diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 795d9df2267..ad189f9dac8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ release.
 
 New:
 
+- Add `error.hint` semantic convention
+  ([#822](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/pull/822))
 - Add resource semantic conventions for operating systems
   ([#693](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/pull/693))
 - Clarification of the behavior of the Trace API, re: context propagation, in
diff --git a/specification/trace/api.md b/specification/trace/api.md
index 0955248406a..34acff72f05 100644
--- a/specification/trace/api.md
+++ b/specification/trace/api.md
@@ -515,11 +515,18 @@ The method MUST record an exception as an `Event` with the conventions outlined
 the [exception semantic conventions](semantic_conventions/exceptions.md) document.
 The minimum required argument SHOULD be no more than only an exception object.
 
-If `RecordException` is provided, the method MUST accept an optional parameter
-to provide any additional event attributes
-(this SHOULD be done in the same way as for the `AddEvent` method).
-If attributes with the same name would be generated by the method already,
-the additional attributes take precedence.
+If `RecordException` is provided, it MUST accept the following optional
+parameters:
+
+- Additional event attributes (this SHOULD be done in the same way
+  as for the `AddEvent` method). If attributes with the same name would be
+  generated by the method already, the additional attributes take precedence.
+
+- A boolean error hint, as defined by the
+  [`error.hint` semantic convention](semantic_conventions/exceptions.md#attributes).
+  A matching `error.hint` attribute MUST be recorded on both the span and
+  corresponding event. Once a span has `error.hint` set to true, subsequent
+  calls to `RecordException` MUST not change the value of the span attribute.
 
 Note: `RecordException` may be seen as a variant of `AddEvent` with
 additional exception-specific parameters and all other parameters being optional
diff --git a/specification/trace/semantic_conventions/span-general.md b/specification/trace/semantic_conventions/span-general.md
index 877e52e3342..5b244abcea4 100644
--- a/specification/trace/semantic_conventions/span-general.md
+++ b/specification/trace/semantic_conventions/span-general.md
@@ -157,3 +157,20 @@ Examples of where `thread.id` and `thread.name` can be extracted from:
 | Ruby                  |                                        | `Thread.current.name`              |
 | C++                   | `std::this_thread::get_id()`             |                                    |
 | Erlang               | `erlang:system_info(scheduler_id)` |                                  |
+
+## Error Attributes
+
+A span or event can be annotated with an `error.hint` attribute to indicate that
+an error condition was observed.
+
+If there are [exception events](exceptions.md) on a span, the span attribute `error.hint`
+SHOULD be set to `true`, if at least one of the event's `error.hint` attribute is `true`.
+It's possible for more than one exception
+event to have an `error.hint` attribute set. An `error.hint` represents an
+instrumentation author's best judgement as to whether or not an error condition
+was encountered. Tracing backends can use the `error.hint` attribute as a cue
+for further analysis and can ultimately choose to honor or ignore the hint.
+
+| Attribute name | Notes and examples                                                                                                       |
+| :------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| error.hint     | A boolean value that represents an instrumentation author's best judgement as to whether an error condition was observed. |