Validations & Required Fields

Every Input Portal validation rule — what it checks, which question types it applies to, and the errors users see.

Validation rules check an answer before the form can advance. You author them per field in Input Hub → Forms → open a form → click a field → Validations tab. Rules run as the applicant fills the form and again when they hit Continue or Submit. If a rule fails, the error appears under the field and the form cannot advance until it is fixed.

Required (the field must have an answer) is the most common rule and is controlled by its own toggle, not the Validations tab. Everything else is a rule you add from the Validations tab.

Format-checking rules (Range, Pattern, Email format, and so on) skip an empty field — they only fire on a value that is present. If you need a field to be both filled and correctly formatted, turn on Required and add your format rule.

Rules reference

Required

The field must have a non-empty answer before the form can advance. What counts as empty: no answer at all, blank text, or a multi-choice with nothing selected. false (an unticked checkbox) and 0 (numeric zero) are real answers and are not considered empty.

A required field that is hidden by a visibility rule does not block the form — completeness only counts fields the applicant can actually see.

Validation rules by type

Rule	Applies to	What it checks	Error the applicant sees
Length	Short Text, Long Text, Email, Phone	Character count is within a min and/or max	`Must be at least N characters` / `Must be no more than N characters`
Range	Number, Money	Numeric value is within a min and/or max; optionally whole numbers only	`Minimum value is N` / `Maximum value is N` / `Must be a whole number`
Pattern	Short Text, Long Text	Value matches a regular expression; you can write a custom error message	Your custom message, or `Value does not match the expected format`
Numeric format	Number, Money	Checksum and format check — currently supports ABN (11-digit Australian Business Number with check-digit validation)	`Invalid ABN`
Email format	Email	Valid email shape; optional lists of allowed or denied domains	`Invalid email address` / `Email domain 'x.com' is not allowed`
Phone format	Phone	Phone number shape — choose Any, International (E.164), Australian, or Australian mobile	`Invalid Australian mobile number` (wording matches the format chosen)
Date rules	Date, Date & Time	Date must be before or after today plus or minus an offset (days / weeks / months / years); optionally "or equal to". Tick Date of birth for age-relative messages	`Date must be before 16/06/2008` / `You must be older than 18 years`
Selections	Multi-Choice	Number of options chosen is within a min and/or max	`Select at least N options` / `Select no more than N options`
Must be true	Checkbox	The checkbox must be ticked — used for consent; acceptance is timestamped	`You must accept to continue`
File constraints	File, Files	Max file size, accepted file types, and (for multi-file fields) max number of files	`File is too large (maximum 10 MB)` / `File type 'image/gif' is not accepted` / `Upload no more than N files`
Address components	Address	Which parts are required (street, suburb, state, postcode, country); Australian postcode-and-state consistency is checked automatically	`Address is missing required component: postcode` / `Postcode '2000' is not valid for VIC`
Sub-form cardinality	Sub-Form	Number of instances is within a min and/or max	`Add at least N items` / `Add no more than N items`
Sub-form date coverage	Sub-Form	Keep adding instances until the earliest (or latest) child date crosses a boundary — for example "address history covering 3 years"	`Add more entries so the earliest date is on or before 16/06/2023`
Contact roles	Contact	Each role is used at most once; new contacts created inline have the required fields	`Role 'Primary' is assigned to more than one contact` / `New contact is missing required field: email`
Membership	Search List	The selected value must exist in the lookup list (or allow free text if configured)	`'x' is not in the allowed list`

Notes on specific rules

Range and the Slider display mode

Setting a Range rule with both a minimum and a maximum (max must be greater than min) unlocks the Slider display mode for Money and Number fields. The slider's track ends are the min and max you set here. See Display Modes for how to switch a field to the Slider presentation.

Date of birth

On a Date field, add a Date rule with direction Before, an offset of your required age (for example 18 years), and tick Date of birth. The error message becomes age-relative: "You must be older than 18 years" rather than showing a raw date.

Must be true vs Required on a Checkbox

Required alone on a Checkbox only ensures the field has any value — a false (unticked) checkbox satisfies Required because false is a real answer. To force the applicant to actually tick the box (for consent), add a Must be true rule. The builder offers this rule only on required Checkboxes. When combined with the Disclaimer / Consent display mode, ticking is also timestamped for your records.

File constraints

For multi-file fields (Files type), the Max files setting in the constraint caps how many uploads are accepted. A separate Required Later toggle (on File and Files fields) defers the upload to the Documents section of the deal rather than blocking form completion — useful for documents that are needed before close but not before this step.

When validation runs

Validation happens in two passes:

While filling — as the applicant answers each field, the form checks whether required fields are complete and shows or hides conditional questions. The full rule set does not run on every keystroke; typed fields check on blur (leaving the field), click-style fields check immediately on selection.
On Continue / Submit — the full rule set runs across every visible, answerable field. The first failing rule for each field shows its error message under that field. The form cannot advance until all errors are resolved. The same checks run for brokers entering data on a deal as for applicants on the Collect portal.