diff --git a/web/locales/cs/main.ftl b/web/locales/cs/main.ftl
index 8e12e901..2603077c 100644
--- a/web/locales/cs/main.ftl
+++ b/web/locales/cs/main.ftl
@@ -712,6 +712,7 @@ draft-err-profile-name = Zadejte název nového profilu.
 draft-err-table-conflict-global = Tabulka s názvem `{ $name }` už existuje. Název sdílené tabulky musí být volný v každém profilu.
 draft-err-table-conflict = Tabulka s názvem `{ $name }` už existuje v profilu `{ $profile }`, nebo je sdílená všemi profily.
 draft-err-no-columns = Před uložením přidejte alespoň jeden sloupec.
+draft-err-ragged-columns = Odeslaná data sloupců jsou neúplná: odesláno bylo { $posted } sloupců, ale jen { $kept } má všechna pole. Každý sloupec potřebuje název, typ, indexování, kvantitativní evidenci, povinnost, zaokrouhlení a měnu.
 draft-err-alias-taken = Alias `{ $alias }` pro generovaný sloupec `{ $source }` už používá jiný sloupec.
 draft-err-accounting-currency = Účetní měna musí být třímístný kód ISO-4217
 
diff --git a/web/locales/en/main.ftl b/web/locales/en/main.ftl
index ee5544f8..167996df 100644
--- a/web/locales/en/main.ftl
+++ b/web/locales/en/main.ftl
@@ -695,6 +695,7 @@ draft-err-profile-name = Enter a name for the new profile.
 draft-err-table-conflict-global = A table named `{ $name }` already exists. A shared table's name has to be free in every profile.
 draft-err-table-conflict = A table named `{ $name }` already exists in profile `{ $profile }`, or is shared by every profile.
 draft-err-no-columns = Add at least one column before saving.
+draft-err-ragged-columns = The posted column data is incomplete: { $posted } columns were sent, but only { $kept } carry every field. Each column needs a name, type, indexing, quantity-ledger, required, rounding and currency value.
 draft-err-alias-taken = Alias `{ $alias }` for generated column `{ $source }` is already taken by another column.
 draft-err-accounting-currency = Accounting currency must be a three-letter ISO-4217 code
 
diff --git a/web/locales/sk/main.ftl b/web/locales/sk/main.ftl
index 8a0e224f..dc151772 100644
--- a/web/locales/sk/main.ftl
+++ b/web/locales/sk/main.ftl
@@ -712,6 +712,7 @@ draft-err-profile-name = Zadajte názov nového profilu.
 draft-err-table-conflict-global = Tabuľka s názvom `{ $name }` už existuje. Názov zdieľanej tabuľky musí byť voľný v každom profile.
 draft-err-table-conflict = Tabuľka s názvom `{ $name }` už existuje v profile `{ $profile }`, alebo je zdieľaná všetkými profilmi.
 draft-err-no-columns = Pred uložením pridajte aspoň jeden stĺpec.
+draft-err-ragged-columns = Odoslané údaje o stĺpcoch sú neúplné: odoslaných bolo { $posted } stĺpcov, ale iba { $kept } má všetky polia. Každý stĺpec potrebuje názov, typ, indexovanie, kvantitatívnu evidenciu, povinnosť, zaokrúhľovanie a menu.
 draft-err-alias-taken = Alias `{ $alias }` pre generovaný stĺpec `{ $source }` už používa iný stĺpec.
 draft-err-accounting-currency = Účtovná mena musí byť trojpísmenový kód ISO-4217
 
diff --git a/web/src/pages/add_table/draft.rs b/web/src/pages/add_table/draft.rs
index 704f18dd..343ff113 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/add_table/draft.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/add_table/draft.rs
@@ -545,6 +545,11 @@ impl TableDraft {
                 )
             });
         }
+        // A ragged post can leave no columns at all, and "add at least one
+        // column" would then be answering a question nobody asked.
+        if let Some(ragged) = self.columns.ragged {
+            return Err(ragged.message(locale));
+        }
         if self.columns.is_empty() {
             return Err(tr!(locale, "draft-err-no-columns"));
         }
diff --git a/web/src/pages/add_table/state.rs b/web/src/pages/add_table/state.rs
index 3f658def..291fa328 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/add_table/state.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/add_table/state.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,15 @@ impl BuilderForm {
     pub(crate) fn to_draft(&self) -> TableDraft {
         let creating_new_profile = self.creating_new_profile();
 
