diff --git a/docs/reference/index-modules.asciidoc b/docs/reference/index-modules.asciidoc
index 81bc96bb8f92e..1442f0e3e558e 100644
--- a/docs/reference/index-modules.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/index-modules.asciidoc
@@ -234,6 +234,13 @@ specific index module:
     The length of time that a <<delete-versioning,deleted document's version number>> remains available for <<index-versioning,further versioned operations>>.
     Defaults to `60s`.
 
+  `index.default_pipeline`::
+
+    The default <<ingest,ingest node>> pipeline for this index. Index requests will fail
+    if the default pipeline is set and the pipeline does not exist. The default may be
+    overridden using the `pipeline` parameter. The special pipeline name `_none` indicates
+    no ingest pipeline should be run.
+
 [float]
 === Settings in other index modules
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/ingest.asciidoc b/docs/reference/ingest.asciidoc
index 772013534b63b..6fa2e8c796df6 100644
--- a/docs/reference/ingest.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/ingest.asciidoc
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ PUT my-index/_doc/my-id?pipeline=my_pipeline_id
 // CONSOLE
 // TEST[catch:bad_request]
 
+An index may also declare a <<dynamic-index-settings,default pipeline>> that will be used in the
+absence of the `pipeline` parameter.
+
 See <<ingest-apis,Ingest APIs>> for more information about creating, adding, and deleting pipelines.
 
 --