diff --git a/.changeset/adr-0033-list-drafts.md b/.changeset/adr-0033-list-drafts.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..699f28a9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/adr-0033-list-drafts.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+"@objectstack/objectql": minor
+"@objectstack/rest": patch
+"@objectstack/runtime": patch
+---
+
+feat(metadata): expose pending DRAFT metadata (ADR-0033 draft discoverability)
+
+AI-authored metadata lands as drafts (`sys_metadata` rows with `state='draft'`, bound to an app package), but the only list path — `getMetaItems` — reads the active registry, so drafts were invisible: a just-built app package looked empty and there was no "pending changes" surface.
+
+- `SysMetadataRepository.listDrafts({type?, packageId?})` lists draft rows (mirrors `list()` but scoped to `state='draft'`, optionally narrowed by package), returning a light header projection (no body) with `packageId`.
+- `protocol.listDrafts({packageId?, type?, organizationId?})` exposes it over the overlay repo.
+- `GET /api/v1/meta/_drafts?packageId=&type=` surfaces it to the console. Registered in the REST server before the greedy `/meta/:type` route (and mirrored in the dispatcher) so `_drafts` is never captured as a metadata type name.
+
+Read-only; no behavior change to existing list/publish paths. Powers the upcoming Studio "drafts/pending changes" view and draft-aware package contents.
diff --git a/.claude/launch.json b/.claude/launch.json
index 900804cdf..10f15567f 100644
--- a/.claude/launch.json
+++ b/.claude/launch.json
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@
       "port": 3001,
       "autoPort": false
     },
+    {
+      "name": "app-showcase (3000)",
+      "runtimeExecutable": "pnpm",
+      "runtimeArgs": ["--filter", "@objectstack/example-showcase", "dev"],
+      "port": 3000,
+      "autoPort": false
+    },
     {
       "name": "docs (next.js)",
       "runtimeExecutable": "pnpm",
diff --git a/packages/objectql/src/protocol.ts b/packages/objectql/src/protocol.ts
index 9db19ab7c..4fa754312 100644
--- a/packages/objectql/src/protocol.ts
+++ b/packages/objectql/src/protocol.ts
@@ -3687,6 +3687,36 @@ export class ObjectStackProtocolImplementation implements ObjectStackProtocol {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * List pending DRAFT metadata (ADR-0033) for the org, optionally narrowed
+     * by `packageId` and/or `type`. The list reads of `getMetaItems` only see
+     * the ACTIVE registry; this exposes what an AI authored but a human hasn't
+     * published yet, so the console can show a "pending changes" surface and a
+     * just-built app package isn't displayed as empty. No body is returned.
+     */
+    async listDrafts(request?: {
+        packageId?: string;
+        type?: string;
+        organizationId?: string;
+    }): Promise<{
+        drafts: Array<{
+            type: string;
+            name: string;
+            packageId: string | null;
+            updatedAt: string | null;
+            updatedBy: string | null;
+        }>;
+    }> {
+        await this.ensureOverlayIndex();
+        const orgId = request?.organizationId ?? null;
+        const repo = this.getOverlayRepo(orgId);
+        const drafts = await repo.listDrafts({
+            ...(request?.type ? { type: PLURAL_TO_SINGULAR[request.type] ?? request.type } : {}),
+            ...(request?.packageId ? { packageId: request.packageId } : {}),
+        });
+        return { drafts };
+    }
+
     /**
      * Restore the body recorded at history `toVersion` as the new
      * live row. Writes a history event with `op='revert'`. 404
diff --git a/packages/objectql/src/sys-metadata-repository-list-drafts.test.ts b/packages/objectql/src/sys-metadata-repository-list-drafts.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..621885642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/objectql/src/sys-metadata-repository-list-drafts.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025 ObjectStack. Licensed under the Apache-2.0 license.
