---
title: Validate
description: Validate evaluation file definitions
sidebar:
  order: 4
---

The `validate` command checks evaluation files for schema errors without running them.

## Usage

```bash
agentv validate evals/my-eval.yaml
```

Validate multiple files:

```bash
agentv validate evals/**/*.yaml
```

## What It Checks

- YAML/JSONL syntax
- Required fields (id, input, criteria)
- Grader references (command paths, prompt files)
- Target references match entries in `targets.yaml`
- Rubric structure and field types

## When to Use

- Before running evaluations to catch config errors early
- In CI/CD pipelines as a pre-check
- After editing eval files to verify correctness
