diff --git a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
--- a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
+++ b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
@@ -2762,6 +2762,7 @@
     'PhrictionConstants' => 'applications/phriction/constants/PhrictionConstants.php',
     'PhrictionContent' => 'applications/phriction/storage/PhrictionContent.php',
     'PhrictionController' => 'applications/phriction/controller/PhrictionController.php',
+    'PhrictionCreateConduitAPIMethod' => 'applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionCreateConduitAPIMethod.php',
     'PhrictionDAO' => 'applications/phriction/storage/PhrictionDAO.php',
     'PhrictionDeleteController' => 'applications/phriction/controller/PhrictionDeleteController.php',
     'PhrictionDiffController' => 'applications/phriction/controller/PhrictionDiffController.php',
@@ -5966,6 +5967,7 @@
       'PhabricatorMarkupInterface',
     ),
     'PhrictionController' => 'PhabricatorController',
+    'PhrictionCreateConduitAPIMethod' => 'PhrictionConduitAPIMethod',
     'PhrictionDAO' => 'PhabricatorLiskDAO',
     'PhrictionDeleteController' => 'PhrictionController',
     'PhrictionDiffController' => 'PhrictionController',
diff --git a/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod.php b/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionCreateConduitAPIMethod.php
copy from src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod.php
copy to src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionCreateConduitAPIMethod.php
--- a/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod.php
+++ b/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionCreateConduitAPIMethod.php
@@ -1,50 +1,49 @@
 <?php
 
-final class PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod extends PhrictionConduitAPIMethod {
-
+final class PhrictionCreateConduitAPIMethod extends PhrictionConduitAPIMethod {
   public function getAPIMethodName() {
-    return 'phriction.edit';
+    return 'phriction.create';
   }
-
   public function getMethodDescription() {
-    return 'Update a Phriction document.';
+    return pht('Create a Phriction document.');
   }
-
   public function defineParamTypes() {
     return array(
       'slug'          => 'required string',
-      'title'         => 'optional string',
-      'content'       => 'optional string',
+      'title'         => 'required string',
+      'content'       => 'required string',
       'description'   => 'optional string',
     );
   }
-
   public function defineReturnType() {
     return 'nonempty dict';
   }
-
   public function defineErrorTypes() {
     return array(
     );
   }
-
   protected function execute(ConduitAPIRequest $request) {
     $slug = $request->getValue('slug');
-
+    if (!strlen($slug)) {
+      throw new Exception(pht('No such document.'));
+    }
     $doc = id(new PhrictionDocumentQuery())
       ->setViewer($request->getUser())
       ->withSlugs(array(PhabricatorSlug::normalize($slug)))
-      ->needContent(true)
       ->requireCapabilities(
         array(
           PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_VIEW,
           PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_EDIT,
         ))
       ->executeOne();
-    if (!$doc) {
-      throw new Exception(pht('No such document.'));
+    if ($doc) {
+      throw new Exception(pht('Document already exists!'));
     }
 
+    $doc = PhrictionDocument::initializeNewDocument(
+      $request->getUser(),
+      $slug);
+
     $xactions = array();
     $xactions[] = id(new PhrictionTransaction())
       ->setTransactionType(PhrictionTransaction::TYPE_TITLE)
@@ -57,10 +56,15 @@
       ->setActor($request->getUser())
       ->setContentSourceFromConduitRequest($request)
       ->setContinueOnNoEffect(true)
-      ->setDescription($request->getValue('description'))
-      ->applyTransactions($doc, $xactions);
+      ->setDescription($request->getValue('description'));
+
+    try {
+      $editor->applyTransactions($doc, $xactions);
+    } catch (PhabricatorApplicationTransactionValidationException $ex) {
+      // TODO - some magical hotness via T5873
+      throw $ex;
+    }
 
     return $this->buildDocumentInfoDictionary($doc);
   }
-
 }
diff --git a/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod.php b/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod.php
--- a/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod.php
+++ b/src/applications/phriction/conduit/PhrictionEditConduitAPIMethod.php
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   }
 
   public function getMethodDescription() {
-    return 'Update a Phriction document.';
+    return pht('Update a Phriction document.');
   }
 
   public function defineParamTypes() {
@@ -57,8 +57,14 @@
       ->setActor($request->getUser())
       ->setContentSourceFromConduitRequest($request)
       ->setContinueOnNoEffect(true)
-      ->setDescription($request->getValue('description'))
-      ->applyTransactions($doc, $xactions);
+      ->setDescription($request->getValue('description'));
+
+    try {
+      $editor->applyTransactions($doc, $xactions);
+    } catch (PhabricatorApplicationTransactionValidationException $ex) {
+      // TODO - some magical hotness via T5873
+      throw $ex;
+    }
 
     return $this->buildDocumentInfoDictionary($doc);
   }