diff --git a/backend/src/services/tour_pages.ts b/backend/src/services/tour_pages.ts
index 3537ef6..0dfa4a4 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/tour_pages.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/tour_pages.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,60 @@ const isStructuredUiSchema = (
 ): value is TourPageStructuredUiSchema =>
   Boolean(value && typeof value === 'object' && !Array.isArray(value));
 
+const normalizeStructuredUiSchema = (
+  value: TourPageStructuredUiSchema,
+): TourPageStructuredUiSchema => {
+  if (value.elements === undefined) {
+    return { ...value, elements: [] };
+  }
+
+  if (!Array.isArray(value.elements)) {
+    throw new ValidationError('ui_schema_json.elements must be an array');
+  }
+
+  return value;
+};
+
+const normalizeUiSchemaJson = (
+  uiSchema: TourPageData['ui_schema_json'] | undefined,
+): TourPageStructuredUiSchema | null => {
+  if (uiSchema === undefined || uiSchema === null) return null;
+
+  if (typeof uiSchema === 'string') {
+    if (!uiSchema.trim()) return null;
+
+    let parsed: unknown;
+    try {
+      parsed = parseUnknownJson(uiSchema);
+    } catch {
+      throw new ValidationError('Invalid ui_schema_json format');
+    }
+
+    if (!isStructuredUiSchema(parsed)) {
+      throw new ValidationError('ui_schema_json must be a JSON object');
+    }
+
+    return normalizeStructuredUiSchema(parsed);
+  }
+
+  if (!isStructuredUiSchema(uiSchema)) {
+    throw new ValidationError('ui_schema_json must be a JSON object');
+  }
+
+  return normalizeStructuredUiSchema(uiSchema);
+};
+
+const normalizeTourPageUiSchemaData = (data: TourPageData): TourPageData => {
+  if (!Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(data, 'ui_schema_json')) {
+    return data;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ...data,
+    ui_schema_json: normalizeUiSchemaJson(data.ui_schema_json),
+  };
+};
+
 const parseUiSchema = (
   uiSchema: TourPageData['ui_schema_json'],
 ): TourPageStructuredUiSchema | string | null => {
@@ -623,11 +677,12 @@ class TourPagesService extends BaseService {
   ): Promise<TourPageRecord> {
     assertCreateOptions(options, 'Service');
     const { data, currentUser } = options;
+    const normalizedData = normalizeTourPageUiSchemaData(data);
 
     // Process reversed videos and get updated ui_schema_json
     const updatedData =
       await TourPagesService.processReversedVideosAndUpdateSchema(
-        data,
+        normalizedData,
         currentUser,
       );
 
@@ -645,6 +700,7 @@ class TourPagesService extends BaseService {
   ): Promise<TourPageRecord> {
     assertUpdateOptions(options, 'Service');
     const { id, data, currentUser } = options;
+    const normalizedData = normalizeTourPageUiSchemaData(data);
 
     // Fetch existing page to get projectId (not included in update request body)
     const existingPage = await Tour_pagesDBApi.findBy(
@@ -652,9 +708,11 @@ class TourPagesService extends BaseService {
       buildFindByOptions(options),
     );
     const projectId =
-      existingPage?.projectId || data.projectId || data.project_id;
+      existingPage?.projectId ||
+      normalizedData.projectId ||
+      normalizedData.project_id;
     const dataWithPageContext: TourPageData = {
-      ...data,
+      ...normalizedData,
       id,
     };
     if (projectId !== undefined) {
@@ -726,7 +784,11 @@ class TourPagesService extends BaseService {
       return data;
     }
 
-    if (!uiSchema?.elements || !Array.isArray(uiSchema.elements)) {
+    if (
+      !uiSchema?.elements ||
+      !Array.isArray(uiSchema.elements) ||
+      uiSchema.elements.length === 0
+    ) {
       logger.debug({ hasElements: false }, 'No elements in ui_schema_json');
       return data;
     }
diff --git a/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts b/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts
index ba7ce78..3c777d5 100644
--- a/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts
+++ b/backend/tests/update-contracts.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ import test from 'node:test';
 
 import db from '../src/db/models/index.ts';
 import AssetsDBApi from '../src/db/api/assets.ts';
+import TourPagesDBApi from '../src/db/api/tour_pages.ts';
 import AssetsService from '../src/services/assets.ts';
+import TourPagesService from '../src/services/tour_pages.ts';
 import GenericDBApi from '../src/db/api/base.api.ts';
 import ProjectElementDefaultsDBApi from '../src/db/api/project_element_defaults.ts';
 import { createEntityService } from '../src/factories/service.factory.ts';
@@ -17,6 +19,9 @@ import type {
   EntityServiceDbApi,
   RuntimeContext,
   RuntimeEnvironment,
+  TourPageCreateOptions,
+  TourPageRecord,
+  TourPageUpdateOptions,
 } from '../src/types/index.ts';
 
 interface TestTransactionOptions {
@@ -58,6 +63,9 @@ interface UpdateContractCalls {
   serviceDeleteByIds?: unknown;
   serviceRemove?: unknown;
   variantSoftDelete?: { payload: DbData; options: unknown };
+  tourPageCreate?: TourPageCreateOptions;
+  tourPageUpdate?: TourPageUpdateOptions;
+  tourPageFindBy?: { where: { id: string }; options: TestTransactionOptions };
   associationThis?: TestAssociationRecord;
   committed?: true;
   rolledBack?: true;
@@ -164,6 +172,63 @@ function replaceAssetsDbApiDeleteByIds(
   };
 }
 
