diff --git a/src/generator/posts.rs b/src/generator/posts.rs
index e88ebec..559ade7 100644
--- a/src/generator/posts.rs
+++ b/src/generator/posts.rs
@@ -210,7 +210,8 @@ impl Rule for ReadPost {
 struct MakeWritePosts {
     posts: DynamicInput<ReadPostOutput>,
     article_template: Input<Templates>,
-    unwrapped_factory: DynamicNodeFactory<PathBuf, Post<HtmlContent>>,
+    permalink_factory: DynamicNodeFactory<PathBuf, String>,
+    output_path_factory: DynamicNodeFactory<PathBuf, PathBuf>,
     build_context_factory: DynamicNodeFactory<PathBuf, Context>,
     render_factory: DynamicNodeFactory<PathBuf, ()>,
 }
@@ -219,7 +220,8 @@ impl MakeWritePosts {
         Self {
             posts,
             article_template: templates,
-            unwrapped_factory: DynamicNodeFactory::new(),
+            permalink_factory: DynamicNodeFactory::new(),
+            output_path_factory: DynamicNodeFactory::new(),
             build_context_factory: DynamicNodeFactory::new(),
             render_factory: DynamicNodeFactory::new(),
         }
@@ -230,11 +232,17 @@ impl DynamicRule for MakeWritePosts {
     fn evaluate(&mut self, ctx: &mut impl DynamicRuleContext) -> Vec<Input<Self::ChildOutput>> {
         for post_input in self.posts.value().inputs.iter() {
             if let Some(post) = post_input.value().as_ref() {
+                let permalink = self
+                    .permalink_factory
+                    .add_node(ctx, post.path.clone(), |ctx| {
+                        ctx.add_rule(PostPermalink(post_input.clone()))
+                    });
+
                 let context = self
                     .build_context_factory
                     .add_node(ctx, post.path.clone(), |ctx| {
                         ctx.add_rule(BuildTemplateContext::new(
-                            post.permalink().into(),
+                            permalink.clone().into(),
                             post_input.clone(),
                             |post_opt, ctx| {
                                 let post = post_opt.as_ref().unwrap();
@@ -244,24 +252,49 @@ impl DynamicRule for MakeWritePosts {
                         ))
                     });
 
-                let mut output_path = PathBuf::from(post.permalink());
-                output_path.push("index.html");
+                let output_path =
+                    self.output_path_factory
+                        .add_node(ctx, post.path.clone(), |ctx| {
+                            ctx.add_rule(PostOutputPath(permalink))
+                        });
+
                 self.render_factory.add_node(ctx, post.path.clone(), |ctx| {
                     ctx.add_rule(RenderTemplate {
                         name: "article",
-                        output_path,
+                        output_path: output_path.into(),
                         templates: self.article_template.clone(),
                         context,
                     })
                 });
             }
         }
-        self.unwrapped_factory.finalize_nodes(ctx);
+        self.permalink_factory.finalize_nodes(ctx);
+        self.output_path_factory.finalize_nodes(ctx);
         self.build_context_factory.finalize_nodes(ctx);
         self.render_factory.all_nodes(ctx)
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(InputVisitable)]
+struct PostPermalink(Input<ReadPostOutput>);
+impl Rule for PostPermalink {
+    type Output = String;
+    fn evaluate(&mut self) -> Self::Output {
+        self.input_0().as_ref().unwrap().permalink()
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(InputVisitable)]
+struct PostOutputPath(Input<String>);
+impl Rule for PostOutputPath {
+    type Output = PathBuf;
+    fn evaluate(&mut self) -> Self::Output {
+        let mut path = PathBuf::from(&*self.input_0());
+        path.push("index.html");
+        path
+    }
+}
+
 /// Flattens Vec<Option<Post<HtmlContent>>> into Vec<Post<HtmlContent>>
 #[derive(InputVisitable)]
 struct AllPosts(DynamicInput<ReadPostOutput>);
diff --git a/src/generator/tags.rs b/src/generator/tags.rs
index dda3b06..168ab57 100644
--- a/src/generator/tags.rs
+++ b/src/generator/tags.rs
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ impl DynamicRule for MakePostsByTags {
     ) -> Vec<Input<Self::ChildOutput>> {
         let mut all_tags = HashMap::new();
         for post_input in self.posts().inputs.iter() {
-            let post = post_input.value();
-            for tag in post.as_ref().unwrap().metadata.tags.iter().flatten() {
-                all_tags.insert(tag.slug.clone(), tag.name.clone());
+            if let Some(post) = post_input.value().as_ref() {
+                for tag in post.metadata.tags.iter().flatten() {
+                    all_tags.insert(tag.slug.clone(), tag.name.clone());
+                }
             }
         }
         for (slug, name) in all_tags {
@@ -87,10 +88,14 @@ impl Rule for PostsByTag {
             .inputs
             .iter()
             .flat_map(|post_input| {
-                let post_ = post_input.value();
-                let post = post_.as_ref().unwrap();
-                let mut tags = post.metadata.tags.iter().flatten();
-                if tags.any(|t| t.slug == self.tag.slug) {
+                if let Some(post) = post_input.value().as_ref()
+                    && post
+                        .metadata
+                        .tags
+                        .iter()
+                        .flatten()
+                        .any(|t| t.slug == self.tag.slug)
+                {
                     Some(Entry {
                         permalink: post.permalink(),
                         title: post.metadata.title.clone(),
diff --git a/src/generator/templates.rs b/src/generator/templates.rs
index 6f676f4..5a9c19f 100644
--- a/src/generator/templates.rs
+++ b/src/generator/templates.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
-use std::{borrow::Cow, path::PathBuf, time::SystemTime};
+use std::{
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+    time::SystemTime,
+};
 
