diff --git a/docs/concepts/model-providers.md b/docs/concepts/model-providers.md
index 6adbb5d0f26..f5a73d7256e 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/model-providers.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/model-providers.md
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ For model selection rules, see [/concepts/models](/concepts/models).
   `supportsXHighThinking`, `resolveDefaultThinkingLevel`,
   `isModernModelRef`, `prepareRuntimeAuth`, `resolveUsageAuth`, and
   `fetchUsageSnapshot`.
+- Note: provider runtime `capabilities` is shared runner metadata (provider
+  family, transcript/tooling quirks, transport/cache hints). It is not the
+  same as the [public capability model](/tools/plugin#public-capability-model)
+  which describes what a plugin registers (text inference, speech, etc.).
 
 ## Plugin-owned provider behavior