diff --git a/model/metrics/http.yaml b/model/metrics/http.yaml
index b1801ed20b..116631abde 100644
--- a/model/metrics/http.yaml
+++ b/model/metrics/http.yaml
@@ -73,9 +73,7 @@ groups:
     instrument: histogram
     unit: "By"
     note: >
-      The size of the request payload body in bytes. This is the number of bytes transferred excluding headers and
-      is often, but not always, present as the [Content-Length](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#field.content-length)
-      header. For requests using transport encoding, this should be the compressed size.
+      This is the same as the `Content-Length` header value when that header is present and when the response body was fully transferred.
     extends: metric_attributes.http.server
 
   - id: metric.http.server.response.body.size
@@ -85,9 +83,7 @@ groups:
     instrument: histogram
     unit: "By"
     note: >
-      The size of the response payload body in bytes. This is the number of bytes transferred excluding headers and
-      is often, but not always, present as the [Content-Length](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#field.content-length)
-      header. For requests using transport encoding, this should be the compressed size.
+      This is the same as the `Content-Length` header value when that header is present and when the response body was fully transferred.
     extends: metric_attributes.http.server
 
   - id: metric.http.client.request.duration
@@ -105,9 +101,7 @@ groups:
     instrument: histogram
     unit: "By"
     note: >
-      The size of the request payload body in bytes. This is the number of bytes transferred excluding headers and
-      is often, but not always, present as the [Content-Length](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#field.content-length)
-      header. For requests using transport encoding, this should be the compressed size.
+      This is the same as the `Content-Length` header value when that header is present and when the request body was fully transferred.
     extends: metric_attributes.http.client
 
   - id: metric.http.client.response.body.size
@@ -117,7 +111,5 @@ groups:
     instrument: histogram
     unit: "By"
     note: >
-      The size of the response payload body in bytes. This is the number of bytes transferred excluding headers and
-      is often, but not always, present as the [Content-Length](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#field.content-length)
-      header. For requests using transport encoding, this should be the compressed size.
+      This is the same as the `Content-Length` header value when that header is present and when the response body was fully transferred.
     extends: metric_attributes.http.client
diff --git a/model/registry/http.yaml b/model/registry/http.yaml
index 4264ae3251..c63ef7bf72 100644
--- a/model/registry/http.yaml
+++ b/model/registry/http.yaml
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ groups:
     attributes:
       - id: request.body.size
         type: int
-        brief: >
-          The size of the request payload body in bytes. This is the number of bytes transferred excluding headers and
-          is often, but not always, present as the [Content-Length](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#field.content-length)
-          header. For requests using transport encoding, this should be the compressed size.
+        brief: Size of the HTTP request body.
         examples: 3495
+        stability: experimental # this should not be marked stable with other HTTP attributes
+        note: >
+          This is the same as the `Content-Length` header value when that header is present and when the request body was fully transferred.
       - id: request.header
         type: template[string[]]
         brief: >
@@ -92,11 +92,11 @@ groups:
         examples: 3
       - id: response.body.size
         type: int
-        brief: >
-          The size of the response payload body in bytes. This is the number of bytes transferred excluding headers and
-          is often, but not always, present as the [Content-Length](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#field.content-length)
-          header. For requests using transport encoding, this should be the compressed size.
+        brief: Size of the HTTP response body.
         examples: 3495
+        stability: experimental # this should not be marked stable with other HTTP attributes
+        note: >
+          This is the same as the `Content-Length` header value when that header is present and when the response body was fully transferred.
       - id: response.header
         type: template[string[]]
         brief: >