diff --git a/SCHEMA_COVERAGE.md b/SCHEMA_COVERAGE.md
index b3c4cc4..a2a0278 100644
--- a/SCHEMA_COVERAGE.md
+++ b/SCHEMA_COVERAGE.md
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ exclusive with `name`.
 
 ## parent
 
+The whole section is optional: a devfile that does not inherit from a parent is valid, so an empty
+parent step generates no `parent` key and raises neither an error nor a warning.
+
 Source: `uri`, `id` (with `registryUrl` and `version`) or `kubernetes` (`name`, `namespace`).
 
 Overrides: `components`, `commands`, `projects`, `starterProjects`, `dependentProjects`,
diff --git a/src/components/steps/ParentStep.jsx b/src/components/steps/ParentStep.jsx
index 876681d..7011ab4 100644
--- a/src/components/steps/ParentStep.jsx
+++ b/src/components/steps/ParentStep.jsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   getComponentType,
   getParentSourceType
 } from '../../utils/factories'
+import Badge from '../common/Badge'
 import CommandEditor from '../editors/CommandEditor'
 import ComponentEditor from '../editors/ComponentEditor'
 import ProjectEditor from '../editors/ProjectEditor'
@@ -26,6 +27,18 @@ import WizardNavigation from '../wizard/WizardNavigation'
 
 const ISSUE_PREFIXES = ['Parent']
 
+const DOCS_URL = 'https://devfile.io/docs/2.3.0/referring-to-a-parent-devfile'
+const SCHEMA_DOCS_URL = 'https://devfile.io/docs/2.3.0/devfile-schema'
+
+/** Link to the devfile.io page describing the section edited here. */
+function DocsLink({ href, children }) {
+  return (
+    <a href={href} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" className="text-blue-600 hover:underline">
+      {children}
+    </a>
+  )
+}
+
 const PROJECT_LISTS = [
   { kind: 'projects', title: 'Project overrides', prefix: 'parent-project', addButtonText: 'Add Project Override' },
   {
@@ -68,14 +81,27 @@ export default function ParentStep() {
   if (!parent) {
     return (
       <div>
-        <h2 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900 mb-2">Parent</h2>
-        <p className="text-gray-600 mb-6">
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-2 mb-2">
+          <h2 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">Parent</h2>
+          <Badge variant="default">Optional</Badge>
+        </div>
+        <p className="text-gray-600 mb-2">
           A devfile can inherit from a parent devfile and override parts of it. Everything defined here is merged on
-          top of the parent.
+          top of the parent. Most devfiles do not use a parent — skipping this step is perfectly normal and the{' '}
+          <code className="text-xs bg-gray-100 px-1 py-0.5 rounded">parent</code> section is simply left out of the
+          generated devfile.
+        </p>
+        <p className="text-sm text-gray-500 mb-6">
+          See <DocsLink href={DOCS_URL}>Referring to a parent devfile</DocsLink> and the{' '}
+          <DocsLink href={SCHEMA_DOCS_URL}>devfile 2.3.0 schema</DocsLink>.
         </p>
 
         <div className="text-center py-10 bg-gray-50 rounded-lg border-2 border-dashed border-gray-300">
-          <p className="text-gray-500 mb-4">This devfile does not inherit from a parent.</p>
+          <p className="text-gray-500 mb-1">This devfile does not inherit from a parent.</p>
+          <p className="text-gray-400 text-sm mb-4">
+            Leave it this way unless you are extending a stack from a registry, a devfile URI or a
+            DevWorkspaceTemplate.
+          </p>
           <Button variant="outline" onClick={() => setParent(createParent())}>
             Add Parent
           </Button>
@@ -105,14 +131,21 @@ export default function ParentStep() {
   return (
     <div>
       <div className="flex justify-between items-start mb-2">
-        <h2 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">Parent</h2>
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+          <h2 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">Parent</h2>
+          <Badge variant="default">Optional</Badge>
+        </div>
         <Button variant="danger" onClick={() => setParent(null)} className="text-xs px-2 py-1">
           Remove Parent
         </Button>
       </div>
-      <p className="text-gray-600 mb-6">
+      <p className="text-gray-600 mb-2">
         The parent devfile this one inherits from. Overrides below are merged on top of the parent content, so no
-        field is mandatory in them.
+        field is mandatory in them. Remove the parent to go back to a devfile without inheritance.
+      </p>
+      <p className="text-sm text-gray-500 mb-6">
+        See <DocsLink href={DOCS_URL}>Referring to a parent devfile</DocsLink> and the{' '}
+        <DocsLink href={SCHEMA_DOCS_URL}>devfile 2.3.0 schema</DocsLink>.
       </p>
 
       {/* A parent that was just added has no source yet, which the required
diff --git a/src/components/steps/ReviewStep.jsx b/src/components/steps/ReviewStep.jsx
index 06a2def..d36b431 100644
--- a/src/components/steps/ReviewStep.jsx
+++ b/src/components/steps/ReviewStep.jsx
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ function countBy(items, resolve) {
   return [...counts.entries()].map(([key, count]) => `${count} ${key}`).join(', ')
 }
 
