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+# Topbar Unread Drawer — Design
+
+Date: 2026-07-17
+
+## Goal
+
+Add an "Unread" item to the topbar utilities, next to notifications. It shows
+a live badge with the number of unread topics. Clicking it opens a dropdown
+that lists recent unread topics.
+
+## Template
+
+New partial `templates/partials/header/unread-drawer.tpl`, imported in
+`templates/partials/header/topbar.tpl` just before the notifications `<li>`
+(logged-in menu only). It follows the structure of the neighboring utility
+dropdowns:
+
+- Toggle button: `fa-inbox` icon, `title="[[unread:title]]"`, badge
+  `<span component="unread/count" class="badge ... {{{ if !unreadCount.topic }}}hidden{{{ end }}}">{unreadCount.topic}</span>`.
+  NodeBB core sends `unreadCount.topic` in header data and live-updates any
+  `component="unread/count"` badge over sockets, so the count needs no theme JS.
+- Dropdown body: an empty `<ul class="dropdown-menu wg-topbar__dropdown">`
+  shell with a loading placeholder item.
+
+## Client JS
+
+Small addition to `public/client.js` (inside the existing topbar init):
+
+- On `show.bs.dropdown` for the unread item, call `api.get('/unread', ...)`
+  (same data the `/unread` page uses).
+- Render up to 10 topics as plain links: topic title, category name,
+  unread-post count. Footer link "See all unread" → `/unread`.
+- Re-fetch on every open (always fresh, no caching). Errors show a short
+  "could not load" item — never a blank menu.
+
+Skipped: mark-all-read, pagination, watched-filter tabs — the `/unread` page
+already has all of those.
+
+## SCSS
+
+Reuse the existing `.wg-topbar__dropdown` styles. Only a few lines for the
+topic rows (truncation, spacing).
+
+## Mobile drawer
+
+Add a plain "Unread" link with the same `component="unread/count"` badge to
+the burger-drawer actions block in `topbar.tpl`, matching the existing
+notifications/chats rows.
+
+## Accessibility
+
+- Toggle is a real `<a role="button">`/dropdown like the other utility items,
+  with `aria-label` and Bootstrap's dropdown keyboard handling.
+- Badge count also appears in the accessible name (matching how the
+  notifications item does it).
+
+## Verification
+
+Manual + Playwright checks run against the **sow-nodebb dev container**
+(`../sow-nodebb`):
+
+1. In `../sow-nodebb`, set `.env` for theme work
+   (`PLUGIN_PATH=../sow-nodebb-theme`, `PLUGIN_ID=nodebb-theme-westgate`,
+   `EXTRA_PLUGINS=nodebb-plugin-westgate-wiki`), then `make dev` →
+   forum at http://localhost:4567.
+2. After template/JS/SCSS edits: `make dev-build` in `../sow-nodebb`, then
+   reload the browser.
+3. Playwright (playwright-skill / MCP browser tools) against
+   http://localhost:4567: log in, confirm the Unread button exists next to
+   notifications, badge shows the unread count, opening the dropdown lists
+   unread topics with working links, and the footer link lands on `/unread`.
+   Also check the mobile burger drawer shows the Unread row.
+
+Existing template contract test `tests/global-topbar-contract.test.js` is
+updated if it asserts the utility-list structure.