diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfCli/Program.cs b/SessionZero.SzfCli/Program.cs
index 250be58..b79db27 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfCli/Program.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfCli/Program.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using Spectre.Console;
 using SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
 using System.IO;
+using SessionZero.SzfLib.Helpers;
 
 void PrintSection(dynamic section, int indent = 0)
 {
@@ -55,19 +56,27 @@ if (!File.Exists(filePath))
 
 string szfContent = File.ReadAllText(filePath);
 var parser = new SzfParser();
-var szfObject = parser.Parse(szfContent);
-
-if (szfObject == null)
+try
 {
-    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine("[red]Failed to parse SZF file.[/]");
-    return;
+    var szfObject = parser.Parse(szfContent);
+    
+    if (szfObject == null)
+    {
+        AnsiConsole.MarkupLine("[red]Failed to parse SZF file.[/]");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine($"[bold]SZF Type:[/] {szfObject.SzfType}");
+    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine($"[bold]SZF Version:[/] {szfObject.SzfVersion}");
+    AnsiConsole.MarkupLine($"[bold]Number of Sections:[/] {szfObject.Sections.Count}");
+
+    foreach (var section in szfObject.Sections)
+    {
+        PrintSection(section);
+    }
+}
+catch (SzfError ex)
+{
+    Console.WriteLine($"Szf Validation Error: {ex.Message}");
 }
 
-AnsiConsole.MarkupLine($"[bold]SZF Type:[/] {szfObject.SzfType}");
-AnsiConsole.MarkupLine($"[bold]SZF Version:[/] {szfObject.SzfVersion}");
-AnsiConsole.MarkupLine($"[bold]Number of Sections:[/] {szfObject.Sections.Count}");
-
-foreach (var section in szfObject.Sections)
-{
-    PrintSection(section);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Helpers/SzfError.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Helpers/SzfError.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9c68b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Helpers/SzfError.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Helpers;
+
+public class SzfError : Exception
+{
+    public bool IsValid { get; set; } = true;
+    public string Message { get; set; } = string.Empty;
+
+    public void AddError(string message)
+    {
+        Message += message + "\r\n";
+        IsValid = false;
+    }
+
+    public override string ToString()
+    {
+        return $"Valid: {IsValid}, Message: {Message}";
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Helpers/SzfHelper.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Helpers/SzfHelper.cs
index fb835ac..ee33f19 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Helpers/SzfHelper.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Helpers/SzfHelper.cs
@@ -16,4 +16,16 @@ public static class SzfHelper
         
         return obj.IsAbstract || obj.IsInterface ? null : obj;
     }
+
+    public static SzfError BasicSzfValidation(ISzfObject obj)
+    {
+        SzfError result = new SzfError();
+        
+        var metadataSection = obj.Sections.FirstOrDefault(s => s.Name == "Metadata");
+        if (metadataSection is null) result.AddError("No metadata section found");
+        
+        if (obj.GetMetadataField("Name") == string.Empty) result.AddError("No metadata field name found");
+        
+        return result;
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/ISzfObject.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/ISzfObject.cs
index e557dd9..77cb7a5 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/ISzfObject.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/ISzfObject.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using SessionZero.SzfLib.Helpers;
 using SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
 
 namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Objects;
@@ -12,5 +13,9 @@ public interface ISzfObject
     public string GetFieldValue(string sectionName, string fieldName);
     public string FindFieldValueInSection(SzfSection section, string[] path, int depth, string fieldName);
     
-    public ISzfObject? Parse();
+    /// <summary>
+    /// 
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <returns></returns>
+    public SzfError Validate();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacter.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacter.cs
index 3203507..d1603b0 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacter.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacter.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
+using SessionZero.SzfLib.Helpers;
+
 namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Objects;
 
 [SzfObject("character")]
 public class SzfCharacter : SzfObject, ISzfCharacter
 {
     public override string SzfType { get; set; } = "character";
+    public override SzfError Validate()
+    {
+        throw new NotImplementedException();
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacterTemplate.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacterTemplate.cs
index 2f14878..18407eb 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacterTemplate.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfCharacterTemplate.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
+using SessionZero.SzfLib.Helpers;
+
 namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Objects;
 
