diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/entsearch/connector/10_connector_put.yml b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/entsearch/connector/10_connector_put.yml
index 5cfb016e1b6df..b0f850d09f76d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/entsearch/connector/10_connector_put.yml
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/entsearch/connector/10_connector_put.yml
@@ -76,6 +76,42 @@ setup:
   - match: { custom_scheduling: {} }
   - match: { filtering.0.domain: DEFAULT }
 
+
+---
+'Create Connector - Check for missing keys':
+  - do:
+      connector.put:
+        connector_id: test-connector
+        body:
+          index_name: search-test
+          name: my-connector
+          language: pl
+          is_native: false
+          service_type: super-connector
+
+  - match: { result: 'created' }
+
+  - do:
+      connector.get:
+        connector_id: test-connector
+
+  - match: { id: test-connector }
+  - match: { index_name: search-test }
+  - match: { name: my-connector }
+  - match: { language: pl }
+  - match: { is_native: false }
+  - match: { service_type: super-connector }
+
+  # check keys that are not populated upon connector creation
+  - is_false: api_key_id
+  - is_false: api_key_secret_id
+  - is_false: description
+  - is_false: error
+  - is_false: features
+  - is_false: last_seen
+  - is_false: sync_cursor
+
+
 ---
 'Create Connector - Resource already exists':
   - do:
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/Connector.java b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/Connector.java
index a9c488b024d49..46275bb623b7a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/Connector.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ent-search/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/application/connector/Connector.java
@@ -377,25 +377,61 @@ public void toInnerXContent(XContentBuilder builder, Params params) throws IOExc
         if (connectorId != null) {
             builder.field(ID_FIELD.getPreferredName(), connectorId);
         }
-        builder.field(API_KEY_ID_FIELD.getPreferredName(), apiKeyId);
-        builder.field(API_KEY_SECRET_ID_FIELD.getPreferredName(), apiKeySecretId);
-        builder.xContentValuesMap(CONFIGURATION_FIELD.getPreferredName(), configuration);
-        builder.xContentValuesMap(CUSTOM_SCHEDULING_FIELD.getPreferredName(), customScheduling);
-        builder.field(DESCRIPTION_FIELD.getPreferredName(), description);
-        builder.field(ERROR_FIELD.getPreferredName(), error);
-        builder.field(FEATURES_FIELD.getPreferredName(), features);
-        builder.xContentList(FILTERING_FIELD.getPreferredName(), filtering);
-        builder.field(INDEX_NAME_FIELD.getPreferredName(), indexName);
+        if (apiKeyId != null) {
+            builder.field(API_KEY_ID_FIELD.getPreferredName(), apiKeyId);
+        }
+        if (apiKeySecretId != null) {
+            builder.field(API_KEY_SECRET_ID_FIELD.getPreferredName(), apiKeySecretId);
+        }
+        if (configuration != null) {
+            builder.xContentValuesMap(CONFIGURATION_FIELD.getPreferredName(), configuration);
+        }
+        if (customScheduling != null) {
+            builder.xContentValuesMap(CUSTOM_SCHEDULING_FIELD.getPreferredName(), customScheduling);
+        }
+        if (description != null) {
+            builder.field(DESCRIPTION_FIELD.getPreferredName(), description);
+        }
+        if (error != null) {
+            builder.field(ERROR_FIELD.getPreferredName(), error);
+        }
+        if (features != null) {
+            builder.field(FEATURES_FIELD.getPreferredName(), features);
+        }
+        if (filtering != null) {
+            builder.xContentList(FILTERING_FIELD.getPreferredName(), filtering);
+        }
+        if (indexName != null) {
+            builder.field(INDEX_NAME_FIELD.getPreferredName(), indexName);
+        }
         builder.field(IS_NATIVE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), isNative);
-        builder.field(LANGUAGE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), language);
-        builder.field(LAST_SEEN_FIELD.getPreferredName(), lastSeen);
-        syncInfo.toXContent(builder, params);
-        builder.field(NAME_FIELD.getPreferredName(), name);
-        builder.field(PIPELINE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), pipeline);
-        builder.field(SCHEDULING_FIELD.getPreferredName(), scheduling);
-        builder.field(SERVICE_TYPE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), serviceType);
-        builder.field(SYNC_CURSOR_FIELD.getPreferredName(), syncCursor);
-        builder.field(STATUS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), status.toString());
+        if (language != null) {
+            builder.field(LANGUAGE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), language);
+        }
+        if (lastSeen != null) {
+            builder.field(LAST_SEEN_FIELD.getPreferredName(), lastSeen);
+        }
+        if (syncInfo != null) {
+            syncInfo.toXContent(builder, params);
+        }
+        if (name != null) {
+            builder.field(NAME_FIELD.getPreferredName(), name);
+        }
+        if (pipeline != null) {
+            builder.field(PIPELINE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), pipeline);
+        }
+        if (scheduling != null) {
+            builder.field(SCHEDULING_FIELD.getPreferredName(), scheduling);
+        }
+        if (serviceType != null) {
+            builder.field(SERVICE_TYPE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), serviceType);
+        }
+        if (syncCursor != null) {
+            builder.field(SYNC_CURSOR_FIELD.getPreferredName(), syncCursor);
+        }
+        if (status != null) {
+            builder.field(STATUS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), status.toString());
+        }
         builder.field(SYNC_NOW_FIELD.getPreferredName(), syncNow);
     }