diff --git a/doc/API.md b/doc/API.md
index f41d13ef7e..c4f1f7b642 100644
--- a/doc/API.md
+++ b/doc/API.md
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ axe.configure({
 	reporter: 'option',
 	checks: [Object],
 	rules: [Object],
+	standards: Object,
 	locale: Object,
 	axeVersion: String,
 	disableOtherRules: Boolean
@@ -208,8 +209,8 @@ axe.configure({
     - The checks attribute is an array of check objects
     - Each check object can contain the following attributes
       - `id` - string(required). This uniquely identifies the check. If the check already exists, this will result in any supplied check properties being overridden. The properties below that are marked required if new are optional when the check is being overridden.
-      - `evaluate` - function(required for new). This is the function that implements the check's functionality.
-      - `after` - function(optional). This is the function that gets called for checks that operate on a page-level basis, to process the results from the iframes.
+      - `evaluate` - string(required for new). The ID of the function that implements the check's functionality. See the [`metadata-function-map`](../lib/core/base/metadata-function-map.js) file for all defined IDs.
+      - `after` - string(optional). The ID of the function that gets called for checks that operate on a page-level basis, to process the results from the iframes.
       - `options` - mixed(optional). This is the options structure that is passed to the evaluate function and is intended to be used to configure checks. It is the most common property that is intended to be overridden for existing checks.
       - `enabled` - boolean(optional, default `true`). This is used to indicate whether the check is on or off by default. Checks that are off are not evaluated, even when included in a rule. Overriding this is a common way to disable a particular check across multiple rules.
   - `rules` - Used to add rules to the existing set of rules, or to override the properties of existing rules
@@ -225,7 +226,8 @@ axe.configure({
       - `all` - array(optional, default `[]`). This is a list of checks that, if any "fails", will generate a violation.
       - `none` - array(optional, default `[]`). This is a list of checks that, if any "pass", will generate a violation.
       - `tags` - array(optional, default `[]`). A list if the tags that "classify" the rule. See [axe-core tags](#axe-core-tags).
-      - `matches` - function(optional, default `function() { return true }`). A filtering function that will exclude elements that match the `selector` property.
+      - `matches` - string(optional). The ID of the filtering function that will exclude elements that match the `selector` property. See the [`metadata-function-map`](../lib/core/base/metadata-function-map.js) file for all defined IDs.
+  - `standards` - object(optional). Used to configure the standards object. See the [Standards Object docs](./standards-object.md) for the structure of each standards object.
   - `disableOtherRules` - Disables all rules not included in the `rules` property.
   - `locale` - A locale object to apply (at runtime) to all rules and checks, in the same shape as `/locales/*.json`.
   - `axeVersion` - Set the compatible version of a custom rule with the current axe version. Compatible versions are all patch and minor updates that are the same as, or newer than those of the `axeVersion` property.
diff --git a/doc/standards-object.md b/doc/standards-object.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cd18e2cf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/standards-object.md
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# Standards Object
+
+The [standards object](../lib/standards) is JSON object of ARIA and HTML spec information that axe-core uses to validate ARIA roles, attributes, and use. For example, the `aria-valid-attr` rule uses the [`ariaAttrs`](../lib/standards/aria-attrs.js) object to determine if the aria attribute is a valid ARIA attribute. To configure how axe-core validates ARIA information, you'll most likely configure the standards object to your needs. Below is a list of each object, their structure, and which rules will use that information
+
+```js
+axe.configure({
+	standards: {
+		ariaAttrs: {
+			'aria-relevant': {
+				// make the aria-relevant attribute global
+				global: true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+});
+```
+
+The following properties are currently available in axe-core `standards`:
+
+1.  [ARIA Attrs](#aria-attrs)
+1.  [ARIA Roles](#aria-roles)
+1.  [DPUB Roles](#dpub-roles)
+1.  [HTML Elms](#html-elms)
+1.  [CSS Colors](#css-colors)
+
+## Aria Attrs
+
+The [`ariaAttrs`](../lib/standards/aria-attrs.js) object defines valid ARIA attributes, their allowed value types, and if it is a global attribute.
+
+### Used by Rules
+
+- `aria-valid-attr` - Checks if the attribute name exists in the object.
+- `aria-valid-attr-value` - Checks if the attribute value is valid for its type.
+- `aria-unsupported-attr` - Checks if the attribute has the `unsupported` property.
+
+### Structure
+
+- `type` - string(required). The attribute type which dictates the valid values of the attribute. Valid types are:
+  - `boolean` - Boolean attributes only accept `true` or `false` as valid values (e.g. `aria-selected`).
+  - `nmtoken` - Name token attributes accept a single value from a list of valid values (e.g. `aria-orientation`).
+  - `mntokens` - Name tokens attributes accept a space separated list of values from a list of valid values (e.g. `aria-relevant`).
+  - `idref` - ID reference attributes accept an ID to point to another element in the DOM (e.g. `aria-activedescendant`).
+  - `idrefs` - ID references attributes accept a space separated list of IDs that point to multiple elements in the DOM (e.g. `aria-labelledby`).
+  - `string` - String attributes accept any string (e.g. `aria-label`).
