diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index b03a84f..a1a9f66 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -377,3 +377,52 @@ d_char *timeline_list(snac *snac)
 
     return list;
 }
+
+
+void timeline_add(snac *snac, char *id, char *msg, char *parent)
+/* adds a message to the timeline */
+{
+    xs *pfn = _timeline_find_fn(snac, id);
+    FILE *f;
+
+    if (pfn != NULL) {
+        snac_log(snac, xs_fmt("timeline_add refusing rewrite %s %s", id, pfn));
+        return;
+    }
+
+    /* build the new filename */
+    xs *ntid = tid();
+    xs *md5  = xs_md5_hex(id, strlen(id));
+    xs *fn   = xs_fmt("%s/timeline/%s-%s.json", snac->basedir, ntid, md5);
+    xs *md;
+
+    /* add metadata */
+    md = xs_json_loads("{"
+        "\"children\":     [],"
+        "\"liked_by\":     [],"
+        "\"announced_by\": [],"
+        "\"parent\":       null"
+    "}");
+
+    if (parent != NULL)
+        md = xs_dict_set(md, "parent", parent);
+
+    msg = xs_dict_set(msg, "_snac", md);
+
+    if ((f = fopen(fn, "w")) != NULL) {
+        xs *j = xs_json_dumps_pp(msg, 4);
+
+        fwrite(j, strlen(j), 1, f);
+        fclose(f);
+
+        snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("timeline_add %s %s", id, fn));
+    }
+
+    /* generated by this user? link to local timeline */
+    if (xs_startswith(id, snac->actor)) {
+        xs *lfn = xs_replace(fn, "/timeline/", "/local/");
+        link(fn, lfn);
+
+        snac_debug(snac, 1, xs_fmt("timeline_add (local) %s %s", id, lfn));
+    }
+}