Are there fields I can't skip while creating an SDS?

Yes — but far fewer than you'd think. We went through every one of the 16 sections and checked which fields are actually blocked with a red * versus which are just there if you want them. Here's the full picture (video walkthroughs for Sections 1, 3, and 14 are in the panel on this page):

Section 1 (Product Details) : Product Name, Company Name, Country, Language, Regulation, and Product Type (Hazardous / Non-Hazardous) are required. Product Code, Version Number, Synonyms, and Uses are all optional. Formulation Number is optional by default too, but becomes required for regulations that need a UFI (EU CLP and UK CLP), since the UFI is derived from it.

Section 3 (Ingredient Details) : for every ingredient you look up via Add Chemical (CAS number or chemical name search), Actual Percentage, and SDS Displayed Percentage are all required — none of the three can be left blank, ExactSDS will reject the entry. You'll also need to pick a Mixture State to generate the ingredient's hazard code. A chemical with genuinely no CAS number skips this search entirely — it's added via Select Preset from the Substance Library instead (see “Can I add a substance that doesn't have a CAS number?”).

Section 14 (Transport Information) : only required if your product is classified as dangerous for transport. If you flag it as not dangerous for transport, nothing in this section is required. If it is dangerous, UN/ID Number and Transport Mode become required.

Every other section — Hazard Identification, First Aid, Fire Fighting, Accidental Release, Handling & Storage, Exposure Controls, Physical Properties, Stability, Toxicology, Ecology, Disposal, Regulatory, and Other Information — has zero required fields. You can generate and publish a complete SDS without touching any of them, though filling them in makes for a more useful document.

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