+        let (added, ragged) = columns_from_rows(
+            &self.column_names,
+            &self.column_types,
+            &self.column_indexed,
+            &self.column_quantity_ledger,
+            &self.column_required,
+            &self.column_rounding,
+            &self.column_currencies,
+        );
         let columns = ColumnDraft {
             name_input: self.column_name_input.clone(),
             type_input: self.column_type_input.clone(),
@@ -120,15 +129,8 @@ impl BuilderForm {
             required_input: self.column_required_input.clone(),
             rounding_input: self.column_rounding_input.clone(),
             currency_input: self.column_currency_input.clone(),
-            added: columns_from_rows(
-                &self.column_names,
-                &self.column_types,
-                &self.column_indexed,
-                &self.column_quantity_ledger,
-                &self.column_required,
-                &self.column_rounding,
-                &self.column_currencies,
-            ),
+            added,
+            ragged,
             // Filled in by the loader from `ListColumnTypes`, never by the
             // form: it is the vocabulary the draft is validated against.
             catalog: ColumnCatalog::default(),
diff --git a/web/src/schema/mod.rs b/web/src/schema/mod.rs
index aef41232..8a47a692 100644
--- a/web/src/schema/mod.rs
+++ b/web/src/schema/mod.rs
@@ -493,6 +493,10 @@ pub(crate) struct ColumnDraft {
     /// point at. Set by the page: the builder knows the name being typed, and
     /// the append screen knows the table it is appending to.
     pub table_name: String,
+
+    /// Set when the post that rebuilt `added` had ragged column vectors, so
+    /// validation can say that rather than describe the truncated result.
+    pub ragged: Option<RaggedColumns>,
 }
 
 impl ColumnDraft {
@@ -1015,6 +1019,12 @@ impl ColumnDraft {
     /// from a posted form has not been through that path, so this is what a
     /// tampered-with or truncated post is held to.
     pub(crate) fn validate(&self, locale: crate::i18n::Locale) -> Result<(), String> {
+        // Before anything about the columns themselves: if the post was
+        // ragged, `added` is not what was sent, and every message below would
+        // be describing a list the caller never posted.
+        if let Some(ragged) = self.ragged {
+            return Err(ragged.message(locale));
+        }
         let claimed = self.claimed_names();
         for column in &self.added {
             if let Some(error) =
@@ -1442,6 +1452,15 @@ pub(crate) struct ColumnForm {
 
 impl ColumnForm {
     pub(crate) fn to_draft(&self, catalog: ColumnCatalog, creating_table: bool) -> ColumnDraft {
+        let (added, ragged) = columns_from_rows(
+            &self.column_names,
+            &self.column_types,
+            &self.column_indexed,
+            &self.column_quantity_ledger,
+            &self.column_required,
+            &self.column_rounding,
+            &self.column_currencies,
+        );
         ColumnDraft {
             name_input: self.column_name_input.clone(),
             type_input: self.column_type_input.clone(),
@@ -1455,15 +1474,8 @@ impl ColumnForm {
             required_input: self.column_required_input.clone(),
             rounding_input: self.column_rounding_input.clone(),
             currency_input: self.column_currency_input.clone(),
-            added: columns_from_rows(
-                &self.column_names,
-                &self.column_types,
-                &self.column_indexed,
-                &self.column_quantity_ledger,
-                &self.column_required,
-                &self.column_rounding,
-                &self.column_currencies,
-            ),
+            added,
+            ragged,
             catalog,
             creating_table,
             // Filled in by the page, which is what knows the table these
@@ -1478,11 +1490,36 @@ fn is_yes(value: &str) -> bool {
     value.trim().eq_ignore_ascii_case("yes")
 }
 
