diff --git a/tildewiki/compilation.py b/tildewiki/compilation.py
index acecb79..80c668b 100644
--- a/tildewiki/compilation.py
+++ b/tildewiki/compilation.py
@@ -37,6 +37,35 @@ def depth_from(root: str, path: str) -> int:
       first = os.path.split(first)[0]
     return depth
 
+def generate_toc(header_content, articles):
+    """given header_content and a list of dicts with keys title, href, and path this function
+    generates the toc page's content"""
+
+    toc_content = '{}\n'.format(update_title(header_content, 'table of contents'))
+
+    toplevel_articles = [a for a in articles if a['path'] == '']
+    articles = [a for a in articles if a['path'] != '']
+    sorted(articles, key=lambda a: a['path'])
+    toc_content += '<h1>Table of Contents</h1>\n'
+    toc_content += '<h2>unsorted articles</h2>\n<ul>\n'
+    for a in toplevel_articles:
+        toc_content += '<li><a href="{}">{}</a></li>\n'.format(a['href'], a['title'])
+
+    seen = set()
+    for article in articles:
+        if article['path'] not in seen:
+            path = article['path']
+            components = path.split('/')
+            hlvl = len(components) + 1
+            toc_content += '</ul>'
+            toc_content += f'<h{hlvl}>' + path.split('/')[-1] + f'</h{hlvl}>'
+            toc_content += '<ul>'
+            seen.add(path)
+        toc_content += '<li><a href="{href}">{title}</a></li>'.format(**article)
+
+    toc_content += '</ul>'
+    return toc_content
+
 def compile_wiki(source_path: str,
                  dest_path: str,
                  on_create: Callable[[str], None]=DEFAULT_ON_CREATE) -> None:
@@ -60,7 +89,7 @@ def compile_wiki(source_path: str,
 
     articles_root = os.path.join(source_path, 'src/articles')
 
-    toc_content = '{}\n<ul>'.format(update_title(header_content, 'table of contents'))
+    articles = []
 
     copy(logo_path, dest_path)
     copy(css_path, dest_path)
@@ -88,16 +117,17 @@ def compile_wiki(source_path: str,
                 footer_content)
             output = relativize_links(output, depth)
             dest_filename = source_filename.split('.')[0] + '.html'
-            toc_content += '<li><a href="{}">{}</a></li>\n'.format(
-                os.path.join(current_suffix, dest_filename),
-                os.path.join(current_suffix,dest_filename.split('.')[0]))
+            articles.append({
+                'title': dest_filename.split('.')[0],
+                'href': os.path.join(current_suffix, dest_filename),
+                'path': current_suffix})
             final_path = os.path.join(dest_root, dest_filename)
             with open(final_path, 'w') as f:
                 f.write(output)
             on_create(final_path)
 
 
-    toc_content += '\n</ul>'
+    toc_content = generate_toc(header_content, articles)
     toc_path = os.path.join(dest_path, 'toc.html')
     with open(toc_path, 'w') as f:
         f.write(relativize_links(toc_content, 1))