diff --git a/pants-plugins/internal_plugins/rules_for_testing/register.py b/pants-plugins/internal_plugins/rules_for_testing/register.py
index 5d38f04818d..3daa0fe6c3a 100644
--- a/pants-plugins/internal_plugins/rules_for_testing/register.py
+++ b/pants-plugins/internal_plugins/rules_for_testing/register.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ class ListAndDieForTestingSubsystem(GoalSubsystem):
     """A fast and deadly variant of `./pants list`."""
 
     name = "list-and-die-for-testing"
+    help = "A fast and deadly variant of `./pants list`."
 
 
 class ListAndDieForTesting(Goal):
diff --git a/src/python/pants/build_graph/build_configuration.py b/src/python/pants/build_graph/build_configuration.py
index f6a77667866..9b014f4dd1e 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/build_graph/build_configuration.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/build_graph/build_configuration.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 # No goal or target_type can have a name from this set, so that `./pants help <name>`
 # is unambiguous.
-_RESERVED_NAMES = {"global", "goals", "targets", "tools"}
+_RESERVED_NAMES = {"api-types", "global", "goals", "targets", "tools"}
 
 
 # Subsystems used outside of any rule.
diff --git a/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter.py b/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter.py
index 90bd15cd3f4..cf3f473b054 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter.py
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@
 import json
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from enum import Enum
+from itertools import groupby
 from typing import Any, Callable, Tuple, Type, Union, cast, get_type_hints
 
 from pants.base import deprecated
 from pants.build_graph.build_configuration import BuildConfiguration
 from pants.engine.goal import GoalSubsystem
+from pants.engine.rules import TaskRule
 from pants.engine.target import Field, RegisteredTargetTypes, StringField, Target
 from pants.engine.unions import UnionMembership, UnionRule
 from pants.option.option_util import is_dict_option, is_list_option
@@ -228,6 +230,18 @@ def create(
         )
 
 
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class RuleInfo:
+    name: str
+    description: str | None
+    help: str | None
+    provider: str
+    input_types: tuple[str, ...]
+    input_gets: tuple[str, ...]
+    output_type: str
+    output_desc: str | None
+
+
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class AllHelpInfo:
     """All available help info."""
@@ -235,6 +249,7 @@ class AllHelpInfo:
     scope_to_help_info: dict[str, OptionScopeHelpInfo]
     name_to_goal_info: dict[str, GoalHelpInfo]
     name_to_target_type_info: dict[str, TargetTypeHelpInfo]
+    rule_output_type_to_rule_infos: dict[str, tuple[RuleInfo, ...]]
 
 
 ConsumedScopesMapper = Callable[[str], Tuple[str, ...]]
@@ -323,6 +338,7 @@ def get_all_help_info(
             scope_to_help_info=scope_to_help_info,
             name_to_goal_info=name_to_goal_info,
             name_to_target_type_info=name_to_target_type_info,
+            rule_output_type_to_rule_infos=cls.get_rule_infos(build_configuration),
         )
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -397,6 +413,42 @@ def get_first_provider(providers: tuple[str, ...] | None) -> str:
             return ""
         return providers[0]
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def maybe_cleandoc(doc: str | None) -> str | None:
+        return doc and inspect.cleandoc(doc)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def rule_info_output_type(rule_info: RuleInfo) -> str:
+        return rule_info.output_type
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_rule_infos(
+        cls, build_configuration: BuildConfiguration | None
+    ) -> dict[str, tuple[RuleInfo, ...]]:
+        if build_configuration is None:
+            return {}
+
+        rule_infos = [
+            RuleInfo(
+                name=rule.canonical_name,
+                description=rule.desc,
+                help=cls.maybe_cleandoc(rule.func.__doc__),
+                provider=cls.get_first_provider(providers),
+                input_types=tuple(selector.__name__ for selector in rule.input_selectors),
+                input_gets=tuple(str(constraints) for constraints in rule.input_gets),
+                output_type=rule.output_type.__name__,
+                output_desc=cls.maybe_cleandoc(rule.output_type.__doc__),
+            )
+            for rule, providers in build_configuration.rule_to_providers.items()
+            if isinstance(rule, TaskRule)
+        ]
+        return {
+            rule_output_type: tuple(infos)
+            for rule_output_type, infos in groupby(
+                sorted(rule_infos, key=cls.rule_info_output_type), key=cls.rule_info_output_type
+            )
+        }
+
     def __init__(self, scope: str):
         self._scope = scope
         self._scope_prefix = scope.replace(".", "-")
diff --git a/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter_test.py b/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter_test.py
index e97a8471615..c6b11508ab9 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter_test.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/help/help_info_extracter_test.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 from pants.build_graph.build_configuration import BuildConfiguration
 from pants.engine.goal import GoalSubsystem
+from pants.engine.rules import collect_rules, rule
 from pants.engine.target import IntField, RegisteredTargetTypes, StringField, Target
 from pants.engine.unions import UnionMembership
 from pants.help.help_info_extracter import HelpInfoExtracter, pretty_print_type_hint, to_help_str
@@ -272,12 +273,17 @@ class BazLibrary(Target):
     Foo.register_options_on_scope(options)
     Bar.register_options_on_scope(options)
 
