diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocCard/index.tsx b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocCard/index.tsx
index db0bda743570..90a5a3121da0 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocCard/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocCard/index.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import React, {type ReactNode} from 'react';
 import clsx from 'clsx';
 import Link from '@docusaurus/Link';
 import {
-  findFirstCategoryLink,
+  findFirstSidebarItemLink,
   useDocById,
 } from '@docusaurus/theme-common/internal';
 import isInternalUrl from '@docusaurus/isInternalUrl';
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ function CardCategory({
 }: {
   item: PropSidebarItemCategory;
 }): JSX.Element | null {
-  const href = findFirstCategoryLink(item);
+  const href = findFirstSidebarItemLink(item);
 
   // Unexpected: categories that don't have a link have been filtered upfront
   if (!href) {
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocSidebarItem/Category/index.tsx b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocSidebarItem/Category/index.tsx
index 996720e70941..a3bb2f05d355 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocSidebarItem/Category/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-theme-classic/src/theme/DocSidebarItem/Category/index.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
 } from '@docusaurus/theme-common';
 import {
   isActiveSidebarItem,
-  findFirstCategoryLink,
+  findFirstSidebarItemLink,
   useDocSidebarItemsExpandedState,
   isSamePath,
 } from '@docusaurus/theme-common/internal';
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ function useCategoryHrefWithSSRFallback(
     if (isBrowser || !item.collapsible) {
       return undefined;
     }
-    return findFirstCategoryLink(item);
+    return findFirstSidebarItemLink(item);
   }, [item, isBrowser]);
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/internal.ts b/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/internal.ts
index 7e3c4a73b4f7..4eaf6eaa3300 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/internal.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/internal.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export {
   isDocsPluginEnabled,
   useDocById,
   findSidebarCategory,
-  findFirstCategoryLink,
+  findFirstSidebarItemLink,
   isActiveSidebarItem,
   isVisibleSidebarItem,
   useVisibleSidebarItems,
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/__tests__/docsUtils.test.tsx b/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/__tests__/docsUtils.test.tsx
index 30ff811d827d..88b10b6f8566 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/__tests__/docsUtils.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/__tests__/docsUtils.test.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {renderHook} from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
 import {StaticRouter} from 'react-router-dom';
 import {Context} from '@docusaurus/core/src/client/docusaurusContext';
 import {
-  findFirstCategoryLink,
+  findFirstSidebarItemLink,
   isActiveSidebarItem,
   useDocById,
   findSidebarCategory,
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ function testVersion(data?: Partial<PropVersionMetadata>): PropVersionMetadata {
     docsSidebars: {},
     isLast: false,
     pluginId: 'default',
+    noIndex: false,
     ...data,
   };
 }
@@ -163,9 +164,31 @@ describe('findSidebarCategory', () => {
 });
 
 describe('findFirstCategoryLink', () => {
+  it('works with html item', () => {
+    const htmlItem = {type: 'html', value: '<div/>'} as const;
+    expect(findFirstSidebarItemLink(htmlItem)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(findFirstSidebarItemLink(htmlItem)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('works with link item', () => {
+    const linkItem = {
+      type: 'link',
+      href: '/linkHref',
+      label: 'Label',
+    } as const;
+
+    expect(findFirstSidebarItemLink(linkItem)).toBe('/linkHref');
+    expect(
+      findFirstSidebarItemLink({
+        ...linkItem,
+        unlisted: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
   it('works with category without link nor child', () => {
     expect(
-      findFirstCategoryLink(
+      findFirstSidebarItemLink(
         testCategory({
           href: undefined,
         }),
@@ -175,7 +198,7 @@ describe('findFirstCategoryLink', () => {
 
   it('works with category with link', () => {
     expect(
-      findFirstCategoryLink(
+      findFirstSidebarItemLink(
         testCategory({
           href: '/itemPath',
         }),
@@ -183,9 +206,95 @@ describe('findFirstCategoryLink', () => {
     ).toBe('/itemPath');
   });
 
