diff --git a/config/example.json b/config/example.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1811c843a79ab0aad63a5cf55223605704ef831f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/example.json
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+    "samples": {
+        "sample_01": {
+            "libraries": {
+                "lib_l1": {
+                    "R1": "1.fq.gz",
+                    "R2": "2.fq.gz"
+                },
+                "lib_l2": {
+                    "R1": "1.1.fq.gz",
+                    "R2": "1.2.fq.gz"
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        "sample_02": {
+            "libraries": {
+                "lib_l1": {
+                    "R1": "3.1.fq.gz",
+                    "R2": "3.2.fq.gz"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/config/schema.json b/config/schema.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6b932fca96f3846f68d49bfe98bbff2930bb0b87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/schema.json
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+{
+    "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
+    "description": "JSON schema for samples config for the hutspot pipeline",
+    "type": "object",
+    "required": ["samples"],
+    "properties": {
+        "samples": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": {
+                "description": "sample object",
+                "type": "object",
+                "required": ["libraries"],
+                "properties": {
+                    "libraries": {
+                        "type": "object",
+                        "additionalProperties": {
+                            "description": "library",
+                            "type": "object",
+                            "required": ["R1", "R2"],
+                            "properties": {
+                                "R1": {"type": "string"},
+                                "R2": {"type": "string"}
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}