diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-upstream.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-upstream.yml
index ee63593151ad..14525d9a35f9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate-upstream.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-upstream.yml
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ on:
       data-files-folder:
         required: false
         type: string
-      data-files-placeholder-folder:
+      create-placeholder-stubs:
+        type: boolean
         required: false
-        type: string
 
 jobs:
   run:
@@ -41,10 +41,9 @@ jobs:
           path: /tmp/data/${{ inputs.data-files-folder }}
       -
         # Copy data files from /tmp/data/${{ inputs.data-files-folder }} to
-        # data/${{ inputs.data-files-folder }}. If data-files-placeholder-folder
-        # is set, then check if a placeholder file exists for each data file in
-        # that folder. If not, then creates a placeholder file with the same
-        # name as the data file, but with a .md extension.
+        # data/${{ inputs.data-files-folder }}. If create-placeholder-stubs
+        # is set to true, then check if a placeholder file exists for each data file in
+        # that folder. If not, create a placeholder stub file for the data file.
         name: Copy data files
         if: ${{ inputs.data-files-id != '' && inputs.data-files-folder != '' }}
         uses: actions/github-script@v7
@@ -52,13 +51,18 @@ jobs:
           script: |
             const fs = require('fs');
             const path = require('path');
-            const dataFilesPlaceholderFolder = `content/${{ inputs.data-files-placeholder-folder }}`;
             const globber = await glob.create(`/tmp/data/${{ inputs.data-files-folder }}/*.yaml`);
             for await (const yamlSrcPath of globber.globGenerator()) {
               const yamlSrcFilename = path.basename(yamlSrcPath);
+              const yamlSrcNoExt = yamlSrcPath.replace(".yaml", "");
+              const hasSubCommands = (await (await glob.create(yamlSrcNoExt)).glob()).length > 1;
               const yamlDestPath = path.join('data', `${{ inputs.data-files-folder }}`, yamlSrcFilename);
-              const placeholderPath = path.join(dataFilesPlaceholderFolder, yamlSrcFilename.replace(/^docker_/, '').replace(/\.yaml$/, '.md'));
-              if (dataFilesPlaceholderFolder !== '' && !fs.existsSync(placeholderPath)) {
+              let placeholderPath = path.join("content/reference/cli", yamlSrcFilename.replace('_', '/').replace(/\.yaml$/, '.md'));
+              if (hasSubCommands) {
+                placeholderPath = placeholderPath.replace('.md', '/_index.md');
+              };
+              if (`${{ inputs.create-placeholder-stubs }}` && !fs.existsSync(placeholderPath)) {
+                fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(placeholderPath), { recursive: true });
                 const placeholderContent = `---
             datafolder: ${{ inputs.data-files-folder }}
             datafile: ${yamlSrcFilename.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, '')}