diff --git a/assets/swagger.json b/assets/swagger.json
index c155555315d97..31d771c52f398 100644
--- a/assets/swagger.json
+++ b/assets/swagger.json
@@ -7413,6 +7413,7 @@
       "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 3cbaa4946e3cc..db0c53659365b 100644
--- a/manifests/core-install.yaml
+++ b/manifests/core-install.yaml
@@ -7394,8 +7394,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -9754,8 +9752,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -14813,8 +14809,6 @@ 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 8d4fbb5c748fa..2668052f431a0 100644
--- a/manifests/crds/applicationset-crd.yaml
+++ b/manifests/crds/applicationset-crd.yaml
@@ -2386,8 +2386,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -4746,8 +4744,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -9805,8 +9801,6 @@ 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 322d9534a8371..fc85ab94948e2 100644
--- a/manifests/ha/install.yaml
+++ b/manifests/ha/install.yaml
@@ -7394,8 +7394,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -9754,8 +9752,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -14813,8 +14809,6 @@ 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 8da7f4c8306b4..a7f5c9928e552 100644
--- a/manifests/install.yaml
+++ b/manifests/install.yaml
@@ -7394,8 +7394,6 @@ spec:
                           - metadata
                           - spec
                           type: object
-                      required:
-                      - elements
                       type: object
                     matrix:
                       properties:
@@ -9754,8 +9752,6 @@ spec:
                                     - metadata
                                     - spec
                                     type: object
-                                required:
-                                - elements
                                 type: object
                               matrix:
                                 x-kubernetes-preserve-unknown-fields: true
@@ -14813,8 +14809,6 @@ 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 5916e42a53922..7a296f1e467fe 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/generated.proto
+++ b/pkg/apis/application/v1alpha1/generated.proto
@@ -1137,6 +1137,7 @@ 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;