-  it('works with category with deeply nested category link', () => {
+  it('works with deeply nested category', () => {
+    expect(
+      findFirstSidebarItemLink(
+        testCategory({
+          href: '/category1',
+          linkUnlisted: true,
+          items: [
+            {type: 'html', value: '<p>test1</p>'},
+            testCategory({
+              href: '/category2',
+              linkUnlisted: true,
+              items: [
+                {type: 'html', value: '<p>test2</p>'},
+                testCategory({
+                  href: '/category3',
+                  items: [
+                    {type: 'html', value: '<p>test2</p>'},
+                    testCategory({
+                      href: '/category4',
+                      linkUnlisted: true,
+                    }),
+                  ],
+                }),
+              ],
+            }),
+          ],
+        }),
+      ),
+    ).toBe('/category3');
+  });
+
+  it('works with deeply nested link', () => {
     expect(
-      findFirstCategoryLink(
+      findFirstSidebarItemLink(
+        testCategory({
+          href: '/category1',
+          linkUnlisted: true,
+          items: [
+            {
+              type: 'link',
+              href: '/itemPathUnlisted',
+              label: 'Label',
+              unlisted: true,
+            },
+            testCategory({
+              href: '/category2',
+              linkUnlisted: true,
+              items: [
+                testCategory({
+                  href: '/category3',
+                  linkUnlisted: true,
+                  items: [
+                    {
+                      type: 'link',
+                      href: '/itemPathUnlisted2',
+                      label: 'Label',
+                      unlisted: true,
+                    },
+                    testCategory({
+                      href: '/category4',
+                      linkUnlisted: true,
+                    }),
+                    {
+                      type: 'link',
+                      href: '/itemPathListed1',
+                      label: 'Label',
+                    },
+                    testCategory({
+                      href: '/category5',
+                    }),
+                    {
+                      type: 'link',
+                      href: '/itemPathListed2',
+                      label: 'Label',
+                      unlisted: true,
+                    },
+                  ],
+                }),
+              ],
+            }),
+          ],
+        }),
+      ),
+    ).toBe('/itemPathListed1');
+  });
+
+  it('works with category with deeply nested category link unlisted', () => {
+    expect(
+      findFirstSidebarItemLink(
         testCategory({
           href: undefined,
           items: [
@@ -196,29 +305,37 @@ describe('findFirstCategoryLink', () => {
                 {type: 'html', value: '<p>test2</p>'},
                 testCategory({
                   href: '/itemPath',
+                  linkUnlisted: true,
                 }),
               ],
             }),
           ],
         }),
       ),
-    ).toBe('/itemPath');
+    ).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
-  it('works with category with deeply nested link', () => {
+  it('works with category with deeply nested link unlisted', () => {
     expect(
-      findFirstCategoryLink(
+      findFirstSidebarItemLink(
         testCategory({
           href: undefined,
           items: [
             testCategory({
               href: undefined,
-              items: [{type: 'link', href: '/itemPath', label: 'Label'}],
+              items: [
+                {
+                  type: 'link',
+                  href: '/itemPath',
+                  label: 'Label',
+                  unlisted: true,
+                },
+              ],
             }),
           ],
         }),
       ),
-    ).toBe('/itemPath');
+    ).toBeUndefined();
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/docsUtils.tsx b/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/docsUtils.tsx
index 0a628b257ab8..67b27265969b 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/docsUtils.tsx
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-theme-common/src/utils/docsUtils.tsx
@@ -79,27 +79,38 @@ export function findSidebarCategory(
  * Best effort to assign a link to a sidebar category. If the category doesn't
  * have a link itself, we link to the first sub item with a link.
  */
-export function findFirstCategoryLink(
+export function findFirstSidebarItemCategoryLink(
   item: PropSidebarItemCategory,
 ): string | undefined {
-  if (item.href) {
+  if (item.href && !item.linkUnlisted) {
     return item.href;
   }
 