+    @rule
+    def rule_info_test(foo: Foo) -> Target:
+        """This rule is for testing info extraction only."""
+
     def fake_consumed_scopes_mapper(scope: str) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
         return ("somescope", f"used_by_{scope or 'GLOBAL_SCOPE'}")
 
     bc_builder = BuildConfiguration.Builder()
     bc_builder.register_subsystems("help_info_extracter_test", (Foo, Bar))
     bc_builder.register_target_types("help_info_extracter_test", (BazLibrary,))
+    bc_builder.register_rules("help_info_extracter_test", collect_rules(locals()))
 
     all_help_info = HelpInfoExtracter.get_all_help_info(
         options,
@@ -386,6 +392,38 @@ def fake_consumed_scopes_mapper(scope: str) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
                 "deprecated": tuple(),
             },
         },
+        "rule_output_type_to_rule_infos": {
+            "Foo": (
+                {
+                    "description": None,
+                    "help": "A foo.",
+                    "input_gets": ("Get(ScopedOptions, Scope, ..)",),
+                    "input_types": (),
+                    "name": "construct_scope_foo",
+                    "output_desc": None,
+                    "output_type": "Foo",
+                    "provider": "help_info_extracter_test",
+                },
+            ),
+            "Target": (
+                {
+                    "description": None,
+                    "help": "This rule is for testing info extraction only.",
+                    "input_gets": (),
+                    "input_types": ("Foo",),
+                    "name": "pants.help.help_info_extracter_test.rule_info_test",
+                    "output_desc": (
+                        "A Target represents an addressable set of metadata.\n\n    Set the "
+                        "`help` class property with a description, which will be used in "
+                        "`./pants help`. For the\n    best rendering, use soft wrapping (e.g. "
+                        "implicit string concatenation) within paragraphs, but\n    hard wrapping "
+                        "(`\n`) to separate distinct paragraphs and/or lists.\n    "
+                    ),
+                    "output_type": "Target",
+                    "provider": "help_info_extracter_test",
+                },
+            ),
+        },
         "name_to_goal_info": {
             "bar": {
                 "name": "bar",
diff --git a/src/python/pants/help/help_printer.py b/src/python/pants/help/help_printer.py
index cea61bd5eef..08a4ed349e8 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/help/help_printer.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/help/help_printer.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 )
 from pants.option.scope import GLOBAL_SCOPE
 from pants.util.docutil import terminal_width
-from pants.util.strutil import first_paragraph, hard_wrap
+from pants.util.strutil import first_paragraph, hard_wrap, pluralize
 
 
 class HelpPrinter(MaybeColor):
@@ -110,10 +110,14 @@ def _print_thing_help(self) -> None:
                     self._print_options_help(GLOBAL_SCOPE, help_request.advanced)
                 elif thing == "tools":
                     self._print_all_tools()
+                elif thing == "api-types":
+                    self._print_all_api_types()
                 elif thing in self._all_help_info.scope_to_help_info:
                     self._print_options_help(thing, help_request.advanced)
                 elif thing in self._all_help_info.name_to_target_type_info:
                     self._print_target_help(thing)
+                elif thing in self._all_help_info.rule_output_type_to_rule_infos:
+                    self._print_api_type_help(thing, help_request.advanced)
                 else:
                     print(self.maybe_red(f"Unknown entity: {thing}"))
         else:
@@ -198,6 +202,22 @@ def _print_all_tools(self) -> None:
         tool_help_cmd = f"{self._bin_name} help $tool"
         print(f"Use `{self.maybe_green(tool_help_cmd)}` to get help for a specific tool.\n")
 
