diff --git a/pkg/interface/link/src/css/custom.css b/pkg/interface/link/src/css/custom.css
index 35ed6b0ea..550fcfd0b 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/link/src/css/custom.css
+++ b/pkg/interface/link/src/css/custom.css
@@ -214,4 +214,7 @@ a {
   a {
     color: #fff;
   }
+  .hover-bg-gray1-d:hover {
+    background-color: #4d4d4d;
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channel-sidebar.js b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channel-sidebar.js
index f14792c68..315d9f53d 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channel-sidebar.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channel-sidebar.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import React, { Component } from 'react';
 
 import { Route, Link } from 'react-router-dom';
-import { ChannelsItem } from '/components/lib/channels-item';
+import { GroupItem } from './group-item';
 import { SidebarInvite } from '/components/lib/sidebar-invite';
 import { Welcome } from '/components/lib/welcome';
+import { alphabetiseAssociations } from '../../lib/util';
 
 export class ChannelsSidebar extends Component {
   // drawer to the left
@@ -21,34 +22,75 @@ export class ChannelsSidebar extends Component {
         );
       });
 
-    const channelItems =
-      [...props.listening].map((path) => {
-        const meta = props.associations[path];
-        if (!meta) return null;
-        const selected = (props.selected === path);
-        const linkCount = !!props.links[path] ? props.links[path].totalItems : 0;
-        const unseenCount = !!props.links[path]
-          ? props.links[path].unseenCount
-          : linkCount
+    let associations = !!props.associations.contacts ? alphabetiseAssociations(props.associations.contacts) : {};
 
-        return (
-          <ChannelsItem
-            key={path}
-            link={path}
-            memberList={props.groups[meta["group-path"]]}
-            selected={selected}
-            linkCount={linkCount}
-            unseenCount={unseenCount}
-            name={meta.metadata.title}/>
-        );
-      });
+    let groupedChannels = {};
+    [...props.listening].map((path) => {
+      let groupPath = !!props.associations.link[path] ?
+        props.associations.link[path]["group-path"] : "";
+
+        console.log(path);
+        console.log(groupPath);
+
+      if (groupPath.startsWith("/~/")) {
+        if (groupedChannels["/~/"]) {
+          let array = groupedChannels["/~/"];
+          array.push(path);
+          groupedChannels["/~/"] = array;
+        } else {
+          groupedChannels["/~/"] = [path];
+        };
+      }
+      if (groupPath in associations) {
+        if (groupedChannels[groupPath]) {
+          let array = groupedChannels[groupPath];
+          array.push[path];
+          groupedChannels[groupPath] = array;
+        } else {
+          groupedChannels[groupPath] = [path];
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
+    let i = -1;
+    const groupedItems = Object.keys(associations).map((each) => {
+      let channels = groupedChannels[each];
+      if (!channels || channels.length === 0) return;
+      i++;
+      if (groupedChannels["/~/"] && groupedChannels["/~/"].length !== 0) {
+        i++;
+      }
+
+      return (
+        <GroupItem
+          key={i}
+          index={i}
+          association={associations[each]}
+          linkMetadata={props.associations["link"]}
+          channels={channels}
+          selected={props.selected}
+          links={props.links}
+        />
+      )
+    });
+    if (groupedChannels["/~/"] && groupedChannels["/~/"].length !== 0) {
+      groupedItems.unshift(
+        <GroupItem
+          key={"/~/"}
+          index={0}
+          association={"/~/"}
+          linkMetadata={props.associations["link"]}
+          channels={groupedChannels["/~/"]}
+          selected={props.selected}
+          links={props.links}
+        />
+      )
+    }
 
     let activeClasses = (this.props.active === "collections") ? " " : "dn-s ";
 
     let hiddenClasses = true;
 
-    // probably a more concise way to write this
-
     if (this.props.popout) {
       hiddenClasses = false;
     } else {
@@ -63,17 +105,16 @@ export class ChannelsSidebar extends Component {
         : "dn")}>
         <a className="db dn-m dn-l dn-xl f8 pb3 pl3" href="/">⟵ Landscape</a>
         <div className="overflow-y-scroll h-100">
-          <div className="w-100 bg-transparent pa4 bb b--gray4 b--gray2-d"
-            style={{paddingBottom: 10, paddingTop: 10}}>
+          <div className="w-100 bg-transparent">
             <Link
-              className="dib f9 pointer green2 gray4-d mr4"
+              className="dib f9 pointer green2 gray4-d pa4"
               to={"/~link/new"}>
               New Collection
             </Link>
           </div>
           <Welcome associations={props.associations}/>
           {sidebarInvites}
-          {channelItems}
+          {groupedItems}
         </div>
       </div>
     );
diff --git a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channels-item.js b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channels-item.js
index 3514421ae..8235bde92 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channels-item.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/channels-item.js
@@ -7,25 +7,18 @@ export class ChannelsItem extends Component {
     const { props } = this;
 
     let selectedClass = (props.selected)
-    ? "bg-gray5 bg-gray1-d b--gray4 b--gray2-d"
-    : "b--gray4 b--gray2-d";
+    ? "bg-gray5 bg-gray1-d"
+    : "pointer hover-bg-gray5 hover-bg-gray1-d";
 
