Make questions required or optional

A required question asks respondents to provide an answer before continuing. Make only the answers you actually need required, and explain why you need sensitive information.

Before you start

Open a form you can edit. Required-answer controls apply to the selected question; they are separate from settings that hide question numbers, progress, or question marks.

Make an answer required

1. Open the form’s Design tab.
2. Select the question in the question list.
3. Open Question options.
4. Leave Mark Optional unchecked to require an answer.

Allow respondents to skip an answer

Check Mark Optional for the selected question. Confirm that the change has saved, then preview the question without entering an answer.

On a narrow screen, select the question in Questions, then switch to Options to find its controls.

Test the respondent experience

1. Open Preview and reach the question.
2. Try continuing without an answer. For a required answer question, check that an appropriate validation message appears.
3. Provide a valid answer and check that you can continue.
4. For an optional question, confirm that leaving it blank allows the expected flow.
5. If you use logic, test each path that can reach or skip the question.

If it does not behave as expected

• Check that you edited the intended question and that its options saved.
• Reopen the question to confirm Mark Optional is still in the expected state.
• Check the actual answer value. An empty-looking selection or scale may behave differently from a deliberately chosen answer.
• Do not rely only on a visible asterisk. Test validation in preview and through your intended respondent flow.

If a required question allows a blank answer, report the question type, device, and steps to support before sharing the form.

Related: question types and question numbers and display settings.