diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/configs.test.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/configs.test.ts
index f034fd86ccf..f8fc068ad64 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/configs.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/configs.test.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ import plugin from '../src/index';
 
 const RULE_NAME_PREFIX = '@typescript-eslint/';
 const EXTENSION_RULES = Object.entries(rules)
-  .filter(([, rule]) => rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule)
+  .filter(([, rule]) => rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule)
   .map(
     ([ruleName, rule]) =>
       [
         `${RULE_NAME_PREFIX}${ruleName}`,
-        typeof rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule === 'string'
+        typeof rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule === 'string'
           ? rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule
           : ruleName,
       ] as const,
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ describe('recommended.json config', () => {
   const ruleConfigs = Object.entries(rules)
     .filter(
       ([, rule]) =>
-        rule.meta.docs.recommended !== false &&
-        rule.meta.docs.requiresTypeChecking !== true,
+        rule.meta.docs?.recommended !== false &&
+        rule.meta.docs?.requiresTypeChecking !== true,
     )
     .map<[string, string]>(([name, rule]) => [
       `${RULE_NAME_PREFIX}${name}`,
-      rule.meta.docs.recommended || 'off',
+      rule.meta.docs?.recommended ? rule.meta.docs.recommended : 'off',
     ]);
 
   it("contains all recommended rules that don't require typechecking, excluding the deprecated ones", () => {
@@ -91,12 +91,12 @@ describe('recommended-requiring-type-checking.json config', () => {
   const ruleConfigs = Object.entries(rules)
     .filter(
       ([, rule]) =>
-        rule.meta.docs.recommended !== false &&
-        rule.meta.docs.requiresTypeChecking === true,
+        rule.meta.docs?.recommended !== false &&
+        rule.meta.docs?.requiresTypeChecking === true,
     )
     .map<[string, string]>(([name, rule]) => [
       `${RULE_NAME_PREFIX}${name}`,
-      rule.meta.docs.recommended || 'off',
+      rule.meta.docs?.recommended ? rule.meta.docs.recommended : 'off',
     ]);
 
   it('contains all recommended rules that require type checking, excluding the deprecated ones', () => {
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/docs.test.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/docs.test.ts
index 56a9e50002d..68cbeed0187 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/docs.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/docs.test.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ describe('Validating rule docs', () => {
       expect(tokens[0]).toEqual({
         type: 'heading',
         depth: 1,
-        text: `${rule.meta.docs.description} (\`${ruleName}\`)`,
+        text: `${rule.meta.docs?.description} (\`${ruleName}\`)`,
       });
     });
   }
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ describe('Validating rule metadata', () => {
         // validate if rule name is same as url
         // there is no way to access this field but its used only in generation of docs url
         expect(
-          rule.meta.docs.url.endsWith(`rules/${ruleName}.md`),
+          rule.meta.docs?.url.endsWith(`rules/${ruleName}.md`),
         ).toBeTruthy();
       });
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ describe('Validating rule metadata', () => {
         );
 
         expect(ruleFileContents.includes('getParserServices')).toEqual(
-          rule.meta.docs.requiresTypeChecking ?? false,
+          rule.meta.docs?.requiresTypeChecking ?? false,
         );
       });
     });
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ describe('Validating README.md', () => {
   const rulesTables = parseReadme();
   const notDeprecated = rulesData.filter(([, rule]) => !rule.meta.deprecated);
   const baseRules = notDeprecated.filter(
-    ([, rule]) => !rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule,
+    ([, rule]) => !rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule,
   );
   const extensionRules = notDeprecated.filter(
-    ([, rule]) => rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule,
+    ([, rule]) => rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule,
   );
 
   it('All non-deprecated base rules should have a row in the base rules table, and the table should be ordered alphabetically', () => {
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ describe('Validating README.md', () => {
 
   for (const [ruleName, rule] of notDeprecated) {
     describe(`Checking rule ${ruleName}`, () => {
-      const ruleRow: string[] | undefined = (rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule
+      const ruleRow: string[] | undefined = (rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule
         ? rulesTables.extension.cells
         : rulesTables.base.cells
       ).find(row => row[0].includes(`/${ruleName}.md`));
@@ -143,12 +143,12 @@ describe('Validating README.md', () => {
       });
 
       it('Description column should be correct', () => {
-        expect(ruleRow[1]).toEqual(rule.meta.docs.description);
+        expect(ruleRow[1]).toEqual(rule.meta.docs?.description);
       });
 
       it('Recommended column should be correct', () => {
         expect(ruleRow[2]).toEqual(
-          rule.meta.docs.recommended ? ':heavy_check_mark:' : '',
+          rule.meta.docs?.recommended ? ':heavy_check_mark:' : '',
         );
       });
 
