diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller.rb
index da2be2312..8a6fd61f8 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller.rb
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ class Api::V1::Accounts::ArticlesController < Api::V1::Accounts::BaseController
   def edit; end
 
   def create
-    @article = @portal.articles.create!(article_params)
+    params_with_defaults = article_params
+    params_with_defaults[:status] ||= :draft
+    @article = @portal.articles.create!(params_with_defaults)
     @article.associate_root_article(article_params[:associated_article_id])
-    @article.draft!
     render json: { error: @article.errors.messages }, status: :unprocessable_entity and return unless @article.valid?
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller_spec.rb
index 42fd062dc..e74be76e2 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/api/v1/accounts/articles_controller_spec.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ RSpec.describe 'Api::V1::Accounts::Articles', type: :request do
         expect(response).to have_http_status(:success)
         json_response = response.parsed_body
         expect(json_response['payload']['title']).to eql('MyTitle')
-        expect(json_response['payload']['status']).to eql('draft')
+        expect(json_response['payload']['status']).to eql('published')
         expect(json_response['payload']['position']).to be(3)
       end
 
@@ -59,10 +59,30 @@ RSpec.describe 'Api::V1::Accounts::Articles', type: :request do
         expect(response).to have_http_status(:success)
         json_response = response.parsed_body
         expect(json_response['payload']['title']).to eql('MyTitle')
-        expect(json_response['payload']['status']).to eql('draft')
+        expect(json_response['payload']['status']).to eql('published')
         expect(json_response['payload']['position']).to be(3)
       end
 
+      it 'creates article as draft when status is not provided' do
+        article_params = {
+          article: {
+            category_id: category.id,
+            description: 'test description',
+            title: 'DraftTitle',
+            slug: 'draft-title',
+            content: 'This is my draft content.',
+            author_id: agent.id
+          }
+        }
+        post "/api/v1/accounts/#{account.id}/portals/#{portal.slug}/articles",
+             params: article_params,
+             headers: admin.create_new_auth_token
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:success)
+        json_response = response.parsed_body
+        expect(json_response['payload']['title']).to eql('DraftTitle')
+        expect(json_response['payload']['status']).to eql('draft')
+      end
+
       it 'associate to the root article' do
         root_article = create(:article, category: category, slug: 'root-article', portal: portal, account_id: account.id, author_id: agent.id,
                                         associated_article_id: nil)