How to

Validate docs

Catch frontmatter and structure issues before sync.

What changes

validate checks configured sources and reports issues in renderable Topics before sync writes AI Channel output. Markdown without an allowed category remains a Document and is not rendered.

When this helps

You created or edited a Playbook Markdown file.
A generated AI Channel file looks wrong and the source needs checking.
CI or a reviewer needs a no-write quality gate.

Run this command

terminal

$sumr playbook validate --source docs# check source docs$sumr playbook validate --suggestions# advisory content review$sumr playbook validate --verbose# show checked files$sumr playbook validate --json# CI output

Flags you can use

--source <path>

Validate one docs folder instead of reading sources from sumr.yaml.

--suggestions

Also report advisory content suggestions, such as a description repeated as the body opening or near-duplicate sections across docs. Suggestions never change the exit code; with --json the envelope adds a suggestions count and suggestion-severity issues.

--verbose

On success, list every source that was checked.

--json

Return a structured JSON envelope for scripts, CI jobs, and AI assistants.

--help, -h

Show the command syntax, supported flags, and examples without changing files.

Keep in mind

Run this before sync when source docs changed.
Fix validation errors in the source Markdown, not in generated channel files.