diff --git a/src/political_event_tracking_research/fetch_acceptance.py b/src/political_event_tracking_research/fetch_acceptance.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03e9db5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/political_event_tracking_research/fetch_acceptance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,244 @@
+"""Pure RSS/Atom content acceptance and canonical fetch-status contract."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import email.utils
+import json
+import re
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from collections.abc import Iterable, Mapping
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+
+_STATUS_KEYS = frozenset(
+    {
+        "status_version",
+        "configured_feed_count",
+        "feed_count",
+        "successful_feed_count",
+        "failed_feed_count",
+        "stale_feed_count",
+        "missing_feed_count",
+        "quarantined_feed_count",
+        "accepted_row_count",
+        "rejected_row_count",
+        "publication_complete",
+        "eligible_for_live_publication",
+        "zero_entry_policy",
+        "feeds",
+    }
+)
+_FEED_KEYS = frozenset({"feed_id", "feed_url", "kind", "accepted_row_count", "rejected_row_count", "state", "error_code"})
+_STATES = frozenset({"accepted", "failed", "stale", "missing", "quarantined"})
+_KINDS = frozenset({"rss", "atom", "unknown"})
+_SAFE_ERROR = re.compile(r"^[a-z][a-z0-9_]*$")
+_ATOM = "http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
+MAX_XML_BYTES = 1024 * 1024
+MAX_XML_DEPTH = 32
+MAX_XML_NODES = 10000
+MAX_XML_TEXT_BYTES = 256 * 1024
+MAX_XML_ATTRIBUTES = 128
+_FORBIDDEN_DECLARATION = re.compile(rb"<!\s*(?:doctype|entity|element|attlist|notation)\b|\b(?:system|public)\b", re.IGNORECASE)
+
+
+class FetchAcceptanceError(ValueError):
+    def __init__(self, code: str) -> None:
+        self.code = code
+        super().__init__(code)
+
+
+def _fail(code: str) -> FetchAcceptanceError:
+    return FetchAcceptanceError(code)
+
+
+def _text(element: ET.Element | None, names: tuple[str, ...]) -> str:
+    if element is None:
+        return ""
+    for name in names:
+        child = element.find(name)
+        if child is not None and child.text:
+            return child.text.strip()
+    return ""
+
+
+def _atom_link(entry: ET.Element) -> str:
+    for child in entry:
+        if child.tag == f"{{{_ATOM}}}link" and child.attrib.get("href"):
+            return child.attrib["href"]
+    return _text(entry, (f"{{{_ATOM}}}id", "id"))
+
+
+def _valid_timestamp(value: str) -> bool:
+    if not value:
+        return False
+    try:
+        parsed = email.utils.parsedate_to_datetime(value)
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        try:
+            normalized = value[:-1] + "+00:00" if value.endswith("Z") else value
+            parsed = datetime.fromisoformat(normalized)
+        except (TypeError, ValueError):
+            return False
+    return parsed.tzinfo is not None and parsed.astimezone(timezone.utc) is not None
+
+
+def _feed_result(feed_id: str, feed_url: str, kind: str, accepted: int, rejected: int, state: str, error_code: str | None) -> dict[str, object]:
+    if type(feed_id) is not str or not feed_id or type(feed_url) is not str or not feed_url or kind not in _KINDS or state not in _STATES or type(accepted) is not int or accepted < 0 or type(rejected) is not int or rejected < 0 or type(error_code) not in {str, type(None)} or (error_code is not None and not _SAFE_ERROR.fullmatch(error_code)):
+        raise _fail("feed_result_invalid")
+    return {"feed_id": feed_id, "feed_url": feed_url, "kind": kind, "accepted_row_count": accepted, "rejected_row_count": rejected, "state": state, "error_code": error_code}
