diff --git a/app/_admin/portfolio/actions.ts b/app/_admin/portfolio/actions.ts
index e8c1599..9c0dad2 100644
--- a/app/_admin/portfolio/actions.ts
+++ b/app/_admin/portfolio/actions.ts
@@ -30,10 +30,21 @@ import { getSiteSettings } from "@/lib/app-config";
 import {
   assetInputSchema,
   categoryInputSchema,
+  projectDraftInputSchema,
   projectInputSchema,
   sectionInputSchema,
 } from "@/lib/portfolio-validation";
 
+/** Build a URL-safe slug from a title, falling back to a unique draft slug. */
+function slugifyForDraft(input: string): string {
+  const base = input
+    .toLowerCase()
+    .replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, "-")
+    .replace(/^-+|-+$/g, "");
+
+  return base || `draft-${Date.now()}`;
+}
+
 async function ensureAdmin() {
   if (!(await isAdminAuthenticated())) {
     await clearAdminSessionCookie();
@@ -204,28 +215,67 @@ export async function saveProjectAction(formData: FormData) {
   const createdMediaAssetIds: string[] = [];
 
   try {
-    const sections = parseJsonArray(formData.get("sections"), "sections").map((section, index) =>
+    const intent = String(formData.get("intent") ?? "save");
+    const isDraft = intent === "draft";
+
+    const parseSection = (section: Record<string, unknown>, index: number) =>
       sectionInputSchema.parse({
         ...section,
         media: section.media ? mediaFieldInputSchema.parse(section.media) : undefined,
         sortOrder: section.sortOrder ?? index,
-      }),
-    );
+      });
 
-    const assets = parseJsonArray(formData.get("assets"), "assets").map((asset, index) =>
+    const parseAsset = (asset: Record<string, unknown>, index: number) =>
       assetInputSchema.parse({
         ...asset,
         media: asset.media ? mediaFieldInputSchema.parse(asset.media) : undefined,
         sortOrder: asset.sortOrder ?? index,
-      }),
-    );
+      });
+
+    // A draft keeps only the entries that are already valid; a full save
+    // validates every entry strictly.
+    const sections = parseJsonArray(formData.get("sections"), "sections").flatMap((section, index) => {
+      if (!isDraft) {
+        return [parseSection(section, index)];
+      }
+
+      try {
+        return [parseSection(section, index)];
+      } catch {
+        return [];
+      }
+    });
+
+    const assets = parseJsonArray(formData.get("assets"), "assets").flatMap((asset, index) => {
+      if (!isDraft) {
+        return [parseAsset(asset, index)];
+      }
+
+      try {
+        return [parseAsset(asset, index)];
+      } catch {
+        return [];
+      }
+    });
 
     const coverMedia = parseJsonObject(formData.get("coverMedia"), "coverMedia");
 
