diff --git a/doc/userguide/rules/meta.rst b/doc/userguide/rules/meta.rst
index 9149b11a86..62820fd878 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/rules/meta.rst
+++ b/doc/userguide/rules/meta.rst
@@ -156,9 +156,9 @@ expressed in the signature. The format of priority is::
 
 metadata
 --------
-The metadata keyword allows additional, non-functional information to
+The metadata keyword allows additional, non-functional, information to
 be added to the signature. While the format is free-form, it is
-recommended to stick to key, value pairs as Suricata can include these
+recommended to stick to `[key, value]` pairs as Suricata can include these
 in eve alerts. The format is::
 
   metadata: key value;