diff --git a/_data/tutorial_sidebar_config.yml b/_data/tutorial_sidebar_config.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..092aaf6141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_data/tutorial_sidebar_config.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+# _data/tutorial_sidebar_config.yml
+# ===================================
+# Single source of truth for tutorial sidebar navigation decisions.
+# Lives in the MAIN SITE REPO (_data/), never in the tutorials submodule.
+#
+# HUGO MIGRATION:
+# Read via $.Site.Data.tutorial_sidebar_config — identical structure.
+# Only the template syntax changes, not this file.
+#
+# TITLE OVERRIDES:
+# Both `featured` entries and group `permalinks` support an optional `title`
+# field. If present it overrides the verbose README title with a short display
+# name matching the original tutorial_sidebar.yml. If absent, the template
+# falls back to the page's own `title` front matter.
+#
+# ADDING A NEW TUTORIAL:
+# - Appears in "All tutorials" automatically with no changes here.
+# - To feature it in Basic cases: add an entry under `featured`.
+# - To put it in a named group: add an entry under the group's `permalinks`.
+# - To create a new group: add a new block under `groups`.
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Basic cases
+# Rendered in ascending `order`. Title overrides the README title if present.
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+featured:
+ - permalink: quickstart.html
+ order: 1
+ title: Quickstart
+ - permalink: tutorials-flow-over-heated-plate.html
+ order: 2
+ title: Flow over a heated plate
+ - permalink: tutorials-partitioned-heat-conduction.html
+ order: 3
+ title: Partitioned heat conduction
+ - permalink: tutorials-perpendicular-flap.html
+ order: 4
+ title: Perpendicular flap
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Subgroups
+# Each group becomes a collapsible sub-folder in "All tutorials".
+# Groups and flat pages are interleaved alphabetically by display name —
+# the `name` field is used as the sort key alongside flat page titles.
+# `order` is NOT used for positioning within All tutorials (alphabetical
+# interleaving handles that). `order` is kept for potential future use
+# and documents editorial intent.
+# Pages within each group are sorted alphabetically by their display title.
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+groups:
+ - name: Channel transport
+ order: 1
+ permalinks:
+ - url: tutorials-channel-transport.html
+ title: Basic variant
+ - url: tutorials-channel-transport-reaction.html
+ title: Reaction
+ - url: tutorials-channel-transport-particles.html
+ title: Particles
+
+ - name: Flow over a heated plate
+ order: 2
+ permalinks:
+ - url: tutorials-flow-over-heated-plate.html
+ title: Basic variant
+ - url: tutorials-flow-over-heated-plate-nearest-projection.html
+ title: Nearest-projection mapping
+ - url: tutorials-flow-over-heated-plate-steady-state.html
+ title: Steady state
+ - url: tutorials-flow-over-heated-plate-two-meshes.html
+ title: Two meshes
+
+ - name: Partitioned flow
+ order: 3
+ permalinks:
+ - url: tutorials-partitioned-backwards-facing-step.html
+ title: Partitioned flow over a b.f. step
+ - url: tutorials-flow-over-heated-plate-partitioned-flow.html
+ title: Partitioned flow over heated plate
+ - url: tutorials-partitioned-pipe.html
+ title: Partitioned pipe
+ - url: tutorials-partitioned-pipe-two-phase.html
+ title: Partitioned pipe two-phase
+
+ - name: Partitioned heat conduction
+ order: 4
+ permalinks:
+ - url: tutorials-partitioned-heat-conduction.html
+ title: Basic variant
+ - url: tutorials-partitioned-heat-conduction-complex.html
+ title: Complex variant
+ - url: tutorials-partitioned-heat-conduction-direct.html
+ title: Direct mesh access
+ - url: tutorials-partitioned-heat-conduction-overlap.html
+ title: Overlapping Schwarz
+
+ - name: Perpendicular flap
+ order: 5
+ permalinks:
+ - url: tutorials-perpendicular-flap.html
+ title: Basic variant
+ - url: tutorials-perpendicular-flap-stress.html
+ title: Stress variant
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/_includes/sidebar.html b/_includes/sidebar.html
index 73645c9a5b..37626d1d25 100644
--- a/_includes/sidebar.html
+++ b/_includes/sidebar.html
@@ -1,74 +1,119 @@
-{% assign sidebar = site.data.sidebars[page.sidebar].entries %}
+{% if page.sidebar == 'tutorial_sidebar' %}
+ {% include tutorial_sidebar.html %}
+{% else %}
+ {% assign sidebar = site.data.sidebars[page.sidebar].entries %}
-
+
-
-
+
+{% endif %}
diff --git a/_includes/tutorial_sidebar.html b/_includes/tutorial_sidebar.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0f6461cf69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_includes/tutorial_sidebar.html
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+{% comment %}
+ tutorial_sidebar.html
+ =====================
+ Renders the tutorials sidebar automatically from site.pages at build time.