-    const parsed = projectInputSchema.parse({
+    const rawSlug = String(formData.get("slug") ?? "").trim();
+    const slug =
+      isDraft && !rawSlug
+        ? slugifyForDraft(
+            String(formData.get("titleDe") ?? "") ||
+              String(formData.get("titleEn") ?? "") ||
+              String(formData.get("titleAr") ?? ""),
+          )
+        : rawSlug;
+    const rawYear = String(formData.get("projectYear") ?? "").trim();
+    const projectYear = isDraft && !rawYear ? String(new Date().getFullYear()) : rawYear;
+
+    const parsed = (isDraft ? projectDraftInputSchema : projectInputSchema).parse({
       id: String(formData.get("id") ?? "").trim() || undefined,
       categoryId: String(formData.get("categoryId") ?? ""),
-      slug: String(formData.get("slug") ?? ""),
+      slug,
       viewMode: String(formData.get("viewMode") ?? "GRID"),
       titleAr: String(formData.get("titleAr") ?? ""),
       titleEn: String(formData.get("titleEn") ?? ""),
@@ -234,7 +284,7 @@ export async function saveProjectAction(formData: FormData) {
       summaryEn: String(formData.get("summaryEn") ?? ""),
       summaryDe: String(formData.get("summaryDe") ?? ""),
       clientName: String(formData.get("clientName") ?? ""),
-      projectYear: String(formData.get("projectYear") ?? ""),
+      projectYear,
       serviceLabelAr: String(formData.get("serviceLabelAr") ?? ""),
       serviceLabelEn: String(formData.get("serviceLabelEn") ?? ""),
       serviceLabelDe: String(formData.get("serviceLabelDe") ?? ""),
@@ -243,7 +293,7 @@ export async function saveProjectAction(formData: FormData) {
       coverMedia: coverMedia ? mediaFieldInputSchema.parse(coverMedia) : undefined,
       sortOrder: String(formData.get("sortOrder") ?? "0"),
       isFeatured: normalizeCheckboxValue(formData, "isFeatured"),
-      isPublished: normalizeCheckboxValue(formData, "isPublished"),
+      isPublished: isDraft ? false : normalizeCheckboxValue(formData, "isPublished"),
       sections,
       assets,
     });
diff --git a/components/admin/portfolio-project-form.tsx b/components/admin/portfolio-project-form.tsx
index dcbf243..6c73296 100644
--- a/components/admin/portfolio-project-form.tsx
+++ b/components/admin/portfolio-project-form.tsx
@@ -347,16 +347,26 @@ function SectionHeader({
   );
 }
 
-function SubmitButton() {
+function SubmitButton({ onSelect }: { onSelect: () => void }) {
   const { pending } = useFormStatus();
 
   return (
-    <Button type="submit" disabled={pending}>
+    <Button type="submit" onClick={onSelect} disabled={pending}>
       {pending ? "Saving..." : "Save Project"}
     </Button>
   );
 }
 
+function DraftButton({ onSelect }: { onSelect: () => void }) {
+  const { pending } = useFormStatus();
+
+  return (
+    <Button type="submit" onClick={onSelect} variant="outline" disabled={pending}>
+      Save as draft
+    </Button>
+  );
+}
+
 function ViewModeCard({
   active,
   label,
@@ -466,6 +476,12 @@ export function PortfolioProjectForm({
   const [showValidation, setShowValidation] = useState(false);
   const sectionsInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement | null>(null);
   const assetsInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement | null>(null);
+  const intentRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement | null>(null);
+  const setIntent = (value: "save" | "draft") => {
+    if (intentRef.current) {
+      intentRef.current.value = value;
+    }
+  };
 
   const sectionsPayload = JSON.stringify(sections.map((section, index) => ({ ...section, sortOrder: index })));
   const assetsPayload = JSON.stringify(assets.map((asset, index) => ({ ...asset, sortOrder: index })));
@@ -540,6 +556,11 @@ export function PortfolioProjectForm({
       action={action}
       className="space-y-8"
       onSubmit={(event) => {
+        // A draft save skips the completeness gate entirely.
+        if (intentRef.current?.value === "draft") {
+          return;
+        }
+
         if (!firstIncompleteStep) {
           return;
         }
@@ -554,6 +575,7 @@ export function PortfolioProjectForm({
       <input type="hidden" name="viewMode" value={projectState.viewMode} />
       <input ref={sectionsInputRef} type="hidden" name="sections" value={sectionsPayload} />
       <input ref={assetsInputRef} type="hidden" name="assets" value={assetsPayload} />
+      <input ref={intentRef} type="hidden" name="intent" defaultValue="save" />
 
