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Form Validator Element

Overview

A form validator is a rule that checks whether the information entered in a form is correct and complete before the form can be submitted. When a validator detects an issue, it displays an error message to guide the parent or student in fixing the problem.

PowerSchool Enrollment makes it easy for District Administrators to create and manage form validation rules directly within the Form Builder. You no longer need to contact PowerSchool support or use CSV imports to update how forms check data entry.

It includes:

  • Six pre-built validator templates for common validation needs

  • A Custom Validation option for unique business rules

  • Simple, point-and-click configuration

  • Real-time validation feedback for families filling out forms

  • Automatic migration of legacy validators to the new system 

Why Use Form Validators?

Time Savings

  • Make changes instantly during back-to-school season or enrollment updates

  • No waiting for PowerSchool support to update validation rules

  • Annual rollover happens on your schedule

Better User Experience

  • Students and parents get immediate feedback as they fill out forms

  • Reduces confusion and incomplete submissions

  • Fewer support calls about "Why won't my form submit?"

Data Accuracy

  • Ensures consistent data entry across your district

  • Catches errors before they reach your database

  • Reduces manual data cleanup after enrollment closes

Flexibility

  • Adapt validation rules as your enrollment needs change

  • Create custom rules specific to your district's requirements

  • Translate validation messages into any language your families speak

Legacy vs. New Validators

Legacy Validators (older forms):

  • Created and managed by PowerSchool Enrollment Support

  • Appear as read-only in Form Builder (view only, cannot edit)

  • Continue to work exactly as they always have

  • Can be gradually migrated to the new self-service format when you're ready

Self-Service Validators (new):

  • Created and managed directly in Form Builder by your administrators

  • Fully editable—add, modify, copy, or delete them anytime

  • No support tickets

  • Automatic migration available for compatible legacy validators

Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • You have an administrator account with Form Builder access

  • Your PowerSchool Enrollment instance has the Self-Service Validators feature enabled (your administrator can confirm this)

  • The form you want to edit is open in Form Builder

Quick Steps

  1. Open a form in Form Builder

  2. Locate the Element Palette on the left side

  3. Find the Validator element under the Special category

  4. Drag the Validator element onto the form page where you want to add validation

  5. Configure the validator properties (as follows)

Creating a Form Validator

Step 1: Add a Validator Element to Your Form

  1. In Form Builder, click the Element Palette tab on the left

  2. Locate the Special section

  3. Find and drag Validator onto your form page

    • Validators are non-visual elements (they don't display on the form; only the error message appears if validation fails)

    • You can place them anywhere on the page

Step 2: Configure the Validator

Once you've added a Validator element, a configuration panel appears on the right side. You'll see three main properties:

Field Name (Required)

  • A unique identifier for this validator

  • Used internally by the system

  • Examples: val_age_grade_1, val_email_match, val_checkbox_limit

  • Must be unique within the form (no two validators can have the same name)

  • Tip: Use descriptive names that help you remember what the validator checks

Type (Required)

  • Choose what kind of validation rule you want to enforce

  • Six pre-built types are available, plus Custom Validation

  • Refer to Validator Types for details on each

Validation Message (Required)

  • The exact error message that appears to parents/students when validation fails

  • Be clear and specific, so families know exactly what to fix

  • Example: "The student's date of birth does not meet the age requirement for the selected grade" or "Please ensure both email addresses match"

  • Messages can be translated into other languages (refer to Translating Validation Messages)

Validator Types

When configuring the Form Validator types, field values are prepopulated based on the Form Validator's initial configuration. Refer to the Form Validator element properties chapter for configuration and usage details.

Managing Validators

Viewing All Validators on a Page

All validators on the current form page are listed in the Form Builder. Look for the validator element(s) in the page structure.

Editing a Validator

  1. Click on the validator element in the form

  2. The property panel appears on the right

  3. Make any changes to Field Name, Type, Validation Message, or configuration

  4. Changes are saved automatically as you work

Copying a Validator

  1. Right-click on the validator element

  2. Select Copy

  3. Right-click on the same or different page

  4. Select Paste

  5. Update the Field Name to make it unique (the system prevents duplicate Field Names)

Tip: Copying is useful when you need similar validators with slight variations

Deleting a Validator

  1. Click on the validator element

  2. Press the Delete key or click the Delete button in the property panel

  3. Confirm the deletion

Note: Deleted validators cannot be recovered—be certain before deleting

Viewing Legacy Validators

If your form contains validators created by PowerSchool support (legacy validators), they appear in the form with a Validator (Legacy) label.

  • Click View to see the validation rule (read-only)

  • These validators cannot be edited in Form Builder

  • You can gradually migrate them to self-service validators when ready (refer to Automatic Migration as follows)

Automatic Migration

When you first open a form in Form Builder, the system automatically checks for legacy validators that can be safely converted to the new self-service format. A brief "Migrating Validator Configuration" dialog appears while processing.

