diff --git a/docs/reference/cat/recovery.asciidoc b/docs/reference/cat/recovery.asciidoc
index 8e410ab3dbdca..24cb625608c21 100644
--- a/docs/reference/cat/recovery.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/cat/recovery.asciidoc
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ to the <<indices-recovery, indices recovery>> API.
 
 `GET /_cat/recovery/<index>`
 
+`GET /_cat/recovery`
+
 
 [[cat-recovery-api-desc]]
 ==== {api-description-title}
@@ -37,14 +39,20 @@ include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=index]
 [[cat-recovery-query-params]]
 ==== {api-query-parms-title}
 
+include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=active-only]
+
 include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=bytes]
 
+include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=detailed]
+
 include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=http-format]
 
 include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=cat-h]
 
 include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=help]
 
+include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=index-query-parm]
+
 include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=local]
 
 include::{docdir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=master-timeout]
diff --git a/docs/reference/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc b/docs/reference/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc
index 17efa92870cd0..8e38a42031bb3 100644
--- a/docs/reference/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
 
+tag::active-only[]
+`active_only`::
+(Optional, boolean)
+If `true`,
+the response only includes ongoing shard recoveries.
+Defaults to `false`.
+end::active-only[]
+
 tag::index-alias[]
 Comma-separated list or wildcard expression of index alias names
 used to limit the request.
@@ -68,6 +76,14 @@ tag::default_operator[]
 Defaults to `OR`.
 end::default_operator[]
 
+tag::detailed[]
+`detailed`::
+(Optional, boolean)
+If `true`,
+the response includes detailed information about shard recoveries.
+Defaults to `false`.
+end::detailed[]
+
 tag::df[]
 `df`::
 (Optional, string) Field to use as default where no field prefix is 
@@ -236,6 +252,13 @@ tag::include-unloaded-segments[]
 that are **not** loaded into memory. Defaults to `false`.
 end::include-unloaded-segments[]
 
+tag::index-query-parm[]
+`index`::
+(Optional, string)
+Comma-separated list or wildcard expression of index names
+used to limit the request.
+end::index-query-parm[]
+
 tag::index[]
 `<index>`::
 (Optional, string) Comma-separated list or wildcard expression of index names
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/api/cat.recovery.json b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/api/cat.recovery.json
index c592d8c23db40..664b464371fc7 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/api/cat.recovery.json
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/api/cat.recovery.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       "parts": {
         "index": {
           "type" : "list",
-          "description": "A comma-separated list of index names to limit the returned information"
+          "description": "Comma-separated list or wildcard expression of index names to limit the returned information"
         }
       },
       "params": {
@@ -16,11 +16,21 @@
           "type" : "string",
           "description" : "a short version of the Accept header, e.g. json, yaml"
         },
+        "active_only":{
+          "type":"boolean",
+          "description":"If `true`, the response only includes ongoing shard recoveries",
+          "default":false
+        },
         "bytes": {
           "type": "enum",
           "description" : "The unit in which to display byte values",
           "options": [ "b", "k", "kb", "m", "mb", "g", "gb", "t", "tb", "p", "pb" ]
         },
+        "detailed":{
+          "type":"boolean",
+          "description":"If `true`, the response includes detailed information about shard recoveries",
+          "default":false
+        },
         "master_timeout": {
           "type" : "time",
           "description" : "Explicit operation timeout for connection to master node"
@@ -34,6 +44,10 @@
           "description": "Return help information",
           "default": false
         },
+        "index":{
+          "type":"list",
+          "description":"Comma-separated list or wildcard expression of index names to limit the returned information"
+        },
         "s": {
           "type": "list",
           "description" : "Comma-separated list of column names or column aliases to sort by"