+
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { SysMetadataRepository } from './sys-metadata-repository.js';
+
+/**
+ * ADR-0033 — `listDrafts` surfaces pending DRAFT rows (what an AI authored but
+ * a human hasn't published). Unlike `list()` (hard-scoped to state='active'),
+ * it reads state='draft' and can narrow by packageId, so the console's
+ * "pending changes" view and a just-built app package aren't shown as empty.
+ */
+const ROWS = [
+  { type: 'object', name: 'course', state: 'draft', package_id: 'app.edu', organization_id: null, updated_at: 't1', updated_by: 'ai' },
+  { type: 'object', name: 'student', state: 'draft', package_id: 'app.edu', organization_id: null, updated_at: 't2', updated_by: 'ai' },
+  { type: 'object', name: 'legacy', state: 'draft', package_id: null, organization_id: null, updated_at: 't3' },
+  { type: 'view', name: 'course_list', state: 'draft', package_id: 'app.edu', organization_id: null, updated_at: 't5', updated_by: 'ai' },
+  { type: 'object', name: 'live', state: 'active', package_id: 'app.edu', organization_id: null, updated_at: 't4' },
+];
+
+function makeRepo(rows = ROWS) {
+  // Minimal engine whose find() does equality-only WHERE matching.
+  const find = vi.fn(async (_table: string, q: any) => {
+    const where = q?.where ?? {};
+    return rows.filter((r) => Object.entries(where).every(([k, v]) => (r as any)[k] === v));
+  });
+  const engine = { find } as any;
+  const repo = new SysMetadataRepository({ engine, organizationId: null, orgLabel: 'env' });
+  return { repo, find };
+}
+
+describe('SysMetadataRepository.listDrafts (ADR-0033)', () => {
+  it('returns only draft rows, projected with packageId (active rows excluded)', async () => {
+    const { repo } = makeRepo();
+    const out = await repo.listDrafts();
+    expect(out.map((d) => d.name).sort()).toEqual(['course', 'course_list', 'legacy', 'student']);
+    expect(out.find((d) => d.name === 'live')).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(out.find((d) => d.name === 'course')).toMatchObject({
+      type: 'object',
+      packageId: 'app.edu',
+      updatedAt: 't1',
+      updatedBy: 'ai',
+    });
+    // legacy draft (no package) surfaces with packageId null
+    expect(out.find((d) => d.name === 'legacy')).toMatchObject({ packageId: null });
+  });
+
+  it('filters by packageId', async () => {
+    const { repo } = makeRepo();
+    const out = await repo.listDrafts({ packageId: 'app.edu' });
+    expect(out.map((d) => d.name).sort()).toEqual(['course', 'course_list', 'student']);
+  });
+
+  it('filters by type', async () => {
+    const { repo } = makeRepo();
+    const out = await repo.listDrafts({ type: 'view' });
+    expect(out.map((d) => d.name)).toEqual(['course_list']);
+  });
+
+  it('queries state=draft scoped to org, threading type + packageId into WHERE', async () => {
+    const { repo, find } = makeRepo();
+    await repo.listDrafts({ type: 'object', packageId: 'app.edu' });
+    expect(find).toHaveBeenCalledWith('sys_metadata', {
+      where: { organization_id: null, state: 'draft', type: 'object', package_id: 'app.edu' },
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/objectql/src/sys-metadata-repository.ts b/packages/objectql/src/sys-metadata-repository.ts
index 1dd77f06f..cd3ab6d6d 100644
--- a/packages/objectql/src/sys-metadata-repository.ts
+++ b/packages/objectql/src/sys-metadata-repository.ts
@@ -684,6 +684,42 @@ export class SysMetadataRepository implements MetadataRepository {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * List pending DRAFT rows (ADR-0033) for this org, optionally narrowed by
+   * `type` and/or `packageId`. Unlike {@link list} (which is hard-scoped to
+   * `state='active'`), this reads `state='draft'` so the console can surface
+   * what an AI authored but a human hasn't published yet. Returns a light
+   * header projection (no body) suitable for a "pending changes" list.
