diff --git a/src/app.css b/src/app.css
index 92c5991..c67105e 100644
--- a/src/app.css
+++ b/src/app.css
@@ -229,3 +229,17 @@ body {
     align-items: flex-start;
   }
 }
+
+.json-input {
+  font-family: ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, monospace;
+  font-size: 12px;
+  line-height: 1.5;
+  background: #f8fafc;
+}
+
+.error-note {
+  margin-top: 8px;
+  font-size: 12px;
+  color: #b91c1c;
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/runtime/types.ts b/src/lib/runtime/types.ts
index 67900b9..22dc25d 100644
--- a/src/lib/runtime/types.ts
+++ b/src/lib/runtime/types.ts
@@ -13,13 +13,46 @@ export type RuntimeDashboardConfig = {
   widgets: Array<{ key: string; title: string; enabled: boolean }>;
 };
 
+export type RuntimeOnboardingFieldOption = {
+  label: string;
+  value: string;
+};
+
+export type RuntimeOnboardingValidation = {
+  minLength?: number;
+  maxLength?: number;
+  min?: number;
+  max?: number;
+  pattern?: string;
+};
+
+export type RuntimeOnboardingField = {
+  id: string;
+  label: string;
+  type: 'text' | 'textarea' | 'number' | 'email' | 'tel' | 'date' | 'select' | 'url' | 'file' | 'checkbox';
+  required?: boolean;
+  placeholder?: string;
+  helperText?: string;
+  defaultValue?: string | number | boolean | string[];
+  readOnly?: boolean;
+  multiple?: boolean;
+  options?: RuntimeOnboardingFieldOption[];
+  accept?: string;
+  maxFiles?: number;
+  maxSizeMB?: number;
+  validation?: RuntimeOnboardingValidation;
+};
+
+export type RuntimeOnboardingStep = {
+  id: string;
+  title: string;
+  description?: string;
+  fields: RuntimeOnboardingField[];
+};
+
 export type RuntimeOnboardingConfig = {
   schemaId: string;
   roleKey: string;
   version: number;
-  steps: Array<{
-    id: string;
-    title: string;
-    fields: Array<{ id: string; label: string; type: string; required?: boolean }>;
-  }>;
+  steps: RuntimeOnboardingStep[];
 };
diff --git a/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/[schemaId].tsx b/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/[schemaId].tsx
index 4ede867..b5c5de5 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/[schemaId].tsx
+++ b/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/[schemaId].tsx
@@ -2,21 +2,60 @@ import { useParams } from '@solidjs/router';
 import { createSignal, onMount } from 'solid-js';
 import AdminShell from '~/components/AdminShell';
 import { getRuntimeConfig, saveRuntimeConfig } from '~/lib/runtime/storage';
-import type { RuntimeOnboardingConfig } from '~/lib/runtime/types';
+import type { RuntimeOnboardingConfig, RuntimeOnboardingStep } from '~/lib/runtime/types';
+
+function stringifySteps(steps: RuntimeOnboardingStep[]): string {
+  return JSON.stringify(steps, null, 2);
+}
 
 export default function EditOnboardingPage() {
   const params = useParams();
   const [config, setConfig] = createSignal<RuntimeOnboardingConfig | null>(null);
+  const [stepsJson, setStepsJson] = createSignal('[]');
   const [statusMessage, setStatusMessage] = createSignal('');
+  const [stepsError, setStepsError] = createSignal('');
 
   onMount(() => {
     const existing = getRuntimeConfig<RuntimeOnboardingConfig>('onboarding', params.schemaId);
-    setConfig(existing?.payload || null);
+    if (!existing?.payload) return;
+    setConfig(existing.payload);
+    setStepsJson(stringifySteps(existing.payload.steps));
   });
 
+  const syncSteps = (raw: string) => {
+    setStepsJson(raw);
+    const current = config();
+    if (!current) return;
+
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as RuntimeOnboardingStep[];
+      if (!Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+        setStepsError('Steps JSON must be an array.');
+        return;
+      }
+      setConfig({ ...current, steps: parsed });
+      setStepsError('');
+    } catch {
+      setStepsError('Invalid JSON. Fix syntax before saving.');
+    }
+  };
+
   const persist = (status: 'draft' | 'published') => {
     const payload = config();
     if (!payload) return;
+    if (!payload.schemaId.trim()) {
+      setStatusMessage('Schema ID is required before saving.');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (stepsError()) {
+      setStatusMessage('Fix steps JSON errors before saving.');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (payload.steps.length === 0) {
+      setStatusMessage('Add at least one onboarding step before saving.');
+      return;
+    }
+
     saveRuntimeConfig('onboarding', payload.schemaId, payload, status);
     setStatusMessage(status === 'draft' ? 'Draft saved in runtime storage.' : 'Onboarding schema published in runtime storage.');
   };
@@ -24,7 +63,7 @@ export default function EditOnboardingPage() {
   return (
     <AdminShell>
       <h1 class="page-title">Edit Onboarding Flow</h1>
-      <p class="page-subtitle">Update this runtime onboarding schema without changing source code.</p>
+      <p class="page-subtitle">All onboarding fields, validations, upload rules, and select behaviors are runtime schema-driven.</p>
       {!config() ? (
         <section class="card"><p class="notice">Onboarding schema not found in local runtime storage.</p></section>
       ) : (
@@ -44,25 +83,9 @@ export default function EditOnboardingPage() {
               <input type="number" value={config()!.version} onInput={(e) => setConfig({ ...config()!, version: Number(e.currentTarget.value || 1) })} />
             </div>
             <div class="field">
-              <label>Steps (one title per line, quick mode)</label>
-              <textarea
-                rows={8}
-                value={config()!.steps.map((s) => s.title).join('\n')}
-                onInput={(e) =>
-                  setConfig({
-                    ...config()!,
-                    steps: e.currentTarget.value
-                      .split('\n')
-                      .map((line) => line.trim())
-                      .filter(Boolean)
-                      .map((title, index) => ({
-                        id: `step_${index + 1}`,
-                        title,
-                        fields: [{ id: `field_${index + 1}`, label: 'Sample Field', type: 'text', required: true }],
-                      })),
-                  })
-                }
-              />
+              <label>Steps JSON (full runtime schema)</label>
+              <textarea class="json-input" rows={18} value={stepsJson()} onInput={(e) => syncSteps(e.currentTarget.value)} />
+              {stepsError() && <p class="error-note">{stepsError()}</p>}
             </div>
             <div class="actions">
               <button class="btn" onClick={() => persist('draft')}>Save Draft</button>
diff --git a/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/new.tsx b/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/new.tsx
index d80a59a..f84694a 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/new.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/admin/onboarding-schemas/new.tsx
@@ -1,25 +1,58 @@
 import { createSignal } from 'solid-js';
 import AdminShell from '~/components/AdminShell';
 import { saveRuntimeConfig } from '~/lib/runtime/storage';
-import type { RuntimeOnboardingConfig } from '~/lib/runtime/types';
+import type { RuntimeOnboardingConfig, RuntimeOnboardingStep } from '~/lib/runtime/types';
 
