diff --git a/.github/workflows/gatk-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/gatk-tests.yml
index 9548ab4c1a8..553a229549d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gatk-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gatk-tests.yml
@@ -251,10 +251,10 @@ jobs:
           identifier: Java ${{ matrix.Java }} test on docker ${{matrix.testType}}
           only-artifact: ${{ needs.check-secrets.outputs.google-credentials != 'true' }}
 
-  #test wdl validation
-  wdlValidation:
+  #run wdl validation on WDLs in the scripts directory
+  scriptsWdlValidation:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    name: Validate WDLs using womtools
+    name: Validate scripts WDLs using womtools
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
@@ -262,13 +262,13 @@ jobs:
       - uses: ./.github/actions/install-cromwell
         with:
           CROMWELL_VERSION: ${{ env.CROMWELL_VERSION }}
-      - name: Run WDL Validation Test
-        run: ./gradlew gatkWDLValidation
+      - name: Run Scripts WDL Validation Test
+        run: ./gradlew gatkValidateScriptsWdl
 
-  #test wdl auto generation
-  wdlGen:
+  #run wdl validation on generated WDLs
+  generatedWdlValidation:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    name: Test WDL Generation
+    name: Validate generated WDLs using womtools
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
@@ -283,8 +283,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           CROMWELL_VERSION: ${{ env.CROMWELL_VERSION }}
 
-      - name: Run WDL Generation Test
-        run: ./gradlew gatkWDLGenValidation
+      - name: Run Generated WDL Test
+        run: ./gradlew gatkValidateGeneratedWdl
 
   #Run our various targeted medium scale wdl wiring tests
   wdlTests:
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 3d5ce51ddb4..8e991cd09ed 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ def execWDLValidation = { validateWDL ->
     }
 }
 
-task gatkWDLValidation() {
+task gatkValidateScriptsWdl() {
     doFirst {
         // running this task requires a local cromwell installation, with environment variables CROMWELL_JAR,
         // WOMTOOL_JAR set to the jar locations
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ task gatkWDLValidation() {
     }
 }
 
-task gatkWDLGenValidation(dependsOn: [gatkWDLGen, shadowJar]) {
+task gatkValidateGeneratedWdl(dependsOn: [gatkWDLGen, shadowJar]) {
     doFirst {
         // running this task requires a local cromwell installation, with environment variables CROMWELL_JAR,
         // WOMTOOL_JAR set to the jar locations
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ task gatkWDLGenValidation(dependsOn: [gatkWDLGen, shadowJar]) {
     }
 
     doLast {
-        // first, run the womtool validator
+        // first, run the womtool validator on WDL files in the 'doc/wdlGen' directory
         final File wdlGenFolder = new File("$docBuildDir/wdlGen")
         def wdlFiles = fileTree(dir: wdlGenFolder).filter {
             f -> !f.getAbsolutePath().endsWith(".html") && !f.getAbsolutePath().endsWith(".json")