diff --git a/backend/src/services/feed-proxy-client.ts b/backend/src/services/feed-proxy-client.ts
index 906b2ee0..411a002f 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/feed-proxy-client.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/feed-proxy-client.ts
@@ -318,6 +318,9 @@ export interface SembleContextResult {
   similar?: Array<{
     url: string;
     title: string | null;
+    /** Optional: proxy deploys separately and caches bundles ~5 min, so older
+     *  payloads arrive without it. */
+    description?: string | null;
     siteName: string | null;
     saveCount: number;
   }>;
diff --git a/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.test.ts b/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.test.ts
index 64cb5754..d18a31a1 100644
--- a/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.test.ts
+++ b/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.test.ts
@@ -104,7 +104,13 @@ describe('fetchSembleContext similar URLs', () => {
       { url: 'https://connected.example/story', metadata: { title: 'Already connected' } },
       ...Array.from({ length: 10 }, (_, i) => ({
         url: `https://similar.example/${i}${i === 1 ? '/' : ''}`,
-        metadata: { title: `Similar ${i}`, siteName: 'Similar Site' },
+        // Every other entry omits `description` — Semble's metadata is not
+        // guaranteed to carry one, and the reader has to cope either way.
+        metadata: {
+          title: `Similar ${i}`,
+          siteName: 'Similar Site',
+          ...(i % 2 === 0 ? { description: `About similar ${i}` } : {}),
+        },
         urlLibraryCount: i + 1,
       })),
       { url: 'https://similar.example/1', metadata: { title: 'Duplicate' } },
@@ -122,9 +128,11 @@ describe('fetchSembleContext similar URLs', () => {
     expect(context?.similar[0]).toEqual({
       url: 'https://similar.example/0',
       title: 'Similar 0',
+      description: 'About similar 0',
       siteName: 'Similar Site',
       saveCount: 1,
     });
+    expect(context?.similar[1]?.description).toBeNull();
     expect(context?.similar.some((item) => item.url.includes('connected.example'))).toBe(false);
     expect(new Set(context?.similar.map((item) => item.url)).size).toBe(8);
   });
diff --git a/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.ts b/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.ts
index 0cd39b4d..03ef888a 100644
--- a/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.ts
+++ b/feed-proxy/src/semble-client.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,13 @@ export interface SembleContext {
       imageUrl: string | null;
     };
   }>;
-  similar: Array<{ url: string; title: string | null; siteName: string | null; saveCount: number }>;
+  similar: Array<{
+    url: string;
+    title: string | null;
+    description: string | null;
+    siteName: string | null;
+    saveCount: number;
+  }>;
   truncated: { savers: boolean; notes: boolean; collections: boolean; connections: boolean };
   incomplete: boolean;
   source: 'semble-api' | 'constellation-fallback';
@@ -330,6 +336,7 @@ export async function fetchSembleContext(rawUrl: string): Promise<SembleContext
         {
           url: candidateUrl,
           title: text(entry.metadata?.title, 500),
+          description: text(entry.metadata?.description),
           siteName: text(entry.metadata?.siteName, 256),
           saveCount: count(entry.urlLibraryCount),
         },
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.component.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.component.test.ts
index e2e98463..f2df0312 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.component.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.component.test.ts
@@ -308,12 +308,23 @@ describe('AtmospherePanel Semble similar articles', () => {
     document.body.innerHTML = '';
   });
 
+  // Entry 0 carries a description, entry 1 has an explicit null, and 2 onwards
+  // omit the field entirely — the shape older proxy builds and bundles cached
+  // before the field existed still send.
+  const description = (i: number) =>
+    i === 0
+      ? { description: 'A calm account of the same idea' }
+      : i === 1
+        ? { description: null }
+        : {};
+
   const similar = (n: number) =>
     Array.from({ length: n }, (_, i) => ({
       url: `https://similar${i}.example/story`,
       title: i === 1 ? null : `Similar article ${i}`,
       siteName: i === 1 ? null : 'Example Review',
       saveCount: i + 1,
+      ...description(i),
     }));
 
   it('renders links, metadata, hostname fallback, and a Semble foot link', () => {
@@ -326,6 +337,16 @@ describe('AtmospherePanel Semble similar articles', () => {
     expect(target.querySelector('.semble-foot')?.textContent).toContain('See all on Semble');
   });
 
+  it('carries the description under the title, and nothing at all without one', () => {
+    const target = render({ sembleContext: { ...emptyContext, similar: similar(3) } }, 'related');
+    const items = target.querySelectorAll('.similar-list li');
+    expect(items[0].querySelector('.similar-desc')?.textContent).toBe(
+      'A calm account of the same idea'
+    );
+    expect(items[1].querySelector('.similar-desc')).toBeNull();
+    expect(items[2].querySelector('.similar-desc')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it('uses the connection save affordance and saved state', () => {
     const saved: string[] = [];
     const target = render(
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.svelte
index fb8f158f..90f55632 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/feed/AtmospherePanel.svelte
@@ -1136,6 +1136,9 @@
                           rel="noopener"
                           onclick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>{similarLabel(item)}</a
                         >
+                        {#if item.description}
+                          <p class="similar-desc">{item.description}</p>
+                        {/if}
                         {#if (item.title && item.siteName) || item.saveCount > 1}
                           <span class="similar-meta">
                             {#if item.title && item.siteName}{item.siteName}{/if}
@@ -1528,6 +1531,20 @@
     min-width: 0;
   }
 
+  /* Same register as .connection-note: muted prose under a link, clamped hard so
+     four of these stay a list you can scan rather than a wall of blurbs. */
+  .similar-desc {
+    margin: 0.125rem 0 0;
+    font-size: var(--text-sm);
+    line-height: var(--leading-snug);
+    color: var(--color-text-secondary);
+    display: -webkit-box;
+    -webkit-line-clamp: 2;
+    line-clamp: 2;
+    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
+    overflow: hidden;
+  }
+
   .similar-meta {
     display: block;
     margin-top: 0.0625rem;
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/types/index.ts b/frontend/src/lib/types/index.ts
index d567e20e..601e227c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/types/index.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/types/index.ts
@@ -870,6 +870,9 @@ export interface SembleContext {
   similar?: Array<{
     url: string;
     title: string | null;
+    /** Optional: the proxy deploys separately and caches bundles ~5 min, so
+     *  payloads predating the field still arrive. */
+    description?: string | null;
     siteName: string | null;
     saveCount: number;
   }>;