+   */
+  async listDrafts(filter?: {
+    type?: string;
+    packageId?: string;
+  }): Promise<
+    Array<{
+      type: string;
+      name: string;
+      packageId: string | null;
+      updatedAt: string | null;
+      updatedBy: string | null;
+    }>
+  > {
+    this.assertOpen();
+    const where: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      organization_id: this.organizationId,
+      state: 'draft',
+    };
+    if (filter?.type) where.type = filter.type;
+    if (filter?.packageId) where.package_id = filter.packageId;
+    const rows = await this.engine.find('sys_metadata', { where });
+    return (rows as any[]).map((row) => ({
+      type: row.type,
+      name: row.name,
+      packageId: row.package_id ?? null,
+      updatedAt: row.updated_at ?? row.created_at ?? null,
+      updatedBy: row.updated_by ?? row.created_by ?? null,
+    }));
+  }
+
   /**
    * Yield every history event for `(org, type?, name?)` from the
    * durable log, ordered by per-(type,name) `version` ascending. When
diff --git a/packages/rest/src/rest-server.ts b/packages/rest/src/rest-server.ts
index 4c3bdac29..e530f2f4c 100644
--- a/packages/rest/src/rest-server.ts
+++ b/packages/rest/src/rest-server.ts
@@ -1524,6 +1524,47 @@ export class RestServer {
             });
         }
 
+        // GET /meta/_drafts - Pending DRAFT items (ADR-0033)
+        //
+        // Surfaces draft-state metadata that the active-only `/meta/:type`
+        // list hides, so the console can show a "pending changes" view and
+        // draft-aware package contents (a just-built app package no longer
+        // looks empty). Optionally narrowed by `?packageId=` and/or `?type=`.
+        //
+        // Registered BEFORE `/meta/:type` so the `_drafts` segment is not
+        // captured as a `:type` parameter.
+        if (metadata.endpoints.items !== false) {
+            this.routeManager.register({
+                method: 'GET',
+                path: `${metaPath}/_drafts`,
+                handler: async (req: any, res: any) => {
+                    try {
+                        const environmentId = isScoped ? req.params?.environmentId : undefined;
+                        const p = await this.resolveProtocol(environmentId, req);
+                        if (typeof (p as any).listDrafts !== 'function') {
+                            res.status(501).json({
+                                error: 'not_implemented',
+                                message: 'protocol.listDrafts() is not available in this kernel',
+                            });
+                            return;
+                        }
+                        const result = await (p as any).listDrafts({
+                            packageId: (req.query?.packageId as string | undefined) || undefined,
+                            type: (req.query?.type as string | undefined) || undefined,
+                        });
+                        res.json(result);
+                    } catch (error: any) {
+                        logError("[REST] Unhandled error:", error);
+                        sendError(res, error);
+                    }
+                },
+                metadata: {
+                    summary: 'List pending draft metadata items',
+                    tags: ['metadata'],
+                },
+            });
+        }
+
         // GET /meta/:type - List items of a type
         if (metadata.endpoints.items !== false) {
             this.routeManager.register({
diff --git a/packages/rest/src/rest.test.ts b/packages/rest/src/rest.test.ts
index 7e079545c..f68b6e342 100644
--- a/packages/rest/src/rest.test.ts
+++ b/packages/rest/src/rest.test.ts
@@ -1185,6 +1185,10 @@ describe('RestServer project-scoped routing', () => {
     const paths = rest.getRoutes().map(r => r.path);
     expect(paths).toContain('/api/v1/data/:object');
     expect(paths.some(p => p.includes('/environments/:environmentId'))).toBe(false);
+    // ADR-0033 drafts list endpoint, registered BEFORE the greedy `/meta/:type`
+    // param route so `_drafts` isn't captured as a type name.
