diff --git a/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-blocks-output.php b/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-blocks-output.php
index ce5af6e..8b5605c 100644
--- a/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-blocks-output.php
+++ b/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-blocks-output.php
@@ -45,8 +45,11 @@ class DisplayFeaturedImageGenesisWidgetsBlocksOutput {
 	public function render_author( $atts ) {
 		$block_id = 'author';
 		$atts     = $this->update_attributes( $atts, $block_id );
-		$classes  = $this->get_block_classes( $atts, $block_id );
 		include_once plugin_dir_path( dirname( __FILE__ ) ) . 'output/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-output-author.php';
+		if ( empty( $atts['user'] ) ) {
+			return '';
+		}
+		$classes = $this->get_block_classes( $atts, $block_id );
 
 		ob_start();
 		echo '<div class="' . esc_attr( $classes ) . '">';
diff --git a/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-form.php b/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-form.php
index 69eb132..ba7d7ac 100644
--- a/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-form.php
+++ b/includes/widgets/class-displayfeaturedimagegenesis-widgets-form.php
@@ -40,7 +40,10 @@ class DisplayFeaturedImageGenesisWidgetsForm {
 		$output     = 'objects';
 		$post_types = get_post_types( $args, $output );
 
-		$options['post'] = __( 'Posts', 'display-featured-image-genesis' );
+		$options = array(
+			''     => '--',
+			'post' => __( 'Posts', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
+		);
 		foreach ( $post_types as $post_type ) {
 			$options[ $post_type->name ] = $post_type->label;
 		}
diff --git a/includes/widgets/fields/author-user.php b/includes/widgets/fields/author-user.php
index 38e49d8..5074aa1 100644
--- a/includes/widgets/fields/author-user.php
+++ b/includes/widgets/fields/author-user.php
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ $users   = get_users(
 		'who' => 'authors',
 	)
 );
-$options = array();
+$options = array(
+	'' => '--',
+);
 foreach ( $users as $user ) {
 	$options[ $user->ID ] = $user->data->display_name;
 }
diff --git a/includes/widgets/fields/blocks.php b/includes/widgets/fields/blocks.php
index 1fe3120..9566958 100644
--- a/includes/widgets/fields/blocks.php
+++ b/includes/widgets/fields/blocks.php
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ return array(
 			__( 'Author', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
 			__( 'Featured Image', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
 		),
+		'placeholder' => __( 'Please select an author.', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
+		'required'    => 'user',
 	),
 	'cpt'    => array(
 		'title'       => __( 'Display Featured Post Type Archive Image', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
@@ -26,5 +28,7 @@ return array(
 			__( 'Post Type', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
 			__( 'Featured Image', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
 		),
+		'placeholder' => __( 'Please select a post type.', 'display-featured-image-genesis' ),
+		'required'    => 'post_type',
 	),
 );