+
+
+def _parse_bounded_xml(payload: bytes) -> ET.Element:
+    if type(payload) is not bytes:
+        raise _fail("feed_payload_invalid")
+    if len(payload) > MAX_XML_BYTES:
+        raise _fail("xml_oversize")
+    if _FORBIDDEN_DECLARATION.search(payload):
+        raise _fail("xml_forbidden_declaration")
+    try:
+        root = ET.fromstring(payload)
+    except (ET.ParseError, UnicodeError, ValueError, RecursionError):
+        raise _fail("xml_invalid") from None
+    nodes = 0
+    text_bytes = 0
+    stack: list[tuple[ET.Element, int]] = [(root, 1)]
+    while stack:
+        element, depth = stack.pop()
+        nodes += 1
+        if nodes > MAX_XML_NODES or depth > MAX_XML_DEPTH or len(element.attrib) > MAX_XML_ATTRIBUTES:
+            raise _fail("xml_structure_over_limit")
+        for text in (element.text, element.tail):
+            if text is not None:
+                text_bytes += len(text.encode("utf-8", errors="strict"))
+                if text_bytes > MAX_XML_TEXT_BYTES:
+                    raise _fail("xml_structure_over_limit")
+        stack.extend((child, depth + 1) for child in reversed(list(element)))
+    return root
+
+
+def classify_feed_payload(feed_id: str, feed_url: str, payload: bytes) -> dict[str, object]:
+    if type(payload) is not bytes:
+        raise _fail("feed_payload_invalid")
+    try:
+        root = _parse_bounded_xml(payload)
+    except FetchAcceptanceError as error:
+        return _feed_result(feed_id, feed_url, "unknown", 0, 0, "failed", error.code)
+    if root.tag == "rss":
+        if root.attrib.get("version") not in {"2.0"}:
+            return _feed_result(feed_id, feed_url, "unknown", 0, 0, "failed", "rss_schema_unsupported")
+        channel = root.find("./channel")
+        if channel is None:
+            return _feed_result(feed_id, feed_url, "rss", 0, 0, "failed", "rss_schema_invalid")
+        entries = channel.findall("./item")
+        kind = "rss"
+        def row_valid(entry: ET.Element) -> bool:
+            return bool(_text(entry, ("title",)) and (_text(entry, ("link",)) or _text(entry, ("guid",))) and _valid_timestamp(_text(entry, ("pubDate", "{http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/}date"))))
+    elif root.tag == f"{{{_ATOM}}}feed":
+        entries = root.findall(f"{{{_ATOM}}}entry")
+        kind = "atom"
+        def row_valid(entry: ET.Element) -> bool:
+            published = _text(entry, (f"{{{_ATOM}}}published", f"{{{_ATOM}}}updated"))
+            return bool(_text(entry, (f"{{{_ATOM}}}title",)) and _atom_link(entry) and _valid_timestamp(published))
+    else:
+        return _feed_result(feed_id, feed_url, "unknown", 0, 0, "failed", "payload_not_rss_atom")
+    accepted = sum(row_valid(entry) for entry in entries)
+    rejected = len(entries) - accepted
+    if not entries:
+        return _feed_result(feed_id, feed_url, kind, 0, 0, "quarantined", "zero_entries")
+    if rejected:
+        return _feed_result(feed_id, feed_url, kind, accepted, rejected, "quarantined", "entry_invalid")
+    return _feed_result(feed_id, feed_url, kind, accepted, 0, "accepted", None)
+
+
+def _validate_feed_result(value: object) -> dict[str, object]:
+    if not isinstance(value, Mapping) or set(value) != _FEED_KEYS:
+        raise _fail("feed_result_shape_invalid")
+    result = _feed_result(value["feed_id"], value["feed_url"], value["kind"], value["accepted_row_count"], value["rejected_row_count"], value["state"], value["error_code"])
+    if result != dict(value):
+        raise _fail("feed_result_noncanonical")
+    state = result["state"]
+    accepted_rows = result["accepted_row_count"]
+    rejected_rows = result["rejected_row_count"]
+    error_code = result["error_code"]
