diff --git a/admin/all.php b/admin/all.php
index 3f97834..d002a9e 100644
--- a/admin/all.php
+++ b/admin/all.php
@@ -10,12 +10,17 @@ $rows = pg_fetch_all($qresp);
 
 $totalUnresponded = 0;
 $totalPriv = 0;
+$totalPrivRead = 0;
 $totalRespondedPub = 0;
 foreach (array_reverse($rows) as $i) {
     if ($i["isrespondedto"] === "f" && $i["ispublic"] === "t") {
         $totalUnresponded++;
     } else if ($i["ispublic"] === "f") {
-        $totalPriv++;
+        if ($i["isprivread"] === "t") {
+            $totalPrivRead++;
+        } else {
+            $totalPriv++;
+        }
     } else {
         $totalRespondedPub++;
     }
@@ -31,6 +36,18 @@ if ($_GET["responded"] == 1) {
     echo("<span class=\"sentconf\">response sent!</span>");
 }
 
+if ($_GET["read"] == 1) {
+    echo("<span class=\"sentconf\">marked as read!</span>");
+}
+
+if ($_GET["unread"] == 1) {
+    echo("<span class=\"sentconf\">marked as unread!</span>");
+}
+
+if ($_GET["migrated"] == 1) {
+    echo("<span class=\"sentconf\">migrations have been run!</span>");
+}
+
 asort($rows);
 
 echo("<h3 class=\"sect\">not responded to ({$totalUnresponded})</h3>");
@@ -46,16 +63,16 @@ foreach (array_reverse($rows) as $i){
     }
 }
 
-echo("<h3 class=\"sect\">private ({$totalPriv})</h3>");
+echo("<h3 class=\"sect\">unread private ({$totalPriv})</h3>");
 foreach (array_reverse($rows) as $i){
-    if ($i["ispublic"] === "f") {
+    if ($i["ispublic"] === "f" && $i["isprivread"] === "f") {
         echo("<div class=\"question\">");
         if ($i["iscwed"] === "t") {
             echo("<details><summary>cw: " . htmlspecialchars($i["cw"]) . "</summary><span class=\"cwfiller\"></span>");
         }
         echo(htmlspecialchars($i["text"]));
         echo("<div class=\"time\">" . $i["time"] . "</div>");
-        echo("<a class=\"permalink\" href=\"index.php?page=delete&id=" . $i["id"] . "&pw={$adminPassword}\">delete</a></div>");
+        echo("<a class=\"permalink\" href=\"index.php?page=mark&action=read&id=" . $i["id"] . "&pw={$adminPassword}\">mark read</a> / <a class=\"permalink\" href=\"index.php?page=delete&id=" . $i["id"] . "&pw={$adminPassword}\">delete</a></div>");
     }
 }
 
@@ -74,4 +91,17 @@ foreach (array_reverse($rows) as $i){
     }
 }
 
+echo("<h3 class=\"sect\">read private ({$totalPrivRead})</h3>");
+foreach (array_reverse($rows) as $i){
+    if ($i["ispublic"] === "f" && $i["isprivread"] === "t") {
+        echo("<div class=\"question\">");
+        if ($i["iscwed"] === "t") {
+            echo("<details><summary>cw: " . htmlspecialchars($i["cw"]) . "</summary><span class=\"cwfiller\"></span>");
+        }
+        echo(htmlspecialchars($i["text"]));
+        echo("<div class=\"time\">" . $i["time"] . "</div>");
+        echo("<a class=\"permalink\" href=\"index.php?page=mark&action=unread&id=" . $i["id"] . "&pw={$adminPassword}\">mark unread</a> / <a class=\"permalink\" href=\"index.php?page=delete&id=" . $i["id"] . "&pw={$adminPassword}\">delete</a></div>");
+    }
+}
+
 ?>
diff --git a/admin/delete.php b/admin/delete.php
index b5be919..db20957 100644
--- a/admin/delete.php
+++ b/admin/delete.php
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ WHERE id = {$id};
 
 pg_query($db, $query);
 
-echo("done");
-
 header("Location: index.php?deleted=1&pw={$adminPassword}");
 
