diff --git a/compiler/rustc_lint_defs/src/lib.rs b/compiler/rustc_lint_defs/src/lib.rs
index de0abe04611..a25cfe68e0d 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_lint_defs/src/lib.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_lint_defs/src/lib.rs
@@ -345,12 +345,34 @@ pub struct FutureIncompatibleInfo {
 }
 
 /// The reason for future incompatibility
+///
+/// Future-incompatible lints come in roughly two categories:
+///
+/// 1. There was a mistake in the compiler (such as a soundness issue), and
+///    we're trying to fix it, but it may be a breaking change.
+/// 2. A change across an Edition boundary, typically used for the
+///    introduction of new language features that can't otherwise be
+///    introduced in a backwards-compatible way.
+///
+/// See <https://rustc-dev-guide.rust-lang.org/bug-fix-procedure.html> and
+/// <https://rustc-dev-guide.rust-lang.org/diagnostics.html#future-incompatible-lints>
+/// for more information.
 #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug)]
 pub enum FutureIncompatibilityReason {
     /// This will be an error in a future release for all editions
     ///
     /// This will *not* show up in cargo's future breakage report.
     /// The warning will hence only be seen in local crates, not in dependencies.
+    ///
+    /// Choose this variant when you are first introducing a "future
+    /// incompatible" warning that is intended to eventually be fixed in the
+    /// future. This allows crate developers an opportunity to fix the warning
+    /// before blasting all dependents with a warning they can't fix
+    /// (dependents have to wait for a new release of the affected crate to be
+    /// published).
+    ///
+    /// After a lint has been in this state for a while, consider graduating
+    /// it to [`FutureIncompatibilityReason::FutureReleaseErrorReportInDeps`].
     FutureReleaseErrorDontReportInDeps,
     /// This will be an error in a future release, and
     /// Cargo should create a report even for dependencies
@@ -358,17 +380,62 @@ pub enum FutureIncompatibilityReason {
     /// This is the *only* reason that will make future incompatibility warnings show up in cargo's
     /// reports. All other future incompatibility warnings are not visible when they occur in a
     /// dependency.
+    ///
+    /// Choose this variant after the lint has been sitting in the
+    /// [`FutureIncompatibilityReason::FutureReleaseErrorDontReportInDeps`]
+    /// state for a while, and you feel like it is ready to graduate to
+    /// warning everyone. It is a good signal that it is ready if you can
+    /// determine that all or most affected crates on crates.io have been
+    /// updated.
+    ///
+    /// After some period of time, lints with this variant can be turned into
+    /// hard errors (and the lint removed). Preferably when there is some
+    /// confidence that the number of impacted projects is very small (few
+    /// should have a broken dependency in their dependency tree).
     FutureReleaseErrorReportInDeps,
     /// Code that changes meaning in some way in a
     /// future release.
+    ///
+    /// Choose this variant when the semantics of existing code is changing,
+    /// (as opposed to
+    /// [`FutureIncompatibilityReason::FutureReleaseErrorDontReportInDeps`],
+    /// which is for when code is going to be rejected in the future).
     FutureReleaseSemanticsChange,
     /// Previously accepted code that will become an
     /// error in the provided edition
+    ///
+    /// Choose this variant for code that you want to start rejecting across
+    /// an edition boundary. This will automatically include the lint in the
+    /// `rust-20xx-compatibility` lint group, which is used by `cargo fix
+    /// --edition` to do migrations. The lint *should* be auto-fixable with
+    /// [`Applicability::MachineApplicable`].
+    ///
+    /// The lint can either be `Allow` or `Warn` by default. If it is `Allow`,
+    /// users usually won't see this warning unless they are doing an edition
+    /// migration manually or there is a problem during the migration (cargo's
+    /// automatic migrations will force the level to `Warn`). If it is `Warn`
+    /// by default, users on all editions will see this warning (only do this
+    /// if you think it is important for everyone to be aware of the change,
+    /// and to encourage people to update their code on all editions).
+    ///
+    /// See also [`FutureIncompatibilityReason::EditionSemanticsChange`] if
+    /// you have code that is changing semantics across the edition (as
+    /// opposed to being rejected).
     EditionError(Edition),
     /// Code that changes meaning in some way in
     /// the provided edition
+    ///
+    /// This is the same as [`FutureIncompatibilityReason::EditionError`],
+    /// except for situations where the semantics change across an edition. It
+    /// slightly changes the text of the diagnostic, but is otherwise the
+    /// same.
     EditionSemanticsChange(Edition),
     /// A custom reason.
+    ///
+    /// Choose this variant if the built-in text of the diagnostic of the
+    /// other variants doesn't match your situation. This is behaviorally
+    /// equivalent to
+    /// [`FutureIncompatibilityReason::FutureReleaseErrorDontReportInDeps`].
     Custom(&'static str),
 }