diff --git a/lib/frenzy/pipeline/filter_stage.ex b/lib/frenzy/pipeline/filter_stage.ex
index 6c537ba..f18a511 100644
--- a/lib/frenzy/pipeline/filter_stage.ex
+++ b/lib/frenzy/pipeline/filter_stage.ex
@@ -32,6 +32,72 @@ defmodule Frenzy.Pipeline.FilterStage do
     {:ok, item_params}
   end
 
+  @impl Stage
+  def validate_opts(opts) when is_map(opts) do
+    cond do
+      not (Map.has_key?(opts, "mode") and is_binary(opts["mode"]) and
+               opts["mode"] in ["accept", "reject"]) ->
+        {:error, "mode must be a string, either 'accept' or 'reject'"}
+
+      not (Map.has_key?(opts, "score") and is_integer(opts["score"])) ->
+        {:error, "score must be an integer"}
+
+      not (Map.has_key?(opts, "rules") and is_list(opts["rules"])) ->
+        {:error, "rules must be a list of rules"}
+
+      true ->
+        validate_rules(opts)
+    end
+  end
+
+  @impl Stage
+  def validate_opts(_opts), do: {:error, "options must be a map"}
+
+  defp validate_rules(%{"rules" => rules} = opts) do
+    rules
+    |> Enum.with_index()
+    |> Enum.reduce_while(:ok, fn {rule, index}, :ok ->
+      case validate_rule(rule) do
+        :ok ->
+          {:cont, :ok}
+
+        {:error, reason} ->
+          {:halt, {:error, "invalid rule #{index}: #{reason}"}}
+      end
+    end)
+    |> case do
+      :ok ->
+        {:ok, opts}
+
+      {:error, _reason} = err ->
+        err
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp validate_rule(rule) do
+    cond do
+      not is_map(rule) ->
+        {:error, "rule must be a map"}
+
+      not (Map.has_key?(rule, "mode") and is_binary(rule["mode"]) and
+               rule["mode"] in ["contains_string", "matches_regex"]) ->
+        {:error, "mode property must be a string, either 'contains_string' or 'matches_regex'"}
+
+      not (Map.has_key?(rule, "property") and is_binary(rule["property"]) and
+               rule["property"] in ["url", "title", "author"]) ->
+        {:error, "property property must be a string, either 'url', 'title', or 'author'"}
+
+      not (Map.has_key?(rule, "param") and is_binary(rule["param"])) ->
+        {:error, "param property must be a string"}
+
+      not (Map.has_key?(rule, "weight") and is_integer(rule["weight"])) ->
+        {:error, "weight property must be an integer"}
+
+      true ->
+        :ok
+    end
+  end
+
   defp test(
          %{"mode" => mode, "property" => property, "param" => param, "weight" => weight},
          item_params
diff --git a/lib/frenzy/pipeline/scrape_stage.ex b/lib/frenzy/pipeline/scrape_stage.ex
index d29d833..4e85cc7 100644
--- a/lib/frenzy/pipeline/scrape_stage.ex
+++ b/lib/frenzy/pipeline/scrape_stage.ex
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ defmodule Frenzy.Pipeline.ScrapeStage do
     end
   end
 
+  @impl Stage
+  def validate_opts(opts), do: {:ok, opts}
+
   defp get_article_content(url) when is_binary(url) and url != "" do
     Logger.debug("Getting article from #{url}")
 
diff --git a/lib/frenzy/pipeline/stage.ex b/lib/frenzy/pipeline/stage.ex
index e1208a0..9eb6067 100644
--- a/lib/frenzy/pipeline/stage.ex
+++ b/lib/frenzy/pipeline/stage.ex
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 defmodule Frenzy.Pipeline.Stage do
   @callback apply(Map.t(), Map.t()) :: {:ok, Map.t()} | :tombstone | {:error, String.t()}
+
+  @callback validate_opts(Map.t()) :: {:ok, Map.t()} | {:error, String.t()}
 end
diff --git a/lib/frenzy_web/controllers/pipeline_controller.ex b/lib/frenzy_web/controllers/pipeline_controller.ex
index e0d1950..6f10dd5 100644
--- a/lib/frenzy_web/controllers/pipeline_controller.ex
+++ b/lib/frenzy_web/controllers/pipeline_controller.ex
@@ -65,7 +65,11 @@ defmodule FrenzyWeb.PipelineController do
     feed = conn.assigns[:feed]
     stage = conn.assigns[:stage]
 
-    with {:ok, options} <- Jason.decode(options_json) do
+    with {:ok, options} <- Jason.decode(options_json),
+         {:ok, options} <-
+           apply(String.to_existing_atom("Elixir." <> stage.module_name), :validate_opts, [
+             options
+           ]) do
       changeset = PipelineStage.changeset(stage, %{options: options})
       {:ok, _stage} = Repo.update(changeset)
 
@@ -112,7 +116,9 @@ defmodule FrenzyWeb.PipelineController do
     feed = conn.assigns[:feed]
 
     with {index, _} <- Integer.parse(index),
-         {:ok, options} <- Jason.decode(options_json) do
+         module_atom <- String.to_existing_atom("Elixir." <> module_name),
+         {:ok, options} <- Jason.decode(options_json),
+         {:ok, options} <- apply(module_atom, :validate_opts, [options]) do
       changeset =
         Ecto.build_assoc(feed, :pipeline_stages, %{
           index: index,