+    if state == "accepted" and (accepted_rows <= 0 or rejected_rows != 0 or error_code is not None):
+        raise _fail("feed_result_invalid")
+    if state in {"failed", "stale", "missing"} and (accepted_rows != 0 or rejected_rows != 0 or not error_code):
+        raise _fail("feed_result_invalid")
+    if state == "quarantined" and not error_code:
+        raise _fail("feed_result_invalid")
+    return result
+
+
+def build_acceptance_status(feed_results: Iterable[Mapping[str, object]]) -> dict[str, object]:
+    if not isinstance(feed_results, list) or not feed_results:
+        raise _fail("configured_feed_empty")
+    feeds = [_validate_feed_result(item) for item in feed_results]
+    if len({item["feed_id"] for item in feeds}) != len(feeds):
+        raise _fail("feed_duplicate")
+    feeds.sort(key=lambda item: (item["feed_id"], item["feed_url"]))
+    accepted = sum(item["state"] == "accepted" for item in feeds)
+    failed = sum(item["state"] == "failed" for item in feeds)
+    stale = sum(item["state"] == "stale" for item in feeds)
+    missing = sum(item["state"] == "missing" for item in feeds)
+    quarantined = sum(item["state"] == "quarantined" for item in feeds)
+    accepted_rows = sum(item["accepted_row_count"] for item in feeds)
+    rejected_rows = sum(item["rejected_row_count"] for item in feeds)
+    complete = len(feeds) > 0 and accepted == len(feeds) and not any((failed, stale, missing, quarantined)) and accepted_rows > 0
+    return {
+        "status_version": "pert.fetch_acceptance.v1",
+        "configured_feed_count": len(feeds),
+        "feed_count": len(feeds),
+        "successful_feed_count": accepted,
+        "failed_feed_count": failed,
+        "stale_feed_count": stale,
+        "missing_feed_count": missing,
+        "quarantined_feed_count": quarantined,
+        "accepted_row_count": accepted_rows,
+        "rejected_row_count": rejected_rows,
+        "publication_complete": complete,
+        "eligible_for_live_publication": complete,
+        "zero_entry_policy": "quarantine",
+        "feeds": feeds,
+    }
+
+
+def _validate_status(value: object) -> dict[str, object]:
+    if not isinstance(value, Mapping) or set(value) != _STATUS_KEYS or value.get("status_version") != "pert.fetch_acceptance.v1" or value.get("zero_entry_policy") != "quarantine":
+        raise _fail("status_shape_invalid")
+    integer_keys = ("configured_feed_count", "feed_count", "successful_feed_count", "failed_feed_count", "stale_feed_count", "missing_feed_count", "quarantined_feed_count", "accepted_row_count", "rejected_row_count")
+    if any(type(value[key]) is not int or value[key] < 0 for key in integer_keys) or type(value["publication_complete"]) is not bool or type(value["eligible_for_live_publication"]) is not bool or value["publication_complete"] != value["eligible_for_live_publication"] or not isinstance(value["feeds"], list):
+        raise _fail("status_counter_invalid")
+    expected = build_acceptance_status(value["feeds"])
+    if dict(value) != expected:
+        raise _fail("status_counter_mismatch")
+    return expected
+
+
+def serialize_status(value: Mapping[str, object]) -> bytes:
+    try:
+        payload = _validate_status(value)
+        return json.dumps(payload, ensure_ascii=False, sort_keys=True, separators=(",", ":"), allow_nan=False).encode("utf-8")
+    except FetchAcceptanceError:
+        raise
+    except (TypeError, ValueError, UnicodeError, OverflowError, RecursionError):
+        raise _fail("status_serialization_invalid") from None
+
+
+def parse_status_bytes(wire: bytes) -> dict[str, object]:
+    if type(wire) is not bytes:
+        raise _fail("status_wire_invalid")
+    def pairs(items: list[tuple[str, object]]) -> dict[str, object]:
+        result: dict[str, object] = {}
+        for key, item in items:
+            if key in result:
+                raise _fail("status_duplicate_key")
+            result[key] = item
+        return result
+    try:
+        value = json.loads(wire.decode("utf-8"), object_pairs_hook=pairs)
+    except FetchAcceptanceError:
+        raise
+    except (UnicodeError, json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError, ValueError, RecursionError):
+        raise _fail("status_wire_invalid") from None
+    parsed = _validate_status(value)
+    if serialize_status(parsed) != wire:
+        raise _fail("status_noncanonical")
+    return parsed
diff --git a/tests/test_fetch_acceptance.py b/tests/test_fetch_acceptance.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c226a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_fetch_acceptance.py
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+import pytest
+
+from political_event_tracking_research.fetch_acceptance import (
+    FetchAcceptanceError,
+    build_acceptance_status,
+    classify_feed_payload,
+    parse_status_bytes,
+    serialize_status,
+)
+
+
+RSS = b"""<?xml version=\"1.0\"?><rss version=\"2.0\"><channel><title>Feed</title><item><title>Event</title><link>https://example.test/event</link><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 12:30:00 GMT</pubDate><description>Text</description></item></channel></rss>"""
+ATOM = b"""<?xml version=\"1.0\"?><feed xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom\"><title>Feed</title><entry><title>Event</title><link href=\"https://example.test/event\"/><updated>2026-05-01T12:30:00Z</updated><summary>Text</summary></entry></feed>"""
+NON_FEED = b"<root><item><title>Not RSS</title></item></root>"
+
+
+def test_rss_and_atom_are_recognized_with_exact_rows() -> None:
+    rss = classify_feed_payload("rss", "https://example.test/rss", RSS)
+    atom = classify_feed_payload("atom", "https://example.test/atom", ATOM)
+    assert (rss["kind"], rss["accepted_row_count"], rss["rejected_row_count"]) == ("rss", 1, 0)
+    assert (atom["kind"], atom["accepted_row_count"], atom["rejected_row_count"]) == ("atom", 1, 0)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("payload", [NON_FEED, b"<rss>", b"not xml"])
+def test_non_rss_or_malformed_payload_fails_closed(payload: bytes) -> None:
+    result = classify_feed_payload("feed", "https://example.test/feed", payload)
+    assert result["state"] == "failed"
+    assert result["accepted_row_count"] == 0
+
+
+def test_unsupported_rss_schema_is_not_successful() -> None:
+    result = classify_feed_payload("feed", "https://example.test/feed", RSS.replace(b'version="2.0"', b'version="1.0"'))
+    assert result["state"] == "failed"
+    assert result["error_code"] == "rss_schema_unsupported"
+
+
+def test_zero_entry_is_quarantined_not_complete() -> None:
+    result = classify_feed_payload("empty", "https://example.test/empty", b"<rss version='2.0'><channel><title>Empty</title></channel></rss>")
+    status = build_acceptance_status([result])
+    assert result["state"] == "quarantined"
+    assert status["publication_complete"] is False
+    assert status["eligible_for_live_publication"] is False
+    assert status["zero_entry_policy"] == "quarantine"
+
+
+def test_mixed_partial_counts_are_exact_and_incomplete() -> None:
+    accepted = classify_feed_payload("ok", "https://example.test/ok", RSS)
+    failed = classify_feed_payload("bad", "https://example.test/bad", NON_FEED)
+    status = build_acceptance_status([accepted, failed])
+    assert status["configured_feed_count"] == 2
+    assert status["successful_feed_count"] == 1
+    assert status["failed_feed_count"] == 1
+    assert status["accepted_row_count"] == 1
+    assert status["publication_complete"] is False
+
+
+def test_empty_config_and_counter_mismatch_fail_closed() -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(FetchAcceptanceError):
+        build_acceptance_status([])
+    status = build_acceptance_status([classify_feed_payload("ok", "https://example.test/ok", RSS)])
+    tampered = dict(status)
+    tampered["accepted_row_count"] = 999
+    with pytest.raises(FetchAcceptanceError):
+        serialize_status(tampered)
+
+
+def test_status_canonical_roundtrip_and_tamper_rejection() -> None:
+    status = build_acceptance_status([classify_feed_payload("ok", "https://example.test/ok", RSS)])
+    wire = serialize_status(status)
+    assert parse_status_bytes(wire) == status
+    assert serialize_status(parse_status_bytes(wire)) == wire
+    with pytest.raises(FetchAcceptanceError):
+        parse_status_bytes(b" " + wire)
+    payload = json.loads(wire)
+    payload["unknown"] = True
+    with pytest.raises(FetchAcceptanceError):
+        serialize_status(payload)
+
+
+def test_invalid_entry_is_counted_not_accepted() -> None:
+    payload = RSS.replace(b"<link>https://example.test/event</link>", b"")
+    result = classify_feed_payload("feed", "https://example.test/feed", payload)
+    assert result["accepted_row_count"] == 0
+    assert result["rejected_row_count"] == 1
+    assert result["state"] == "quarantined"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("declaration", ["<!DOCTYPE rss>", "<!doctype rss>", "<!  DOCTYPE rss>", "<!\nENTITY x \"x\">", "<!SYSTEM \"file:///tmp/x\">"])
+def test_forbidden_xml_declarations_are_sanitized(declaration: str) -> None:
+    result = classify_feed_payload("feed", "https://example.test/feed", (declaration + "<rss version='2.0'><channel/></rss>").encode())
+    assert result["state"] == "failed"
+    assert result["error_code"] == "xml_forbidden_declaration"
+
+
+def test_xml_size_depth_nodes_text_and_attributes_are_bounded() -> None:
+    assert classify_feed_payload("feed", "https://example.test/feed", RSS + b"x" * (1024 * 1024))["error_code"] == "xml_oversize"
+    deep = "<rss version='2.0'><channel>" + "<x>" * 40 + "</x>" * 40 + "</channel></rss>"
+    assert classify_feed_payload("feed", "https://example.test/feed", deep.encode())["error_code"] == "xml_structure_over_limit"
+    attrs = "<rss version='2.0' " + " ".join(f"a{i}='x'" for i in range(130)) + "><channel/></rss>"
+    assert classify_feed_payload("feed", "https://example.test/feed", attrs.encode())["error_code"] == "xml_structure_over_limit"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "feed",
+    [
+        {"feed_id": "x", "feed_url": "u", "kind": "rss", "accepted_row_count": 0, "rejected_row_count": 0, "state": "failed", "error_code": None},
+        {"feed_id": "x", "feed_url": "u", "kind": "rss", "accepted_row_count": 1, "rejected_row_count": 0, "state": "failed", "error_code": "bad"},
+        {"feed_id": "x", "feed_url": "u", "kind": "rss", "accepted_row_count": 0, "rejected_row_count": 0, "state": "stale", "error_code": ""},
+        {"feed_id": "x", "feed_url": "u", "kind": "rss", "accepted_row_count": 0, "rejected_row_count": 0, "state": "missing", "error_code": None},
+        {"feed_id": "x", "feed_url": "u", "kind": "rss", "accepted_row_count": 1, "rejected_row_count": 0, "state": "accepted", "error_code": "bad"},
+        {"feed_id": "x", "feed_url": "u", "kind": "rss", "accepted_row_count": 0, "rejected_row_count": 0, "state": "quarantined", "error_code": None},
+    ],
+)
+def test_feed_state_row_and_error_invariants_are_strict(feed: dict[str, object]) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(FetchAcceptanceError):
+        build_acceptance_status([feed])