diff --git a/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.jsx b/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.jsx
index 5b3760793a0..5d16745e7b8 100644
--- a/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.jsx
+++ b/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.jsx
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@ class QueryBar extends Component {
     skipString: PropTypes.string,
     limitString: PropTypes.string,
 
+    filterPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
+    projectPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
+    collationPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
+    sortPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
+    skipPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
+    limitPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
+    maxTimeMSPlaceholder: PropTypes.string,
+
     actions: PropTypes.object,
     buttonLabel: PropTypes.string,
     queryState: PropTypes.string,
@@ -219,6 +227,8 @@ class QueryBar extends Component {
       this.props[option] : this.props[`${option}String`];
 
     const label = OPTION_DEFINITION[option].label || option;
+    const placeholder = this.props[`${option}Placeholder`] || OPTION_DEFINITION[option].placeholder;
+
 
     return (
       <QueryOption
@@ -230,7 +240,7 @@ class QueryBar extends Component {
         key={`query-option-${id}`}
         value={value}
         actions={this.props.actions}
-        placeholder={OPTION_DEFINITION[option].placeholder}
+        placeholder={placeholder}
         link={OPTION_DEFINITION[option].link}
         inputType={OPTION_DEFINITION[option].type}
         onChange={this.onChange.bind(this, option)}
diff --git a/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.spec.js b/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.spec.js
index c82206fb56b..bfaa48cd59b 100644
--- a/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.spec.js
+++ b/packages/compass-query-bar/src/components/query-bar/query-bar.spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { shallow } from 'enzyme';
+import { shallow, mount } from 'enzyme';
 
 import QueryBar from '../query-bar';
 import QueryOption from '../query-option';
@@ -328,5 +328,60 @@ describe('QueryBar [Component]', function() {
         expect(component.find('#query-bar-menu-actions')).to.not.exist;
       });
     });
+
+    describe('a user is able to provide custom placeholders for the input fields', function() {
+      const layout = ['filter', 'project', ['sort', 'maxTimeMS'], ['collation', 'skip', 'limit']];
+
+
+      it('the input fields have a placeholder by default', function() {
+        const component = mount(
+          <QueryBar
+            store={store}
+            actions={actions}
+            layout={layout}
+            expanded
+            serverVersion="3.4.0" />
+        );
+
+        expect(component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]')).to.exist;
+        component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]').simulate('click');
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="filter"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="project"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="collation"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="sort"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+        expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="Max Time MS"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+        expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="skip"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+        expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="limit"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+      });
+
+      it('the input fields placeholders can be modified', function() {
+        const component = mount(
+          <QueryBar
+            store={store}
+            actions={actions}
+            layout={layout}
+            sortOptionPlaceholder="{ field: -1 }"
+            expanded
+            serverVersion="3.4.0"
+            filterPlaceholder="{field: 'matchValue'}"
+            projectPlaceholder="{field: 1}"
+            collationPlaceholder="{locale: 'fr' }"
+            sortPlaceholder="{field: 1}"
+            skipPlaceholder="10"
+            limitPlaceholder="20"
+            maxTimeMSPlaceholder="50000" />
+        );
+
+        expect(component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]')).to.exist;
+        component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]').simulate('click');
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="filter"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal("{field: 'matchValue'}");
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="project"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('{field: 1}');
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="collation"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal("{locale: 'fr' }");
+        expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="sort"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('{field: 1}');
+        expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="Max Time MS"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('50000');
+        expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="skip"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('10');
+        expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="limit"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('20');
+      });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/compass-query-bar/src/plugin.spec.js b/packages/compass-query-bar/src/plugin.spec.js
index f8eafbd4513..06e8a0cfef1 100644
--- a/packages/compass-query-bar/src/plugin.spec.js
+++ b/packages/compass-query-bar/src/plugin.spec.js
@@ -172,4 +172,59 @@ describe('QueryBar [Plugin]', () => {
       expect(component.find('#query-bar-menu-actions')).to.not.exist;
     });
   });
+
+  describe('a user is able to provide custom placeholders for the input fields', function() {
+    const layout = ['filter', 'project', ['sort', 'maxTimeMS'], ['collation', 'skip', 'limit']];
+
+
+    it('the input fields have a placeholder by default', function() {
+      component = mount(
+        <QueryBarPlugin
+          store={store}
+          actions={actions}
+          layout={layout}
+          expanded
+          serverVersion="3.4.0" />
+      );
+
+      expect(component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]')).to.exist;
+      component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]').simulate('click');
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="filter"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="project"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="collation"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="sort"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+      expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="Max Time MS"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+      expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="skip"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+      expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="limit"]').prop('placeholder')).to.not.be.empty;
+    });
+
+    it('the input fields placeholders can be modified', function() {
+      component = mount(
+        <QueryBarPlugin
+          store={store}
+          actions={actions}
+          layout={layout}
+          sortOptionPlaceholder="{ field: -1 }"
+          expanded
+          serverVersion="3.4.0"
+          filterPlaceholder="{field: 'matchValue'}"
+          projectPlaceholder="{field: 1}"
+          collationPlaceholder="{locale: 'fr' }"
+          sortPlaceholder="{field: 1}"
+          skipPlaceholder="10"
+          limitPlaceholder="20"
+          maxTimeMSPlaceholder="50000" />
+      );
+
+      expect(component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]')).to.exist;
+      component.find('div[data-test-id="query-bar-options-toggle"]').simulate('click');
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="filter"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal("{field: 'matchValue'}");
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="project"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('{field: 1}');
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="collation"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal("{locale: 'fr' }");
+      expect(component.find('OptionEditor[label="sort"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('{field: 1}');
+      expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="Max Time MS"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('50000');
+      expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="skip"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('10');
+      expect(component.find('QueryOption[label="limit"]').prop('placeholder')).to.equal('20');
+    });
+  });
 });