fix: keep post drafts unscheduled by default

app/Actions/Post/CreatePost.php

@@ -96,14 +96,16 @@ 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');
+        if (! array_key_exists('date', $data) || blank(data_get($data, 'date'))) {
+            return null;
+        }
 
-        return Carbon::parse($date, 'UTC')->setTime(9, 0)->utc();
+        return Carbon::parse(data_get($data, 'date'), 'UTC')->setTime(9, 0)->utc();
     }
 }

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

@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ public function rules(): array
             ],
             ...PostPlatformMetaRules::rules(),
             'scheduled_at' => [
+                Rule::requiredIf($this->input('status') === Status::Scheduled->value),
                 'nullable',
                 'date',
                 Rule::when(

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

@@ -40,7 +40,12 @@ public function handle(Request $request): Response|ResponseFactory
         $validated = $request->validate([
             'post_id' => ['required', 'uuid'],
             'content' => ['nullable', 'string', 'max:10000'],
-            'scheduled_at' => ['nullable', 'date', 'after:now'],
+            'scheduled_at' => [
+                Rule::requiredIf(data_get($request->all(), 'status') === Status::Scheduled->value),
+                'nullable',
+                'date',
+                'after:now',
+            ],
             '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)],

tests/Feature/Api/PostApiTest.php

@@ -537,6 +537,12 @@
         'scheduled_at' => now()->subDay(),
     ]);
 
+    $this->withHeaders(['Authorization' => 'Bearer '.$this->plainToken])
+        ->putJson(route('api.posts.update', $post), [
+            'status' => 'scheduled',
+        ])
+        ->assertJsonValidationErrors(['scheduled_at']);
+
     $this->withHeaders(['Authorization' => 'Bearer '.$this->plainToken])
         ->putJson(route('api.posts.update', $post), [
             'status' => 'scheduled',

tests/Feature/Mcp/PostToolTest.php

@@ -115,6 +115,50 @@
     expect($post->created_via)->toBe(CreatedVia::Mcp);
 });
 
+test('create post without scheduled_at creates unscheduled draft', function () {
+    $response = TryPostServer::actingAs($this->user)
+        ->tool(CreatePostTool::class, [
+            'content' => 'Draft without schedule',
+            'platforms' => [
+                ['social_account_id' => $this->socialAccount->id, 'content_type' => 'linkedin_post'],
+            ],
+        ]);
+
+    $response->assertOk()
+        ->assertStructuredContent(function (AssertableJson $json) {
+            $json->where('content', 'Draft without schedule')
+                ->where('status', 'draft')
+                ->where('scheduled_at', null)
+                ->etc();
+        });
+
+    $post = Post::where('workspace_id', $this->workspace->id)
+        ->where('content', 'Draft without schedule')
+        ->firstOrFail();
+
+    expect($post->status->value)->toBe('draft')
+        ->and($post->scheduled_at)->toBeNull();
+});
+
+test('create post with explicit null scheduled_at creates unscheduled draft', function () {
+    $response = TryPostServer::actingAs($this->user)
+        ->tool(CreatePostTool::class, [
+            'content' => 'Draft with null schedule',
+            'scheduled_at' => null,
+        ]);
+
+    $response->assertOk()
+        ->assertStructuredContent(fn (AssertableJson $json) => $json
+            ->where('status', 'draft')
+            ->where('scheduled_at', null)
+            ->etc());
+
+    expect(Post::where('workspace_id', $this->workspace->id)
+        ->where('content', 'Draft with null schedule')
+        ->firstOrFail()
+        ->scheduled_at)->toBeNull();
+});
+
 test('create post with platforms enables only those', function () {
     $response = TryPostServer::actingAs($this->user)
         ->tool(CreatePostTool::class, [
@@ -133,18 +177,20 @@
     expect($enabled->first()->content_type->value)->toBe('linkedin_post');
 });
 
-test('create post without args creates empty draft for today', function () {
+test('create post without args creates unscheduled empty draft', function () {
     $response = TryPostServer::actingAs($this->user)
         ->tool(CreatePostTool::class, []);
 
     $response->assertOk()
         ->assertStructuredContent(function (AssertableJson $json) {
             $json->where('content', '')
                 ->where('status', 'draft')
+                ->where('scheduled_at', null)
                 ->etc();
         });
 
