%s field %s (%s): required Data field cannot use omitempty

Error message

%s field %s (%s): required Data field cannot use omitempty

What it means

A field marked `schema:"required"` also uses `omitempty` in its json tag. A required field must always be serialized; omitempty tells the encoder to skip it when empty, which contradicts the requiredness and could produce payloads missing a mandatory key.

Source

Thrown at shortcuts/common/typed_compile_data.go:235

				omitempty = true
			case "":
			default:
				return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s has unsupported json option %q", path, field.Name, option)
			}
		}
		if previous, exists := seen[name]; exists {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s JSON name %q duplicates field %s", path, field.Name, name, previous)
		}
		seen[name] = field.Name
		schema, err := parseSchemaTag(field.Tag.Get("schema"), field.Type, input)
		if err != nil {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s (%s): %w", path, field.Name, name, err)
		}
		if !input && schema.defaultValue.Set {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s (%s): Data field cannot declare default", path, field.Name, name)
		}
		if schema.required && omitempty {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s (%s): required Data field cannot use omitempty", path, field.Name, name)
		}
		if schema.optional && !omitempty {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s (%s): optional Data field must use omitempty", path, field.Name, name)
		}
		if isNilCapable(field.Type) && schema.nullable == nil {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s (%s): nil-capable field must declare nullable or nonnullable", path, field.Name, name)
		}
		description := strings.TrimSpace(field.Tag.Get("doc"))
		if input && description == "" {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s (%s): description is required via doc", path, field.Name, name)
		}
		fieldShape, err := shapeForType(field.Type, schema, input, active)
		if err != nil {
			return typedObjectShape{}, fmt.Errorf("%s field %s (%s): %w", path, field.Name, name, err)
		}
		shape.Fields = append(shape.Fields, typedValueField{Name: name, Description: description, Required: schema.required, Shape: fieldShape})
	}
	return shape, nil

View on GitHub (pinned to 7fd6ef3c07)

Solutions

Remove `omitempty` from the json tag (required fields are always serialized)
Or, if the field is genuinely optional, replace `required` with `optional` in the schema tag

Example fix

// before
Name string `json:"name,omitempty" schema:"required" doc:"..."`
// after
Name string `json:"name" schema:"required" doc:"..."`

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if strings.Contains(f.Tag.Get("schema"), "required") && strings.Contains(f.Tag.Get("json"), "omitempty") {
    return fmt.Errorf("field %s: required cannot use omitempty", f.Name)
}

Prevention

Pair required with plain json tags and optional with omitempty as a fixed convention
Review tag edits in pairs (schema + json) so they never diverge

When it happens

Trigger: Compiling a Data/Input struct where a field has both `schema:"required"` and `json:"x,omitempty"`, via compileStructShape.

Common situations: Adding `schema:"required"` to a previously optional field without removing omitempty; copy-paste of tags from an optional sibling field; lint autofix adding omitempty everywhere.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of larksuite/cli@7fd6ef3c07 (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5a7b64e9e6a87a27. Report an issue: GitHub.