diff --git a/data/scripts/generate-gemlog.lisp b/data/scripts/generate-gemlog.lisp
index 252c162..2b9c74d 100644
--- a/data/scripts/generate-gemlog.lisp
+++ b/data/scripts/generate-gemlog.lisp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
 ;; - date: (the date of the post, format: YYY-MM-DD)
 ;; - topics: The post's' topics: a comma separated list of strings
-
+;; - skip: do not copy the post to the capsule's directory
 ;; For example
 
 ;; […]
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 ;; ``` META
 ;; date: 2023-08-14
 ;; topic: comics, cinema
+;; skip
 ;; ```
 
 (defpackage :generate-gemlog
@@ -84,6 +85,8 @@
 
 (a:define-constant +meta-date-key+ :date :test #'eq)
 
+(a:define-constant +meta-skip-p+   :skip :test #'eq)
+
 (a:define-constant +meta-key-value-delimiter+ ": *" :test #'string=)
 
 (a:define-constant +archive-dir+ "archive" :test #'string=)
@@ -184,7 +187,9 @@
                                      (cl-ppcre:split +meta-topic-values-delimiters+
                                                      raw-value))))
                       (:date
-                       (parse-date raw-value))))))))
+                       (parse-date raw-value))
+                      (:skip
+                       t)))))))
 
 (defun extract-non-meta (parsed)
   (remove-if #'meta-node-p parsed))
@@ -314,34 +319,45 @@
                                  (lambda (a b)
                                    (local-time:timestamp> (post-date a)
                                                           (post-date b)))))
-         (all-topics       (collect-topics posts))
-         (archive-dir-path (strcat output-directory "/" +archive-dir+)))
+         (archive-dir-path (strcat output-directory "/" +archive-dir+))
+         (effective-posts  '()))
     (fs:make-directory archive-dir-path)
     (loop for post in posts do
       (let* ((file-name (fs:strip-dirs-from-path (original-file-path post)))
              (file-path (fs:cat-parent-dir archive-dir-path file-name)))
-        (setf (archive-file-path post) file-path)
-        (handler-case
-            (with-open-file (stream file-path
-                                    :direction :output
-                                    :if-does-not-exist :create
-                                    :if-exists         :supersede)
-              (sexp->gmi (content post) stream)
-              (write-sequence (geminize-preformatted (format nil "~{#~a~^ ~}" (post-topics post)))
-                              stream)
-              (write-sequence (geminize-link (strcat " "
-                                                     *post-home-backlink*
-                                                     " "
-                                                     *post-home-backlink-name*))
-                              stream)
-              (write-char #\Newline stream)
-              (notify "Processed ~a~%" (original-file-path post)))
-          (error (e)
-            (format *error-output*
-                    "skipping ~a, reasons: ~a.~%"
-                    file-path
-                    e)))))
-    (values posts all-topics)))
+        (cond
+          ((cdr (assoc +meta-skip-p+ (meta post)))
+           (format t "skipping ~a as instructed by metadata.~%" file-path))
+          ((fs:file-exists-p file-path)
+           (push post effective-posts)
+           (setf (archive-file-path post) file-path))
+          (t
+           (setf (archive-file-path post) file-path)
+           (handler-case
+                  (with-open-file (stream file-path
+                                          :direction :output
+                                          :if-does-not-exist :create
+                                          :if-exists         :supersede)
+                    (sexp->gmi (content post) stream)
+                    (write-sequence (geminize-preformatted (format nil "~{#~a~^ ~}" (post-topics post)))
+                                    stream)
+                    (write-sequence (geminize-link (strcat " "
+                                                           *post-home-backlink*
+                                                           " "
+                                                           *post-home-backlink-name*))
+                                    stream)
+                    (write-char #\Newline stream)
+                    (push post effective-posts)
+                    (setf (archive-file-path post) file-path)
+                    (notify "Processed ~a~%" (original-file-path post)))
+                (error (e)
+                  (format *error-output*
+                          "Error! Skipping ~a, reasons: ~a.~%"
+                          file-path
+                          e)))))))
+    (setf effective-posts (nreverse effective-posts))
+    (values effective-posts
+            (collect-topics effective-posts))))
 
 (defun write-links (posts stream)
   (flet ((clean-link-filename (filename)
@@ -430,8 +446,10 @@
 (defun generate-gemlog (bulk-posts-dir output-directory)
   (multiple-value-bind (all-posts all-topics)
       (create-archive bulk-posts-dir output-directory)
-    (make-topic-index all-posts output-directory all-topics)
-    (make-gemlog-index all-posts output-directory)))
+    (when (and all-posts all-topics)
+      (make-topic-index all-posts output-directory all-topics))
+    (when all-posts
+      (make-gemlog-index all-posts output-directory))))
 
 (a:define-constant +bulk-dir-prompt+ "Original posts directory? " :test #'string=)