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/admin/index.php b/admin/index.php
index 8f3aea2..2dfb424 100644
--- a/admin/index.php
+++ b/admin/index.php
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ if ($_GET["pw"] === $adminPassword) {
         include 'delete.php';
     } elseif ($_GET["page"] === "respond") {
         include 'respond.php';
+    } elseif ($_GET["page"] === "mark") {
+        include 'mark.php';
+    } elseif ($_GET["page"] === "migrate") {
+        include 'migrate.php';
     } else {
         include 'all.php';
     }
diff --git a/admin/mark.php b/admin/mark.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e93e73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/mark.php
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<?php
+
+$id = (int)$_GET["id"];
+
+if ($id === null) {
+    exit();
+}
+
+if ($_GET["action"] === "unread") {
+    $query = "
+    UPDATE data
+    SET isprivread = False
+    WHERE id = {$id};
+    ";
+    $headerinfo = "Location: index.php?unread=1&pw={$adminPassword}";
+} elseif ($_GET["action"] === "read") {
+    $query = "
+    UPDATE data
+    SET isprivread = True
+    WHERE id = {$id};
+    ";
+    $headerinfo = "Location: index.php?read=1&pw={$adminPassword}";
+}
+
+pg_query($db, $query);
+
+header($headerinfo);
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/admin/migrate.php b/admin/migrate.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9101d1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/migrate.php
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?php
+
+$query = "
+SELECT * FROM migrations;
+";
+
+$qresp = pg_query($db, $query);
+
+$rows = pg_fetch_all($qresp);
+
+$migrations = array(
+    "20240218-AddMigrationsTable-40641e8d",
+    "20240218-AddMarkReadOption-a7e43358",
+    "20240218-AddFalsesToPrivRead-67d82b18"
+);
+
+foreach ($migrations as $mig) {
+    if (!in_array($mig, array_column($rows, 'id'))) {
+        include "../migrations/{$mig}.php";
+    }
+}
+
+//header("Location: index.php?migrated=1&pw={$adminPassword}");
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/migrations/20240218-AddFalsesToPrivRead-67d82b18.php b/migrations/20240218-AddFalsesToPrivRead-67d82b18.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95c7d17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20240218-AddFalsesToPrivRead-67d82b18.php
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<?php
+
+// ensure already private messages still get shown
+
+$query = "
+UPDATE data
+SET isprivread = False
+WHERE ispublic IS FALSE;
+";
+
+pg_query($db, $query);
+
+$dataArray = array(
+    "id" => "20240218-AddFalsesToPrivRead-67d82b18"
+);
+
+pg_insert($db, "migrations", $dataArray);
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/migrations/20240218-AddMarkReadOption-a7e43358.php b/migrations/20240218-AddMarkReadOption-a7e43358.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..038b168
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20240218-AddMarkReadOption-a7e43358.php
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?php
+
+// add "isprivread" to data columns
+
+$query = "
+ALTER TABLE data
+ADD COLUMN isprivread BOOLEAN;
+";
+
+pg_query($db, $query);
+
+$dataArray = array(
+    "id" => "20240218-AddMarkReadOption-a7e43358"
+);
+
+pg_insert($db, "migrations", $dataArray);
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/migrations/20240218-AddMigrationsTable-40641e8d.php b/migrations/20240218-AddMigrationsTable-40641e8d.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62a7a68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/20240218-AddMigrationsTable-40641e8d.php
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<?php
+
+// add migrations table to track migrations that have been run
+
+$query = "
+CREATE TABLE migrations (
+    id TEXT NOT NULL
+);
+";
+
+pg_query($db, $query);
+
+$dataArray = array(
+    "id" => "20240218-AddMigrationsTable-40641e8d"
+);
+
+pg_insert($db, "migrations", $dataArray);
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/setup.php b/setup.php
index ea8258e..3791d77 100644
--- a/setup.php
+++ b/setup.php
@@ -12,12 +12,23 @@ CREATE TABLE data (
     ispublic BOOLEAN NOT NULL,
     isrespondedto BOOLEAN NOT NULL,
     responsetext TEXT,
-    responsetime TIMESTAMPTZ
+    responsetime TIMESTAMPTZ,
+    isprivread BOOLEAN NOT NULL
 );
 ";
 
 pg_query($db, $query);
 
+$query = "
+CREATE TABLE migrations (
+    id TEXT NOT NULL
+);
+";
+
+pg_query($db, $query);
+
+include 'admin/migrate.php';
+
 echo "database set up";
 
 ?>
\ No newline at end of file