode={theme as ColorMode}
+                      minZoom={0.1}
+                      maxZoom={2}
                       snapToGrid
                       snapGrid={SNAP_GRID}
                       fitView
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/canvas/ContextualZoomNode.tsx b/frontend/src/app/canvas/ContextualZoomNode.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b276fa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/app/canvas/ContextualZoomNode.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+/**
+ * Contextual zoom: when zoomed out past a threshold, nodes render as compact
+ * icon-only views using each type's menuIcon from the node registry.
+ * @see https://reactflow.dev/examples/interaction/contextual-zoom
+ */
+
+import React from 'react'
+import { useViewport } from '@xyflow/react'
+import { getNodeType, getDefaultStyle } from '@/lib/nodeRegistry'
+import { InputHandle, OutputHandle } from '@/components/base/NodeHandles'
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
+
+const MIN_ZOOM = 0.1
+const MAX_ZOOM = 2
+/** When zoom <= this value, show compact icon view (bottom ~30% of zoom range). */
+export const CONTEXTUAL_ZOOM_THRESHOLD = MIN_ZOOM + 0.3 * (MAX_ZOOM - MIN_ZOOM)
+
+/** Handle id per type for compact view (input, output). */
+const COMPACT_HANDLES: Record<string, { input?: string; output?: string }> = {
+  config: { input: 'ain', output: 'out' },
+  render: { input: 'ain' },
+  variable: { output: 'out' },
+  function: { input: 'in', output: 'out' },
+  data: { output: 'out' },
+}
+
+type NodeProps = {
+  id: string
+  type?: string
+  data?: Record<string, unknown>
+  selected?: boolean
+  width?: number
+  height?: number
+  [key: string]: unknown
+}
+
+function CompactNodeView({ id, type, selected, width, height }: NodeProps) {
+  const descriptor = type ? getNodeType(type) : undefined
+  const icon = descriptor?.menuIcon ?? null
+  const handles = type ? COMPACT_HANDLES[type] ?? { output: 'out' } : {}
+  const defaultStyle = type ? getDefaultStyle(type) : { width: 320, height: 320 }
+  const w = width ?? defaultStyle.width
+  const h = height ?? defaultStyle.height
+
+  return (
+    <div
+      className={cn(
+        'flex flex-col rounded-md border bg-card text-card-foreground transition-[border-color,box-shadow] duration-200',
+        'border-input hover:ring-1',
+        selected &&
+          'border-primary/50 shadow-[0_0_0_2px_hsl(var(--primary)_/_0.15)] dark:border-primary/35 dark:shadow-[0_0_0_2px_hsl(var(--primary)_/_0.1)]'
+      )}
+      style={{
+        width: w,
+        height: h,
+        minWidth: w,
+        minHeight: h,
+      }}
+      data-selected={selected}
+    >
+      {handles.input && (
+        <InputHandle id={handles.input} nodeId={id} />
+      )}
+      <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 px-3 pb-3 pt-2">
+        <span className="flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center [&>svg]:h-14 [&>svg]:w-14" aria-hidden>
+          {icon}
+        </span>
+        <span className="truncate text-center text-lg font-medium text-foreground" title={id}>
+          {id}
+        </span>
+      </div>
+      {handles.output && (
+        <OutputHandle id={handles.output} />
+      )}
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
+/**
+ * Wraps a node component so that when the viewport zoom is at or below
+ * CONTEXTUAL_ZOOM_THRESHOLD, the node renders as a compact icon-only view.
+ */
+export function createContextualNode<P extends NodeProps>(
+  Inner: React.ComponentType<P>
+): React.ComponentType<P> {
+  function ContextualZoomNode(props: P) {
+    const { zoom } = useViewport()
+    const showCompact = zoom <= CONTEXTUAL_ZOOM_THRESHOLD
+
+    if (showCompact) {
+      const p = props as NodeProps
+      return (
+        <CompactNodeView
+          id={p.id}
+          type={p.type}
+          data={p.data}
+          selected={p.selected}
+          width={p.width}
+          height={p.height}
+        />
+      )
+    }
+
+    return <Inner {...props} />
+  }
+
+  ContextualZoomNode.displayName = `ContextualZoom(${Inner.displayName ?? Inner.name ?? 'Node'})`
+  return ContextualZoomNode as React.ComponentType<P>
+}