diff --git a/src/api.py b/src/api.py
index ea920cd..a76eac0 100644
--- a/src/api.py
+++ b/src/api.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class API:
         self.globals = GlobalStore()
         self.log = None
         self.config = None
+        self.mode = "draft"

 api = API()

diff --git a/src/build.py b/src/build.py
index 87afdef..004a822 100644
--- a/src/build.py
+++ b/src/build.py
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ def compile_file(md_file, html_dest, config=None, plugins=None, force: bool = Fa
     hook_call("on_page_built", md_file, html_dest)
     return result

-def walk_and_build(config, plugins, force_all=False):
+def walk_and_build(config, plugins, dest, force_all=False):
     md_path = config.tree.markdown
     hook_call("on_walk_start", config)
     files = []
@@ -201,16 +201,35 @@ def walk_and_build(config, plugins, force_all=False):
         hook_call("on_walk_file", md_file)
         md_relpath = path.relpath(md_file, md_path)
         if is_dotfile(md_relpath): continue
-        html_dest = path.join(config.tree.dest, md_relpath)
+        html_dest = path.join(dest, md_relpath)
         if html_dest.endswith(".md"):
             html_dest = html_dest.removesuffix(".md") + ".html"
         source_file = readlink(md_file) if path.islink(md_file) else md_file
         compile_file(source_file, html_dest, config, plugins, force=force_all)
     hook_call("on_walk_end", config)

-def build_all(config, plugins):
+def build_all(config, plugins, dest):
     clear_all_hashes(config)
-    walk_and_build(config, plugins, force_all=True)
+    walk_and_build(config, plugins, dest, force_all=True)
+
+def validate_build(config, plugins):
+    errors = []
+    md_path = config.tree.markdown
+    for parent, _, filenames in walk(md_path):
+        for filename in filenames:
+            md_file = path.join(parent, filename)
+            if is_dotfile(path.relpath(md_file, md_path)):
+                continue
+            source = readlink(md_file) if path.islink(md_file) else md_file
+            try:
+                compile_page(read_md_content(source), config=config, plugins=plugins)
+            except Exception as e:
+                errors.append(f"{path.relpath(md_file, md_path)}: {e}")
+    if errors:
+        for e in errors:
+            warn(e)
+        raise Exception(f"Validation failed with {len(errors)} error(s)")
+    info("Validation passed.")

 def build_if_file(project_path, file):
     if project_path:
@@ -220,20 +239,27 @@ def build_if_file(project_path, file):
     else:
         compile_file(file[0], file[1])

-def build(building_type: str, project_path: str, file: list[str]):
+def build(mode, project_path, file, validate=False, force=False):
     try:
         if file:
-            build_if_file(project_path, file)
-        else:
-            project_path = project_path if project_path else getcwd()
-            find_project_from_path(project_path)
-            chdir(project_path)
-            config = load_config()
-            plugins = load_plugins(config)
-            hook_call("on_build_start", config)
-            walk_and_build(config, plugins)
-            hook_call("on_build_end", config)
-
-
+            return build_if_file(project_path, file)
+
+        project_path = project_path or getcwd()
+        find_project_from_path(project_path)
+        chdir(project_path)
+        config = load_config()
+        plugins = load_plugins(config)
+        dest = config.tree.draft_dest if mode == "draft" else config.tree.release_dest
+
+        if validate:
+            validate_build(config, plugins)
+        if mode == "release":
+            import shutil
+            if path.exists(dest):
+                shutil.rmtree(dest)
+
+        hook_call("on_build_start", config)
+        walk_and_build(config, plugins, dest, force_all=force)
+        hook_call("on_build_end", config)
     except Exception as e:
         fatal(e, f"Build failed: {e}")
diff --git a/src/config.py b/src/config.py
index 63ee3be..c5233e9 100644
--- a/src/config.py
+++ b/src/config.py
@@ -22,30 +22,14 @@ def load_project_config(config) -> Project:
     ) 

 def load_tree_config(config) -> Tree:
-    markdown  = config["tree"].get("markdown",  "src/md")
-    static    = config["tree"].get("static",    "src/static")
-    templates = config["tree"].get("templates", "src/templates")
-    dest      = config["tree"].get("dest",      "src/dest")
-    plugins   = config["tree"].get("plugins",   "src/plugins.py")
+    t = config["tree"]
+    markdown, static, templates = t["markdown"], t["static"], t["templates"]
+    draft_dest, release_dest, plugins = t["draft_dest"], t["release_dest"], t["plugins"]
+    for name, p in [("markdown", markdown), ("static", static), ("templates", templates), ("plugins", plugins)]:
+        if not exists(p):
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"{name} directory does not exist: {p}")
+    return Tree(markdown=markdown, static=static, templates=templates, draft_dest=draft_dest, release_dest=release_dest, plugins=plugins)

