diff --git a/static/js/list_widget.js b/static/js/list_widget.js
index cd9254fffa..1687ff2d6f 100644
--- a/static/js/list_widget.js
+++ b/static/js/list_widget.js
@@ -172,9 +172,7 @@ export function create($container, list, opts) {
         return undefined;
     }
 
-    const widget = {
-        meta,
-    };
+    const widget = {};
 
     widget.get_current_list = function () {
         return meta.filtered_list;
@@ -354,6 +352,57 @@ export function create($container, list, opts) {
         }
     };
 
+    widget.increase_rendered_offset = function () {
+        meta.offset = Math.min(meta.offset + 1, meta.filtered_list.length);
+    };
+
+    widget.reduce_rendered_offset = function () {
+        meta.offset = Math.max(meta.offset - 1, 0);
+    };
+
+    widget.remove_rendered_row = function (rendered_row) {
+        rendered_row.remove();
+        // We removed a rendered row, so we need to reduce one offset.
+        widget.reduce_rendered_offset();
+    };
+
+    widget.insert_rendered_row = function (item) {
+        // NOTE: Caller should call `filter_and_sort` before calling this function
+        // so that `meta.filtered_list` already has the `item`.
+        if (meta.filtered_list.length <= 2) {
+            // Avoids edge cases for us and could be faster too.
+            widget.clean_redraw();
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!opts.filter.predicate(item)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        // We need to insert the row for it to be displayed at the
+        // correct position. filtered_list must contain the new item
+        // since we know it is not hidden from the above check.
+        const topic_insert_index = meta.filtered_list.findIndex(
+            (list_item) => list_item.last_msg_id === item.last_msg_id,
+        );
+        // Rows greater than `offset` are not rendered in the DOM by list_widget;
+        // for those, there's nothing to update.
+        if (topic_insert_index <= meta.offset) {
+            if (!opts.modifier || !opts.html_selector) {
+                blueslip.error(
+                    "Please specify modifier and html_selector when creating the widget.",
+                );
+            }
+            const rendered_row = opts.modifier(item);
+            if (topic_insert_index === meta.filtered_list.length - 1) {
+                const $target_row = opts.html_selector(meta.filtered_list[topic_insert_index - 1]);
+                $target_row.after(rendered_row);
+            } else {
+                const $target_row = opts.html_selector(meta.filtered_list[topic_insert_index + 1]);
+                $target_row.before(rendered_row);
+            }
+            widget.increase_rendered_offset();
+        }
+    };
+
     widget.sort = function (sorting_function, prop) {
         widget.set_sorting_function(sorting_function, prop);
         widget.hard_redraw();
diff --git a/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js b/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js
index 436d5f7e80..4c3eb35d4d 100644
--- a/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js
+++ b/static/js/recent_topics_ui.js
@@ -523,10 +523,7 @@ export function inplace_rerender(topic_key) {
         if (row_is_focused && row_focus >= current_topics_list.length) {
             row_focus = current_topics_list.length - 1;
         }
-        topic_row.remove();
-        // We removed a rendered row, so we need to reduce one offset.
-        // TODO: This is correct, but a list_widget abstractions violation.
-        topics_widget.meta.offset -= 1;
+        topics_widget.remove_rendered_row(topic_row);
     } else if (!is_topic_rendered && filters_should_hide_topic(topic_data)) {
         // In case `topic_row` is not present, our job is already done here
         // since it has not been rendered yet and we already removed it from
@@ -537,27 +534,7 @@ export function inplace_rerender(topic_key) {
         topics_widget.render_item(topic_data);
     } else {
         // Final case: !is_topic_rendered && !filters_should_hide_topic(topic_data).
-        if (current_topics_list.length <= 2) {
-            // Avoids edge cases for us and could be faster too.
-            topics_widget.clean_redraw();
-            revive_current_focus();
-            return true;
-        }
-        // We need to insert the row for it to be displayed at the
-        // correct position. current_topics_list must contain the
-        // topic_item, since we know !filters_should_hide_topic(topic_data).
-        const topic_insert_index = current_topics_list.findIndex(
-            (topic_item) => topic_item.last_msg_id === topic_data.last_msg_id,
-        );
-        // Rows greater than `offset` are not rendered in the DOM by list_widget;
-        // for those, there's nothing to update.
-        // TODO: This is correct, but a list_widget abstractions violation.
-        if (topic_insert_index <= topics_widget.meta.offset) {
-            const rendered_row = render_recent_topic_row(format_conversation(topic_data));
-            const $target_row = $(`#recent_topics_table table tbody tr:eq(${topic_insert_index})`);
-            $target_row.before(rendered_row);
-            topics_widget.meta.offset += 1;
-        }
+        topics_widget.insert_rendered_row(topic_data);
     }
     setTimeout(revive_current_focus, 0);
     return true;
diff --git a/tools/test-js-with-node b/tools/test-js-with-node
index 66a1c6ebb4..cadcb1ccf0 100755
--- a/tools/test-js-with-node
+++ b/tools/test-js-with-node
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ EXEMPT_FILES = make_set(
         "static/js/invite.js",
         "static/js/lightbox.js",
         "static/js/list_util.ts",
+        "static/js/list_widget.js",
         "static/js/loading.ts",
         "static/js/local_message.js",
         "static/js/localstorage.js",