+/// A post whose parallel column vectors were not all the same length: `kept`
+/// columns could be rebuilt, while the longest vector carried `posted`.
+///
+/// The page itself always writes all seven values per staged column, so this
+/// only happens to something posting the form by hand — and it used to be
+/// invisible, surfacing as "Add at least one column before saving" when the
+/// short vector was empty, or as silently dropped columns when it was not.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) struct RaggedColumns {
+    pub kept: usize,
+    pub posted: usize,
+}
+
+impl RaggedColumns {
+    pub(crate) fn message(self, locale: crate::i18n::Locale) -> String {
+        crate::tr!(
+            locale,
+            "draft-err-ragged-columns",
+            "posted" => self.posted as i64,
+            "kept" => self.kept as i64,
+        )
+    }
+}
+
 /// Zips the posted column vectors back into column definitions.
 ///
 /// The vectors are parallel, so a short one — a truncated or tampered-with
 /// post — simply limits how many columns are reconstructed rather than
-/// mis-pairing them.
+/// mis-pairing them. The mismatch is reported alongside, so the draft can say
+/// so instead of quietly holding fewer columns than were sent.
 pub(crate) fn columns_from_rows(
     names: &[String],
     types: &[String],
@@ -1491,8 +1528,8 @@ pub(crate) fn columns_from_rows(
     required: &[String],
     rounding: &[String],
     currencies: &[String],
-) -> Vec<ColumnDefinition> {
-    let count = [
+) -> (Vec<ColumnDefinition>, Option<RaggedColumns>) {
+    let lengths = [
         names.len(),
         types.len(),
         indexed.len(),
@@ -1500,12 +1537,15 @@ pub(crate) fn columns_from_rows(
         required.len(),
         rounding.len(),
         currencies.len(),
-    ]
-    .into_iter()
-    .min()
-    .unwrap_or(0);
+    ];
+    let count = lengths.into_iter().min().unwrap_or(0);
+    let longest = lengths.into_iter().max().unwrap_or(0);
+    let ragged = (longest > count).then_some(RaggedColumns {
+        kept: count,
+        posted: longest,
+    });
 
-    (0..count)
+    let columns = (0..count)
         .map(|index| ColumnDefinition {
             name: names[index].clone(),
             data_type: types[index].clone(),
@@ -1515,7 +1555,8 @@ pub(crate) fn columns_from_rows(
             money_mode: MoneyMode::from_input(&rounding[index]),
             currency: currencies[index].clone(),
         })
-        .collect()
+        .collect();
+    (columns, ragged)
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -2016,7 +2057,7 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn mismatched_column_vectors_never_mis_pair() {
-        let columns = columns_from_rows(
+        let (columns, ragged) = columns_from_rows(
             &["number".to_string(), "total".to_string()],
             &["text".to_string()],
             &["yes".to_string(), "no".to_string()],
@@ -2030,6 +2071,31 @@ pub(crate) mod tests {
         assert_eq!(columns[0].name, "number");
         assert_eq!(columns[0].data_type, "text");
         assert!(columns[0].indexed);
+        // And the truncation is reported rather than passed off as the draft
+        // the caller posted: two columns were sent, one survived the zip.
+        assert_eq!(ragged, Some(RaggedColumns { kept: 1, posted: 2 }));
+    }
+
+    /// The message a ragged post gets. It used to be "Add at least one column
+    /// before saving", which describes the *result* of dropping the caller's
+    /// columns instead of the mismatch that dropped them.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_ragged_post_says_how_many_columns_went_missing() {
+        let (columns, ragged) = columns_from_rows(
+            &["number".to_string(), "total".to_string()],
+            &[],
+            &[],
+            &[],
+            &[],
+            &[],
+            &[],
+        );
+
+        assert!(columns.is_empty());
+        let ragged = ragged.expect("two names and no other vector is ragged");
+        let message = ragged.message(crate::i18n::Locale::default());
+        assert!(message.contains('2'), "{message}");
+        assert!(!message.contains("at least one"), "{message}");
     }
 
     /// The declared order is the order the table gets its columns in, so it is