This repository contains the source content (Markdown, assets, etc.) for the blog post “Laravel 12 Validation Rule Sometimes vs Nullable” originally published on ItStuffSolutions.
You can read the live post at:

https://itstuffsolutiotions.io/laravel-12-validation-rule-sometimes-vs-nullable/

• Overview
• Core Differences
• sometimes Validation Rule
• nullable Validation Rule
• Common Pitfalls
• Best Practices & Rule Combination
• Performance Implications
• When to Use Which Rule
• Conclusion

Validating user input correctly is fundamental in Laravel applications to ensure data integrity and security. Two validation rules that often cause confusion are sometimes and nullable:

• sometimes: Only runs validation rules if the input is present in the request.
• nullable: Always allows a field to be null or empty, and skips further rules if it is null/empty.

This blog post explains how they differ, provides real-world examples, discusses best practices, and helps you decide when to use each in Laravel 12 projects. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

• sometimes: Validate only if the field is present in the request.
• nullable: Fields are always in the request (or considered), but may be null/empty and bypass further rules.
• They can be combined (sometimes|nullable) for flexible behavior. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

• Syntax: 'field_name' => 'sometimes|other_rules'
• Behavior:
  • If the field is not present in the request → no validation is run.
  • If it is present (even if empty) → other validation rules apply.
  • Does not allow null/empty by itself (unless combined with nullable).
• Use cases: partial updates, optional API parameters, optional file uploads.