diff --git a/api/v1alpha1/api.go b/api/v1alpha1/api.go
index 31e85f781..a21d7e1bd 100644
--- a/api/v1alpha1/api.go
+++ b/api/v1alpha1/api.go
@@ -207,9 +207,12 @@ type AIGatewayRouteRuleBackendRef struct {
 	// the BackendRef in the Gateway API. See for the details:
 	// https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/reference/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io%2fv1.BackendRef
 	//
-	// +kubebuilder:validation:Required
+	// Default is 1.
+	//
+	// +optional
 	// +kubebuilder:validation:Minimum=0
-	Weight int `json:"weight"`
+	// +kubebuilder:default=1
+	Weight int `json:"weight,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type AIGatewayRouteRuleMatch struct {
diff --git a/manifests/charts/ai-gateway-helm/crds/aigateway.envoyproxy.io_aigatewayroutes.yaml b/manifests/charts/ai-gateway-helm/crds/aigateway.envoyproxy.io_aigatewayroutes.yaml
index 122fae5e2..873758110 100644
--- a/manifests/charts/ai-gateway-helm/crds/aigateway.envoyproxy.io_aigatewayroutes.yaml
+++ b/manifests/charts/ai-gateway-helm/crds/aigateway.envoyproxy.io_aigatewayroutes.yaml
@@ -267,15 +267,17 @@ spec:
                             minLength: 1
                             type: string
                           weight:
+                            default: 1
                             description: |-
                               Weight is the weight of the AIServiceBackend. This is exactly the same as the weight in
                               the BackendRef in the Gateway API. See for the details:
                               https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/reference/spec/#gateway.networking.k8s.io%2fv1.BackendRef
+
+                              Default is 1.
                             minimum: 0
                             type: integer
                         required:
                         - name
-                        - weight
                         type: object
                       maxItems: 128
                       type: array