In plain English
It shows that giving the information is up to the person filling in the form. Nothing is demanded there, so it can be left empty or skipped.
In context
Here, it indicates that this input does not have to be completed for the submission.
- Situation
- Profile setup, contact details, verification fields, and preference settings
- What it communicates
- marks a form input as not mandatory for submission.
Meaning limits
By itself, this status says only that the information is not required, not whether providing it has any further effect.
Examples
“The form asks for a phone number, but it is optional, so many people leave it blank.”
“Since the middle-name box was optional, Lena submitted the form without filling it in.”