-    if not exists(markdown):
-        raise FileNotFoundError(f"markdown directory does not exist: {markdown}")
-    if not exists(static):
-        raise FileNotFoundError(f"static directory does not exist: {static}")
-    if not exists(templates):
-        raise FileNotFoundError(f"templates directory does not exist: {templates}")
-    if not exists(plugins):
-        raise FileNotFoundError(f"plugins file does not exist: {plugins}")
-    if not exists(dest):
-        makedirs(dest)
-
-    return Tree(
-        markdown  = markdown,
-        static    = static,
-        templates = templates,
-        dest      = dest,
-        plugins   = plugins,
-    )

 def load_webview_config(config) -> Webview:
     return Webview(
diff --git a/src/fileops.py b/src/fileops.py
index 396870f..0cad009 100644
--- a/src/fileops.py
+++ b/src/fileops.py
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ def resolve_tree_paths(project_dir: str, tree: Tree) -> Tree:
         markdown=path.join(project_dir, tree.markdown),
         static=path.join(project_dir, tree.static),
         templates=path.join(project_dir, tree.templates),
-        dest=path.join(project_dir, tree.dest),
+        draft_dest=path.join(project_dir, tree.draft_dest),
+        release_dest=path.join(project_dir, tree.release_dest),
         plugins=path.join(project_dir, tree.plugins),
     )

@@ -28,5 +29,6 @@ def create_tree_dirs (tree:Tree) -> None:
     makedirs(tree.markdown , exist_ok=True)
     makedirs(tree.static   , exist_ok=True)
     makedirs(tree.templates, exist_ok=True)
-    makedirs(tree.dest     , exist_ok=True)
+    makedirs(tree.draft_dest     , exist_ok=True)
+    makedirs(tree.release_dest   , exist_ok=True)
     makedirs(tree.plugins  , exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/src/init_project.py b/src/init_project.py
index 62f3ba9..2ac7973 100644
--- a/src/init_project.py
+++ b/src/init_project.py
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ def init_config_struct(project_name:str) -> Config:
             description = "Add your description here",
         ),
         tree = Tree(
-            markdown  = "src/md",
-            static    = "src/static",
-            templates = "src/templates",
-            dest      = "src/dest",
-            plugins   = "src/plugins",
+            markdown     = "src/md",
+            static       = "src/static",
+            templates    = "src/templates",
+            draft_dest   = "build/draft",
+            release_dest = "build/release",
+            plugins      = "src/plugins",
         ),
         webview = Webview(
             host        = "localhost",
@@ -43,11 +44,12 @@ version     = "{config.project.version}"
 description = "{config.project.description}"

 [tree]
-markdown  = "{config.tree.markdown}"
-static    = "{config.tree.static}"
-templates = "{config.tree.templates}"
-dest      = "{config.tree.dest}"
-plugins   = "{config.tree.plugins}"
+markdown     = "{config.tree.markdown}"
+static       = "{config.tree.static}"
+templates    = "{config.tree.templates}"
+draft_dest   = "{config.tree.draft_dest}"
+release_dest = "{config.tree.release_dest}"
+plugins      = "{config.tree.plugins}"

 [webview]
 host        = "{config.webview.host}"
diff --git a/src/main.py b/src/main.py
index 73b78a1..36f110c 100755
--- a/src/main.py
+++ b/src/main.py
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ def main():
     webview_parser.add_argument("path", nargs="?")

     build_parser = sub_parser.add_parser("build", parents=[common])
-    build_parser.add_argument("--release", action="store_true")
-    build_parser.add_argument("--debug", action="store_true")
+    build_mode = build_parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    build_mode.add_argument("--draft", action="store_true", default=True)
+    build_mode.add_argument("--release", action="store_true")
     build_parser.add_argument("path", nargs="?")
     build_parser.add_argument("--file", nargs=2, metavar=("SRC", "DEST"))

@@ -53,8 +54,11 @@ def main():
         init(project_path = args.path)

     elif args.command == "build":
+        from .api import api
+        mode = "release" if args.release else "draft"
+        api.mode = mode
         from .build import build
-        build(building_type = "release" if args.release else "debug", project_path = args.path, file=args.file)
+        build(mode = mode, project_path = args.path, file=args.file)

     elif args.command == "webview":
         from .webviewer import run
@@ -65,4 +69,3 @@ def main():
         run_watcher(args.path)

     atexit.register(lambda: hook_call("on_end"))
-
diff --git a/src/modules.py b/src/modules.py
index 9e8b61c..8267fc1 100644
--- a/src/modules.py
+++ b/src/modules.py
@@ -1,39 +1,40 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass

-@dataclass()
+@dataclass
 class Project:
-    name        : str
-    version     : str
-    description : str
+    name: str
+    version: str
+    description: str

-@dataclass()
+@dataclass
 class Tree:
-    markdown  : str
-    static    : str
-    templates : str
-    dest      : str
-    plugins   : str
+    markdown: str
+    static: str
+    templates: str
+    draft_dest: str
+    release_dest: str
+    plugins: str

-@dataclass()
+@dataclass
 class Webview:
-    host        : str
-    port        : int
-    dev_tools   : str
-    html_path   : str
-    static_path : str
+    host: str
+    port: int
+    dev_tools: str
+    html_path: str
+    static_path: str

 @dataclass
 class Extras:
-    highlight :str 
+    highlight: str

 @dataclass
 class Cache:
-    hash :str 
+    hash: str

-@dataclass()
+@dataclass
 class Config:
-    project:Project
-    tree:Tree
-    webview:Webview
-    extras:Extras
-    cache:Cache
+    project: Project
+    tree: Tree
+    webview: Webview
+    extras: Extras
+    cache: Cache