diff --git a/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/view.tsx b/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/view.tsx
index fe3f4a82..1cb662c2 100644
--- a/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/view.tsx
+++ b/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/view.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { useActivity, useStats, useTopReactions } from "@/hooks";
 import { useStaggerReveal } from "@/hooks/use-gsap-animation";
 import { formatNumber } from "@/lib/format";
 import type { DashboardStats } from "@/lib/types";
+import { staggerDelay } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 function deriveSignal(stats?: DashboardStats) {
   if (!stats)
@@ -334,7 +335,8 @@ export function DashboardView({
                   return (
                     <div
                       key={ch.channel_id}
-                      className="flex items-center gap-3 text-xs"
+                      className="animate-stagger flex items-center gap-3 text-xs"
+                      style={staggerDelay(i)}
                     >
                       <span className="font-mono w-4 text-[10px] text-ink-faint">
                         {String(i + 1).padStart(2, "0")}
diff --git a/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/messages/view.tsx b/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/messages/view.tsx
index 197f553d..5c7d40f8 100644
--- a/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/messages/view.tsx
+++ b/services/frontend/src/app/(dashboard)/messages/view.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ import type {
   MessageMetadata,
   MessageRecord,
 } from "@/lib/types";
+import { staggerDelay } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { useWebSocket } from "@/lib/ws/context";
 
 export function MessagesView({
@@ -354,7 +355,8 @@ export function MessagesView({
                 {semantic.data.map((r, i) => (
                   <div
                     key={r.message_id ?? i}
-                    className="hud-card flex items-start gap-3 p-3"
+                    className="hud-card animate-stagger flex items-start gap-3 p-3"
+                    style={staggerDelay(i)}
                   >
                     <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
                       <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
@@ -473,7 +475,7 @@ export function MessagesView({
               >
                 <div ref={streamRef} className="space-y-1.5">
                   {viewMode === "timeline" && timelineNodes
-                    ? timelineNodes.map((node) =>
+                    ? timelineNodes.map((node, i) =>
                         node.type === "date" ? (
                           <div
                             key={`date-${node.iso}`}
@@ -486,15 +488,17 @@ export function MessagesView({
                           <MessageRow
                             key={node.m.id}
                             m={node.m}
+                            index={i}
                             selected={selected}
                             onSelect={setSelected}
                           />
                         ),
                       )
-                    : display.map((m) => (
+                    : display.map((m, i) => (
                         <MessageRow
                           key={m.id}
                           m={m}
+                          index={i}
                           selected={selected}
                           onSelect={setSelected}
                         />
@@ -879,10 +883,12 @@ function MessageRow({
   m,
   selected,
   onSelect,
+  index = 0,
 }: {
   m: MessageRecord;
   selected: string | null;
   onSelect: (id: string) => void;
+  index?: number;
 }) {
   const meta = parseMeta(m.metadata);
   const attachments = meta?.attachments ?? [];
@@ -907,11 +913,12 @@ function MessageRow({
       key={m.id}
       type="button"
       onClick={() => onSelect(m.id)}
-      className={`msg-feed-card flex w-full items-start gap-3 rounded-[8px] border p-2.5 text-left transition-all ${
+      className={`msg-feed-card animate-stagger flex w-full items-start gap-3 rounded-[8px] border p-2.5 text-left transition-all ${
         selected === m.id
           ? "border-signal/50 bg-signal/10 shadow-xs"
           : "border-hairline bg-surface-2 hover:border-hairline-focus hover:bg-surface"
       }`}
+      style={staggerDelay(index)}
     >
       <Avatar src={m.avatar_url} name={m.server_nick ?? m.username} size={32} />
       <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
diff --git a/services/frontend/src/app/globals.css b/services/frontend/src/app/globals.css
index a31a7ddf..02f96f69 100644
--- a/services/frontend/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/services/frontend/src/app/globals.css
@@ -644,6 +644,13 @@
 .animate-fade-up { animation: fade-up 0.18s cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1); }
 .animate-toast-in { animation: toast-in 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1); }
 
+/* Staggered list-item reveal — pair with inline `animationDelay` from
+   staggerDelay(i) in lib/utils.ts. Fades + slides up, forwards fill so
+   items stay put after animating. */
+.animate-stagger {
+  animation: fade-up 0.24s cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1) both;
+}
+
 /* Sweeping glow line across a hero/placeholder panel. */
 .scan-line {
   position: absolute;
@@ -690,6 +697,7 @@
   .animate-eq,
   .animate-fade-up,
   .animate-toast-in,
+  .animate-stagger,
   .scan-line,
   .ambient-blob,
   .ambient-mote,
diff --git a/services/frontend/src/components/LiveModerationFeed.tsx b/services/frontend/src/components/LiveModerationFeed.tsx
index e49f005e..206578a9 100644
--- a/services/frontend/src/components/LiveModerationFeed.tsx
+++ b/services/frontend/src/components/LiveModerationFeed.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
 import { Badge } from "@/components/primitives";
 import { formatRelativeTime } from "@/lib/format";
 import type { ModerationAction } from "@/lib/types";
+import { staggerDelay } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 const ACTION_LABEL: Record<string, string> = {
   delete_message: "Deleted",
@@ -106,12 +107,13 @@ export function LiveModerationFeed({
             AWAITING MODERATION DISPATCH STREAM...
           </div>
         ) : (
-          actions.map((a) => {
+          actions.map((a, i) => {
             const tone = severityTone(a.severity);
             return (
               <div
                 key={a.id}
-                className="mod-feed-item hud-card flex items-start gap-3 p-3 transition-all"
+                className="mod-feed-item hud-card animate-stagger flex items-start gap-3 p-3 transition-all"
+                style={staggerDelay(i)}
               >
                 <span className="flex size-7 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-[6px] border border-hairline bg-surface-2">
                   {actionIcon(a.action_type)}
diff --git a/services/frontend/src/components/primitives/toast.tsx b/services/frontend/src/components/primitives/toast.tsx
index c7ed1403..d1598b0a 100644
--- a/services/frontend/src/components/primitives/toast.tsx
+++ b/services/frontend/src/components/primitives/toast.tsx
@@ -76,8 +76,10 @@ export function Toaster({ position = "bottom-right" }: { position?: string }) {
             key={t.id}
             className={cn(
               "glass animate-toast-in pointer-events-auto flex items-start gap-3 p-3.5 transition-colors",
-              t.tone === "signal" && "border-signal/30",
-              t.tone === "vermilion" && "border-vermilion/30",
+              t.tone === "signal" && "border-signal/40",
+              t.tone === "vermilion" && "border-vermilion/40",
+              t.tone === "signal" &&
+                "shadow-[0_0_0_1px_var(--color-signal)/20]",
             )}
           >
             <Icon
diff --git a/services/frontend/src/lib/utils.ts b/services/frontend/src/lib/utils.ts
index 365058ce..a1e73147 100644
--- a/services/frontend/src/lib/utils.ts
+++ b/services/frontend/src/lib/utils.ts
@@ -4,3 +4,10 @@ import { twMerge } from "tailwind-merge";
 export function cn(...inputs: ClassValue[]) {
   return twMerge(clsx(inputs));
 }
+
+/** Inline `animationDelay` for staggered list reveals. Pair with the
+ * `animate-stagger` class on the item root. steps=45ms, capped at 600ms so
+ * long lists don't drag the reveal out. */
+export function staggerDelay(i: number, step = 45, max = 600) {
+  return { animationDelay: `${Math.min(i * step, max)}ms` };
+}