fix: keep post drafts unscheduled by default

app/Actions/Post/CreatePost.php

@@ -96,13 +96,17 @@ public static function execute(Workspace $workspace, User $user, array $data): P
     /**
      * @param  array<string, mixed>  $data
      */
-    private static function resolveScheduledAt(array $data): Carbon
+    private static function resolveScheduledAt(array $data): ?Carbon
     {
         if ($scheduledAt = data_get($data, 'scheduled_at')) {
             return Carbon::parse($scheduledAt)->utc();
         }
 
-        $date = data_get($data, 'date') ?: Carbon::now('UTC')->format('Y-m-d');
+        $date = data_get($data, 'date');
+
+        if (blank($date)) {
+            return null;
+        }
 
         return Carbon::parse($date, 'UTC')->setTime(9, 0)->utc();
     }

app/Http/Requests/Api/Post/UpdatePostRequest.php

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 use App\Rules\ContentTypeMatchesPostPlatform;
 use App\Support\PostMediaRules;
 use App\Support\PostPlatformMetaRules;
+use App\Support\PostStatusRules;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest;
 use Illuminate\Support\Collection;
 use Illuminate\Validation\Rule;
@@ -28,8 +29,10 @@ public function authorize(): bool
 
     public function rules(): array
     {
+        $status = PostStatusRules::normalizeStatus($this->input('status'));
+
         $enforcesPlatformLimits = in_array(
-            $this->input('status'),
+            $status,
             [Status::Scheduled->value, Status::Publishing->value],
             true,
         );
@@ -47,22 +50,15 @@ public function rules(): array
             ],
             ...PostMediaRules::rules(hosted: false),
             'platforms' => ['sometimes', 'array'],
-            'platforms.*.id' => ['required', 'uuid', Rule::exists('post_platforms', 'id')->where('post_id', $this->route('post') instanceof Post ? $this->route('post')->id : $this->route('post'))],
+            'platforms.*.id' => ['required', 'uuid', Rule::exists('post_platforms', 'id')->where('post_id', $this->route('post')->id)],
             'platforms.*.content_type' => [
                 'sometimes',
                 'string',
                 Rule::in(array_column(ContentType::cases(), 'value')),
                 new ContentTypeMatchesPostPlatform,
             ],
             ...PostPlatformMetaRules::rules(),
-            'scheduled_at' => [
-                'nullable',
-                'date',
-                Rule::when(
-                    $this->input('status') === Status::Scheduled->value,
-                    ['after:now']
-                ),
-            ],
+            'scheduled_at' => PostStatusRules::scheduledAtRules($this->route('post'), $status),
             'label_ids' => ['sometimes', 'array'],
             'label_ids.*' => ['uuid', Rule::exists('workspace_labels', 'id')->where('workspace_id', $this->user()->currentWorkspace->id)],
         ];
@@ -71,7 +67,11 @@ public function rules(): array
     public function withValidator(Validator $validator): void
     {
         $validator->after(function (Validator $validator): void {
-            if (! in_array($this->input('status'), [Status::Scheduled->value, Status::Publishing->value], true)) {
+            if (! in_array(
+                PostStatusRules::normalizeStatus($this->input('status')),
+                [Status::Scheduled->value, Status::Publishing->value],
+                true,
+            )) {
                 return;
             }
 
@@ -97,12 +97,8 @@ public function withValidator(Validator $validator): void
      */
     private function addMediaCompatibilityErrors(Validator $validator): void
     {
-        $routePost = $this->route('post');
-        $post = $routePost instanceof Post ? $routePost : Post::find($routePost);
-
-        if (! $post) {
-            return;
-        }
+        /** @var Post $post */
+        $post = $this->route('post');
 
         $media = $this->has('media') ? (array) $this->input('media', []) : (array) ($post->media ?? []);
 
@@ -126,11 +122,11 @@ private function resolveSelectedPlatforms(): Collection
             return collect();
         }
 
+        /** @var Post $post */
         $post = $this->route('post');
-        $postId = $post instanceof Post ? $post->id : $post;
 
         return PostPlatform::query()
-            ->where('post_id', $postId)
+            ->where('post_id', $post->id)
             ->whereIn('id', $ids)
             ->pluck('platform', 'id');
     }

app/Http/Requests/App/Post/UpdatePostRequest.php

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 use App\Rules\ContentTypeCompatibleWithMedia;
 use App\Support\PostMediaRules;
 use App\Support\PostPlatformMetaRules;
+use App\Support\PostStatusRules;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest;
 use Illuminate\Support\Collection;
 use Illuminate\Validation\Rule;
@@ -25,8 +26,10 @@ public function authorize(): bool
 
     public function rules(): array
     {
+        $status = PostStatusRules::normalizeStatus($this->input('status'));
+
         $enforcesMediaCompatibility = in_array(
-            $this->input('status'),
+            $status,
             [Status::Scheduled->value, Status::Publishing->value],
             true,
         );
@@ -43,15 +46,7 @@ public function rules(): array
                 ),
             ],
             ...PostMediaRules::rules(hosted: true),
-            'scheduled_at' => [
-                'sometimes',
-                'nullable',
-                'date',
-                Rule::when(
-                    $this->input('status') === Status::Scheduled->value,
-                    ['after:now']
-                ),
-            ],
+            'scheduled_at' => PostStatusRules::scheduledAtRules($this->route('post'), $status),
             'platforms' => ['sometimes', 'array'],
             'platforms.*.id' => ['required', 'uuid', Rule::exists('post_platforms', 'id')->where('post_id', $this->route('post')->id)],
             'platforms.*.content_type' => [
@@ -68,7 +63,7 @@ public function rules(): array
 