+use chrono::Local;
 use compute_graph::{
     builder::GraphBuilder,
     node::NodeValue,
@@ -82,14 +86,13 @@ static CB: Lazy<u64> = Lazy::new(|| {
         .as_secs()
 });
 
-#[derive(InputVisitable)]
 pub struct BuildTemplateContext<T, F> {
-    permalink: Cow<'static, str>,
+    permalink: TemplatePermalink,
     input: Input<T>,
     func: F,
 }
 impl<T, F: Fn(&T, &mut Context) -> ()> BuildTemplateContext<T, F> {
-    pub fn new(permalink: Cow<'static, str>, input: Input<T>, func: F) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(permalink: TemplatePermalink, input: Input<T>, func: F) -> Self {
         Self {
             permalink,
             input,
@@ -97,46 +100,122 @@ impl<T, F: Fn(&T, &mut Context) -> ()> BuildTemplateContext<T, F> {
         }
     }
 }
+impl<T, F> InputVisitable for BuildTemplateContext<T, F> {
+    fn visit_inputs(&self, visitor: &mut impl compute_graph::rule::InputVisitor) {
+        if let TemplatePermalink::Dynamic(ref input) = self.permalink {
+            visitor.visit(input);
+        }
+        visitor.visit(&self.input);
+    }
+}
 impl<T: 'static, F: Fn(&T, &mut Context) -> () + 'static> Rule for BuildTemplateContext<T, F> {
     type Output = Context;
     fn evaluate(&mut self) -> Self::Output {
         let mut context = Context::new();
-        (self.func)(&*self.input(), &mut context);
+        (self.func)(&*self.input.value(), &mut context);
         context.insert("_domain", &*DOMAIN);
-        context.insert("_permalink", &self.permalink);
+        match &self.permalink {
+            TemplatePermalink::Constant(s) => context.insert("_permalink", s),
+            TemplatePermalink::ConstantOwned(s) => context.insert("_permalink", s),
+            TemplatePermalink::Dynamic(input) => context.insert("_permalink", &*input.value()),
+        }
         context.insert("_stylesheet_cache_buster", &*CB);
         context.insert("_development", &cfg!(debug_assertions));
+        context.insert("_generated_at", &Local::now());
         context
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(InputVisitable)]
+pub enum TemplatePermalink {
+    Constant(&'static str),
+    ConstantOwned(String),
+    Dynamic(Input<String>),
+}
+impl From<&'static str> for TemplatePermalink {
+    fn from(value: &'static str) -> Self {
+        Self::Constant(value)
+    }
+}
+impl From<String> for TemplatePermalink {
+    fn from(value: String) -> Self {
+        Self::ConstantOwned(value)
+    }
+}
+impl From<Input<String>> for TemplatePermalink {
+    fn from(value: Input<String>) -> Self {
+        Self::Dynamic(value)
+    }
+}
+
 pub struct RenderTemplate {
     pub name: &'static str,
-    pub output_path: PathBuf,
+    pub output_path: TemplateOutputPath,
     pub templates: Input<Templates>,
     pub context: Input<Context>,
 }
+// TODO: derive InputVisitable for enums?
+// make Input impl InputVisitable, then the derived impl can just call visit_inputs on everything
+impl InputVisitable for RenderTemplate {
+    fn visit_inputs(&self, visitor: &mut impl compute_graph::rule::InputVisitor) {
+        if let TemplateOutputPath::Dynamic(ref input) = self.output_path {
+            visitor.visit(input);
+        }
+        visitor.visit(&self.templates);
+        visitor.visit(&self.context);
+    }
+}
 impl Rule for RenderTemplate {
     type Output = ();
 
     fn evaluate(&mut self) -> Self::Output {
-        let templates = self.templates();
+        let templates = self.templates.value();
         assert!(templates.tera.get_template_names().any(|n| n == self.name));
-        let writer = output_writer(&self.output_path).expect("output writer");
+        let path: &Path = match self.output_path {
+            TemplateOutputPath::Constant(ref p) => p,
+            TemplateOutputPath::Dynamic(ref input) => &input.value(),
+        };
+        let writer = output_writer(path).expect("output writer");
         let result = templates
             .tera
-            .render_to(&self.name, &*self.context(), writer);
+            .render_to(&self.name, &*self.context.value(), writer);
         if let Err(e) = result {
-            error!(
-                "Error rendering template to {:?}: {:?}",
-                &self.output_path, e
-            );
+            error!("Error rendering template to {path:?}: {e:?}");
         }
     }
 
     fn node_label(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter) -> std::fmt::Result {
-        write!(f, "{}", self.output_path.display())
+        match self.output_path {
+            TemplateOutputPath::Constant(ref p) => write!(f, "{}", p.display()),
+            TemplateOutputPath::Dynamic(ref input) => write!(f, "{}", input.value().display()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+pub enum TemplateOutputPath {
+    Constant(PathBuf),
+    Dynamic(Input<PathBuf>),
+}
+impl<'a> From<&'a str> for TemplateOutputPath {
+    fn from(value: &'a str) -> Self {
+        Self::Constant(value.into())
+    }
+}
+// TODO: i feel like it should be possible to unify this impl with the &'a str one above
+impl From<String> for TemplateOutputPath {
+    fn from(value: String) -> Self {
+        Self::Constant(value.into())
+    }
+}
+impl From<PathBuf> for TemplateOutputPath {
+    fn from(value: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        Self::Constant(value)
+    }
+}
+impl From<Input<PathBuf>> for TemplateOutputPath {
+    fn from(value: Input<PathBuf>) -> Self {
+        Self::Dynamic(value)
+    }
+}
+
 pub mod filters {
     use chrono::{DateTime, Datelike, Local};
     use serde::Deserialize;