diff --git a/flows/actions/call_webhook.go b/flows/actions/call_webhook.go
index 74de82023..1d262aa22 100644
--- a/flows/actions/call_webhook.go
+++ b/flows/actions/call_webhook.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package actions
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -54,6 +55,10 @@ func (a *WebhookAction) Execute(run flows.FlowRun, step flows.Step) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		run.AddError(step, err)
 	}
+	if url == "" {
+		run.AddError(step, fmt.Errorf("call_webhook URL evaluated to empty string, skipping"))
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	// substitute any body variables
 	body := a.Body
diff --git a/flows/actions/send_email.go b/flows/actions/send_email.go
index e21710103..a68c5774c 100644
--- a/flows/actions/send_email.go
+++ b/flows/actions/send_email.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package actions
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/nyaruka/goflow/excellent"
 	"github.com/nyaruka/goflow/flows"
 	"github.com/nyaruka/goflow/flows/events"
@@ -47,11 +49,19 @@ func (a *EmailAction) Execute(run flows.FlowRun, step flows.Step) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			run.AddError(step, err)
 		}
+		if email == "" {
+			run.AddError(step, fmt.Errorf("send_email email evaluated to empty string, skipping"))
+			continue
+		}
 
 		subject, err := excellent.EvaluateTemplateAsString(run.Environment(), run.Context(), a.Subject)
 		if err != nil {
 			run.AddError(step, err)
 		}
+		if subject == "" {
+			run.AddError(step, fmt.Errorf("send_email subject evaluated to empty string, skipping"))
+			continue
+		}
 
 		body, err := excellent.EvaluateTemplateAsString(run.Environment(), run.Context(), a.Body)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/flows/actions/send_msg.go b/flows/actions/send_msg.go
index 5401ab93f..984326265 100644
--- a/flows/actions/send_msg.go
+++ b/flows/actions/send_msg.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package actions
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/nyaruka/goflow/excellent"
 	"github.com/nyaruka/goflow/flows"
 	"github.com/nyaruka/goflow/flows/events"
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ type SendMsgAction struct {
 	URNs     []flows.URN               `json:"urns"`
 	Contacts []*flows.ContactReference `json:"contacts"     validate:"dive"`
 	Groups   []*flows.Group            `json:"groups"       validate:"dive"`
-	Text     string                    `json:"text"         validate:"required"`
+	Text     string                    `json:"text"`
 }
 
 // Type returns the type of this action
@@ -49,6 +51,10 @@ func (a *SendMsgAction) Execute(run flows.FlowRun, step flows.Step) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		run.AddError(step, err)
 	}
+	if text == "" {
+		run.AddError(step, fmt.Errorf("send_msg text evaluated to empty string, skipping"))
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	// create events for each URN
 	for _, urn := range a.URNs {
diff --git a/flows/events/msg_received.go b/flows/events/msg_received.go
index 70c3ac1ed..2740b74ae 100644
--- a/flows/events/msg_received.go
+++ b/flows/events/msg_received.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type MsgReceivedEvent struct {
 	ChannelUUID flows.ChannelUUID `json:"channel_uuid"     validate:"required,uuid4"`
 	URN         flows.URN         `json:"urn"              validate:"required"`
 	ContactUUID flows.ContactUUID `json:"contact_uuid"     validate:"required,uuid4"`
-	Text        string            `json:"text"             validate:"required"`
+	Text        string            `json:"text"`
 }
 
 // NewMsgReceivedEvent creates a new incoming msg event for the passed in channel, contact and string
diff --git a/flows/events/save_contact_field.go b/flows/events/save_contact_field.go
index e6d0f248a..2543351db 100644
--- a/flows/events/save_contact_field.go
+++ b/flows/events/save_contact_field.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ type SaveContactFieldEvent struct {
 	BaseEvent
 	FieldUUID flows.FieldUUID `json:"field_uuid"  validate:"required"`
 	FieldName string          `json:"field_name"  validate:"required"`
-	Value     string          `json:"value"       validate:"required"`
+	Value     string          `json:"value"`
 }
 
 // NewSaveToContact returns a new save to contact event
diff --git a/flows/events/save_flow_result.go b/flows/events/save_flow_result.go
index f5f56239e..a6e588c7c 100644
--- a/flows/events/save_flow_result.go
+++ b/flows/events/save_flow_result.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ type SaveFlowResultEvent struct {
 	BaseEvent
 	NodeUUID   flows.NodeUUID `json:"node_uuid"        validate:"required"`
 	ResultName string         `json:"result_name"      validate:"required"`
-	Value      string         `json:"value"            validate:"required"`
+	Value      string         `json:"value"`
 	Category   string         `json:"category"`
 }
 
diff --git a/flows/events/send_email.go b/flows/events/send_email.go
index bd523713c..b3d9c3e1e 100644
--- a/flows/events/send_email.go
+++ b/flows/events/send_email.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ type SendEmailEvent struct {
 	BaseEvent
 	Email   string `json:"email"   validate:"required"`
 	Subject string `json:"subject" validate:"required"`
-	Body    string `json:"body"    validate:"required"`
+	Body    string `json:"body"`
 }
 
 // NewSendEmailEvent returns a new email event witht he passed in subject, body and emails
diff --git a/flows/events/update_contact.go b/flows/events/update_contact.go
index 72d04fcc8..518cf88e0 100644
--- a/flows/events/update_contact.go
+++ b/flows/events/update_contact.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ const TypeUpdateContact string = "update_contact"
 type UpdateContactEvent struct {
 	BaseEvent
 	FieldName string `json:"field_name"  validate:"required"`
-	Value     string `json:"value"       validate:"required"`
+	Value     string `json:"value"`
 }
 
 // NewUpdateContact returns a new save to contact event