-export default function CreateOnboardingSchemaPage() {
-  const [config, setConfig] = createSignal<RuntimeOnboardingConfig>({
+function buildDefaultConfig(): RuntimeOnboardingConfig {
+  return {
     schemaId: 'photographer_onboarding_v1',
     roleKey: 'PHOTOGRAPHER',
     version: 1,
     steps: [
       {
-        id: 'profile',
-        title: 'Profile Details',
+        id: 'step_1_service',
+        title: 'Select Service Category',
         fields: [
-          { id: 'full_name', label: 'Full Name', type: 'text', required: true },
-          { id: 'experience', label: 'Experience', type: 'number', required: true },
+          {
+            id: 'profession',
+            label: 'Service Category',
+            type: 'select',
+            required: true,
+            options: [
+              { label: 'Photographer', value: 'Photographer' },
+              { label: 'Makeup Artist', value: 'Makeup Artist' },
+            ],
+          },
         ],
       },
     ],
-  });
+  };
+}
+
+function stringifySteps(steps: RuntimeOnboardingStep[]): string {
+  return JSON.stringify(steps, null, 2);
+}
+
+export default function CreateOnboardingSchemaPage() {
+  const [config, setConfig] = createSignal<RuntimeOnboardingConfig>(buildDefaultConfig());
+  const [stepsJson, setStepsJson] = createSignal(stringifySteps(buildDefaultConfig().steps));
   const [statusMessage, setStatusMessage] = createSignal('');
+  const [stepsError, setStepsError] = createSignal('');
+
+  const syncSteps = (raw: string) => {
+    setStepsJson(raw);
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as RuntimeOnboardingStep[];
+      if (!Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+        setStepsError('Steps JSON must be an array.');
+        return;
+      }
+      setConfig({ ...config(), steps: parsed });
+      setStepsError('');
+    } catch {
+      setStepsError('Invalid JSON. Fix syntax before saving.');
+    }
+  };
 
   const persist = (status: 'draft' | 'published') => {
     const payload = config();
@@ -27,6 +60,15 @@ export default function CreateOnboardingSchemaPage() {
       setStatusMessage('Schema ID is required before saving.');
       return;
     }
+    if (stepsError()) {
+      setStatusMessage('Fix steps JSON errors before saving.');
+      return;
+    }
+    if (payload.steps.length === 0) {
+      setStatusMessage('Add at least one onboarding step before saving.');
+      return;
+    }
+
     saveRuntimeConfig('onboarding', payload.schemaId, payload, status);
     setStatusMessage(status === 'draft' ? 'Draft saved in runtime storage.' : 'Onboarding schema published in runtime storage.');
   };
@@ -34,7 +76,7 @@ export default function CreateOnboardingSchemaPage() {
   return (
     <AdminShell>
       <h1 class="page-title">Create Onboarding Flow</h1>
-      <p class="page-subtitle">Build onboarding in the same place with a simple step editor and visible runtime JSON.</p>
+      <p class="page-subtitle">All onboarding fields, validations, upload rules, and select behaviors are runtime schema-driven.</p>
       <div class="grid">
         <section class="card">
           <h2>Onboarding Builder</h2>
@@ -51,25 +93,9 @@ export default function CreateOnboardingSchemaPage() {
             <input type="number" value={config().version} onInput={(e) => setConfig({ ...config(), version: Number(e.currentTarget.value || 1) })} />
           </div>
           <div class="field">
-            <label>Steps (one title per line, quick mode)</label>
-            <textarea
-              rows={8}
-              value={config().steps.map((s) => s.title).join('\n')}
-              onInput={(e) =>
-                setConfig({
-                  ...config(),
-                  steps: e.currentTarget.value
-                    .split('\n')
-                    .map((line) => line.trim())
-                    .filter(Boolean)
-                    .map((title, index) => ({
-                      id: `step_${index + 1}`,
-                      title,
-                      fields: [{ id: `field_${index + 1}`, label: 'Sample Field', type: 'text', required: true }],
-                    })),
-                })
-              }
-            />
+            <label>Steps JSON (full runtime schema)</label>
+            <textarea class="json-input" rows={18} value={stepsJson()} onInput={(e) => syncSteps(e.currentTarget.value)} />
+            {stepsError() && <p class="error-note">{stepsError()}</p>}
           </div>
           <div class="actions">
             <button class="btn" onClick={() => persist('draft')}>Save Draft</button>