-    expect(Post::where('workspace_id', $this->workspace->id)->count())->toBe(1);
+    $post = Post::where('workspace_id', $this->workspace->id)->firstOrFail();
+    expect($post->scheduled_at)->toBeNull();
 });
 
 test('create post rejects scheduled_at in the past', function () {
@@ -338,6 +384,24 @@
         ->assertStructuredContent(fn (AssertableJson $json) => $json->where('platforms.0.meta.aspect_ratio', '4:5')->etc());
 });
 
+test('update post rejects scheduled status without scheduled_at', function () {
+    $post = Post::factory()->create([
+        'workspace_id' => $this->workspace->id,
+        'user_id' => $this->user->id,
+    ]);
+
+    $response = TryPostServer::actingAs($this->user)
+        ->tool(UpdatePostTool::class, [
+            'post_id' => $post->id,
+            'status' => 'scheduled',
+        ]);
+
+    $response->assertHasErrors();
+
+    expect($post->fresh()->status->value)->toBe('draft')
+        ->and($post->fresh()->scheduled_at)->toBeNull();
+});
+
 test('update post accepts a valid aspect_ratio and persists it', function () {
     $post = Post::factory()->create([
         'workspace_id' => $this->workspace->id,

tests/Feature/PostControllerTest.php

@@ -262,11 +262,11 @@
     expect($post->postPlatforms)->toHaveCount(1);
 });
 
-test('store post defaults scheduled_at to today when no date is provided', function () {
+test('store post leaves scheduled_at null when no date is provided', function () {
     $this->actingAs($this->user)->post(route('app.posts.store'))->assertRedirect();
 
     $post = Post::where('workspace_id', $this->workspace->id)->first();
-    expect($post->scheduled_at->format('Y-m-d'))->toBe(now('UTC')->format('Y-m-d'));
+    expect($post->scheduled_at)->toBeNull();
 });
 
 test('store post schedules draft on the date param when provided', function () {

tests/Feature/PostTemplateControllerTest.php

@@ -127,15 +127,15 @@
         ->assertNotFound();
 });
 
-test('apply defaults scheduled_at to today when no date is provided', function () {
+test('apply leaves scheduled_at null when no date is provided', function () {
     Http::fake(['api.unsplash.com/*' => Http::response(['results' => []])]);
 
     $this->actingAs($this->user)
         ->postJson(route('app.post-templates.apply', 'success_story'))
         ->assertOk();
 
     $post = $this->workspace->posts()->latest()->first();
-    expect($post->scheduled_at->format('Y-m-d'))->toBe(now('UTC')->format('Y-m-d'));
+    expect($post->scheduled_at)->toBeNull();
 });
 
 test('apply schedules the post on the date param when provided', function () {

tests/Unit/Actions/Post/CreatePostTest.php

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+use App\Actions\Post\CreatePost;
+use Carbon\CarbonImmutable;
+
+function resolvedCreatePostScheduledAt(array $data): ?CarbonImmutable
+{
+    $method = new ReflectionMethod(CreatePost::class, 'resolveScheduledAt');
+    $value = $method->invoke(null, $data);
+
+    return $value ? CarbonImmutable::instance($value) : null;
+}
+
+test('create post resolver does not default missing scheduled_at to today at 09 utc', function () {
+    CarbonImmutable::setTestNow(CarbonImmutable::parse('2026-07-26 15:02:37', 'UTC'));
+
+    expect(resolvedCreatePostScheduledAt([]))->toBeNull();
+
+    CarbonImmutable::setTestNow();
+});
+
+test('create post resolver treats explicit null scheduled_at as unscheduled', function () {
+    expect(resolvedCreatePostScheduledAt(['scheduled_at' => null]))->toBeNull();
+});
+
+test('create post resolver preserves explicit future scheduled_at in utc', function () {
+    $scheduledAt = resolvedCreatePostScheduledAt(['scheduled_at' => '2099-12-31T15:30:00+02:00']);
+
+    expect($scheduledAt?->format('Y-m-d H:i:s'))->toBe('2099-12-31 13:30:00');
+});
+
+test('create post resolver keeps explicit legacy date fallback at 09 utc', function () {
+    $scheduledAt = resolvedCreatePostScheduledAt(['date' => '2099-12-31']);
+
+    expect($scheduledAt?->format('Y-m-d H:i:s'))->toBe('2099-12-31 09:00:00');
+});