diff --git a/fern/products/cli-api-reference/pages/commands.mdx b/fern/products/cli-api-reference/pages/commands.mdx
index 82b88c350..cf1a0be0d 100644
--- a/fern/products/cli-api-reference/pages/commands.mdx
+++ b/fern/products/cli-api-reference/pages/commands.mdx
@@ -286,9 +286,13 @@ hideOnThisPage: true
 
   <Accordion title="fern check">
 
-    Use `fern check` to validate your API definition and Fern configuration: [`fern.config.json`](/learn/sdks/overview/project-structure#fernconfigjson), `generators.yml`, and `docs.yml`.
+    <Warning>
+    The `--broken-links` and `--strict-broken-links` flags are deprecated. Use the [`broken-links` validation rule](/learn/docs/configuration/site-level-settings#check-configuration) in `docs.yml` instead.
+
+    You can also use the [Fern Dashboard](https://dashboard.buildwithfern.com/) to validate both internal and external links on your live published site.
+    </Warning>
 
-    When successfully executed, this command will not produce any output.
+    Use `fern check` to validate your API definition and Fern configuration, including [`fern.config.json`](/learn/sdks/overview/project-structure#fernconfigjson), `generators.yml`, and `docs.yml`. It checks for broken links, invalid API examples, configuration errors, and more. When all checks pass, the command produces no output.
 
     <CodeBlock title="terminal">
     ```bash
@@ -296,6 +300,15 @@ hideOnThisPage: true
     ```
     </CodeBlock>
 
+    You can configure the severity of the validation rules run by `fern check` in your `docs.yml` file [using the `check.rules` property](/learn/docs/configuration/site-level-settings#check-configuration).
+
+    ```yaml docs.yml
+    check:
+      rules:
+        broken-links: error
+        example-validation: warn
+    ```
+
     ### api
 
     Use `--api <api>` to specify which API you'd like to check. 
@@ -312,18 +325,6 @@ hideOnThisPage: true
     fern check --warnings
     ```
 
-    ### strict-broken-links
-
-    Use `--strict-broken-links` to fail the command if any broken links are found in your API docs.
-
-    ```bash
-    fern check --strict-broken-links
-    ```
-
-    <Note>
-    For comprehensive link checking, use the [Fern Dashboard](https://dashboard.buildwithfern.com/), which validates both internal and external links on your live published site. This is recommended over `--strict-broken-links` because the Dashboard checks your actual published site and can verify external links that the CLI cannot.
-    </Note>
-
     ## Usage in a GitHub Action
 
     <CodeBlock title = ".github/workflows/fern-check.yml" >
diff --git a/fern/products/docs/pages/changelog/2026-03-31.mdx b/fern/products/docs/pages/changelog/2026-03-31.mdx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0045bc4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fern/products/docs/pages/changelog/2026-03-31.mdx
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+tags: ["configuration", "docs.yml"]
+---
+
+## Configure `fern check` rule severity
+
+You can now configure the severity of validation rules run by `fern check` directly in your `docs.yml` file using the `check.rules` property. Set individual rules to `"warn"` (non-blocking) or `"error"` (blocking) to control which checks fail your build.
+
+```yaml docs.yml
+check:
+  rules:
+    broken-links: error
+    example-validation: warn
+```
+
+The `--broken-links` and `--strict-broken-links` CLI flags are now deprecated in favor of this configuration.
+
+<Button intent="none" outlined rightIcon="arrow-right" href="/learn/docs/configuration/site-level-settings#check-configuration">Read the docs</Button>
diff --git a/fern/products/docs/pages/customization/site-level-settings.mdx b/fern/products/docs/pages/customization/site-level-settings.mdx
index 441c76c4a..1b5842f8f 100644
--- a/fern/products/docs/pages/customization/site-level-settings.mdx
+++ b/fern/products/docs/pages/customization/site-level-settings.mdx
@@ -1001,6 +1001,41 @@ ai-examples:
   Instructions to guide the content and style of AI-generated examples in your API Reference. Use this to align examples with your brand or domain. Limited to 500 characters.
 </ParamField>
 
+## Check configuration
+
+Configure the severity of validation rules run by [`fern check`](/learn/cli-api-reference/cli-reference/commands#fern-check). Each rule can be set to `"warn"` (non-blocking) or `"error"` (blocking).
+
+```yaml docs.yml
+check:
+  rules:
+    broken-links: warn
+    example-validation: error
+```
+
+<ParamField path="check.rules.broken-links" type="'warn' | 'error'" required={false} default="error" toc={true}>
+  Severity for broken link detection. Defaults to `error` for broken internal links and `warn` for malformed URLs. Replaces the deprecated `--broken-links` and `--strict-broken-links` CLI flags.
+</ParamField>
+
+<ParamField path="check.rules.example-validation" type="'warn' | 'error'" required={false} default="warn" toc={true}>
+  Severity for OpenAPI example validation.
+</ParamField>
+
+<ParamField path="check.rules.no-non-component-refs" type="'warn' | 'error'" required={false} default="error" toc={true}>
+  Severity for non-component OpenAPI reference validation. Flags `$ref` values that point outside the `#/components` section of an OpenAPI spec.
+</ParamField>
+
+<ParamField path="check.rules.valid-local-references" type="'warn' | 'error'" required={false} default="warn" toc={true}>
+  Severity for local OpenAPI reference validation. Checks that local `$ref` values resolve to existing definitions.
+</ParamField>
+
+<ParamField path="check.rules.no-circular-redirects" type="'warn' | 'error'" required={false} default="error" toc={true}>
+  Severity for circular redirect validation. Detects redirect chains that loop back to a previously visited path.
+</ParamField>
+
+<ParamField path="check.rules.valid-docs-endpoints" type="'warn' | 'error'" required={false} default="warn" toc={true}>
+  Severity for docs endpoint URL validation. Checks that endpoint URLs referenced in `docs.yml` are well-formed.
+</ParamField>
+
 ## Experimental configuration
 
 Configure experimental features in the `experimental` section of your `docs.yml`.