 [SzfObject("character_template")]
 public class SzfCharacterTemplate : SzfObject, ISzfCharacterTemplate
 {
     public override string SzfType { get; set; } = "character_template";
+    public override SzfError Validate()
+    {
+        throw new NotImplementedException();
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfDataset.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfDataset.cs
index 414c9a5..df2d3fb 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfDataset.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfDataset.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,25 @@
+using SessionZero.SzfLib.Helpers;
+using SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
+
 namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Objects;
 
 [SzfObject("dataset")]
 public class SzfDataset : SzfObject, ISzfDataset
 {
     public override string SzfType { get; set; } = "dataset";
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+
+    public override SzfError Validate()
+    {
+        var result = SzfHelper.BasicSzfValidation(this);
+        
+        if (GetMetadataField("Type") == string.Empty) result.AddError("Metadata field `Type` is missing or empty");
+
+        foreach (var entry in Sections.Where(entry => GetFieldValue(entry.Name, "Name") == string.Empty))
+        {
+            result.AddError($"Entry {entry.Name}'s `Name` field is missing or empty");
+        }
+        
+        return result;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfObject.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfObject.cs
index 92edb7b..99a3249 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfObject.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Objects/SzfObject.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using SessionZero.SzfLib.Helpers;
 using SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
 
 namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Objects;
@@ -13,9 +14,10 @@ public abstract class SzfObject : ISzfObject
     /// Handles specific parsing logic for the SzfObject that overrides this method.
     /// </summary>
     /// <returns></returns>
-    public virtual ISzfObject? Parse()
+    public virtual SzfError Validate()
     {
-        return this;
+        var result = SzfHelper.BasicSzfValidation(this);
+        return result;
     }
     
     /// <summary>
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfField.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfField.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f0a5ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfField.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
+
+public class SzfField(string name, SzfFieldType type)
+{
+    public string Name { get; set; } = name;
+    public SzfFieldType SzfType { get; set; } = type;
+    public string? Value { get; set; }
+
+    public bool Validate()
+    {
+        throw new NotImplementedException();
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfFieldType.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfFieldType.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f69cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfFieldType.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
+
+public enum SzfFieldType
+{
+    Text,
+    TextField,
+    Number,
+    Bool,
+    Calculated,
+    System,
+    EntryReference,
+    EntryReferenceList,
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfParser.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfParser.cs
index c54d39b..3743371 100644
--- a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfParser.cs
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfParser.cs
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@ namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
 public class SzfParser : ISzfParser
 {
     /// <summary>
-    /// Parses the given SZF content and returns the corresponding ISzfObject.
+    /// Tries to parse an ISzfObject
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="szfContent"></param>
     /// <returns></returns>
+    /// <exception cref="SzfError"></exception>
     public ISzfObject? Parse(string szfContent)
     {
+        SzfError result = new();
+        
         var lines = szfContent.Split(new[] { '\n', '\r' }, StringSplitOptions.RemoveEmptyEntries);
     
         string szfObjectTypeName = string.Empty;
@@ -72,11 +75,15 @@ public class SzfParser : ISzfParser
             {
                 szfObject.Sections.Add(section);
             }
+            
+            result = szfObject.Validate();
 
-            return szfObject.Parse() ?? szfObject;
+            if (result.IsValid) return szfObject;
+            
+            Console.WriteLine(result.Message);
         }
     
-        return null;
+        throw result;
     }
 
     public ISzfObject? Parse(ISzfFile file)
@@ -143,31 +150,4 @@ public class SzfParser : ISzfParser
     }
     
     
-}
-
-public class SzfSection(string name)
-{
-    public string Name { get; set; } = name;
-    public Dictionary<string, SzfField> Fields { get; set; } = new();
-    public Dictionary<string, SzfSection> Subsections { get; set; } = new();
-}
-
-
-public class SzfField(string name, SzfFieldType type)
-{
-    public string Name { get; set; } = name;
-    public SzfFieldType SzfType { get; set; } = type;
-    public string? Value { get; set; }
-}
-
-public enum SzfFieldType
-{
-    Text,
-    TextField,
-    Number,
-    Bool,
-    Calculated,
-    System,
-    EntryReference,
-    EntryReferenceList,
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfSection.cs b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfSection.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..662c59f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SessionZero.SzfLib/Parser/SzfSection.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+namespace SessionZero.SzfLib.Parser;
+
+public class SzfSection(string name)
+{
+    public string Name { get; set; } = name;
+    public Dictionary<string, SzfField> Fields { get; set; } = new();
+    public Dictionary<string, SzfSection> Subsections { get; set; } = new();
+}
\ No newline at end of file