diff --git a/assets/swagger.json b/assets/swagger.json
index 44e67d0b3923e..95be211916f9f 100644
--- a/assets/swagger.json
+++ b/assets/swagger.json
@@ -7405,6 +7405,7 @@
       "properties": {
         "elements": {
           "type": "array",
+          "title": "+kubebuilder:validation:Optional",
           "items": {
             "$ref": "#/definitions/v1JSON"
           }
diff --git a/manifests/core-install.yaml b/manifests/core-install.yaml
index e536fc1eadb6f..752f47b279296 100644
--- a/manifests/core-install.yaml
+++ b/manifests/core-install.yaml
@@ -7310,8 +7310,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -9654,8 +9652,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -14681,8 +14677,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
diff --git a/manifests/crds/applicationset-crd.yaml b/manifests/crds/applicationset-crd.yaml
index 758785832ea78..35fba5d99be92 100644
--- a/manifests/crds/applicationset-crd.yaml
+++ b/manifests/crds/applicationset-crd.yaml
@@ -2370,8 +2370,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -4714,8 +4712,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -9741,8 +9737,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
diff --git a/manifests/ha/install.yaml b/manifests/ha/install.yaml
index d60016d361846..161d1591cd0a3 100644
--- a/manifests/ha/install.yaml
+++ b/manifests/ha/install.yaml
@@ -7310,8 +7310,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -9654,8 +9652,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -14681,8 +14677,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
diff --git a/manifests/install.yaml b/manifests/install.yaml
index 7fe04ebc1e9c7..1c8d713620e3f 100644
--- a/manifests/install.yaml
+++ b/manifests/install.yaml
@@ -7310,8 +7310,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -9654,8 +9652,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -14681,8 +14677,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
diff --git a/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/applicationset_types.go b/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/applicationset_types.go
index 41721d0c2287c..389f421fed400 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/applicationset_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/applicationset_types.go
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ func (g ApplicationSetTerminalGenerators) toApplicationSetNestedGenerators() []A
 
 // ListGenerator include items info
 type ListGenerator struct {
+	// +kubebuilder:validation:Optional
 	Elements     []apiextensionsv1.JSON `json:"elements" protobuf:"bytes,1,name=elements"`
 	Template     ApplicationSetTemplate `json:"template,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,2,name=template"`
 	ElementsYaml string                 `json:"elementsYaml,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=elementsYaml"`
diff --git a/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/generated.proto b/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/generated.proto
index c080c04c3a088..c06a0e8bcea4e 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/generated.proto
+++ b/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/generated.proto
@@ -1131,6 +1131,7 @@ message KustomizeSelector {
 
 // ListGenerator include items info
 message ListGenerator {
+  // +kubebuilder:validation:Optional
   repeated k8s.io.apiextensions_apiserver.pkg.apis.apiextensions.v1.JSON elements = 1;
 
   optional ApplicationSetTemplate template = 2;