diff --git a/databusclient/api/deploy.py b/databusclient/api/deploy.py
index 08d9016..1fd93c7 100644
--- a/databusclient/api/deploy.py
+++ b/databusclient/api/deploy.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 
 import requests
 
+from databusclient.api.utils import validate_databus_version_uri
+
 _debug = False
 
 
@@ -352,13 +354,19 @@ def create_dataset(
         OPTIONAL! Metadata for the Group: Description. NOTE: Is only used if all group metadata is set
     """
 
-    _versionId = str(version_id).strip("/")
-    parts = _versionId.rsplit("/", 4)
-    if len(parts) < 5:
+    if len(artifact_version_abstract.strip()) > 200:
         raise BadArgumentException(
-            f"Invalid version_id format: '{version_id}'. "
-            f"Expected format: <BASE>/<ACCOUNT>/<GROUP>/<ARTIFACT>/<VERSION>"
+            f"Artifact & version abstract exceeds maximum allowed length of 200 characters "
+            f"(got {len(artifact_version_abstract.strip())})."
         )
+
+    try:
+        validate_databus_version_uri(version_id)
+    except ValueError as e:
+        raise BadArgumentException(str(e)) from e
+
+    _versionId = str(version_id).strip("/")
+    parts = _versionId.rsplit("/", 4)
     _, _account_name, _group_name, _artifact_name, version = parts
 
     # could be build from stuff above,
diff --git a/databusclient/api/utils.py b/databusclient/api/utils.py
index df4f49d..82ae470 100644
--- a/databusclient/api/utils.py
+++ b/databusclient/api/utils.py
@@ -4,10 +4,18 @@
 `download`, `deploy` and `delete` modules.
 """
 
-from typing import Optional, Tuple
 import hashlib
+import re
+from typing import Optional, Tuple
+from urllib.parse import urlparse
 import requests
 
+# Regex for Databus identifier components (account, group, artifact, version)
+_DATABUS_ID_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+$")
+# Regex for authority (host:port)
+_DATABUS_AUTHORITY_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+(?::[0-9]+)?$")
+
+
 
 def get_databus_id_parts_from_file_url(
     uri: str,
@@ -71,3 +79,45 @@ def compute_sha256_and_length(filepath):
             sha256.update(chunk)
             total_length += len(chunk)
     return sha256.hexdigest(), total_length
+
+
+def validate_databus_version_uri(uri: str) -> None:
+    """Validate a Databus version URI format.
+
+    Expects format: http(s)://<AUTHORITY>/<ACCOUNT>/<GROUP>/<ARTIFACT>/<VERSION>
+
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If URI scheme, authority, trailing slashes, or path components are invalid.
+    """
+    if not uri or not isinstance(uri, str):
+        raise ValueError("Databus version_id must be a non-empty string.")
+
+    if not (uri.startswith("http://") or uri.startswith("https://")):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid version_id URI scheme: '{uri}'. Must start with 'http://' or 'https://'."
+        )
+
+    parsed = urlparse(uri)
+    if not parsed.netloc or not _DATABUS_AUTHORITY_RE.match(parsed.netloc):
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid authority in version_id URI: '{parsed.netloc or uri}'."
+        )
+
+    # Preserve slash delimiters: path must start with '/' followed by account/group/artifact/version
+    # Any trailing slash, double slash, or extra segment creates empty or extra parts.
+    path_segments = parsed.path.split("/")[1:]
+
+    if len(path_segments) != 4:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"Invalid version_id format: '{uri}'. Expected format: <BASE>/<ACCOUNT>/<GROUP>/<ARTIFACT>/<VERSION>"
+        )
+
+    component_names = ["ACCOUNT", "GROUP", "ARTIFACT", "VERSION"]
+    for name, seg in zip(component_names, path_segments):
+        if not seg or not _DATABUS_ID_RE.match(seg):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Invalid Databus {name} component '{seg}' in version_id: '{uri}'. "
+                "Must be non-empty and contain only alphanumeric characters, underscores, hyphens, or dots."
+            )
+
+
diff --git a/tests/test_deploy.py b/tests/test_deploy.py
index 679f11f..95f6863 100644
--- a/tests/test_deploy.py
+++ b/tests/test_deploy.py
@@ -128,3 +128,38 @@ def test_empty_cvs():
     }
 
     assert dataset == correct_dataset
+
+
+def test_abstract_length_validation():
+    long_abstract = "a" * 205
+    with pytest.raises(BadArgumentException, match="exceeds maximum allowed length of 200 characters"):
+        create_dataset(
+            version_id="https://databus.dbpedia.org/user/group/artifact/1.0.0",
+            artifact_version_title="Test Title",
+            artifact_version_abstract=long_abstract,
+            artifact_version_description="Test description",
+            license_url="https://dalicc.net/licenses/cc-by-4.0",
+            distributions=[],
+        )
+
+
+def test_version_id_uri_validation():
+    invalid_uris = [
+        "databus.dbpedia.org/user/group/artifact/1.0.0",  # missing scheme
+        "https://databus.dbpedia.org/user/group/artifact",  # missing version part
+        "https://databus.dbpedia.org/user//artifact/1.0.0",  # empty group part
+        "https://databus.dbpedia.org/user/group/artifact/1.0.0/",  # trailing slash
+        "https://databus.dbpedia.org/user/gr oup/artifact/1.0.0",  # component containing space
+    ]
+    for invalid_uri in invalid_uris:
+        with pytest.raises(BadArgumentException):
+            create_dataset(
+                version_id=invalid_uri,
+                artifact_version_title="Test Title",
+                artifact_version_abstract="Valid abstract",
+                artifact_version_description="Test description",
+                license_url="https://dalicc.net/licenses/cc-by-4.0",
+                distributions=[],
+            )
+
+