diff --git a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_schema.erl b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_schema.erl
index a6073d677..a369429d5 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/src/emqx_cluster_link_schema.erl
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ fields("link") ->
         {server,
             emqx_schema:servers_sc(#{required => true, desc => ?DESC(server)}, ?MQTT_HOST_OPTS)},
         {clientid, ?HOCON(binary(), #{desc => ?DESC(clientid)})},
-        {username, ?HOCON(binary(), #{desc => ?DESC(username)})},
-        {password, emqx_schema_secret:mk(#{desc => ?DESC(password)})},
+        {username, ?HOCON(binary(), #{required => false, desc => ?DESC(username)})},
+        {password, emqx_schema_secret:mk(#{required => false, desc => ?DESC(password)})},
         {ssl, #{
             type => ?R_REF(emqx_schema, "ssl_client_opts"),
             default => #{<<"enable">> => false},
diff --git a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/test/emqx_cluster_link_api_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/test/emqx_cluster_link_api_SUITE.erl
index 5c136925d..535e8521a 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_cluster_link/test/emqx_cluster_link_api_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_cluster_link/test/emqx_cluster_link_api_SUITE.erl
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@ link_params() ->
 link_params(Overrides) ->
     Default = #{
         <<"clientid">> => <<"linkclientid">>,
-        <<"username">> => <<"myusername">>,
         <<"pool_size">> => 1,
         <<"server">> => <<"emqxcl_2.nohost:31883">>,
         <<"topics">> => [<<"t/test-topic">>, <<"t/test/#">>]