     public function withValidator(Validator $validator): void
     {
-        $validator->after(function ($validator): void {
+        $validator->after(function (Validator $validator): void {
             if (! $this->isPublishingOrScheduling()) {
                 return;
             }
@@ -92,7 +87,7 @@ public function withValidator(Validator $validator): void
     private function isPublishingOrScheduling(): bool
     {
         return in_array(
-            $this->input('status'),
+            PostStatusRules::normalizeStatus($this->input('status')),
             [Status::Scheduled->value, Status::Publishing->value],
             true,
         );

app/Mcp/Tools/Post/CreatePostTool.php

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public function schema(JsonSchema $schema): array
     {
         return [
             'content' => $schema->string()->description('The post caption/text body. Optional — can be edited later.'),
-            'scheduled_at' => $schema->string()->description('ISO 8601 datetime in the future (e.g. 2026-05-10T15:30:00Z). Defaults to today at 09:00 UTC.'),
+            'scheduled_at' => $schema->string()->description('Optional ISO 8601 datetime in the future (e.g. 2026-05-10T15:30:00Z). Omit it or pass null to create an unscheduled draft.'),
             'label_ids' => $schema->array()
                 ->items($schema->string())
                 ->description('Workspace label IDs to attach to the post.'),

app/Mcp/Tools/Post/UpdatePostTool.php

@@ -37,10 +37,12 @@ public function handle(Request $request): Response|ResponseFactory
             return Response::error('Post not found.');
         }
 
+        $status = PostStatusRules::normalizeStatus(data_get($request->all(), 'status'));
+
         $validated = $request->validate([
             'post_id' => ['required', 'uuid'],
             'content' => ['nullable', 'string', 'max:10000'],
-            'scheduled_at' => ['nullable', 'date', 'after:now'],
+            'scheduled_at' => PostStatusRules::scheduledAtRules($post, $status),
             'status' => ['sometimes', 'string', Rule::in([Status::Draft->value, Status::Scheduled->value])],
             'label_ids' => ['sometimes', 'array'],
             'label_ids.*' => ['uuid', Rule::exists('workspace_labels', 'id')->where('workspace_id', $workspace->id)],
@@ -63,7 +65,7 @@ public function handle(Request $request): Response|ResponseFactory
         // here, or stored) against the post's stored media — the tool can't change
         // media, so a misconfigured post can't be scheduled even without resubmitting
         // content_type. Mirrors the public API's withValidator check.
-        if (data_get($validated, 'status') === Status::Scheduled->value) {
+        if ($status === Status::Scheduled->value) {
             $errors = ContentTypeCompatibleWithMedia::errorsFor(
                 ContentTypeCompatibleWithMedia::entriesForUpdate($post, data_get($validated, 'platforms')),
                 (array) ($post->media ?? []),
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ public function schema(JsonSchema $schema): array
         return [
             'post_id' => $schema->string()->required()->description('UUID of the post to update.'),
             'content' => $schema->string()->description('New caption/text body.'),
-            'scheduled_at' => $schema->string()->description('ISO 8601 datetime in the future. Required if status is "scheduled".'),
+            'scheduled_at' => $schema->string()->description('Future ISO 8601 datetime. Required for status "scheduled" unless the post already has a future schedule.'),
             'status' => $schema->string()
                 ->enum([Status::Draft->value, Status::Scheduled->value])
                 ->description('Post status. Use "draft" to keep editing, "scheduled" to schedule the post. Use publish-post-tool for immediate publish.'),

app/Support/PostStatusRules.php

@@ -6,7 +6,12 @@
 
 use App\Enums\Post\Status as PostStatus;
 use App\Models\Post;
+use Illuminate\Validation\Rule;
 
+/**
+ * Shared post status helpers — edit/delete gates plus the `scheduled_at`
+ * update contract used by web, API, and MCP so those entry points cannot drift.
+ */
 class PostStatusRules
 {
     private const EDIT_BLOCKED_MESSAGE_KEY = 'posts.cannot_edit_finalized';
@@ -48,4 +53,41 @@ public static function editBlockedMessage(): string
     {
         return __(self::EDIT_BLOCKED_MESSAGE_KEY);
     }
+
+    public static function normalizeStatus(mixed $status): ?string
+    {
+        return is_string($status) ? $status : null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * True when status is scheduled and the post has no future schedule to reuse.
+     */
+    public static function requiresExplicitSchedule(?Post $post, ?string $status): bool
+    {
+        if ($status !== PostStatus::Scheduled->value) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        $existing = $post?->scheduled_at;
+
+        return $existing === null || $existing->isPast();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Validation rules for `scheduled_at` on post update (web, API, MCP).
+     *
+     * @return list<mixed>
+     */
+    public static function scheduledAtRules(?Post $post, ?string $status): array
+    {
+        return [
+            Rule::requiredIf(fn (): bool => self::requiresExplicitSchedule($post, $status)),
+            'nullable',
+            'date',
+            Rule::when(
+                $status === PostStatus::Scheduled->value,
+                ['after:now'],
+            ),
+        ];
+    }
 }