Hide or change the “required” text on Squarespace forms.

We love Squarespace. Truly, we do. The designs are gorgeous, the user interface is sleek, and it’s one of the few website builders that manages to feel both powerful and user-friendly. But... there's one tiny little thing that drives us up the wall: the "Required" text on form fields. You know, the one that pops up like a bossy schoolteacher with a clipboard, making sure you check all the boxes, cross your t's, and dot your i's before you hit "submit."

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we just don’t want it there.

Imagine you’ve carefully designed a beautiful contact form, a seamless experience that’s meant to feel inviting and easy. You’ve chosen a stylish font, selected just the right colors, and positioned everything in perfect harmony with your overall site aesthetic. It’s looking chic. It’s looking modern. And then — bam — there it is. The dreaded "Required" label, awkwardly perched next to your form fields like an overzealous hall monitor.

We get it, Squarespace. You’re just trying to help. After all, you want to make sure people fill out your forms correctly, and not leave anything blank. But here's the thing: the "Required" text isn’t exactly winning any design awards. In fact, it can often feel like a misstep in an otherwise polished site. It disrupts the flow of your design, screaming "Hey! Pay attention to me!" when we’d rather it just blend in seamlessly.

Why We Wish There Was a Built-In Way to Remove the "Required" Label

1. It Interrupts the Aesthetic
   Your site is your brand's visual identity. Every detail is a chance to make a statement. But when you throw in the "Required" text, it can feel like a clunky afterthought that doesn’t match the sleek vibe you’ve worked so hard to curate. It's like showing up to a fancy dinner in a tuxedo... and then adding a neon green fanny pack. It just doesn’t go.

2. It’s Not Always Necessary
   We get it, you’re trying to be helpful. But sometimes, we don’t need a bold reminder that "this field is required." If we’re asking for a name and an email address, it’s pretty clear those are essential. The "Required" label is a little bit like someone reminding you to "breathe" during a deep breath exercise.

3. The UX Doesn't Always Need a Push
   User experience (UX) design is all about trust. If someone is filling out your contact form, they’re likely already committed to reaching out. The bold "Required" text can come off as a bit too demanding, like you don’t trust your visitors to make informed decisions. A more subtle hint — or no hint at all — might create a smoother, more intuitive interaction.

4. Customization Should Be King
   The beauty of Squarespace is its flexibility. You can customize your templates, fonts, colors, and even code elements to make your website truly your own. But when it comes to form fields, you’re stuck with the "Required" label like it’s a permanent tattoo on your form. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had the option to toggle it off or change the wording? Something like, "Name (please)" or simply, "Email" could easily convey the message without feeling like you’re being told what to do.

5. It's Just Not Pretty
   In a world where minimalism and clean design are paramount, that awkward "Required" label just doesn’t fit. It’s like trying to hang a fancy painting and realizing you’ve left a post-it note stuck to the corner. It doesn’t matter how nice the painting is — that post-it is distracting.

What We Really Want: The Option to Turn It Off

Look, we’re not saying "Required" fields shouldn’t exist. Of course, we need to make sure our users provide essential information. But we’d love to see Squarespace offer a simple, built-in way to remove or replace that label. Maybe add an option in the form block settings, like a checkbox that lets us turn off "Required" labels with one click. Or better yet, provide some more flexibility to customize form validation messages to fit our site's voice and design.

In the meantime, here’s a hack to hide the required text and replace it with an asterisk.

Copy the following code and place it into Custom CSS:

/* Squarepaste Hide Required Form Text */
.form-wrapper .react-form-contents .field-list .description.required {
  color:transparent;
}
.form-wrapper .react-form-contents .field-list .description.required::before {
  content: "*";
  color: initial;
}