diff --git a/app/Actions/Automation/Node/RunFetchRssNode.php b/app/Actions/Automation/Node/RunFetchRssNode.php
index a8394ee7..3482d985 100644
--- a/app/Actions/Automation/Node/RunFetchRssNode.php
+++ b/app/Actions/Automation/Node/RunFetchRssNode.php
@@ -96,14 +96,24 @@ public function __invoke(AutomationRun $run, array $config): NodeRunResult
             return NodeRunResult::completed(['fetch' => ['count' => 0]], nextHandle: self::NO_ITEMS_HANDLE);
         }
 
-        $first = array_shift($newItems);
+        $total = count($newItems);
 
-        if (! $isPreview) {
-            $this->spawnSiblings($run, $nodeId, $newItems);
+        // A preview (manual/dry test) surfaces ONE item and never fans out, so it
+        // shows the newest item — what the user expects to test against. A real run
+        // takes the oldest new item and fans the rest out as siblings, preserving
+        // feed chronology across branches (items are sorted oldest-first).
+        if ($isPreview) {
+            return NodeRunResult::completed([
+                'fetch' => ['count' => $total, 'spawned' => 0],
+                'fetched' => end($newItems),
+            ]);
         }
 
+        $first = array_shift($newItems);
+        $this->spawnSiblings($run, $nodeId, $newItems);
+
         return NodeRunResult::completed([
-            'fetch' => ['count' => count($newItems) + 1, 'spawned' => $isPreview ? 0 : count($newItems)],
+            'fetch' => ['count' => $total, 'spawned' => count($newItems)],
             'fetched' => $first,
         ]);
     }
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Automation/Node/FetchRssNodeTest.php b/tests/Feature/Automation/Node/FetchRssNodeTest.php
index dc83b8e3..69189545 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/Automation/Node/FetchRssNodeTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/Automation/Node/FetchRssNodeTest.php
@@ -193,6 +193,11 @@
     expect($result->status)->toBe(NodeRunStatus::Completed);
     expect($result->output['fetch']['count'])->toBeGreaterThan(0);
 
+    // ...surfaces the NEWEST item (key 'c', 15 Jun) — not the oldest — so the
+    // test reflects what the user just published, and spawns no siblings.
+    expect($result->output['fetched']['key'])->toBe('c');
+    expect($result->output['fetch']['spawned'])->toBe(0);
+
     // ...and never advances the persisted watermark.
     $state = AutomationNodeState::for($automation->id, 'fetch_1');
     expect($state->data['last_item_date'])->toBe('2030-01-01T00:00:00+00:00');