• Reference
  • Version · 6.0
  • Change Automation Reference

validate

Last updated: September 29, 2026

The validate command checks your changelog and identifies potential Liquibase syntax errors that may cause the update command to fail. We recommend you validate your changelogs before each deployment.

Note: The validate command examines Liquibase syntax and behaviors related to Liquibase operations. It does not check SQL for correctness and does not anticipate database deployment errors resulting from malformed SQL.

Uses

Use the validate command to detect if there are any issues with a changelog before running the update command. Validation helps you avoid a partial update, where only some changesets are applied due to an error in your changelog file.

Use the validate command to ensure:

  • The XML, YAML, JSON, or formatted SQL is structured correctly

  • Referenced files can be found

  • Any attributes you specify in your changelog match the XSD

  • There are no duplicated id, author, and file combinations

  • There are no checksum errors

  • The DATABASECHANGELOG and DATABASECHANGELOGLOCK tables exist (if not, it creates them)

Warning: The validate command only looks for possible errors in the changelog. It does not check for possible errors that might result from applying the changes to a specific database.

Strict mode

Add the --strict parameter to make validate enforce rules that standard validation allows. Use it when you want a mistake in your changelog to fail validation instead of behaving unpredictably at deploy time.

In Liquibase Secure 6.0 and later, validate --strict also reports property names that include and includeAll do not accept. Liquibase checks included changelogs as well, so an unrecognized property in a nested file is reported too. This applies to XML, YAML, JSON, and formatted SQL changelogs.

For example, an include block with an unrecognized thisIsATest property produces:

'thisIsATest' is not a valid 'include' property.

Note: Without --strict, Liquibase ignores an unrecognized include or includeAll property name. XML changelogs are the exception, because the XSD rejects an undeclared attribute when Liquibase parses the changelog.

Syntax

liquibase validate --changelog-file=example-changelog.xml

Command parameters

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

--changelog-file=<string>

The root changelog

Required

--url=<string>

The JDBC database connection URL. See Using JDBC URL in Liquibase.

Required

--default-catalog-name=<string>

Name of the default catalog to use for the database connection

Optional

--default-schema-name=<string>

Name of the default schema to use for the database connection. If defaultSchemaName is set, then objects do not have to be fully qualified. This means you can refer to just mytable instead of myschema.mytable.

Note: In the properties file and JAVA_OPTS only: in 4.18.0 and earlier, specify this parameter using the syntax defaultSchemaName. In 4.19.0 and later, use the syntax liquibase.command.defaultSchemaName.

Note: In Liquibase 4.12.0 and later, you can use mixed-case schema names if you set --preserve-schema-case to true. However, in Liquibase 4.12.0–4.22.0, the Liquibase validator still throws a DatabaseException error if you specify a mixed-case value of defaultSchemaName. In 4.23.0 and later, the Liquibase validator accepts any casing.

Optional

--driver=<string>

The JDBC driver class

Optional

--driver-properties-file=<string>

The JDBC driver properties file

Optional

--password=<string>

Password to connect to the target database.

Optional

--strict

Enforces rigid validation rules before running updates. Strict mode catches additional configuration issues that standard validation allows.

Optional

--username=<string>

Username to connect to the target database.

Optional

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

cmdArgs: { changelog-file: "<string>" }

The root changelog

Required

cmdArgs: { url: "<string>" }

The JDBC database connection URL.

Required

cmdArgs: { default-catalog-name: "<string>" }

Name of the default catalog to use for the database connection

Optional

cmdArgs: { default-schema-name: "<string>" }

Name of the default schema to use for the database connection. If defaultSchemaName is set, then objects do not have to be fully qualified. This means you can refer to just mytable instead of myschema.mytable.

Note: In the properties file and JAVA_OPTS only: in 4.18.0 and earlier, specify this parameter using the syntax defaultSchemaName. In 4.19.0 and later, use the syntax liquibase.command.defaultSchemaName.

Note: In Liquibase 4.12.0 and later, you can use mixed-case schema names if you set --preserve-schema-case to true. However, in Liquibase 4.12.0–4.22.0, the Liquibase validator still throws a DatabaseException error if you specify a mixed-case value of defaultSchemaName. In 4.23.0 and later, the Liquibase validator accepts any casing.

Optional

cmdArgs: { driver: "<string>" }

The JDBC driver class

Optional

cmdArgs: { driver-properties-file: "<string>" }

The JDBC driver properties file

Optional

cmdArgs: { password: "<string>" }

Password to connect to the target database.

Optional

cmdArgs: { username: "<string>" }

Username to connect to the target database.

Optional

stages: validate-strict: actions: - type: liquibase command: validate cmdArgs: strict: true

Enforces rigid validation rules before running updates. Strict mode catches additional configuration issues that standard validation allows.

Optional

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

liquibase.command.changelogFile: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.changelogFile: <string>

The root changelog

Required

liquibase.command.url: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.url: <string>

The JDBC database connection URL.

