diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_merge_failure.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_merge_failure.yaml
index 313d23b..fc6854e 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_merge_failure.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_merge_failure.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     failure:
       gerrit:
         verified: -1
+    # merge-failure-message needs a string.
     merge-failure-message:
 
   - name: gate
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines
deleted file mode 100644
index f627208..0000000
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-pipelines:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines1.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines1.yaml
index da90933..09638bc 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines1.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines1.yaml
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
+# Pipelines completely missing. At least one is required.
 pipelines:
-
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines10.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines10.yaml
index 5248c17..ddde946 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines10.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines10.yaml
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
 
 projects:
   - name: foo
-    merge-mode: foo
\ No newline at end of file
+    # merge-mode must be one of merge, merge-resolve, cherry-pick.
+    merge-mode: foo
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines2.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines2.yaml
index e75a561..fc1e154 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines2.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines2.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pipelines:
+  # name is required for pipelines
   - noname: check
     manager: IndependentPipelineManager
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines3.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines3.yaml
index 0c11a85..93ac266 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines3.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines3.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 pipelines:
   - name: check
+    # The manager must be one of IndependentPipelineManager
+    # or DependentPipelineManager
     manager: NonexistentPipelineManager
 
 projects:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines4.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines4.yaml
index 7f58024..3a91604 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines4.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines4.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     manager: IndependentPipelineManager
     trigger:
       gerrit:
+        # non-event is not a valid gerrit event
         - event: non-event
 
 projects:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines5.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines5.yaml
index 929c1a9..f95a78e 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines5.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines5.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     manager: IndependentPipelineManager
     trigger:
       gerrit:
+        # event is a required item but it is missing.
         - approval:
             - approved: 1
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines6.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines6.yaml
index 6dcdaf3..aa91c77 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines6.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines6.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     trigger:
       gerrit:
         - event: comment-added
+          # approved is not a valid entry. Should be approval.
           approved: 1
 
 projects:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines7.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines7.yaml
index 7517b9a..e2db495 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines7.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines7.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pipelines:
+  # The pipeline must have a name.
   - manager: IndependentPipelineManager
 
 projects:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines8.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines8.yaml
index eeab038..9c5918e 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines8.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines8.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pipelines:
+  # The pipeline must have a manager
   - name: check
 
 projects:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines9.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines9.yaml
index ebb2e1f..89307d5 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines9.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_pipelines9.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 pipelines:
+  # Names must be unique.
   - name: check
     manager: IndependentPipelineManager
   - name: check
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects1.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects1.yaml
index c210c43..e3d381f 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects1.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects1.yaml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 projects:
   - name: foo
+  # gate pipeline is not defined.
     gate:
       - test
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects2.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects2.yaml
index b91ed9d..9291cc9 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects2.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_projects2.yaml
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@
 projects:
   - name: foo
     check:
+      # Indentation is one level too deep on the last line.
       - test
         - foo
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_swift.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_swift.yaml
index d8a8c3f..e79dca6 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_swift.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_swift.yaml
@@ -16,11 +16,10 @@
     swift:
       - name: logs
   - name: ^.*-merge$
+    # swift requires a name
     swift:
         container: merge_assets
     failure-message: Unable to merge change
-  - name: test-test
-    swift:
 
 projects:
   - name: test-org/test
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_template1.yaml b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_template1.yaml
index 15822d1..cab17a1 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_template1.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/layouts/bad_template1.yaml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 project-templates:
   - name: template-generic
     check:
-     # Template uses the 'project' parameter' which must
+     # Template uses the 'project' parameter' which must be provided
      - '{project}-merge'
 
 projects: