Validation
Validation stops a record being submitted until an answer is acceptable. It is set per field, in the field’s properties.
Required
Refuses submission without an answer. An empty string, an empty list and no selection all count as no answer.
Limits by type
| Type | What can be limited |
|---|---|
| Text, Long Text | minimum and maximum length; a pattern the entry must match |
| Number, Decimal | minimum, maximum, step; decimal places |
| Date, Date & Time | earliest and latest allowed |
| Multiple Choice | minimum and maximum selections |
| Photo, File | maximum count |
| Repeatable section, Subform | minimum and maximum rows |
| GPS Location | an accuracy the fix must meet |
Masked Input
Forces text into a shape as it is typed — a phone number, a postcode, or a custom mask you define. Different from a pattern: a pattern checks the answer afterwards, a mask shapes it while it is entered.
When you need a script
Anything that depends on another field is a validation script, not a setting: “the closing reading must be higher than the opening one”, “a permit number is required past 500 hours”. See Calculations and scripts.
What a person sees
A required field shows a red asterisk. A failed check shows its message under the field, and Submit is refused until every check passes. Write the message for the person filling in the form: say what is wrong and what would fix it, not just that it is invalid.