diff --git a/python/core/auto_generated/qgsstringutils.sip.in b/python/core/auto_generated/qgsstringutils.sip.in
index 3af8489a3f3..ba8edec8e8c 100644
--- a/python/core/auto_generated/qgsstringutils.sip.in
+++ b/python/core/auto_generated/qgsstringutils.sip.in
@@ -191,8 +191,11 @@ Converts a string by applying capitalization rules to the string.
 
     static QString ampersandEncode( const QString &string );
 %Docstring
-Replaces any extended unicode characters with the XML style é encoded versions
-of these characeters.
+Makes a raw string safe for inclusion as a HTML/XML string literal.
+
+This includes replacing '<' with '&lt;', '>' with '&gt;', '&' with '&amp', and
+any extended unicode characters with the XML style &#233; encoded versions
+of these characters.
 
 .. versionadded:: 3.2
 %End
diff --git a/src/core/qgsstringutils.h b/src/core/qgsstringutils.h
index 9597df088a6..735e358fadf 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsstringutils.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsstringutils.h
@@ -201,8 +201,11 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsStringUtils
     static QString capitalize( const QString &string, Capitalization capitalization );
 
     /**
-     * Replaces any extended unicode characters with the XML style &#233; encoded versions
-     * of these characeters.
+     * Makes a raw string safe for inclusion as a HTML/XML string literal.
+     *
+     * This includes replacing '<' with '&lt;', '>' with '&gt;', '&' with '&amp', and
+     * any extended unicode characters with the XML style &#233; encoded versions
+     * of these characters.
      * \since QGIS 3.2
      */
     static QString ampersandEncode( const QString &string );