---
title: 'Why the HTML Required Attribute Isn''t Enough'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=9RzzWNUUPZ0'
video_id: '9RzzWNUUPZ0'
date: 2026-08-11
duration_sec: 53
---

# Why the HTML Required Attribute Isn't Enough

> Source: [Why the HTML Required Attribute Isn't Enough](https://youtube.com/watch?v=9RzzWNUUPZ0)

## Summary

This video explains the HTML 'required' attribute in forms, highlighting that while it prevents submission when fields are empty in the browser, it is not a security measure. The presenter demonstrates how users can bypass it using browser developer tools, emphasizing the need for backend validation.

### Key Points

- **Introduction to the required attribute** [00:00] — The video is inspired by a lesson on creating HTML forms, and it aims to clarify misconceptions about the 'required' attribute.
- **How the required attribute works** [00:14] — Adding the 'required' attribute to a form input prevents users from submitting the form when the field is empty, but this only works in the browser.
- **Bypassing with developer tools** [00:26] — Users can inspect the form, delete the 'required' attribute (or the input itself), and submit the form with empty data, demonstrating that client-side validation is easily bypassed.
- **Need for backend validation** [00:51] — Even with the 'required' attribute, developers must implement backend validation to check for empty inputs, as client-side checks are not secure.

## Transcript

So because I just finished a lesson on how to create a HTML form inside my HTML course, I thought, why not make a video just kind of talking a bit about the required attribute that you can add inside a HTML form, because it might not do exactly what you think it does.
Go down inside the form and include a required attribute. Because if you include this, then people can't submit the form, right? For people who know a little bit about the developer tool inside the browser,
So you may know that you can actually go inside your website and you can change any kind of front end when it comes to your website, which means that I can go in, I can right click on my form, go down to inspect and in here you can actually
see that we have my input if it were to actually go in and delete my input. And I can actually submit the data. And this is why it's important that even though you did include the required attribute that you still go in using a backend language and actually do something
to check for these empty inputs.