diff --git a/docs/README.asciidoc b/docs/README.asciidoc
index 3abfc1c1bcd01..0cdef202f9900 100644
--- a/docs/README.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/README.asciidoc
@@ -5,20 +5,19 @@ See: https://github.com/elastic/docs
 
 === Backporting doc fixes
 
-* Doc bug fixes and enhancements to existing content should be made against master 
-and backported as far as the current version. Backporting doc changes to earlier minor versions
-that are out of maintenance is often complicated due to content restructuring and is not required.
-
-* Backport important fixes such as security updates that have a direct customer impact to all affected versions. 
-
-* Avoid backporting doc changes across major versions unless it’s an important fix or 
-the change is related to upgrading from the last minor version of the previous major.
-
+* Doc changes should generally be made against master and backported through to the current version
+  (as applicable).  
+  
+* Changes can also be backported to the maintenance version of the previous major version. 
+  This is typically reserved for technical corrections, as it can require resolving more complex
+  merge conflicts, fixing test failures, and figuring out where to apply the change.
+
+* Avoid backporting to out-of-maintenance versions. 
+  Docs follow the same policy as code and fixes are not ordinarily merged to
+  versions that are out of maintenance.
+  
 * Do not backport doc changes to https://www.elastic.co/support/eol[EOL versions]. 
 
-* Doc PRs opened against released (non-EOL) versions can be merged to that version, 
-applied to master, and backported to the current version (where applicable).  
-
 === Snippet testing
 
 Snippets marked with `[source,console]` are automatically annotated with