diff --git a/mod/page/classes/external.php b/mod/page/classes/external.php
index 511d22285f5..28ea9334404 100644
--- a/mod/page/classes/external.php
+++ b/mod/page/classes/external.php
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ class mod_page_external extends external_api {
                             'introformat' => new external_format_value('intro', 'Summary format'),
                             'introfiles' => new external_files('Files in the introduction text'),
                             'content' => new external_value(PARAM_RAW, 'Page content'),
-                            'contentformat' => new external_format_value('content', 'Content format'),
+                            'contentformat' => new external_format_value('content', VALUE_REQUIRED, 'Content format'),
                             'contentfiles' => new external_files('Files in the content'),
                             'legacyfiles' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'Legacy files flag'),
                             'legacyfileslast' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'Legacy files last control flag'),
diff --git a/tag/classes/external.php b/tag/classes/external.php
index 6214f86ac02..128023fd94b 100644
--- a/tag/classes/external.php
+++ b/tag/classes/external.php
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ class core_tag_external extends external_api {
                         'name' => new external_value(PARAM_TAG, 'name'),
                         'rawname' => new external_value(PARAM_RAW, 'tag raw name (may contain capital letters)'),
                         'description' => new external_value(PARAM_RAW, 'tag description'),
-                        'descriptionformat' => new external_format_value(PARAM_INT, 'tag description format'),
+                        'descriptionformat' => new external_format_value(PARAM_INT, VALUE_REQUIRED, 'tag description format'),
                         'flag' => new external_value(PARAM_INT, 'flag', VALUE_OPTIONAL),
                         'official' => new external_value(PARAM_INT,
                             'whether this flag is standard (deprecated, use isstandard)', VALUE_OPTIONAL),