diff --git a/layers/identity/server/utils/weekly-template.ts b/layers/identity/server/utils/weekly-template.ts
index 778d1ff7..985fdc16 100644
--- a/layers/identity/server/utils/weekly-template.ts
+++ b/layers/identity/server/utils/weekly-template.ts
@@ -437,18 +437,20 @@ function row(t: Tokens, options: {
 /**
  * A dense trending row.
  *
- * Seven full editorial rows turned the email into a feed. The Skill name,
- * exact source, ranking reason, and evidence account stay. Descriptions,
- * quotes, and the duplicate source action remain in the plain-text version.
+ * Show a short description below the Skill name.
+ * Keep the source, ranking reason, and evidence account compact.
+ * Quotes and the duplicate source action remain in the plain-text version.
  */
 function trendingRow(t: Tokens, options: {
   siteUrl: string
   owner: string
   title: string
   href: string
+  description: string | null
   meta: string
   evidence: WeeklyEvidence | null
 }): string {
+  const description = trimDescription(options.description)
   const evidence = options.evidence
     ? ` · <a href="${esc(options.evidence.url)}" style="color:${t.muted};text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;">@${esc(options.evidence.authorHandle)} ${options.evidence.platform === 'x' ? 'on X' : 'on Bluesky'}</a>`
     : ''
@@ -462,6 +464,7 @@ function trendingRow(t: Tokens, options: {
       </td>
       <td valign="top">
         <a href="${esc(options.href)}" style="display:inline-block;padding:0 0 3px;font-family:${MONO};font-size:14px;line-height:1.45;font-weight:600;color:${t.text};text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:${t.borderStrong};text-underline-offset:3px;">${esc(options.title)}</a>
+        ${description ? `<div style="margin-top:3px;font-family:${SANS};font-size:14px;line-height:1.55;color:${t.body};">${esc(description)}</div>` : ''}
         <div style="margin-top:3px;font-family:${MONO};font-size:14px;line-height:1.45;color:${t.muted};font-variant-numeric:tabular-nums;">${esc(options.meta)}${evidence}</div>
       </td>
     </tr>
@@ -709,6 +712,7 @@ export function renderWeekly(input: WeeklyRenderInput): WeeklyRender {
       owner: skill.owner,
       title: skill.canonicalName,
       href: sourceUrl,
+      description: skill.description,
       meta: trendingMeta(skill, now),
       evidence: skill.evidence,
     })
diff --git a/test/unit/weekly-template.test.ts b/test/unit/weekly-template.test.ts
index 813870ad..45501e6e 100644
--- a/test/unit/weekly-template.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/weekly-template.test.ts
@@ -217,11 +217,12 @@ describe('weekly template', () => {
     expect(text).not.toContain('t.co/abc')
   })
 
-  it('keeps descriptions out of compact HTML rows but retains them in text', () => {
+  it('shortens long descriptions in HTML and text on a word boundary', () => {
     const long = 'Forces the laziest solution that actually works, simplest, shortest, most minimal. Channels a senior dev who has seen everything: question whether the task needs to exist at all.'
     const { html, text } = renderWeekly(input({ trending: [trending({ description: long })] }))
 
-    expect(html).not.toContain('Forces the laziest solution')
+    expect(html).toContain('Forces the laziest solution')
+    expect(html).not.toContain('needs to exist at all')
     expect(text).toContain('Forces the laziest solution')
     expect(text).not.toContain('needs to exist at all')
     // Cut on a word boundary: the last word before the ellipsis is a whole
@@ -230,13 +231,30 @@ describe('weekly template', () => {
     expect(long).toContain(` ${tail} `)
   })
 
-  it('leaves a short description in the plain-text alternative', () => {
+  it('shows a short description in HTML and text', () => {
     const { html, text } = renderWeekly(input({ trending: [trending({ description: 'Testing conventions.' })] }))
 
-    expect(html).not.toContain('Testing conventions.')
+    expect(html).toContain('Testing conventions.')
     expect(text).toContain('Testing conventions.')
   })
 
+  it('escapes description markup in HTML and preserves it in text', () => {
+    const description = 'Use <script>alert("skill")</script> & test.'
+    const { html, text } = renderWeekly(input({ trending: [trending({ description })] }))
+
+    expect(html).toContain('Use &lt;script&gt;alert(&quot;skill&quot;)&lt;/script&gt; &amp; test.')
+    expect(html).not.toContain('<script>')
+    expect(text).toContain(description)
+  })
+
+  it.each([null, '', ' \n '])('omits an empty description: %j', (description) => {
+    const { html, text } = renderWeekly(input({ trending: [trending({ description })] }))
+    const absent = renderWeekly(input({ trending: [trending({ description: null })] }))
+
+    expect(html).toBe(absent.html)
+    expect(text).toBe(absent.text)
+  })
+
   it('shows the top seven trending Skills', () => {
     const skills = Array.from({ length: 9 }, (_, index) => trending({
       owner: `owner-${index + 1}`,