+ All navigation decisions live in _data/tutorial_sidebar_config.yml for
+ exclusive links like "Basic cases" or named groups in "All tutorials".
+ Tutorial READMEs need no special front matter beyond `title` and `permalink`.
+
+ STRUCTURE:
+ 1. Introduction — hardcoded (not in submodule)
+ 2. Basic cases — from tutorial_sidebar_config.yml `featured` list
+ 3. All tutorials — auto-discovered flat pages + named groups, interleaved
+ alphabetically by display name
+{% endcomment %}
+
+{% comment %}
+ ============================================================
+ STEP 1 — Collect tutorial pages into parallel lookup arrays
+ ============================================================
+{% endcomment %}
+{% assign tutorial_pages = '' | split: '' %}
+{% assign tutorial_permalinks = '' | split: '' %}
+{% for p in site.pages %}
+ {% if p.path contains 'imported/tutorials/' %}
+ {% assign tutorial_pages = tutorial_pages | push: p %}
+ {% assign tutorial_permalinks = tutorial_permalinks | push: p.permalink %}
+ {% endif %}
+{% endfor %}
+
+{% comment %}
+ ============================================================
+ STEP 2 — Build lookup sets from the data file
+ ============================================================
+ featured_urls: used to suppress active class in Basic cases only.
+ Featured pages ARE rendered in All tutorials with normal
+ active class — that is their canonical active location.
+ grouped_urls: used to exclude pages from the flat list in All tutorials
+ (they appear inside their named group instead).
+{% endcomment %}
+{% assign featured_urls = '' | split: '' %}
+{% for f in site.data.tutorial_sidebar_config.featured %}
+ {% assign featured_urls = featured_urls | push: f.permalink %}
+{% endfor %}
+
+{% assign grouped_urls = '' | split: '' %}
+{% for group in site.data.tutorial_sidebar_config.groups %}
+ {% for gentry in group.permalinks %}
+ {% assign grouped_urls = grouped_urls | push: gentry.url %}
+ {% endfor %}
+{% endfor %}
+
+{% comment %}
+ ============================================================
+ STEP 3 — Build the unified All tutorials entry list
+ ============================================================
+ Flat pages: all tutorial pages NOT in any group.
+ Featured pages ARE included here as flat entries if they
+ are not also in a group (e.g. Quickstart).
+ Featured pages that ARE in a group (e.g. Flow over a heated
+ plate) will appear inside their group, not as flat entries.
+ Group entries: one per group, sorted by group name alongside flat pages.
+{% endcomment %}
+{% assign all_entries = '' | split: '' %}
+
+{% for p in tutorial_pages %}
+ {% unless grouped_urls contains p.permalink %}
+ {% assign raw_idx = forloop.index0 %}
+ {% assign padded_idx = raw_idx | prepend: '000' | slice: -4, 4 %}
+ {% assign entry = p.title | append: '^flat^' | append: padded_idx %}
+ {% assign all_entries = all_entries | push: entry %}
+ {% endunless %}
+{% endfor %}
+
+{% for group in site.data.tutorial_sidebar_config.groups %}
+ {% assign entry = group.name | append: '^group^' | append: group.name %}
+ {% assign all_entries = all_entries | push: entry %}
+{% endfor %}
+
+{% assign all_entries = all_entries | sort %}
+
+{% comment %}
+ ============================================================
+ STEP 4 — Sort featured list by order field
+ ============================================================
+{% endcomment %}
+{% assign sorted_featured = site.data.tutorial_sidebar_config.featured | sort: 'order' %}
+
+{% comment %}
+ ============================================================
+ RENDER
+ ============================================================
+{% endcomment %}
+
+
+