diff --git a/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.js b/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.js
index 7d7209c..708a623 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.js
@@ -19,12 +19,24 @@ function stripMarkdown(value) {
   return trimmed.replace(/^`|`$/g, "").replace(/^<|>$/g, "").trim();
 }
 
-function readBodyValue(body, label) {
+function readBodyField(body, label) {
   const escaped = label.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, "\\$&");
   const match = String(body || "").match(
     new RegExp(`^[ \\t]*(?:-[ \\t]*)?${escaped}:[ \\t]*(.*)$`, "im"),
   );
-  return match ? stripMarkdown(match[1]) : "";
+  return match ? stripMarkdown(match[1]) : undefined;
+}
+
+function readBodyValue(body, label) {
+  return readBodyField(body, label) ?? "";
+}
+
+function readFirstBodyValue(body, labels) {
+  for (const label of labels) {
+    const value = readBodyField(body, label);
+    if (value !== undefined) return value;
+  }
+  return undefined;
 }
 
 function labelSuffix(labels, prefix) {
@@ -45,10 +57,10 @@ function parseIssueMetadata(issue) {
   const labels = issue.labels || [];
   const pagePath = readBodyValue(issue.body, "Pfad");
   const gitBookUrl = readBodyValue(issue.body, "GitBook URL");
-  const sprachreviewCr = readBodyValue(issue.body, "DE Sprache");
-  const optimierungsCr = readBodyValue(issue.body, "Optimierung");
-  const fachcheckCr = readBodyValue(issue.body, "Fachcheck");
-  const enSyncCr = readBodyValue(issue.body, "EN Sync");
+  const sprachreviewCr = readFirstBodyValue(issue.body, ["DE Sprache", "DE Sprachreview"]);
+  const optimierungsCr = readFirstBodyValue(issue.body, ["Optimierung", "DE Optimierung"]);
+  const fachcheckCr = readFirstBodyValue(issue.body, ["Fachcheck", "DE Fachcheck"]);
+  const enSyncCr = readFirstBodyValue(issue.body, ["EN Sync"]);
 
   if (!pagePath) throw new Error("Issue body is missing 'Pfad'.");
   if (!gitBookUrl) throw new Error("Issue body is missing 'GitBook URL'.");
@@ -201,6 +213,11 @@ function buildFieldUpdates(project, metadata) {
   return { singleSelect, text };
 }
 
+function getTextFieldAction(value, required) {
+  if (value === undefined || (required && !value)) return "skip";
+  return value ? "set" : "clear";
+}
+
 async function run({ github, context, core, issueNumber, organization, projectNumber }) {
   if (!Number.isInteger(issueNumber) || issueNumber < 1) {
     throw new Error("issue_number must be a positive integer.");
@@ -232,9 +249,10 @@ async function run({ github, context, core, issueNumber, organization, projectNu
   }
 
   for (const { field, value, required } of updates.text) {
-    if (value) {
+    const action = getTextFieldAction(value, required);
+    if (action === "set") {
       await setFieldValue(github, project.id, itemId, field.id, { text: value });
-    } else if (!required) {
+    } else if (action === "clear") {
       await clearFieldValue(github, project.id, itemId, field.id);
     }
   }
@@ -264,6 +282,7 @@ module.exports = {
   buildFieldUpdates,
   findField,
   findOption,
+  getTextFieldAction,
   normalize,
   parseIssueMetadata,
   readBodyValue,
diff --git a/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.test.js b/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.test.js
index 1fd5639..0c51148 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.test.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/sync-docs-project.test.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const test = require("node:test");
 const {
   buildFieldUpdates,
   findOption,
+  getTextFieldAction,
   normalize,
   parseIssueMetadata,
   readBodyValue,
@@ -70,6 +71,35 @@ test("reads markdown links and backtick values", () => {
   );
 });
 
+test("accepts existing issue CR headings used by editors", () => {
+  const result = parseIssueMetadata({
+    body: `Pfad: example
+GitBook URL: https://example.com
+- DE Sprachreview: https://example.com/sprache
+- DE Optimierung: https://example.com/optimierung
+- DE Fachcheck: Nicht erforderlich – Fachcheck ohne Änderungsbedarf abgeschlossen.`,
+    labels: ["stage:en-sync", "lang:de", "area:loslegen"],
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(result.sprachreviewCr, "https://example.com/sprache");
+  assert.equal(result.optimierungsCr, "https://example.com/optimierung");
+  assert.equal(result.fachcheckCr, "Nicht erforderlich – Fachcheck ohne Änderungsbedarf abgeschlossen.");
+});
+
+test("omitted CR headings preserve project values while blank headings clear them", () => {
+  const labels = ["stage:en-sync", "lang:de", "area:loslegen"];
+  const base = "Pfad: example\nGitBook URL: https://example.com";
+
+  const omitted = parseIssueMetadata({ body: base, labels });
+  const blank = parseIssueMetadata({ body: base + "\n- Fachcheck:", labels });
+
+  assert.equal(omitted.fachcheckCr, undefined);
+  assert.equal(blank.fachcheckCr, "");
+  assert.equal(getTextFieldAction(omitted.fachcheckCr, false), "skip");
+  assert.equal(getTextFieldAction(blank.fachcheckCr, false), "clear");
+  assert.equal(getTextFieldAction("https://example.com/cr", false), "set");
+});
+
 test("matches labels to project options independent of punctuation and case", () => {
   assert.equal(normalize("DE Sprachreview"), normalize("de-sprachreview"));
   assert.equal(
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sync-docs-project.yml b/.github/workflows/sync-docs-project.yml
index a55759b..40ff9f3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sync-docs-project.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sync-docs-project.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 name: Sync docs issue to project
 
 on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - ".github/scripts/sync-docs-project.js"
+      - ".github/scripts/sync-docs-project.test.js"
+      - ".github/workflows/sync-docs-project.yml"
   issues:
     types: [opened, edited, labeled, unlabeled, reopened]
   workflow_dispatch:
@@ -15,12 +20,21 @@ permissions:
   issues: read
 
 concurrency:
-  group: docs-project-sync-${{ github.event.issue.number || inputs.issue_number }}
+  group: docs-project-sync-${{ github.event.issue.number || inputs.issue_number || github.event.pull_request.number || github.run_id }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  test:
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Test metadata parser
+        run: node --test .github/scripts/sync-docs-project.test.js
+
   sync:
-    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || contains(github.event.issue.labels.*.name, 'docs-overhaul')
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || (github.event_name == 'issues' && contains(github.event.issue.labels.*.name, 'docs-overhaul'))
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
       ISSUE_NUMBER: ${{ inputs.issue_number || github.event.issue.number }}