+function replaceTourPagesDbApiCreate(
+  value: (options: TourPageCreateOptions) => Promise<TourPageRecord>,
+): () => void {
+  const original = TourPagesDBApi.create.bind(TourPagesDBApi);
+
+  Object.defineProperty(TourPagesDBApi, 'create', {
+    configurable: true,
+    value,
+  });
+
+  return () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(TourPagesDBApi, 'create', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: original,
+    });
+  };
+}
+
+function replaceTourPagesDbApiFindBy(
+  value: (
+    where: { id: string },
+    options?: TestTransactionOptions,
+  ) => Promise<TourPageRecord | null>,
+): () => void {
+  const original = TourPagesDBApi.findBy.bind(TourPagesDBApi);
+
+  Object.defineProperty(TourPagesDBApi, 'findBy', {
+    configurable: true,
+    value,
+  });
+
+  return () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(TourPagesDBApi, 'findBy', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: original,
+    });
+  };
+}
+
+function replaceTourPagesDbApiUpdate(
+  value: (options: TourPageUpdateOptions) => Promise<TourPageRecord>,
+): () => void {
+  const original = TourPagesDBApi.update.bind(TourPagesDBApi);
+
+  Object.defineProperty(TourPagesDBApi, 'update', {
+    configurable: true,
+    value,
+  });
+
+  return () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(TourPagesDBApi, 'update', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: original,
+    });
+  };
+}
+
 function createServiceDbApi(
   calls: UpdateContractCalls,
 ): EntityServiceDbApi<TestEntity, TestEntityData, TestEntityData> {
@@ -587,6 +652,84 @@ void test('AssetsService.deleteByIds soft-deletes variants for deleted assets',
   }
 });
 
+void test('TourPagesService.create normalizes ui_schema_json top-level shape', async () => {
+  const calls: UpdateContractCalls = {};
+  const transaction: TestManagedTransaction = {
+    id: 'tx-tour-page-create',
+    commit() {
+      calls.committed = true;
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    },
+    rollback() {
+      calls.rolledBack = true;
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    },
+  };
+  const restoreTransaction = replaceSequelizeTransaction(transaction);
+  const restoreCreate = replaceTourPagesDbApiCreate((options) => {
+    calls.tourPageCreate = options;
+    return Promise.resolve({
+      id: 'page-1',
+      ui_schema_json: options.data.ui_schema_json ?? null,
+    });
+  });
+
+  try {
+    const result = await TourPagesService.create({
+      data: {
+        name: 'Page',
+        slug: 'page',
+        ui_schema_json: '{"canvas":{"width":1920}}',
+      },
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(result.ui_schema_json, {
+      canvas: { width: 1920 },
+      elements: [],
+    });
+    assert.deepEqual(calls.tourPageCreate?.data.ui_schema_json, {
+      canvas: { width: 1920 },
+      elements: [],
+    });
+    assert.equal(calls.committed, true);
+    assert.equal(calls.rolledBack, undefined);
+  } finally {
+    restoreCreate();
+    restoreTransaction();
+  }
+});
+
+void test('TourPagesService.update rejects ui_schema_json with non-array elements', async () => {
+  const calls: UpdateContractCalls = {};
+  const restoreFindBy = replaceTourPagesDbApiFindBy((where, options) => {
+    calls.tourPageFindBy = { where, options: options || {} };
+    return Promise.resolve({ id: where.id });
+  });
+  const restoreUpdate = replaceTourPagesDbApiUpdate((options) => {
+    calls.tourPageUpdate = options;
+    return Promise.resolve({ id: options.id });
+  });
+
+  try {
+    await assert.rejects(
+      () =>
+        TourPagesService.update({
+          id: 'page-1',
+          data: {
+            ui_schema_json: { elements: {} },
+          },
+        }),
+      /ui_schema_json\.elements must be an array/,
+    );
+
+    assert.equal(calls.tourPageFindBy, undefined);
+    assert.equal(calls.tourPageUpdate, undefined);
+  } finally {
+    restoreUpdate();
+    restoreFindBy();
+  }
+});
+
 void test('createEntityService update uses object signature and manages own transaction', async () => {
   const calls: UpdateContractCalls = {};
   const transaction: TestManagedTransaction = {