Guide

Validate incoming Data

Using Validation Groups

Without specific configuration, the default validation group is always used, but this behavior is customizable: the framework is able to leverage Symfony's validation groups.

// src/App/ApiResource.php
namespace App\ApiResource;
use App\Validator\MySequencedGroup;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\ApiResource;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\Get;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\GetCollection;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\Post;
use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;

// src/App/ApiResource.php
namespace App\ApiResource;
use App\Validator\MySequencedGroup;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\ApiResource;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\Get;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\GetCollection;
use ApiPlatform\Metadata\Post;
use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;

We can specify groups on the ApiResource::validationContext property.

#[ApiResource(
    validationContext: ['groups' => ['a', 'b']],
    operations: [

#[ApiResource(
    validationContext: ['groups' => ['a', 'b']],
    operations: [

When configured on a specific operation the configuration takes precedence over the one declared on the ApiResource. You can use a callable instead of strings.

        new Get(validationContext: ['groups' => [Book::class, 'validationGroups']]),
        new GetCollection(),

        new Get(validationContext: ['groups' => [Book::class, 'validationGroups']]),
        new GetCollection(),

You sometimes want to specify in which order groups must be tested against. On the Post operation, we use a Symfony service to use a group sequence.

        new Post(validationContext: ['groups' => MySequencedGroup::class])
    ]
)]
final class Book
{
    #[Assert\NotBlank(groups: ['a'])]  
    public string $name;
    #[Assert\NotNull(groups: ['b'])] 
    public string $author;
    /**
     * Return dynamic validation groups.
     *
     * @param self $book Contains the instance of Book to validate.
     *
     * @return string[]
     */
    public static function validationGroups(self $book)
    {
        return ['a'];
    }
}
 
// src/App/Validator.php
namespace App\Validator;
use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints\GroupSequence;
final class MySequencedGroup
{
    public function __invoke(): GroupSequence
    {
        return new GroupSequence(['a', 'b']); // now, no matter which is first in the class declaration, it will be tested in this order.
    }
}

        new Post(validationContext: ['groups' => MySequencedGroup::class])
    ]
)]
final class Book
{
    #[Assert\NotBlank(groups: ['a'])]  
    public string $name;
    #[Assert\NotNull(groups: ['b'])] 
    public string $author;
    /**
     * Return dynamic validation groups.
     *
     * @param self $book Contains the instance of Book to validate.
     *
     * @return string[]
     */
    public static function validationGroups(self $book)
    {
        return ['a'];
    }
}
 
// src/App/Validator.php
namespace App\Validator;
use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints\GroupSequence;
final class MySequencedGroup
{
    public function __invoke(): GroupSequence
    {
        return new GroupSequence(['a', 'b']); // now, no matter which is first in the class declaration, it will be tested in this order.
    }
}

To go further, read the guide on Validating data on a Delete operation