diff --git a/_docs/data/data.yaml b/_docs/data/data.yaml
index 66ac850..2d5bcf6 100644
--- a/_docs/data/data.yaml
+++ b/_docs/data/data.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ properties:
   api_key:
     description: Personal Access token to access the GitHub API.
     type: string
-    required: false
+    required: true
 
   base_url:
     description: API URL. Only need to be changed for GitHub enterprise in most cases
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ properties:
     required: false
 
   message:
-    description: File or string that contains the comment text.
+    description: Path to file or string that contains the comment text.
     type: string
-    required: false
+    required: true
 
   update:
     description: Enables update of an existing comment that matches the key.
diff --git a/cmd/drone-github-comment/config.go b/cmd/drone-github-comment/config.go
index d316608..972c6de 100644
--- a/cmd/drone-github-comment/config.go
+++ b/cmd/drone-github-comment/config.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ func settingsFlags(settings *plugin.Settings, category string) []cli.Flag {
 			Usage:       "personal access token access github api",
 			Destination: &settings.APIKey,
 			Category:    category,
+			Required:    true,
 		},
 		&cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:        "base-url",
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ func settingsFlags(settings *plugin.Settings, category string) []cli.Flag {
 			Usage:       "file or string that holds the comment text",
 			Destination: &settings.Message,
 			Category:    category,
+			Required:    true,
 		},
 		&cli.BoolFlag{
 			Name:        "update",
diff --git a/plugin/comment.go b/plugin/comment.go
index 04281ae..10c8500 100644
--- a/plugin/comment.go
+++ b/plugin/comment.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func (cc *commentClient) issueComment() error {
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to add or update comment: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/plugin/impl.go b/plugin/impl.go
index f07c127..79ca296 100644
--- a/plugin/impl.go
+++ b/plugin/impl.go
@@ -34,13 +34,6 @@ func (p *Plugin) Validate() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("github comment plugin is only available for pull requests")
 	}
 
-	if p.settings.APIKey == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no api key provided")
-	}
-
-	if p.settings.Message == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("no message provides")
-	}
 	if p.settings.Message != "" {
 		if p.settings.Message, p.settings.IsFile, err = readStringOrFile(p.settings.Message); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error while reading %s: %w", p.settings.Message, err)