   for (const subItem of item.items) {
-    if (subItem.type === 'link') {
-      return subItem.href;
-    } else if (subItem.type === 'category') {
-      const categoryLink = findFirstCategoryLink(subItem);
-      if (categoryLink) {
-        return categoryLink;
-      }
+    const link = findFirstSidebarItemLink(subItem);
+    if (link) {
+      return link;
     }
-    // Could be "html" items
   }
   return undefined;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Best effort to assign a link to a sidebar item.
+ */
+export function findFirstSidebarItemLink(
+  item: PropSidebarItem,
+): string | undefined {
+  if (item.type === 'link' && !item.unlisted) {
+    return item.href;
+  }
+  if (item.type === 'category') {
+    return findFirstSidebarItemCategoryLink(item);
+  }
+  // Other items types, like "html"
+  return undefined;
+}
+
 /**
  * Gets the category associated with the current location. Should only be used
  * on category index pages.
@@ -391,15 +402,16 @@ export function useDocRootMetadata({route}: DocRootProps): null | {
 }
 
 /**
- * Filter categories that don't have a link.
+ * Filter items we don't want to display on the doc card list view
  * @param items
  */
 export function filterDocCardListItems(
   items: PropSidebarItem[],
 ): PropSidebarItem[] {
   return items.filter((item) => {
-    if (item.type === 'category') {
-      return !!findFirstCategoryLink(item);
+    const canHaveLink = item.type === 'category' || item.type === 'link';
+    if (canHaveLink) {
+      return !!findFirstSidebarItemLink(item);
     }
     return true;
   });
diff --git a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/index.md b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/index.md
index a0b92f20cc8b..2b48428b4c90 100644
--- a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/index.md	
+++ b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/index.md	
@@ -24,3 +24,11 @@ In production, unlisted items should remain accessible, but be hidden in the sid
 - [./some-unlisteds/unlisted1.md](./some-unlisteds/unlisted1.md)
 - [./some-unlisteds/unlisted2.md](./some-unlisteds/unlisted2.md)
 - [./some-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/unlisted3.md](./some-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/unlisted3.md)
+
+---
+
+```mdx-code-block
+import DocCardList from '@theme/DocCardList';
+
+<DocCardList />
+```
diff --git a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md
index d22fe8149241..be3f16ee0a53 100644
--- a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md	
+++ b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md	
@@ -6,3 +6,9 @@ tags: [visibility, draft]
 # Only Drafts - Subcategory index draft
 
 Doc with draft front matter
+
+```mdx-code-block
+import DocCardList from '@theme/DocCardList';
+
+<DocCardList />
+```
diff --git a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md
index f179ed324ada..fd1ebdea290d 100644
--- a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md	
+++ b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/only-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md	
@@ -6,3 +6,9 @@ tags: [visibility, unlisted]
 # Only Unlisteds - Subcategory index unlisted
 
 Doc with unlisted front matter
+
+```mdx-code-block
+import DocCardList from '@theme/DocCardList';
+
+<DocCardList />
+```
diff --git a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md
index 8ead97125412..1ab23fe816a4 100644
--- a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md	
+++ b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-drafts/draft-subcategory/index.md	
@@ -6,3 +6,9 @@ tags: [visibility, draft]
 # Some Drafts - Subcategory index draft
 
 Doc with draft front matter
+
+```mdx-code-block
+import DocCardList from '@theme/DocCardList';
+
+<DocCardList />
+```
diff --git a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md
index ea122bdc09fd..31f24b59c698 100644
--- a/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md	
+++ b/website/_dogfooding/_docs tests/tests/visibility/some-unlisteds/unlisted-subcategory/index.md	
@@ -6,3 +6,9 @@ tags: [visibility, unlisted]
 # Some Unlisteds - Subcategory index unlisted
 
 Doc with unlisted front matter
+
+```mdx-code-block
+import DocCardList from '@theme/DocCardList';
+
+<DocCardList />
+```