-function SummaryCard({ title, stepId, configured, onEdit, children }) {
+function SummaryCard({ title, stepId, configured, notConfiguredLabel = 'Not configured', onEdit, children }) {
   return (
     <Card className="mb-4">
       <div className="flex justify-between items-start mb-3">
         <div>
           <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold text-gray-900">{title}</h3>
           <Badge variant={configured ? 'success' : 'default'} className="mt-1">
-            {configured ? 'Configured' : 'Not configured'}
+            {configured ? 'Configured' : notConfiguredLabel}
           </Badge>
         </div>
         <Button variant="outline" onClick={() => onEdit(STEP_INDEX[stepId])} className="text-xs px-2 py-1">
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ export default function ReviewStep() {
             title="Parent"
             stepId="parent"
             configured={devfile.parent !== undefined}
+            notConfiguredLabel="Not used (optional)"
             onEdit={handleEdit}
           >
             {devfile.parent ? (
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ export default function ReviewStep() {
                 {devfile.parent.uri || devfile.parent.id || devfile.parent.kubernetes?.name}
               </p>
             ) : (
-              <p className="text-gray-500">No parent devfile</p>
+              <p className="text-gray-500">No parent devfile, the section is left out</p>
             )}
           </SummaryCard>
 
diff --git a/src/utils/devfileGenerator.js b/src/utils/devfileGenerator.js
index 62e6922..865d570 100644
--- a/src/utils/devfileGenerator.js
+++ b/src/utils/devfileGenerator.js
@@ -1280,12 +1280,11 @@ export function validateDevfile(data) {
     errors.push(`Schema version "${devfile.schemaVersion}" is not a valid devfile schema version`)
   }
 
+  // Inheriting from a parent is optional, so a devfile without a parent section
+  // is never reported. A parent that holds overrides but no source still builds
+  // a section, which `validateParentSection` rejects.
   const options = { hasParent: devfile.parent !== undefined }
 
-  if (data.parent && devfile.parent === undefined) {
-    warnings.push('Parent: no parent source configured, the section is left out of the devfile')
-  }
-
   validateMetadataSection(devfile.metadata, errors, warnings)
   validateParentSection(devfile.parent, errors, warnings)
   for (const [kind, label] of PROJECT_LABELS) {
diff --git a/tests/e2e/full-coverage.spec.js b/tests/e2e/full-coverage.spec.js
index a6d4b54..35574b9 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/full-coverage.spec.js
+++ b/tests/e2e/full-coverage.spec.js
@@ -180,6 +180,27 @@ test.describe('full schema coverage through the UI', () => {
     await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add Parent' })).toBeVisible()
     expect((await readYaml(page)).parent).toBeUndefined()
   })
+
+  test('the parent step is optional and skipping it raises nothing', async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.goto('/')
+    await page.fill('input[name="name"]', 'sample')
+
+    await goToStep(page, 'Parent')
+    await expect(page.getByText('Optional', { exact: true })).toBeVisible()
+    await expect(page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Referring to a parent devfile' })).toHaveAttribute(
+      'href',
+      'https://devfile.io/docs/2.3.0/referring-to-a-parent-devfile'
+    )
+
+    // An empty parent section is equivalent to no parent at all.
+    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add Parent' }).click()
+
+    await goToStep(page, 'Review & Download')
+    expect((await readYaml(page)).parent).toBeUndefined()
+    await expect(page.getByText('Not used (optional)')).toBeVisible()
+    await expect(page.getByTestId('review-warnings')).toHaveCount(0)
+    await expect(page.getByText('Valid devfile')).toBeVisible()
+  })
 })
 
 test.describe('validation', () => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/devfile-validation.spec.js b/tests/unit/devfile-validation.spec.js
index 6a96feb..facab31 100644
--- a/tests/unit/devfile-validation.spec.js
+++ b/tests/unit/devfile-validation.spec.js
@@ -470,12 +470,22 @@ test.describe('events', () => {
 })
 
 test.describe('parent', () => {
-  test('exactly one parent source is required', () => {
+  test('a devfile without a parent is not reported', () => {
+    expect(warningsOf(state()).filter((message) => message.startsWith('Parent'))).toEqual([])
+
+    // An empty parent section produces no devfile content, which is the same
+    // as not inheriting at all.
     const data = state({ parent: { ...createParent(), uri: '' } })
+    expect(warningsOf(data).filter((message) => message.startsWith('Parent'))).toEqual([])
+    expect(errorsOf(data).filter((message) => message.startsWith('Parent'))).toEqual([])
+  })
 
-    expectMessage(warningsOf(data), 'no parent source configured')
+  test('exactly one parent source is required', () => {
+    const data = state({ parent: { ...createParent(), uri: 'https://example.com/devfile.yaml', id: 'nodejs' } })
+    expectMessage(errorsOf(data), 'exactly one of uri, id or kubernetes must be set')
 
-    data.parent = { ...createParent(), uri: 'https://example.com/devfile.yaml', id: 'nodejs' }
+    // Overrides without a source would be dropped silently.
+    data.parent = { ...createParent(), uri: '', components: [container('tools')] }
     expectMessage(errorsOf(data), 'exactly one of uri, id or kubernetes must be set')
   })