diff --git a/server/routes/businesses.js b/server/routes/businesses.js
index 77f7430..ee8ccd8 100644
--- a/server/routes/businesses.js
+++ b/server/routes/businesses.js
@@ -3483,30 +3483,30 @@ router.post('/:businessId/templates/:slug/publish', async (req, res) => {
     }
 
     const deterministicRender = renderTemplateWithDeterministicSample(tmpl);
-
-    // Mark template as whitelisted
-    tmpl.templateId = normalizeText(templateId);
-    tmpl.status = 'whitelisted';
-    tmpl.isRuntimeEnabled = isTemplateRuntimeEnabled(tmpl);
-    tmpl.updatedAt = new Date().toISOString();
-    await uploadJSON(folder, slug, tmpl);
+    const publishedTemplate = withTemplateDefaults({
+      ...tmpl,
+      templateId: normalizeText(templateId),
+      status: 'whitelisted',
+      isRuntimeEnabled: isTemplateRuntimeEnabled(tmpl),
+      updatedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+    });
 
     let sendResult;
     try {
       sendResult = await sendTemplateViaCurl({
         boundProfile,
-        template: tmpl,
+        template: publishedTemplate,
         runtimeValues: {
           content: deterministicRender.content,
           toNumber: normalizeText(toNumber),
-          templateId: tmpl.templateId,
+          templateId: publishedTemplate.templateId,
           senderId: boundProfile.provider?.senderId,
           dltEntityId: boundProfile.provider?.dltEntityId,
         },
       });
     } catch (sendErr) {
       return res.status(sendErr.status || 502).json({
-        error: 'Template published but send failed',
+        error: 'Template send test failed; template not published',
         code: sendErr.code,
         details: sendErr.details || sendErr.message,
         renderedContent: deterministicRender.content,
@@ -3517,7 +3517,7 @@ router.post('/:businessId/templates/:slug/publish', async (req, res) => {
 
     if (!sendResult.success) {
       return res.status(502).json({
-        error: 'Template published but send failed',
+        error: 'Template send test failed; template not published',
         code: 'CURL_PROVIDER_ERROR',
         details: {
           statusCode: sendResult.statusCode,
@@ -3529,11 +3529,13 @@ router.post('/:businessId/templates/:slug/publish', async (req, res) => {
       });
     }
 
+    await uploadJSON(folder, slug, publishedTemplate);
+
     res.json({
       success: true,
       renderedContent: deterministicRender.content,
       renderState: deterministicRender.renderState,
-      template: withTemplateDefaults(tmpl),
+      template: publishedTemplate,
       transport: sendResult.transport,
       sendResult,
     });