What happens:

  • Legacy validators matching known patterns are converted to self-service validators

  • These migrated validators are now fully editable

  • Validators that cannot be safely converted remain as legacy (read-only) validators

  • This migration happens once per form; subsequent opens do not re-migrate

Translating Validation Messages

If your form supports multiple languages, you can translate all validator error messages into those languages.

Steps to Translate

  1. Open your form in Form Builder

  2. Click the Translations tab

  3. Select the language you want to translate into

  4. Find each validator's Validation Message field

  5. Enter the translated message

  6. Save your changes

Behavior on the Live Form

  • When a parent fills out the form in a specific language, validation error messages display in that language

  • If a message hasn't been translated, the English version displays as a fallback

  • Always provide English messages—they're the default for all forms

Example translations:

  • English: "The student's date of birth does not meet the age requirement for the selected grade."

  • Spanish: "La fecha de nacimiento del estudiante no cumple con el requisito de edad para el grado seleccionado."

  • Mandarin: "学生的出生日期不符合所选年级的年龄要求。"

Testing and Previewing

Preview Mode

Before publishing your form, always test the validators:

  1. In Form Builder, click Preview

  2. Fill out the form intentionally trying to trigger validator errors

    • Leave fields blank where required

    • Enter mismatched values in confirm fields

    • Select the wrong number of checkboxes

  3. Verify that error messages appear and are clear

  4. Verify that the form prevents submission when validators fail

What to Test

  • All validator types — Try each validator on your form

  • Error messages — Confirm messages are clear and helpful

  • Multi-page forms — Validators should prevent submission on any page

  • Hidden sections — Validators in hidden sections should not block submission

  • Mobile devices — Test on phones and tablets (error messages should be readable)

Checking Validators Before Publishing

Form Builder automatically validates all validator configurations before publishing. The system checks:

  • Field Name is unique and properly formatted

  • Type is selected and valid

  • Validation Message is provided in English

  • All required field mappings are completed

  • Field references point to fields that actually exist on the form

If any issues are found, the Publish button displays a warning with specific problems to fix.

Troubleshooting

"This Field Name Already Exists"

Problem: Two validators have the same Field Name.
Solution: Each validator must have a unique name. Edit one of the validators and change its Field Name to something unique.

"Validation Failed on Preview"

Problem: Form Builder won't let you preview because something is wrong with a validator.
Solution: Look for the red error message in the Form Builder—it will tell you exactly which validator has a problem. Common issues:

  • Field Name is missing or invalid

  • Validation Message is blank

  • A mapped field doesn't exist on the form

  • A field has the wrong type (e.g., trying to validate a text field as a checkbox)

"The Selected Field is Not a Valid Type for This Validator"

Problem: You're trying to use a field with a validator that doesn't match its type.
Solution: Make sure:

  • Date fields are only used with Validate Age

  • Checkbox fields are only used with Validate Checkbox Count

  • Regular text/dropdown fields are used with other validators
    Example of wrong configuration: Trying to validate "Checkbox Count" on a text input field

"Validation Message is Missing"

Problem: The validator configuration is incomplete.
Solution: Type the error message that families should see when validation fails. Messages should be specific and actionable.

"Validator is Still Read-Only"

Problem: A validator on your form shows as "Validator (Legacy)" and cannot be edited.
Reason: This is an older validator created by PowerSchool support. Legacy validators are read-only to prevent accidental changes to rules that may be in use across multiple forms.
Solution:

  • If you need to change the rule, delete the legacy validator and create a new self-service validator with updated logic

  • The system will automatically attempt to migrate this validator to self-service format when opening the form (if it matches a known pattern)

Date Picker Shows Wrong Format

Problem: Date picker is showing MM/DD/YYYY, but your form uses DD/MM/YYYY.
Solution: The date picker respects the format configured for each field. Make sure the Date of Birth field (or whichever date field you're validating) has the correct format set in its properties.

Custom Validation Rule Isn't Working

Problem: A custom validation rule with complex logic doesn't seem to be validating correctly.
Solution:

  • Check operator syntax (is, is not, contains, and so on)

  • Verify field names are spelled exactly as they appear in the form

  • Test individual conditions by temporarily simplifying the rule

  • Make sure AND/OR operators are used correctly

  • Use Preview mode to test the exact data that's failing

Validator Not Showing Error Message

Problem: The form submission is blocked, but no error message appears.
Reason: The validator might be hidden (inside a collapsed section or on a different page than the invalid field).
Solution: In multi-page forms, make sure invalid validators on other pages display clearly (typically on a Summary page). Check your form layout to ensure validators are visible.