diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
index adfcdc6be9..06516cd23f 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/index.test.ts.snap
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
 exports[`sidebar site with wrong sidebar content 1`] = `
-"Bad sidebars file.
+"Bad sidebar file at 'packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/__tests__/__fixtures__/simple-site/wrong-sidebars.json'.
 These sidebar document ids do not exist:
 - goku,
 
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/index.ts b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/index.ts
index 8875a1700c..7eee0d569a 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/index.ts
@@ -189,7 +189,10 @@ export default function pluginContentDocs(
         const sidebarsUtils = createSidebarsUtils(sidebars);
 
         const validDocIds = Object.keys(docsBaseById);
-        sidebarsUtils.checkSidebarsDocIds(validDocIds);
+        sidebarsUtils.checkSidebarsDocIds(
+          validDocIds,
+          versionMetadata.sidebarFilePath as string,
+        );
 
         // Add sidebar/next/previous to the docs
         function addNavData(doc: DocMetadataBase): DocMetadata {
diff --git a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/sidebars.ts b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/sidebars.ts
index 76f63d33cc..5f07907fd2 100644
--- a/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/sidebars.ts
+++ b/packages/docusaurus-plugin-content-docs/src/sidebars.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import {
   PluginOptions,
 } from './types';
 import {mapValues, flatten, flatMap, difference, pick, memoize} from 'lodash';
-import {getElementsAround} from '@docusaurus/utils';
+import {getElementsAround, toMessageRelativeFilePath} from '@docusaurus/utils';
 import combinePromises from 'combine-promises';
 import {DefaultSidebarItemsGenerator} from './sidebarItemsGenerator';
 import path from 'path';
@@ -480,12 +480,12 @@ export function createSidebarsUtils(sidebars: Sidebars) {
     }
   }
 
-  function checkSidebarsDocIds(validDocIds: string[]) {
+  function checkSidebarsDocIds(validDocIds: string[], sidebarFilePath: string) {
     const allSidebarDocIds = flatten(Object.values(sidebarNameToDocIds));
     const invalidSidebarDocIds = difference(allSidebarDocIds, validDocIds);
     if (invalidSidebarDocIds.length > 0) {
       throw new Error(
-        `Bad sidebars file.
+        `Bad sidebar file at '${toMessageRelativeFilePath(sidebarFilePath)}'.
 These sidebar document ids do not exist:
 - ${invalidSidebarDocIds.sort().join('\n- ')},