diff --git a/app/src/content.go b/app/src/content.go
index 1c45198..37a64dd 100644
--- a/app/src/content.go
+++ b/app/src/content.go
@@ -158,6 +158,8 @@ func (c *Content) loadSubject(slug string) (*Subject, error) {
 	if err := c.loadFilesUnder(dir, &s.Articles); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	// newest first within a subject (drives Topics boxes + ribbon dropdowns)
+	sortArticles(s.Articles)
 	for _, a := range s.Articles {
 		a.Subject = slug
 		c.Articles = append(c.Articles, a)
@@ -177,6 +179,7 @@ func (c *Content) loadFilesUnder(dir string, out *[]*Article) error {
 			continue
 		}
 		if a, err := c.loadFile(path.Join(dir, name)); err == nil {
+			// unpublished articles are drafts — load, then hide from all listings
 			*out = append(*out, a)
 		} else {
 			log.Printf("article %s: %v", name, err)
@@ -237,30 +240,36 @@ func (c *Content) findSubject(slug string) *Subject {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// findArticle returns the article with the given slug, or nil.
+// findArticle returns the article with the given slug, or nil. Drafts are not served.
 func (c *Content) findArticle(slug string) *Article {
 	for _, a := range c.Articles {
-		if a.Slug == slug {
+		if a.Slug == slug && a.FM.Published {
 			return a
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-// findArticlesBySubject returns articles in a subject, newest first.
+// findArticlesBySubject returns published articles in a subject, newest first.
 func (c *Content) findArticlesBySubject(slug string) []*Article {
 	var out []*Article
 	for _, a := range c.Articles {
-		if a.Subject == slug {
+		if a.Subject == slug && a.FM.Published {
 			out = append(out, a)
 		}
 	}
+	sortArticles(out)
 	return out
 }
 
-// latest returns up to n articles across all subjects, newest first.
+// latest returns up to n published articles across all subjects, newest first.
 func (c *Content) latest(n int) []*Article {
-	out := c.Articles
+	var out []*Article
+	for _, a := range c.Articles {
+		if a.FM.Published {
+			out = append(out, a)
+		}
+	}
 	sortArticles(out)
 	if len(out) > n {
 		out = out[:n]
@@ -268,10 +277,10 @@ func (c *Content) latest(n int) []*Article {
 	return out
 }
 
-// featured returns the first article marked featured.
+// featured returns the first published article marked featured.
 func (c *Content) featured() *Article {
 	for _, a := range c.Articles {
-		if a.FM.Featured {
+		if a.FM.Featured && a.FM.Published {
 			return a
 		}
 	}
@@ -296,6 +305,11 @@ func parseFrontMatter(text string) (FrontMatter, string, bool) {
 	if err := yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(yamlText), &fm); err != nil {
 		return FrontMatter{}, text, false
 	}
+	// Missing `published:` key = published (default true). go-yaml sets the
+	// bool to false when the key is absent, so detect absence from the raw text.
+	if !strings.Contains(yamlText, "published") {
+		fm.Published = true
+	}
 	return fm, body, true
 }