diff --git a/lib/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate.ex b/lib/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate.ex
index 17a79e0..0802dc5 100644
--- a/lib/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate.ex
@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.UsageRules.Validate do
     * `*.md` files under skills managed by usage-rules (skills whose
       `SKILL.md` contains `managed-by: usage-rules`)
 
-  Explicit file paths can also be given to validate those instead.
+  Explicit file paths or glob patterns can also be given to validate those
+  instead. Every argument must match at least one file; the task fails,
+  naming the argument, when one does not.
 
   ## Examples
 
       $ mix usage_rules.validate
       $ mix usage_rules.validate AGENTS.md usage-rules.md
+      $ mix usage_rules.validate "docs/**/*.md"
 
   ## Exit status
 
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.UsageRules.Validate do
     files =
       case files do
         [] -> managed_files()
-        files -> files
+        patterns -> expand_patterns(patterns)
       end
 
     if files == [] do
@@ -83,6 +86,28 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.UsageRules.Validate do
     end
   end
 
+  # Each argument is a path or a glob. Shells pass a glob that matches nothing
+  # through literally, so expand it here; an argument that matches no regular
+  # file is an error rather than something to hand on to ex_doc.
+  defp expand_patterns(patterns) do
+    expanded =
+      Enum.map(patterns, fn pattern ->
+        if File.regular?(pattern) do
+          {pattern, [pattern]}
+        else
+          {pattern, Enum.filter(Path.wildcard(pattern), &File.regular?/1)}
+        end
+      end)
+
+    case for {pattern, []} <- expanded, do: pattern do
+      [] ->
+        expanded |> Enum.flat_map(&elem(&1, 1)) |> Enum.uniq()
+
+      unmatched ->
+        Mix.raise("No files matched: #{Enum.map_join(unmatched, ", ", &inspect/1)}\n\n#{usage()}")
+    end
+  end
+
   defp managed_files do
     config = Mix.Project.config()[:usage_rules] || []
     composed_file(config) ++ managed_skill_files(Keyword.get(config, :skills) || [])
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index 6958f3b..4cca301 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ defmodule UsageRules.MixProject do
       elixir: "~> 1.18",
       package: package(),
       aliases: aliases(),
-      dialyzer: [plt_add_apps: [:mix, :iex]],
+      dialyzer: [plt_add_apps: [:mix, :iex, :ex_doc]],
       docs: &docs/0,
       description: @description,
       source_url: @source_url,
diff --git a/test/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate_test.exs b/test/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate_test.exs
index daf9bd2..0076aca 100644
--- a/test/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate_test.exs
+++ b/test/mix/tasks/usage_rules.validate_test.exs
@@ -28,4 +28,42 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.UsageRules.ValidateTest do
       capture_io(fn -> Validate.run(["--bogus"]) end)
     end
   end
+
+  @tag :tmp_dir
+  test "raises naming each pattern that matches no files", %{tmp_dir: tmp_dir} do
+    existing = Path.join(tmp_dir, "exists.md")
+    File.write!(existing, "# Exists\n")
+    missing_glob = Path.join(tmp_dir, "nope/*.md")
+    missing_file = Path.join(tmp_dir, "missing.md")
+
+    error =
+      assert_raise Mix.Error, fn ->
+        capture_io(fn -> Validate.run([existing, missing_glob, missing_file]) end)
+      end
+
+    assert error.message =~ "No files matched"
+    assert error.message =~ inspect(missing_glob)
+    assert error.message =~ inspect(missing_file)
+    refute error.message =~ inspect(existing)
+  end
+
+  @tag :tmp_dir
+  test "treats a pattern matching only directories as matching no files", %{tmp_dir: tmp_dir} do
+    File.mkdir_p!(Path.join(tmp_dir, "dir.md"))
+    pattern = Path.join(tmp_dir, "*.md")
+
+    assert_raise Mix.Error, ~r/No files matched: #{Regex.escape(inspect(pattern))}/, fn ->
+      capture_io(fn -> Validate.run([pattern]) end)
+    end
+  end
+
+  @tag :tmp_dir
+  test "treats an existing file name containing glob characters literally", %{tmp_dir: tmp_dir} do
+    file = Path.join(tmp_dir, "[draft].md")
+    File.write!(file, "# Draft\n")
+
+    output = capture_io(fn -> Validate.run([file]) end)
+
+    refute output =~ "No files matched"
+  end
 end