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ describe('Validating README.md', () => {
 
       it('Requiring type information column should be correct', () => {
         expect(ruleRow[4]).toEqual(
-          rule.meta.docs.requiresTypeChecking === true
+          rule.meta.docs?.requiresTypeChecking === true
             ? ':thought_balloon:'
             : '',
         );
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tools/generate-configs.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tools/generate-configs.ts
index 33ac44c65ca..d35fd7362bc 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tools/generate-configs.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tools/generate-configs.ts
@@ -26,13 +26,13 @@ const MAX_RULE_NAME_LENGTH = Object.keys(rules).reduce(
 const DEFAULT_RULE_SETTING = 'warn';
 const BASE_RULES_TO_BE_OVERRIDDEN = new Map(
   Object.entries(rules)
-    .filter(([, rule]) => rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule)
+    .filter(([, rule]) => rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule)
     .map(
       ([ruleName, rule]) =>
         [
           ruleName,
-          typeof rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule === 'string'
-            ? rule.meta.docs.extendsBaseRule
+          typeof rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule === 'string'
+            ? rule.meta.docs?.extendsBaseRule
             : ruleName,
         ] as const,
     ),
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function reducer<TMessageIds extends string>(
   // Explicitly exclude rules requiring type-checking
   if (
     settings.filterRequiresTypeChecking === 'exclude' &&
-    value.meta.docs.requiresTypeChecking === true
+    value.meta.docs?.requiresTypeChecking === true
   ) {
     return config;
   }
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ function reducer<TMessageIds extends string>(
   // Explicitly include rules requiring type-checking
   if (
     settings.filterRequiresTypeChecking === 'include' &&
-    value.meta.docs.requiresTypeChecking !== true
+    value.meta.docs?.requiresTypeChecking !== true
   ) {
     return config;
   }
 
   const ruleName = `${RULE_NAME_PREFIX}${key}`;
-  const recommendation = value.meta.docs.recommended;
+  const recommendation = value.meta.docs?.recommended;
   const usedSetting = settings.errorLevel
     ? settings.errorLevel
     : !recommendation
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ console.log(
   '------------------------------ recommended.json (should not require program) ------------------------------',
 );
 const recommendedRules = ruleEntries
-  .filter(entry => !!entry[1].meta.docs.recommended)
+  .filter(entry => !!entry[1].meta.docs?.recommended)
   .reduce<LinterConfigRules>(
     (config, entry) =>
       reducer(config, entry, {
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ console.log(
   '--------------------------------- recommended-requiring-type-checking.json ---------------------------------',
 );
 const recommendedRulesRequiringProgram = ruleEntries
-  .filter(entry => !!entry[1].meta.docs.recommended)
+  .filter(entry => !!entry[1].meta.docs?.recommended)
   .reduce<LinterConfigRules>(
     (config, entry) =>
       reducer(config, entry, {
diff --git a/packages/experimental-utils/src/ts-eslint/Rule.ts b/packages/experimental-utils/src/ts-eslint/Rule.ts
index 845560e8037..4623e8758ae 100644
--- a/packages/experimental-utils/src/ts-eslint/Rule.ts
+++ b/packages/experimental-utils/src/ts-eslint/Rule.ts
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ interface RuleMetaData<TMessageIds extends string> {
    */
   deprecated?: boolean;
   /**
-   * Documentation for the rule
+   * Documentation for the rule, unnecessary for custom rules/plugins
    */
-  docs: RuleMetaDataDocs;
+  docs?: RuleMetaDataDocs;
   /**
    * The fixer category. Omit if there is no fixer
    */