+  - `decimal` - Decimal attributes accept any number or decimal value (e.g. `aria-valuemax`).
+  - `int` - Integer attributes only accept whole number values (e.g. `aria-level`).
+- `values` - array(required for only `mntoken` and `mntokens`). The list of valid values for the attribute.
+- `allowEmpty` - boolean(optional, default `false`). If the attribute is allowed to have no value.
+- `global` - boolean(optional, default `false`). If the attribute is a [global ARIA attribute](https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.1/#global_states).
+- `unsupported` - boolean(optional, default `false`). If the attribute is unsupported. Use this property to disable an attribute.
+
+## Aria Roles
+
+The [`ariaRoles`](../lib/standards/aria-roles.js) object defines valid ARIA roles and their use.
+
+### Used by Rules
+
+- `aria-allowed-attr` - Checks if the attribute can be used on the role from the `allowedAttrs` and `requiredAttrs` properties, as well as any global ARIA attributes (from the `ariaAttrs` standard).
+- `aria-required-attr` - Checks if the role has all required attributes listed in the `requiredAttrs` property.
+- `aria-required-context` - Checks if the role has at least one required parent role listed in the `requiredContext` property.
+- `aria-required-owned` - Checks if the role has at least one required owned role listed in the `requiredOwned` property.
+- `unsupportedrole` - Checks if the role has the `unsupported` property.
+
+### Structure
+
+- `type` - string(required). [The role type](https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.1/#roles_categorization). Valid types are:
+  - `abstract`
+  - `widget`
+  - `structure`
+  - `landmark`
+- `requiredContext` - array(optional). List of required parent roles.
+- `requiredOwned` - array(optional). List of required owned roles.
+- `requiredAttrs` - array(optional). List of required attributes.
+- `allowedAttrs` - array(optional). List of allowed attributes (besides any required and global ARIA attributes).
+- `nameFromContent` - boolean(optional. Default `false`). If the role allows name from content when calculating the accessible name.
+- `unsupported` - boolean(optional. Default `false`). If the role role is unsupported. Use this property to disable a role.
+
+### Dpub Roles
+
+Dpub roles are defined in the [dpub-roles](../lib/standards/dpub-roles.js) file. Their structure is the exact same as the aria roles standard (albeit they have different `type`s) and is combined into the `ariaRoles` table. They are only separated for organizational purposes.
+
+## HTML Elms
+
+The [`htmlElms`](../lib/standards/html-elms.js) object defines valid HTML elements, their content type, and if they are allowed ARIA roles or attributes.
+
+### Used by Rules
+
+- `aria-allowed-attr` - Checks if the attribute can be used on the element from the `noAriaAttrs` property.
+- `aria-allowed-role` - Checks if the role can be used on the HTML element from the `allowedRoles` property.
+- `aria-required-attrs` - Checks if any required attrs are defied implicitly on the element from the `implicitAttrs` property.
+
+### Structure
+
+- `contentTypes` - array(required). List of [content models](https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/dom.html#content-models) for the element. Valid values are:
+  - `flow`
+  - `sectioning`
+  - `heading`
+  - `phrasing`
+  - `embedded`
+  - `interactive`
+- `allowedRoles` - boolean or array(required). If element is allowed to use ARIA roles. A value of `true` means any role while a list of roles means only those are allowed. A value of `false` means no roles are allowed.
+- `noAriaAttrs` - boolean(optional. Defaults `true`). If the element is allowed to use global ARIA attributes and any allowed for the elements role.
+- `shadowRoot` - boolean(optional. Default `false`). If the element is allowed to have a shadow root.
+- `implicitAttrs` - object(optional. Default `{}`). Any implicit ARIA attributes for the element and their default value.
+- `namingMethods` - array(optional. Default `[]`). The [native text method](../lib/commons/text/native-text-methods.js) used to calculate the accessible name of the element.
+- `variant` - object(optional). Object defining different property values based on which attributes exist on the element.
+
+### Variants
+
+Sometimes an element can have different properties and values based on which attributes are defined on it. For example, an `img` is only considered interactive if it has the `usemap` attribute.
+
+For these cases, the `variant` property allows different definitions for the element. The `variant` object gives a name to each variant, defines when the variant applies through the `matches` property (a `matcher` object), and provides a `default` variant in the case none of the other variants match. A variant should only define what can change based on the attributes. Any properties that always apply regardless of attributes should be defined at the top level.
+
+Below is an example for the `meta` element which only has a `contentType` property when it has the `itemprop` attribute, but always does not allow ARIA roles or attributes.
+
+```js
+meta: {
+    variant: {
+        itemprop: {
+            matches: '[itemprop]',
+            contentTypes: ['phrasing', 'flow']
+        }
+    },
+    allowedRoles: false,
+    noAriaAttrs: true
+}
+```
+
+## CSS Colors
+
+The [`cssColors`](../lib/standards/css-colors.js) object defines the list of valid CSS color names and their equivalent RGB values.
+
+### Used by Rules
+
+- `color-contrast` - Gets the RGB color from the CSS color name.
+
+### Structure
+
+Each entry is the name of the CSS color and the value is an array of numbers consisting of the RGB values for the color respectively.