Form Validation Error in SharePoint – Causes, Troubleshooting, and Solutions

A “Form Validation Error” in SharePoint Online, SharePoint 2019, 2016, 2013, or 2010 occurs when users attempt to submit a form, but required fields, incorrect formats, or custom validation rules prevent it from processing. This issue can appear in:

SharePoint List Forms (New, Edit, Display Forms)
PowerApps Forms
InfoPath Forms
Custom Forms using JavaScript or Power Automate

This guide provides detailed troubleshooting steps and solutions for resolving Form Validation Errors in SharePoint.

1. Identify the Type of Form Validation Error

Common Causes of Form Validation Failures:

Required fields are missing values.
Incorrect data format (e.g., email, date, number).
Custom validation rules are incorrectly configured.
PowerApps or InfoPath validation conflicts.
JavaScript or calculated column errors.
Lookup fields or choice fields are not properly selected.
Large file attachments exceeding the limit.
Workflow restrictions preventing submission.

2. Check Required Fields in the SharePoint List

If a required field is missing, SharePoint will block submission.

Steps to Check Required Fields:

Navigate to SharePoint List or Library.
Click on Settings (⚙) > List Settings.
Scroll to the Columns section.
Look for fields marked as Required.
If needed, set the field to Optional to allow submission.

Fix: Change a Required Field to Optional

Click on the column name.
Select No under “Require that this column contains information”.
Click OK.

3. Verify Field Data Types

If a field expects a specific data type, entering the wrong format causes validation errors.

Fix: Enter the Correct Data Format

Field Type	Expected Format	Example
Text Field	Any text	“Project A”
Number Field	Only numeric values	“1234”
Date Field	YYYY-MM-DD or MM/DD/YYYY	“2025-03-07”
Email Field	Valid email format	“user@example.com“

If the wrong format is used, SharePoint will reject the form submission.

4. Check and Fix Validation Rules in List Columns

If a custom validation formula is set in a column, incorrect values will trigger errors.

Steps to Review and Fix Validation Rules:

Go to List Settings > Scroll to the Columns section.
Click on the column name.
Check the Column Validation formula.
If incorrect, update it or remove it.

Example Validation Fixes:

Scenario	Incorrect Formula	Correct Formula
Ensure a value is greater than 10	`[Column] > 10`	`=IF([Column] > 10, TRUE, FALSE)`
Ensure a date is in the future	`[Date] > TODAY()`	`=IF([Date] > TODAY(), TRUE, FALSE)`
Ensure email format	`NOT(ISERROR(FIND("@", [Email])))`	`=ISNUMBER(FIND("@", [Email]))`

5. Fix PowerApps Form Validation Errors

If using PowerApps for form customization, validation errors can occur due to incorrect formulas or validation rules.

Steps to Fix Validation Errors in PowerApps Forms:

Open PowerApps Studio.
Select the form field that is causing the issue.
Check the “Default” or “Validate” Property:
- For required fields, set: If(IsBlank(DataCardValue.Text), "This field is required", "")
- For email validation, use: IsMatch(DataCardValue.Text, "^[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$")
Save and publish the changes.
Test the form submission.

6. Fix InfoPath Form Validation Errors

If using InfoPath, validation errors may arise due to custom rules.

Steps to Fix Validation in InfoPath:

Open InfoPath Designer and load the form.
Go to the “Data” tab and check for validation rules.
Modify or remove incorrect validation rules:
- Click Manage Rules.
- Find the condition that is preventing submission.
- Modify or disable it.
Publish the updated form and test submission.

7. Fix JavaScript-Based Form Validation Issues

If JavaScript is used for validation, errors in the script may prevent form submission.

Steps to Debug JavaScript Form Validation:

Open Developer Tools (F12) in the browser.
Check the Console for JavaScript errors.
Look for issues in JavaScript validation scripts.
Fix common validation issues:
- Ensure proper use of document.getElementById() or SP.UI.
- Ensure values are correctly checked before submission.

Example Fix for JavaScript Validation:

document.getElementById("btnSubmit").onclick = function() {
    var email = document.getElementById("emailField").value;
    var emailPattern = /^[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}$/;
    
    if (!emailPattern.test(email)) {
        alert("Invalid email format!");
        return false;
    }
    return true;
};

8. Check Lookup and Choice Field Selections

If a lookup field or choice field is not properly selected, form submission may fail.

Fix: Ensure Lookup Fields Have a Valid Selection

Open the form.
Ensure a valid selection is made in Lookup fields.
If using a choice field, check if “Allow Fill-in Choices” is enabled.

9. Ensure Attachment Size is Within Limits

If users attach files larger than the allowed limit, SharePoint rejects the submission.

Fix: Increase Attachment Size Limit

For SharePoint Online, max file size is 250MB.
For SharePoint On-Premises, adjust limits in Central Administration.

10. Fix Workflow or Flow Restrictions

If a Power Automate Flow or SharePoint Workflow is blocking submission, check:

Fix: Review Workflow Settings

Go to List Settings > Workflow Settings.
Check for any Approval Workflow or custom Power Automate Flow.
If necessary, disable or update the workflow logic.

11. Clear Browser Cache & Try Different Browsers

Sometimes, cached JavaScript or cookies interfere with form validation.

Fix: Clear Cache and Cookies

Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the browser’s clear cache settings.
Select “Cookies and Cached Data”.
Click Clear and restart the browser.
Try using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox.

12. Contact IT Support or Microsoft Support

If the issue persists:

Check SharePoint logs (ULS logs) for specific error messages.
Enable Debug Mode in PowerApps.
Raise a Microsoft Support Ticket for SharePoint Online.

“Form validation error” – Forms or field validation fails.