diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_backoffice.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_backoffice.yaml
index 0fd3e379..610e1340 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_backoffice.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_backoffice.yaml
@@ -69,6 +69,17 @@ jobs:
       S3_FOLDER: ${{vars.S3_TEST_FOLDER}}/ci # testing!
     secrets: inherit
 
+
+  test-generate-collection-staged-json:
+    needs: test-publish
+    uses: bioimage-io/collection/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json_call.yaml@main
+    with:
+      mode: 'staged'
+      S3_HOST: ${{vars.S3_HOST}}
+      S3_BUCKET: ${{vars.S3_TEST_BUCKET}} # testing!
+      S3_FOLDER: ${{vars.S3_TEST_FOLDER}}/ci # testing!
+    secrets: inherit
+
   test-backup:
     needs: test-generate-collection-json
     uses: bioimage-io/collection/.github/workflows/backup_call.yaml@main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json.yaml b/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json.yaml
index 0d517ea2..a8fd11ee 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ run-name: generate ${{vars.S3_BUCKET}}/${{vars.S3_FOLDER}}/collection.json
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      mode:
+        description: "determines which collection file to generate: 'published' (default) or 'staged'"
+        required: false
+        default: published
+        type: string
   push:
     branches: [main]
 
@@ -19,6 +25,7 @@ jobs:
   call:
     uses: bioimage-io/collection/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json_call.yaml@main
     with:
+      mode: ${{inputs == null && 'published' || inputs.mode}}
       S3_HOST: ${{vars.S3_HOST}}
       S3_BUCKET: ${{vars.S3_BUCKET}}
       S3_FOLDER: ${{vars.S3_FOLDER}}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json_call.yaml b/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json_call.yaml
index cefb4eab..3108a816 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json_call.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/generate_collection_json_call.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ name: generate collection.json call
 on:
   workflow_call:
     inputs:
+      mode:
+        description: "determines which collection file to generate: 'published' (default) or 'staged'"
+        required: false
+        default: published
+        type: string
       S3_HOST:
         required: true
         type: string
@@ -33,4 +38,4 @@ jobs:
           python-version: "3.12"
           cache: "pip" # caching pip dependencies
       - run: pip install .
-      - run: backoffice generate_collection_json
+      - run: backoffice generate_collection_json --mode ${{inputs.mode}}
diff --git a/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/_backoffice.py b/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/_backoffice.py
index fe74a946..a5a0423d 100644
--- a/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/_backoffice.py
+++ b/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/_backoffice.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ def stage(self, resource_id: str, package_url: str):
         resource = ResourceConcept(self.client, resource_id)
         staged = resource.stage_new_version(package_url)
         set_gh_actions_outputs(version=staged.version)
+        self.generate_collection_json(mode="staged")
 
     def validate_format(self, resource_id: str, version: str):
         """validate a resource version's bioimageio.yaml"""
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ def publish(self, resource_id: str, version: str, reviewer: str):
             rv.lock_publish()
             published: PublishedVersion = rv.publish(reviewer)
             assert isinstance(published, PublishedVersion)
-            self.generate_collection_json()
+            self.generate_collection_json(mode="published")
             notify_uploader(
                 rv,
                 "was published! 🎉",
@@ -144,12 +145,18 @@ def publish(self, resource_id: str, version: str, reviewer: str):
     def backup(self, destination: ZenodoHost):
         """backup the whole collection (to zenodo.org)"""
         _ = backup(self.client, destination)
+        self.generate_collection_json(mode="published")
+        self.generate_collection_json(mode="staged")
 
     def generate_collection_json(
-        self, collection_template: Path = Path("collection_template.json")
+        self,
+        collection_template: Path = Path("collection_template.json"),
+        mode: Literal["published", "staged"] = "published",
     ):
         """generate the collection.json file --- a summary of the whole collection"""
-        generate_collection_json(self.client, collection_template=collection_template)
+        generate_collection_json(
+            self.client, collection_template=collection_template, mode=mode
+        )
 
     def forward_emails_to_chat(self):
         logger.error("disabled")
diff --git a/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/generate_collection_json.py b/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/generate_collection_json.py
index 8db07df8..a6e2f978 100644
--- a/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/generate_collection_json.py
+++ b/bioimageio_collection_backoffice/generate_collection_json.py
@@ -11,52 +11,59 @@
 from bioimageio.spec.utils import download
 from loguru import logger
 from ruyaml import YAML
+from typing_extensions import Literal, assert_never
 
 from .remote_collection import RemoteCollection
-from .remote_resource import PublishedVersion
+from .remote_resource import PublishedVersion, StagedVersion
 from .s3_client import Client
 
 yaml = YAML(typ="safe")
 
