diff --git a/apps/web/src/core/managers/project-manager.ts b/apps/web/src/core/managers/project-manager.ts
index b38fd50d..8b593fec 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/core/managers/project-manager.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/core/managers/project-manager.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type {
 	TProjectSortKey,
 	TProjectSortOption,
 	TProjectSettings,
+	TProjectType,
 	TTimelineViewState,
 } from "@/project/types";
 import type { ExportOptions, ExportResult, ExportState } from "@/export";
@@ -79,7 +80,13 @@ export class ProjectManager {
 		await this.storageMigrationPromise;
 	}
 
-	async createNewProject({ name }: { name: string }): Promise<string> {
+	async createNewProject({
+		name,
+		projectType,
+	}: {
+		name: string;
+		projectType?: TProjectType;
+	}): Promise<string> {
 		const mainScene = buildDefaultScene({ name: "Main scene", isMain: true });
 		const newProject: TProject = {
 			metadata: {
@@ -88,6 +95,7 @@ export class ProjectManager {
 				duration: getProjectDurationFromScenes({ scenes: [mainScene] }),
 				createdAt: new Date(),
 				updatedAt: new Date(),
+				projectType: projectType ?? "standard",
 			},
 			scenes: [mainScene],
 			currentSceneId: mainScene.id,
diff --git a/apps/web/src/project/__tests__/project-type.test.ts b/apps/web/src/project/__tests__/project-type.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a7e35b8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/project/__tests__/project-type.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { PROJECT_TYPES, type TProjectType } from "@/project/types";
+
+describe("PROJECT_TYPES", () => {
+	test("contains standard and shorts", () => {
+		expect(PROJECT_TYPES).toContain("standard");
+		expect(PROJECT_TYPES).toContain("shorts");
+	});
+
+	test("project metadata uses 'standard' when projectType is undefined", () => {
+		function buildMetadataProjectType(input?: TProjectType): TProjectType {
+			return input ?? "standard";
+		}
+		expect(buildMetadataProjectType(undefined)).toBe("standard");
+		expect(buildMetadataProjectType("shorts")).toBe("shorts");
+		expect(buildMetadataProjectType("standard")).toBe("standard");
+	});
+
+	test("PROJECT_TYPES is stable in declared order", () => {
+		expect([...PROJECT_TYPES]).toEqual(["standard", "shorts"]);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/project/types.ts b/apps/web/src/project/types.ts
index dca2d785..0608dd0e 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/project/types.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/project/types.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@ import type { FrameRate } from "opencut-wasm";
 import type { TScene } from "@/timeline/types";
 import type { MediaTime } from "@/wasm";
 
+export const PROJECT_TYPES = ["standard", "shorts"] as const;
+/**
+ * Project intent. "shorts" indicates a vertical 9:16 short-form project
+ * (e.g. YouTube Shorts) — drives preset pickers, export defaults, and
+ * vertical-safe text positioning. "standard" covers landscape, square,
+ * and other non-Shorts aspect ratios.
+ */
+export type TProjectType = (typeof PROJECT_TYPES)[number];
+
 export type TBackground =
 	| {
 			type: "color";
@@ -24,6 +33,13 @@ export interface TProjectMetadata {
 	duration: MediaTime;
 	createdAt: Date;
 	updatedAt: Date;
+	/**
+	 * Discriminator for project intent. Optional for back-compat — undefined on
+	 * projects created before this field existed; consumers MUST treat undefined
+	 * as "standard" (e.g. `projectType ?? "standard"`). New projects always set
+	 * this explicitly via ProjectManager.createNewProject.
+	 */
+	projectType?: TProjectType;
 }
 
 export interface TProjectSettings {