-    let memberCount = props.memberList
-      ? props.memberList.size
-      : 0;
     const unseenCount = props.unseenCount > 0
-      ? <span className="green2">{" " + props.unseenCount + " unread"}</span>
+      ? <span className="dib white bg-gray3 bg-gray2-d fw6 br1" style={{padding: "1px 5px"}}>{props.unseenCount}</span>
       : null;
 
     return (
       <Link to={makeRoutePath(props.link)}>
-        <div className={"w-100 v-mid f9 pl4 bb z1 pa3 pt4 pb4 b--gray4 b--gray1-d gray3-d pointer " + selectedClass}>
-          <p className="f9 pt1">{props.name}</p>
-          <p className="f9 gray2">
-            {memberCount + " contributor" + ((memberCount === 1) ? "" : "s")}
-          </p>
-          <p className="f9 pb1">
-            {props.linkCount + " link" + ((props.linkCount === 1) ? "" : "s")}
+        <div className={"w-100 v-mid f9 ph4 z1 pv1 " + selectedClass}>
+          <p className="f9 dib">{props.name}</p>
+          <p className="f9 dib fr">
             {unseenCount}
           </p>
         </div>
diff --git a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/group-item.js b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/group-item.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..161477830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/lib/group-item.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import React, { Component } from 'react';
+import { ChannelsItem } from './channels-item';
+
+export class GroupItem extends Component {
+  render() {
+    const { props, state } = this;
+    let association = !!props.association ? props.association : {};
+
+    let title = association["app-path"] ? association["app-path"] : "Unmanaged Collections";
+
+    if (association.metadata && association.metadata.title) {
+      title = association.metadata.title !== ""
+        ? association.metadata.title : title;
+    }
+
+    let channels = !!props.channels ? props.channels : [];
+    let first = (props.index === 0) ? "pt1" : "pt4";
+
+    let channelItems = channels.map((each, i) => {
+      const meta = props.linkMetadata[each];
+      if (!meta) return null;
+      const selected = (props.selected === each);
+      const unseenCount = !!props.links[each]
+        ? props.links[each].unseenCount
+        : 0;
+        return (
+          <ChannelsItem
+            key={each}
+            link={each}
+            selected={selected}
+            unseenCount={unseenCount}
+            name={meta.metadata.title}
+          />
+        )
+    })
+    return (
+      <div className={first}>
+      <p className="f9 ph4 fw6 gray3">{title}</p>
+        {channelItems}
+      </div>
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+export default GroupItem;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/root.js b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/root.js
index 030dcc190..c458299c0 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/root.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/components/root.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export class Root extends Component {
               <Skeleton
                 active="collections"
                 spinner={state.spinner}
-                associations={associations.link}
+                associations={associations}
                 invites={invites}
                 groups={groups}
                 rightPanelHide={true}
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export class Root extends Component {
             return (
               <Skeleton
                 spinner={state.spinner}
-                associations={associations.link}
+                associations={associations}
                 invites={invites}
                 groups={groups}
                 rightPanelHide={true}
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ export class Root extends Component {
             return (
               <Skeleton
                 spinner={state.spinner}
-                associations={associations.link}
+                associations={associations}
                 invites={invites}
                 groups={groups}
                 selected={resourcePath}
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ export class Root extends Component {
             return (
               <Skeleton
                 spinner={state.spinner}
-                associations={associations.link}
+                associations={associations}
                 invites={invites}
                 groups={groups}
                 selected={resourcePath}
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export class Root extends Component {
               return (
                 <Skeleton
                   spinner={state.spinner}
-                  associations={associations.link}
+                  associations={associations}
                   invites={invites}
                   groups={groups}
                   selected={resourcePath}
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ export class Root extends Component {
               return (
                 <Skeleton
                   spinner={state.spinner}
-                  associations={associations.link}
+                  associations={associations}
                   invites={invites}
                   groups={groups}
                   selected={resourcePath}
diff --git a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/lib/util.js b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/lib/util.js
index 8f1c2b2eb..5870dcac3 100644
--- a/pkg/interface/link/src/js/lib/util.js
+++ b/pkg/interface/link/src/js/lib/util.js
@@ -164,4 +164,26 @@ export function cite(ship) {
     return shortened;
   }
   return `~${patp}`;
+}
+
+export function alphabetiseAssociations(associations) {
+  let result = {};
+  Object.keys(associations).sort((a, b) => {
+    let aName = a.substr(1);
+    let bName = b.substr(1);
+    if (a.metadata && a.metadata.title) {
+      aName = a.metadata.title !== ""
+        ? a.metadata.title
+        : a.substr(1);
+    }
+    if (b.metadata && b.metadata.title) {
+      bName = b.metadata.title !== ""
+        ? b.metadata.title
+        : b.substr(1);
+    }
+    return aName.toLowerCase().localeCompare(bName.toLowerCase());
+  }).map((each) => {
+    result[each] = associations[each];
+  })
+  return result;
 }
\ No newline at end of file