diff --git a/docs/scripts/patch_devsite_toc.py b/docs/scripts/patch_devsite_toc.py
index d230c858b..cfd700b73 100644
--- a/docs/scripts/patch_devsite_toc.py
+++ b/docs/scripts/patch_devsite_toc.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ def __init__(self, dir_name, index_file_name):
             list of the other files which should be included
         """
         self.dir_name = dir_name
+        self.index_file_name = index_file_name
         index_file_path = os.path.join(dir_name, index_file_name)
         with open(index_file_path, "r") as f:
             self.title = f.readline().replace("\n", "")
@@ -88,3 +89,29 @@ def add_sections(toc_file_path, section_list, output_file_path=None):
         output_file_path = toc_file_path
     with open(output_file_path, "w") as f:
         yaml.dump(current_toc, f)
+
+
+def validate_toc(toc_file_path, expected_section_list, added_sections):
+    current_toc = yaml.safe_load(open(toc_file_path, "r"))
+    # make sure the set of sections matches what we expect
+    found_sections = [d["name"] for d in current_toc[0]["items"]]
+    assert found_sections == expected_section_list
+    # make sure each customs ection is in the toc
+    for section in added_sections:
+        assert section.title in found_sections
+    # make sure each rst file in each custom section dir is listed in the toc
+    for section in added_sections:
+        items_in_toc = [d["items"] for d in current_toc[0]["items"] if d["name"] == section.title and ".rst"][0]
+        items_in_dir = [f for f in os.listdir(section.dir_name) if f.endswith(".rst")]
+        # subtract 1 for index
+        assert len(items_in_toc) == len(items_in_dir) - 1
+        for file in items_in_dir:
+            if file != section.index_file_name:
+                base_name, _ = os.path.splitext(file)
+                assert any(d["href"] == f"{base_name}.md" for d in items_in_toc)
+    # make sure the markdown files are present in the docfx_yaml directory
+    for section in added_sections:
+        items_in_toc = [d["items"] for d in current_toc[0]["items"] if d["name"] == section.title and ".rst"][0]
+        md_files = [d["href"] for d in items_in_toc]
+        for file in md_files:
+            assert os.path.exists(f"_build/html/docfx_yaml/{file}")
diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index cc0503cfb..d62dbe000 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -429,18 +429,26 @@ def docfx(session):
     import sys
     sys.path.append(os.path.abspath(os.path.join("docs", "scripts")))
     from docs.scripts import patch_devsite_toc
-    patch_devsite_toc.add_sections(
-        os.path.join("_build", "html", "docfx_yaml", "toc.yml"),
-        [
-            patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
-                dir_name="async_data_client",
-                index_file_name="async_data_usage.rst"
-            ),
-            patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
-                dir_name="standard_client",
-                index_file_name="usage.rst"
-            ),
+    toc_path = os.path.join("_build", "html", "docfx_yaml", "toc.yml")
+    custom_sections = [
+        patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
+            dir_name="async_data_client",
+            index_file_name="async_data_usage.rst"
+        ),
+        patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
+            dir_name="standard_client",
+            index_file_name="usage.rst"
+        ),
+    ]
+    patch_devsite_toc.add_sections(toc_path, custom_sections)
+    # run validation to make sure yaml is structured as we expect
+    patch_devsite_toc.validate_toc(
+        toc_file_path=toc_path,
+        expected_section_list=[
+            "Overview", "bigtable APIs", "Changelog", "Multiprocessing",
+            "Async Data Client", "Standard Client", "Bigtable"
         ],
+        added_sections=custom_sections
     )
 
 
diff --git a/owlbot.py b/owlbot.py
index 917e04e2c..8cbba8774 100644
--- a/owlbot.py
+++ b/owlbot.py
@@ -219,18 +219,26 @@ def mypy(session):
     import sys
     sys.path.append(os.path.abspath(os.path.join("docs", "scripts")))
     from docs.scripts import patch_devsite_toc
-    patch_devsite_toc.add_sections(
-        os.path.join("_build", "html", "docfx_yaml", "toc.yml"),
-        [
-            patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
-                dir_name="async_data_client",
-                index_file_name="async_data_usage.rst"
-            ),
-            patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
-                dir_name="standard_client",
-                index_file_name="usage.rst"
-            ),
+    toc_path = os.path.join("_build", "html", "docfx_yaml", "toc.yml")
+    custom_sections = [
+        patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
+            dir_name="async_data_client",
+            index_file_name="async_data_usage.rst"
+        ),
+        patch_devsite_toc.TocSection(
+            dir_name="standard_client",
+            index_file_name="usage.rst"
+        ),
+    ]
+    patch_devsite_toc.add_sections(toc_path, custom_sections)
+    # run validation to make sure yaml is structured as we expect
+    patch_devsite_toc.validate_toc(
+        toc_file_path=toc_path,
+        expected_section_list=[
+            "Overview", "bigtable APIs", "Changelog", "Multiprocessing",
+            "Async Data Client", "Standard Client", "Bigtable"
         ],
+        added_sections=custom_sections
     )
 """