Required

liquibase.command.defaultCatalogName: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.defaultCatalogName: <string>

Name of the default catalog to use for the database connection

Optional

liquibase.command.defaultSchemaName: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.defaultSchemaName: <string>

Name of the default schema to use for the database connection. If defaultSchemaName is set, then objects do not have to be fully qualified. This means you can refer to just mytable instead of myschema.mytable.

Note: In the properties file and JAVA_OPTS only: in 4.18.0 and earlier, specify this parameter using the syntax defaultSchemaName. In 4.19.0 and later, use the syntax liquibase.command.defaultSchemaName.

Note: In Liquibase 4.12.0 and later, you can use mixed-case schema names if you set --preserve-schema-case to true. However, in Liquibase 4.12.0–4.22.0, the Liquibase validator still throws a DatabaseException error if you specify a mixed-case value of defaultSchemaName. In 4.23.0 and later, the Liquibase validator accepts any casing.

Optional

liquibase.command.driver: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.driver: <string>

The JDBC driver class

Optional

liquibase.command.driverPropertiesFile: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.driverPropertiesFile: <string>

The JDBC driver properties file

Optional

liquibase.command.password: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.password: <string>

Password to connect to the target database.

Optional

liquibase.command.username: <string>

liquibase.command.validate.username: <string>

Username to connect to the target database.

Optional

liquibase.command.validate.strict=true

Enforces rigid validation rules before running updates. Strict mode catches additional configuration issues that standard validation allows.

Optional

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.changelogFile=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.changelogFile=<string>

The root changelog

Required

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.url=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.url=<string>

The JDBC database connection URL.

Required

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.defaultCatalogName=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.defaultCatalogName=<string>

Name of the default catalog to use for the database connection

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.defaultSchemaName=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.defaultSchemaName=<string>

Name of the default schema to use for the database connection. If defaultSchemaName is set, then objects do not have to be fully qualified. This means you can refer to just mytable instead of myschema.mytable.

Note: In the properties file and JAVA_OPTS only: in 4.18.0 and earlier, specify this parameter using the syntax defaultSchemaName. In 4.19.0 and later, use the syntax liquibase.command.defaultSchemaName.

Note: In Liquibase 4.12.0 and later, you can use mixed-case schema names if you set --preserve-schema-case to true. However, in Liquibase 4.12.0–4.22.0, the Liquibase validator still throws a DatabaseException error if you specify a mixed-case value of defaultSchemaName. In 4.23.0 and later, the Liquibase validator accepts any casing.

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.driver=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.driver=<string>

The JDBC driver class

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.driverPropertiesFile=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.driverPropertiesFile=<string>

The JDBC driver properties file

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.password=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.password=<string>

Password to connect to the target database.

Optional

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.username=<string>

JAVA_OPTS=-Dliquibase.command.validate.username=<string>

Username to connect to the target database.

Optional

export JAVA_OPTS="-Dliquibase.command.validate.strict=true" liquibase validate

Enforces rigid validation rules before running updates. Strict mode catches additional configuration issues that standard validation allows.

Optional

Attribute

Definition

Requirement

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_CHANGELOG_FILE=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_CHANGELOG_FILE=<string>

The root changelog

Required

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_URL=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_URL=<string>

The JDBC database connection URL.

Required

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_DEFAULT_CATALOG_NAME=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_DEFAULT_CATALOG_NAME=<string>

Name of the default catalog to use for the database connection

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_DEFAULT_SCHEMA_NAME=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_DEFAULT_SCHEMA_NAME=<string>

Name of the default schema to use for the database connection. If defaultSchemaName is set, then objects do not have to be fully qualified. This means you can refer to just mytable instead of myschema.mytable.

Note: In the properties file and JAVA_OPTS only: in 4.18.0 and earlier, specify this parameter using the syntax defaultSchemaName. In 4.19.0 and later, use the syntax liquibase.command.defaultSchemaName.

Note: In Liquibase 4.12.0 and later, you can use mixed-case schema names if you set --preserve-schema-case to true. However, in Liquibase 4.12.0–4.22.0, the Liquibase validator still throws a DatabaseException error if you specify a mixed-case value of defaultSchemaName. In 4.23.0 and later, the Liquibase validator accepts any casing.

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_DRIVER=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_DRIVER=<string>

The JDBC driver class

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_DRIVER_PROPERTIES_FILE=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_DRIVER_PROPERTIES_FILE=<string>

The JDBC driver properties file

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_PASSWORD=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_PASSWORD=<string>

Password to connect to the target database.

Optional

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_USERNAME=<string>

LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_USERNAME=<string>

Username to connect to the target database.

Optional

export LIQUIBASE_COMMAND_VALIDATE_STRICT=true liquibase validate

Enforces rigid validation rules before running updates. Strict mode catches additional configuration issues that standard validation allows.

Optional

Output

No validation errors found. Liquibase command 'validate' was executed successfully.

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