-COLLECTION_JSON_S3_PATH = "collection.json"
-
 
 def generate_collection_json(
     client: Client,
     collection_template: Path = Path("collection_template.json"),
+    mode: Literal["published", "staged"] = "published",
 ) -> None:
     """generate a json file with an overview of all published resources"""
-    logger.info("generating {}", COLLECTION_JSON_S3_PATH)
+    output_file_name: str = (
+        "collection.json" if mode == "published" else f"collection_{mode}.json"
+    )
+    logger.info("generating {}", output_file_name)
 
     remote_collection = RemoteCollection(client=client)
     with collection_template.open() as f:
         collection = json.load(f)
 
     collection["config"]["url_root"] = client.get_file_url("").strip("/")
-    for p in remote_collection.get_all_published_versions():
-        collection["collection"].append(create_entry(p))
-
+    if mode == "published":
+        for rv in remote_collection.get_all_published_versions():
+            collection["collection"].append(create_entry(rv))
+    elif mode == "staged":
+        for rv in remote_collection.get_all_staged_versions():
+            collection["collection"].append(create_entry(rv))
+    else:
+        assert_never(mode)
     coll_descr = build_description(
         collection, context=ValidationContext(perform_io_checks=False)
     )
     if not isinstance(coll_descr, CollectionDescr):
         logger.error(coll_descr.validation_summary.format())
 
-    client.put_json(COLLECTION_JSON_S3_PATH, collection)
+    client.put_json(output_file_name, collection)
 
 
 def create_entry(
-    p: PublishedVersion,
+    rv: Union[PublishedVersion, StagedVersion],
 ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     with ValidationContext(perform_io_checks=False):
-        rdf_url = HttpUrl(p.rdf_url)
+        rdf_url = HttpUrl(rv.rdf_url)
 
     rdf_path = download(rdf_url).path
     rdf = yaml.load(rdf_path)
     entry = {
-        k: rdf[k]
+        k: rdf.get(k, f"unknown {k}")
         for k in (
-            "authors",
             "description",
             "id_emoji",
             "id",
@@ -65,6 +72,8 @@ def create_entry(
             "type",
         )
     }
+    entry["authors"] = rdf.get("authors", [])
+
     try:
         thumbnails = rdf["config"]["bioimageio"]["thumbnails"]
     except KeyError:
@@ -85,7 +94,7 @@ def maybe_swap_with_thumbnail(
         if isinstance(src, str):
             clean_name = Path(src).name  # remove any leading './'
             if clean_name in thumbnails:
-                return p.get_file_url(thumbnails[clean_name])
+                return rv.get_file_url(thumbnails[clean_name])
             else:
                 return src
 
@@ -101,14 +110,16 @@ def maybe_swap_with_thumbnail(
     if "icon" in rdf:
         entry["icon"] = maybe_swap_with_thumbnail(rdf["icon"])
 
-    entry["created"] = p.info.timestamp.isoformat()
+    entry["created"] = rv.info.timestamp.isoformat()
     entry["download_count"] = "?"
     entry["nickname"] = entry["id"]
     entry["nickname_icon"] = entry["id_emoji"]
-    entry["entry_source"] = p.rdf_url
+    entry["entry_source"] = rv.rdf_url
     entry["entry_sha256"] = get_sha256(rdf_path)
     entry["rdf_source"] = entry["entry_source"]
-    entry["version_number"] = p.number
-    entry["versions"] = list(p.concept.versions.published)
-    entry["staged_versions"] = [f"staged/{s}" for s in p.concept.versions.staged]
+    entry["version_number"] = rv.number
+    entry["versions"] = list(rv.concept.versions.published)
+    entry["staged_versions"] = [f"staged/{s}" for s in rv.concept.versions.staged]
+    entry["doi"] = rv.doi if isinstance(rv, PublishedVersion) else None
+    entry["concept_doi"] = rv.concept.doi
     return entry