diff --git a/src/backend/site/consts.py b/src/backend/site/consts.py
index 581f539..e0d28d4 100644
--- a/src/backend/site/consts.py
+++ b/src/backend/site/consts.py
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ ANALYSIS_COMPLETE_MESSAGE = "Analysis complete!"
 running_tasks = set()
 status_store: dict[str, list] = defaultdict(list)
 result_store: dict[str, Any] = {}
+# Track last message count seen by each session for incremental updates
+last_message_index: dict[str, int] = defaultdict(int)
diff --git a/src/backend/site/router.py b/src/backend/site/router.py
index 3b8e87f..b837e4a 100644
--- a/src/backend/site/router.py
+++ b/src/backend/site/router.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from backend.settings import app_settings
 from backend.site.consts import (
     ANALYSIS_COMPLETE_MESSAGE,
     ANALYZING_MESSAGE,
+    last_message_index,
     result_store,
     running_tasks,
     status_store,
@@ -91,26 +92,51 @@ async def analyze_url(
 @user_frontend.get("/status", response_class=HTMLResponse)
 async def get_status(request: Request):
     """
-    Returns the current status messages
+    Returns new status messages since last poll (incremental updates)
+    First poll returns all messages + container, subsequent polls return
+    only new items with HTMX OOB swap
     :param request:
     :return:
     """
-    context = {"request": request, "messages": [], "result": False}
     session_id = request.session.get("analysis_id")
-    if session_id:
-        # logger.info(f"Found session id!  {session_id}")
-        messages = status_store.get(session_id, [])
-        result = ANALYSIS_COMPLETE_MESSAGE in messages
-        # logger.info(
-        #     f"Status check - Session ID: {session_id}, Messages: "
-        #     f"{messages}",
-        # )
+    if not session_id:
+        return templates.TemplateResponse(
+            "status.html", {"request": request, "messages": [], "result": False}
+        )
 
-        context.update({"messages": messages, "result": result})
+    all_messages = status_store.get(session_id, [])
+    last_index = last_message_index.get(session_id, 0)
+    result = ANALYSIS_COMPLETE_MESSAGE in all_messages
 
-        # logger.info(context)
+    # First poll: return full container with all messages
+    if last_index == 0:
+        last_message_index[session_id] = len(all_messages)
+        return templates.TemplateResponse(
+            "status.html",
+            {"request": request, "messages": all_messages, "result": result},
+        )
 
-    return templates.TemplateResponse("status.html", context=context)
+    # Subsequent polls: return only new messages with OOB swap
+    new_messages = all_messages[last_index:]
+    last_message_index[session_id] = len(all_messages)
+
+    if not new_messages:
+        # No new messages, return empty response
+        return HTMLResponse(content="", status_code=200)
+
+    # Render new items with OOB swap
+    items_html = ""
+    for idx, message in enumerate(new_messages):
+        is_last = idx == len(new_messages) - 1
+        item = templates.get_template("status_item.html").render(
+            message=message,
+            is_last=is_last,
+            result=result,
+            request=request,
+        )
+        items_html += item
+
+    return HTMLResponse(content=items_html, status_code=200)
 
 
 @user_frontend.get("/result", response_class=HTMLResponse)
diff --git a/src/frontend/templates/home.html b/src/frontend/templates/home.html
index 671fbbe..5b77221 100644
--- a/src/frontend/templates/home.html
+++ b/src/frontend/templates/home.html
@@ -102,13 +102,13 @@
 
     <section class="section"
              id="analysis-content">
-        <!-- Status Updates -->
+        <!-- Status Updates (OOB Swap Target) -->
         <div x-show="analyzing && !hasResults"
              x-transition
              id="status"
              hx-get={{ url_for('get_status') }}
              hx-trigger="every 1s[!document.querySelector('#result-container')]"
-             hx-swap="innerHTML settle:200ms"
+             hx-swap="innerHTML"
              @htmx:after-request="
                const response = $event.detail.xhr.response.trim();
                if (response && response.length > 0) {
diff --git a/src/frontend/templates/status_item.html b/src/frontend/templates/status_item.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..698502d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/frontend/templates/status_item.html
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{# Single status item template for HTMX OOB swaps #}
+{% set is_error = message.startswith('Error:') %}
+{% set is_loading = is_last and not result %}
+{% set is_tool_message = message.startswith('Using tool') %}
+{% set is_complete = "complete" in message.lower() or "done" in message.lower() %}
+{% set status_label = 'Error' if is_error else ('Complete' if is_complete else ('In Progress' if is_loading else ('Processing' if is_tool_message else 'Status'))) %}
+
+<article class="status-item {% if is_error %}status-item--error{% elif is_complete %}status-item--success{% elif is_loading %}status-item--loading{% else %}status-item--info{% endif %}"
+         role="article"
+         aria-label="{{ status_label }}: {{ message }}"
+         hx-swap-oob="beforeend:#status-timeline">
+    <div class="status-item__indicator"
+         aria-hidden="true">
+        {% if is_error %}
+        <i class="fas fa-circle-xmark"></i>
+        {% elif is_complete %}
+        <i class="fas fa-circle-check"></i>
+        {% elif is_loading %}
+        <i class="fas fa-circle-notch fa-spin"></i>
+        {% else %}
+        <i class="fas fa-circle"></i>
+        {% endif %}
+    </div>
+    <div class="status-item__content">
+        <div class="status-item__header">
+            {{ status_label }}
+        </div>
+        <div class="status-item__message">
+            {{ message }}
+        </div>
+    </div>
+</article>
\ No newline at end of file