diff --git a/django/contrib/admindocs/utils.py b/django/contrib/admindocs/utils.py
index 3a7ca4e781..5b28a8d2c6 100644
--- a/django/contrib/admindocs/utils.py
+++ b/django/contrib/admindocs/utils.py
@@ -99,6 +99,21 @@ ROLES = {
     "tag": "%s/tags/#%s",
 }
 
+explicit_title_re = re.compile(r"^(.+?)\s*(?<!\x00)<([^<]*?)>$", re.DOTALL)
+
+
+def split_explicit_title(text):
+    """
+    Split role content into title and target, if given.
+
+    From sphinx.util.nodes.split_explicit_title
+    See https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/blob/230ccf2/sphinx/util/nodes.py#L389
+    """
+    match = explicit_title_re.match(text)
+    if match:
+        return True, match.group(1), match.group(2)
+    return False, text, text
+
 
 def create_reference_role(rolename, urlbase):
     # Views and template names are case-sensitive.
@@ -107,14 +122,15 @@ def create_reference_role(rolename, urlbase):
     def _role(name, rawtext, text, lineno, inliner, options=None, content=None):
         if options is None:
             options = {}
+        _, title, target = split_explicit_title(text)
         node = docutils.nodes.reference(
             rawtext,
-            text,
+            title,
             refuri=(
                 urlbase
                 % (
                     inliner.document.settings.link_base,
-                    text if is_case_sensitive else text.lower(),
+                    target if is_case_sensitive else target.lower(),
                 )
             ),
             **options,
diff --git a/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt b/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt
index edc29b4a5c..240def8efb 100644
--- a/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/contrib/admin/admindocs.txt
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ Once those steps are complete, you can start browsing the documentation by
 going to your admin interface and clicking the "Documentation" link in the
 upper right of the page.
 
+.. _admindocs-helpers:
+
 Documentation helpers
 =====================
 
@@ -47,6 +49,13 @@ Template filters    ``:filter:`filtername```
 Templates           ``:template:`path/to/template.html```
 =================   =======================
 
+Each of these support custom link text with the format
+``:role:`link text <link>```. For example, ``:tag:`block <built_in-block>```.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 5.2
+
+    Support for custom link text was added.
+
 Model reference
 ===============
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/5.2.txt b/docs/releases/5.2.txt
index 8327de7405..d07e9cb098 100644
--- a/docs/releases/5.2.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/5.2.txt
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ Minor features
 :mod:`django.contrib.admindocs`
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-* ...
+* Links to components in docstrings now supports custom link text, using the
+  format ``:role:`link text <link>```. See :ref:`documentation helpers
+  <admindocs-helpers>` for more details.
+ 
 
 :mod:`django.contrib.auth`
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/tests/admin_docs/models.py b/tests/admin_docs/models.py
index b4ef84caba..4b52b4a4ea 100644
--- a/tests/admin_docs/models.py
+++ b/tests/admin_docs/models.py
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@ class Group(models.Model):
 
 
 class Family(models.Model):
+    """
+    Links with different link text.
+
+    This is a line with tag :tag:`extends <built_in-extends>`
+    This is a line with model :model:`Family <myapp.Family>`
+    This is a line with view :view:`Index <myapp.views.Index>`
+    This is a line with template :template:`index template <Index.html>`
+    This is a line with filter :filter:`example filter <filtername>`
+    """
+
     last_name = models.CharField(max_length=200)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/admin_docs/test_views.py b/tests/admin_docs/test_views.py
index c48a89a1b0..f7232a7e03 100644
--- a/tests/admin_docs/test_views.py
+++ b/tests/admin_docs/test_views.py
@@ -441,6 +441,25 @@ class TestModelDetailView(TestDataMixin, AdminDocsTestCase):
         self.assertContains(self.response, body, html=True)
         self.assertContains(self.response, model_body, html=True)
 
+    def test_model_docstring_built_in_tag_links(self):
+        summary = "Links with different link text."
+        body = (
+            '<p>This is a line with tag <a class="reference external" '
+            'href="/admindocs/tags/#built_in-extends">extends</a>\n'
+            'This is a line with model <a class="reference external" '
+            'href="/admindocs/models/myapp.family/">Family</a>\n'
+            'This is a line with view <a class="reference external" '
+            'href="/admindocs/views/myapp.views.Index/">Index</a>\n'
+            'This is a line with template <a class="reference external" '
+            'href="/admindocs/templates/Index.html/">index template</a>\n'
+            'This is a line with filter <a class="reference external" '
+            'href="/admindocs/filters/#filtername">example filter</a></p>'
+        )
+        url = reverse("django-admindocs-models-detail", args=["admin_docs", "family"])
+        response = self.client.get(url)
+        self.assertContains(response, summary, html=True)
+        self.assertContains(response, body, html=True)
+
     def test_model_detail_title(self):
         self.assertContains(self.response, "<h1>admin_docs.Person</h1>", html=True)