diff --git a/.changeset/modern-trees-add.md b/.changeset/modern-trees-add.md
index 64b36c3adb..bb5ea78a5b 100644
--- a/.changeset/modern-trees-add.md
+++ b/.changeset/modern-trees-add.md
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 '@backstage/plugin-catalog': minor
 ---
 
-This change allows a new annotation of `backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref` this ref allows you to reference another entity for its TechDocs. This allows you have a single TechDoc for all items in a system, for example you might have a frontend and a backend in the same repo. This would allow you to have TechDocs build under a `System` entity while referencing the system e.g.: `backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref: system:default/example` that will show the systems docs in both the TechDocs button and the TechDocs tab without needing to do duplicate builds and filling the TechDocs page with garbage.
+This change allows a new annotation of `backstage.io/techdocs-entity` this ref allows you to reference another entity for its TechDocs. This allows you have a single TechDoc for all items in a system, for example you might have a frontend and a backend in the same repo. This would allow you to have TechDocs build under a `System` entity while referencing the system e.g.: `backstage.io/techdocs-entity: system:default/example` that will show the systems docs in both the TechDocs button and the TechDocs tab without needing to do duplicate builds and filling the TechDocs page with garbage.
diff --git a/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md b/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md
index 651520cd28..70f5ff5e14 100644
--- a/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md
+++ b/docs/features/software-catalog/well-known-annotations.md
@@ -100,13 +100,13 @@ alongside the entity's source code, the value of this annotation can point to an
 absolute URL, matching the location reference string format outlined above, for
 example: `url:https://github.com/backstage/backstage/tree/master`
 
-### backstage.io/techdocs-ref
+### backstage.io/techdocs-entity
 
 ```yaml
 # Example:
 metadata:
   annotations:
-    backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref: component:default/example
+    backstage.io/techdocs-entity: component:default/example
 ```
 
 The value of this annotation informs of an external entity that owns the TechDocs.
diff --git a/docs/features/techdocs/how-to-guides.md b/docs/features/techdocs/how-to-guides.md
index 0ab89ed9b6..1eaaa02c6d 100644
--- a/docs/features/techdocs/how-to-guides.md
+++ b/docs/features/techdocs/how-to-guides.md
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ documentation to the appropriate location in the TechDocs external storage.
 
 In systems where you might have multiple entities for example a System with a Website and an API, when served from a Monorepo you might want to keep the TechDocs in one location in the repository.
 
-In this case you can add the `backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref` annotation and point to the owners `entityRef` and use its TechDocs. This allows the Subcomponents to read the parents docs, filling the TechDocs link on the `AboutCard` element and the Techdocs tab
+In this case you can add the `backstage.io/techdocs-entity` annotation and point to the owners `entityRef` and use its TechDocs. This allows the Subcomponents to read the parents docs, filling the TechDocs link on the `AboutCard` element and the Techdocs tab
 
 ```yaml
 apiVersion: backstage.io/v1alpha1
@@ -705,5 +705,5 @@ metadata:
   namespace: default
   description: This is the child entity
   annotations:
-    backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref: system:default/example
+    backstage.io/techdocs-entity: system:default/example
 ```
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx
index 036507ada7..1679e2ddf5 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.test.tsx
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ describe('<AboutCard />', () => {
       metadata: {
         name: 'software',
         annotations: {
-          'backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref': 'system:default/example',
+          'backstage.io/techdocs-entity': 'system:default/example',
         },
       },
       spec: {
diff --git a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
index 6c28660144..6a782cffc1 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
+++ b/plugins/catalog/src/components/AboutCard/AboutCard.tsx
@@ -114,10 +114,10 @@ export function AboutCard(props: AboutCardProps) {
 
   let techdocsRef: CompoundEntityRef | undefined;
 
-  if (entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref']) {
+  if (entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-entity']) {
     try {
       techdocsRef = parseEntityRef(
-        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref'],
+        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-entity'],
       );
       // not a fan of this but we don't care if the parseEntityRef fails
     } catch {
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export function AboutCard(props: AboutCardProps) {
     disabled:
       !(
         entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-ref'] ||
-        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref']
+        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-entity']
       ) || !viewTechdocLink,
     icon: <DocsIcon />,
     href:
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx b/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx
index 56c1341aa2..3d9aced9f3 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx
+++ b/plugins/techdocs/src/EntityPageDocs.tsx
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ type EntityPageDocsProps = { entity: Entity };
 export const EntityPageDocs = ({ entity }: EntityPageDocsProps) => {
   let entityRef = getCompoundEntityRef(entity);
 
-  if (entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref']) {
+  if (entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-entity']) {
     try {
       entityRef = parseEntityRef(
-        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref'],
+        entity.metadata.annotations?.['backstage.io/techdocs-entity'],
       );
     } catch {
       // not a fan of this but we don't care if the parseEntityRef fails
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx b/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx
index 5c967a54e8..3a0d2515d8 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx
+++ b/plugins/techdocs/src/Router.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import { useEntity } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog-react';
 
 const TECHDOCS_ANNOTATION = 'backstage.io/techdocs-ref';
 
-const TECHDOCS_EXTERNAL_ANNOTATION = 'backstage.io/techdocs-external-ref';
+const TECHDOCS_EXTERNAL_ANNOTATION = 'backstage.io/techdocs-entity';
 
 /**
  * Helper that takes in entity and returns true/false if TechDocs is available for the entity