AssRisk

What an asterisk means on a form

An asterisk next to a field's label means you have to fill it in. It's one of the most widely recognised conventions on the web, but it works best when the form also says so in words.

For people filling in forms

If a label like Email* has an asterisk, the form won't submit without it. Fields without an asterisk are usually optional. Some forms flip the convention and mark the optional fields instead, so check for a note at the top.

For people building forms

The asterisk alone isn't enough. Some users don't know the convention, and a screen reader may read it as "star" or skip it entirely. A reliable pattern:

  1. Say it once at the top: "Fields marked with * are required."
  2. Hide the visual asterisk from screen readers and give them the word instead.
  3. Use the HTML required attribute so browsers and assistive technology know too.
<p>Fields marked with <span aria-hidden="true">*</span> are required.</p>

<label for="email">
  Email <span aria-hidden="true">*</span>
  <span class="visually-hidden">(required)</span>
</label>
<input id="email" type="email" required>

Design tips

  • Put the asterisk right after the label text, not after the input, so people see it before they type.
  • Don't rely on colour alone. A red asterisk is fine, but the asterisk should still be there in black and white.
  • If almost every field is required, mark the few optional ones as "(optional)" instead. Fewer marks means less noise.