+    def _print_all_api_types(self) -> None:
+        self._print_title("Plugin API Types")
+        api_type_descriptions: Dict[str, str] = {}
+        for api_type, rule_infos in self._all_help_info.rule_output_type_to_rule_infos.items():
+            if api_type.startswith("_"):
+                continue
+            api_type_descriptions[api_type] = rule_infos[0].output_desc or ""
+        longest_api_type_name = max(len(name) for name in api_type_descriptions.keys())
+        chars_before_description = longest_api_type_name + 2
+        for api_type, description in api_type_descriptions.items():
+            name = self.maybe_cyan(api_type.ljust(chars_before_description))
+            description = self._format_summary_description(description, chars_before_description)
+            print(f"{name}{description}\n")
+        api_help_cmd = f"{self._bin_name} help $api_type"
+        print(f"Use `{self.maybe_green(api_help_cmd)}` to get help for a specific API type.\n")
+
     def _print_global_help(self):
         def print_cmd(args: str, desc: str):
             cmd = self.maybe_green(f"{self._bin_name} {args}".ljust(50))
@@ -292,6 +312,42 @@ def _print_target_help(self, target_alias: str) -> None:
                 print("\n" + formatted_desc)
         print()
 
+    def _print_api_type_help(self, output_type: str, show_advanced: bool) -> None:
+        self._print_title(f"`{output_type}` API type")
+        rule_infos = self._all_help_info.rule_output_type_to_rule_infos[output_type]
+        if rule_infos[0].output_desc:
+            print("\n".join(hard_wrap(rule_infos[0].output_desc, width=self._width)))
+            print()
+        print(f"Returned by {pluralize(len(rule_infos), 'rule')}:")
+        for rule_info in rule_infos:
+            print()
+            print(self.maybe_magenta(rule_info.name))
+            indent = "    "
+            print(self.maybe_cyan(f"{indent}activated by"), rule_info.provider)
+            if rule_info.input_types:
+                print(
+                    self.maybe_cyan(f"{indent}{pluralize(len(rule_info.input_types), 'input')}:"),
+                    ", ".join(rule_info.input_types),
+                )
+            else:
+                print(self.maybe_cyan(f"{indent}no inputs"))
+            if show_advanced and rule_info.input_gets:
+                print(
+                    f"\n{indent}".join(
+                        hard_wrap(
+                            self.maybe_cyan(f"{pluralize(len(rule_info.input_gets), 'get')}: ")
+                            + ", ".join(rule_info.input_gets),
+                            indent=4,
+                            width=self._width - 4,
+                        )
+                    )
+                )
+            if rule_info.description:
+                print(f"{indent}{rule_info.description}")
+            if rule_info.help:
+                print("\n" + "\n".join(hard_wrap(rule_info.help, indent=4, width=self._width)))
+        print()
+
     def _get_help_json(self) -> str:
         """Return a JSON object containing all the help info we have, for every scope."""
         return json.dumps(
diff --git a/src/python/pants/jvm/resolve/jvm_tool_test.py b/src/python/pants/jvm/resolve/jvm_tool_test.py
index 9a1d44e3b42..0969d9184c3 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/jvm/resolve/jvm_tool_test.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/jvm/resolve/jvm_tool_test.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 class MockJvmTool(JvmToolBase):
     options_scope = "mock-tool"
+    help = "Hamcrest is a mocking tool for the JVM."
 
     default_version = "1.3"
     default_artifacts = ("org.hamcrest:hamcrest-core:{version}",)
diff --git a/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py b/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py
index 997e7a6c52c..aa4172112e0 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/option/subsystem.py
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ def signature(cls):
         name = f"construct_scope_{snake_scope}"
         partial_construct_subsystem.__name__ = name
         partial_construct_subsystem.__module__ = cls.__module__
+        partial_construct_subsystem.__doc__ = cls.help
         _, class_definition_lineno = inspect.getsourcelines(cls)
         partial_construct_subsystem.__line_number__ = class_definition_lineno