diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fccdd2e4..f19745b0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -337,6 +337,8 @@ Some examples' attributes can be overwritten via RSpec metadata options. Example
     description: 'list all posts ordered by pub_date',
     tags: %w[v1 posts],
     required_request_params: %w[limit],
+    optional_request_params: %w[data optional_address], # request body parameters that will NOT be set as required
+    optional_headers: %w[Accept-Languages rowsPerPage], # request header params that can be optional
     security: [{"MyToken" => []}],
   } do
     # ...
diff --git a/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/hanami.rb b/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/hanami.rb
index 3f1155dc..5c88e804 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/hanami.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/hanami.rb
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ def request_attributes(request, example)
     tags = metadata[:tags] || RSpec::OpenAPI.tags_builder.call(example)
     operation_id = metadata[:operation_id]
     required_request_params = metadata[:required_request_params] || []
+    optional_request_params = metadata[:optional_request_params] || []
+    optional_headers = metadata[:optional_headers] || []
     security = metadata[:security]
     description = metadata[:description] || RSpec::OpenAPI.description_builder.call(example)
     deprecated = metadata[:deprecated]
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ def request_attributes(request, example)
 
     raw_path_params = raw_path_params.slice(*(raw_path_params.keys - RSpec::OpenAPI.ignored_path_params))
 
-    [path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated]
+    [path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, optional_request_params, optional_headers, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated]
   end
 
   # @param [RSpec::ExampleGroups::*] context
diff --git a/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rack.rb b/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rack.rb
index 21b9752a..72021d22 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rack.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rack.rb
@@ -11,13 +11,15 @@ def request_attributes(request, example)
     tags = metadata[:tags] || RSpec::OpenAPI.tags_builder.call(example)
     operation_id = metadata[:operation_id]
     required_request_params = metadata[:required_request_params] || []
+    optional_request_params = metadata[:optional_request_params] || []
+    optional_headers = metadata[:optional_headers] || []
     security = metadata[:security]
     description = metadata[:description] || RSpec::OpenAPI.description_builder.call(example)
     deprecated = metadata[:deprecated]
     raw_path_params = request.path_parameters
     path = request.path
     summary ||= "#{request.method} #{path}"
-    [path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated]
+    [path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, optional_request_params, optional_headers, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated]
   end
 
   # @param [RSpec::ExampleGroups::*] context
diff --git a/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rails.rb b/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rails.rb
index b5d1309f..c129112d 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rails.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/openapi/extractors/rails.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ def request_attributes(request, example)
     tags = metadata[:tags] || RSpec::OpenAPI.tags_builder.call(example)
     operation_id = metadata[:operation_id]
     required_request_params = metadata[:required_request_params] || []
+    optional_request_params = metadata[:optional_request_params] || []
+    optional_headers = metadata[:optional_headers] || []
     security = metadata[:security]
     description = metadata[:description] || RSpec::OpenAPI.description_builder.call(example)
     deprecated = metadata[:deprecated]
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ def request_attributes(request, example)
 
     summary ||= "#{request.method} #{path}"
 
-    [path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated]
+    [path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, optional_request_params, optional_headers, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated]
   end
 
   # @param [RSpec::ExampleGroups::*] context
diff --git a/lib/rspec/openapi/record.rb b/lib/rspec/openapi/record.rb
index d336fdcc..9b6783a5 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/openapi/record.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/openapi/record.rb
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@
   :query_params,          # @param [Hash]    - {:query=>"string"}
   :request_params,        # @param [Hash]    - {:request=>"body"}
   :required_request_params, # @param [Array]    - ["param1", "param2"]
+  :optional_request_params, # @param [Array]    - ["param3", "param4"]
   :request_content_type,  # @param [String]  - "application/json"
   :request_headers,       # @param [Array]  - [["header_key1", "header_value1"], ["header_key2", "header_value2"]]
+  :optional_headers,      # @param [Array] - ["header1", "header2"]
   :summary,               # @param [String]  - "v1/statuses #show"
   :tags,                  # @param [Array]   - ["Status"]
   :operation_id,          # @param [String]   - "request-1234"
diff --git a/lib/rspec/openapi/record_builder.rb b/lib/rspec/openapi/record_builder.rb
index 32adf97d..b65c9807 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/openapi/record_builder.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/openapi/record_builder.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def build(context, example:, extractor:)
     request, response = extractor.request_response(context)
     return if request.nil?
 
-    path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated =
+    path, summary, tags, operation_id, required_request_params, optional_request_params, optional_headers, raw_path_params, description, security, deprecated =
       extractor.request_attributes(request, example)
 
     return if RSpec::OpenAPI.ignored_paths.any? { |ignored_path| path.match?(ignored_path) }
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ def build(context, example:, extractor:)
       query_params: request.query_parameters,
       request_params: raw_request_params(request),
       required_request_params: required_request_params,
+      optional_request_params: optional_request_params,
+      optional_headers: optional_headers,
       request_content_type: request.media_type,
       request_headers: request_headers,
       summary: summary,
diff --git a/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_builder.rb b/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_builder.rb
index 49b52728..62abb1b6 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_builder.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_builder.rb
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ def build(record)
 
   private
 
-  def enrich_with_required_keys(obj)
-    obj[:required] = obj[:properties]&.keys || []
+  def enrich_with_required_keys(obj, optional_request_params)
+    obj[:required] = (obj[:properties]&.keys - optional_request_params) || []
     obj
   end
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def build_parameters(record)
       {
         name: build_parameter_name(key, value),
         in: 'header',
-        required: true,
+        required: record.optional_headers.exclude?(key),
         schema: build_property(try_cast(value)),
         example: (try_cast(value) if example_enabled?),
       }.compact
@@ -130,14 +130,14 @@ def build_request_body(record)
     {
       content: {
         normalize_content_type(record.request_content_type) => {
-          schema: build_property(record.request_params),
+          schema: build_property(record.request_params, optional_request_params: record.optional_request_params),
           example: (build_example(record.request_params) if example_enabled?),
         }.compact,
       },
     }
   end
 
-  def build_property(value, disposition: nil)
+  def build_property(value, disposition: nil, optional_request_params: [])
     property = build_type(value, disposition)
 
     case value
@@ -145,15 +145,15 @@ def build_property(value, disposition: nil)
       property[:items] = if value.empty?
                            {} # unknown
                          else
-                           build_property(value.first)
+                           build_property(value.first, optional_request_params: optional_request_params)
                          end
     when Hash
       property[:properties] = {}.tap do |properties|
         value.each do |key, v|
-          properties[key] = build_property(v)
+          properties[key] = build_property(v, optional_request_params: optional_request_params)
         end
       end
-      property = enrich_with_required_keys(property)
+      property = enrich_with_required_keys(property, optional_request_params)
     end
     property
   end
diff --git a/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_file.rb b/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_file.rb
index 53f14f9a..8c1f62e6 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_file.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/openapi/schema_file.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ def edit(&block)
   def read
     return {} unless File.exist?(@path)
 
-    RSpec::OpenAPI::KeyTransformer.symbolize(YAML.safe_load(File.read(@path))) # this can also parse JSON
+    content = YAML.safe_load(File.read(@path)) # This can also parse JSON
+
+    return {} if content.nil?
+
+    RSpec::OpenAPI::KeyTransformer.symbolize(content)
   end
 
   # @param [Hash] spec