       <AppCard level={3} layer="single" padding="lg" className="space-y-6">
         <div className="flex flex-col gap-6">
@@ -1186,14 +1208,15 @@ export function PortfolioProjectForm({
           <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-3">
             {firstIncompleteStep ? (
               <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-                Fill Basics and Localized Content to save. Sections and assets are optional.
+                Fill Basics and Localized Content to publish — or save as a draft anytime.
               </p>
             ) : (
               <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
                 Ready to save. Sections and assets are optional.
               </p>
             )}
-            <SubmitButton />
+            <DraftButton onSelect={() => setIntent("draft")} />
+            <SubmitButton onSelect={() => setIntent("save")} />
           </div>
         </div>
       </AppCard>
diff --git a/lib/portfolio-validation.ts b/lib/portfolio-validation.ts
index 7fa3631..48dc673 100644
--- a/lib/portfolio-validation.ts
+++ b/lib/portfolio-validation.ts
@@ -123,3 +123,21 @@ export const projectInputSchema = z.object({
   sections: z.array(sectionInputSchema),
   assets: z.array(assetInputSchema),
 });
+
+/**
+ * Draft variant: the user-facing copy fields are optional so an unfinished
+ * project can be saved and completed later. The action still guarantees a
+ * slug, a category, and a year (auto-filled), and forces the project unpublished.
+ */
+export const projectDraftInputSchema = projectInputSchema.extend({
+  titleAr: optionalTrimmedText,
+  titleEn: optionalTrimmedText,
+  titleDe: optionalTrimmedText,
+  summaryAr: optionalTrimmedText,
+  summaryEn: optionalTrimmedText,
+  summaryDe: optionalTrimmedText,
+  serviceLabelAr: optionalTrimmedText,
+  serviceLabelEn: optionalTrimmedText,
+  serviceLabelDe: optionalTrimmedText,
+  clientName: optionalTrimmedText,
+});
diff --git a/tests/portfolio-validation.test.ts b/tests/portfolio-validation.test.ts
index 5350bc7..99bd6b4 100644
--- a/tests/portfolio-validation.test.ts
+++ b/tests/portfolio-validation.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 import {
   assetInputSchema,
   categoryInputSchema,
+  projectDraftInputSchema,
   projectInputSchema,
   sectionInputSchema,
 } from "../lib/portfolio-validation";
@@ -65,6 +66,64 @@ describe("portfolio validation", () => {
     ).toThrow(/slug/i);
   });
 
+  it("draft schema accepts empty user-facing copy that a strict save rejects", () => {
+    const draftPayload = {
+      categoryId: "cat_1",
+      slug: "draft-123",
+      viewMode: "GRID" as const,
+      titleAr: "",
+      titleEn: "",
+      titleDe: "",
+      summaryAr: "",
+      summaryEn: "",
+      summaryDe: "",
+      clientName: "",
+      projectYear: 2026,
+      serviceLabelAr: "",
+      serviceLabelEn: "",
+      serviceLabelDe: "",
+      previewUrl: "",
+      currentCoverImagePath: "",
+      sortOrder: 0,
+      isFeatured: false,
+      isPublished: false,
+      sections: [],
+      assets: [],
+    };
+
+    expect(projectDraftInputSchema.parse(draftPayload).slug).toBe("draft-123");
+    expect(() => projectInputSchema.parse(draftPayload)).toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it("draft schema still requires a slug and a valid year", () => {
+    const base = {
+      categoryId: "cat_1",
+      slug: "draft-1",
+      viewMode: "GRID" as const,
+      titleAr: "",
+      titleEn: "",
+      titleDe: "",
+      summaryAr: "",
+      summaryEn: "",
+      summaryDe: "",
+      clientName: "",
+      projectYear: 2026,
+      serviceLabelAr: "",
+      serviceLabelEn: "",
+      serviceLabelDe: "",
+      previewUrl: "",
+      currentCoverImagePath: "",
+      sortOrder: 0,
+      isFeatured: false,
+      isPublished: false,
+      sections: [],
+      assets: [],
+    };
+
+    expect(() => projectDraftInputSchema.parse({ ...base, slug: "" })).toThrow(/slug/i);
+    expect(() => projectDraftInputSchema.parse({ ...base, projectYear: 1999 })).toThrow();
+  });
+
   it("accepts valid section and asset payloads", () => {
     expect(
       sectionInputSchema.parse({