+    expect(paths).toContain('/api/v1/meta/_drafts');
+    expect(paths.indexOf('/api/v1/meta/_drafts')).toBeLessThan(paths.indexOf('/api/v1/meta/:type'));
   });
 
   it("registers both unscoped and scoped routes in 'auto' mode", () => {
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.test.ts b/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.test.ts
index 82ad7e876..1eeef9750 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.test.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.test.ts
@@ -1002,6 +1002,58 @@ describe('HttpDispatcher', () => {
         });
     });
 
+    // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+    // GET /metadata/_drafts — ADR-0033 pending-changes list
+    // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+    describe('GET /metadata/_drafts', () => {
+        it('routes to protocol.listDrafts with packageId + type and returns drafts', async () => {
+            const listDrafts = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+                drafts: [{ type: 'object', name: 'course', packageId: 'app.edu', updatedAt: 't1', updatedBy: 'ai' }],
+            });
+            (kernel as any).getService = vi.fn().mockImplementation((name: string) => {
+                if (name === 'protocol') return Promise.resolve({ listDrafts });
+                return null;
+            });
+
+            const result = await dispatcher.handleMetadata('_drafts', { request: {} }, 'GET', undefined, {
+                packageId: 'app.edu',
+                type: 'object',
+            });
+
+            expect(result.handled).toBe(true);
+            expect(result.response?.status).toBe(200);
+            expect(listDrafts).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+                expect.objectContaining({ packageId: 'app.edu', type: 'object' }),
+            );
+            expect((result.response as any)?.body?.data?.drafts?.[0]?.name).toBe('course');
+        });
+
+        it('returns 501 when the protocol does not implement listDrafts', async () => {
+            (kernel as any).getService = vi.fn().mockImplementation((name: string) => {
+                if (name === 'protocol') return Promise.resolve({});
+                return null;
+            });
+
+            const result = await dispatcher.handleMetadata('_drafts', { request: {} }, 'GET', undefined, {});
+            expect(result.handled).toBe(true);
+            expect(result.response?.status).toBe(501);
+        });
+
+        it('is not mistaken for a metadata type (does not hit getMetaItems)', async () => {
+            const getMetaItems = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ items: [] });
+            const listDrafts = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ drafts: [] });
+            (kernel as any).getService = vi.fn().mockImplementation((name: string) => {
+                if (name === 'protocol') return Promise.resolve({ getMetaItems, listDrafts });
+                return null;
+            });
+
+            await dispatcher.handleMetadata('_drafts', { request: {} }, 'GET', undefined, {});
+            expect(listDrafts).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+            expect(getMetaItems).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+    });
+
     // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
     // Metadata getPublished Endpoint
     // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.ts b/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.ts
index 1355afae2..27aafbed2 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/http-dispatcher.ts
@@ -970,6 +970,29 @@ export class HttpDispatcher {
             }
         }
         
+        // GET /metadata/_drafts?packageId=&type=  (ADR-0033 pending-changes list)
+        // Surfaces draft-state metadata the active-only `getMetaItems` list hides,
+        // so the console can show what an AI authored but nobody published yet.
+        // `_drafts` is intercepted before the generic `:type` handler below so it
+        // is never mistaken for a metadata type name.
+        if (parts.length === 1 && parts[0] === '_drafts' && (!method || method.toUpperCase() === 'GET')) {
+            const protocol = await this.resolveService('protocol');
+            if (protocol && typeof protocol.listDrafts === 'function') {
+                try {
+                    const organizationId = await this.resolveActiveOrganizationId(_context);
+                    const data = await protocol.listDrafts({
+                        packageId: query?.packageId || undefined,
+                        type: query?.type || undefined,
+                        organizationId,
+                    });
+                    return { handled: true, response: this.success(data) };
+                } catch (e: any) {
+                    return { handled: true, response: this.error(e.message, 500) };
+                }
+            }
+            return { handled: true, response: this.error('Draft listing not supported', 501) };
+        }
+
         // GET /metadata/:type (List items of type) OR /metadata/:objectName (Legacy)
         if (parts.length === 1) {
             const typeOrName = parts[0];