diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RequestCallback.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RequestCallback.java
index 9c4f3dff2d6..dd03761459c 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RequestCallback.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RequestCallback.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -17,14 +17,21 @@
 package org.springframework.web.client;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Type;
 
 import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpRequest;
 
 /**
- * Callback interface for code that operates on a {@link ClientHttpRequest}. Allows to manipulate the request
- * headers, and write to the request body.
+ * Callback interface for code that operates on a {@link ClientHttpRequest}.
+ * Allows manipulating the request headers, and write to the request body.
  *
- * <p>Used internally by the {@link RestTemplate}, but also useful for application code.
+ * <p>Used internally by the {@link RestTemplate}, but also useful for
+ * application code. There several available factory methods:
+ * <ul>
+ * <li>{@link RestTemplate#acceptHeaderRequestCallback(Class)}
+ * <li>{@link RestTemplate#httpEntityCallback(Object)}
+ * <li>{@link RestTemplate#httpEntityCallback(Object, Type)}
+ * </ul>
  *
  * @author Arjen Poutsma
  * @see RestTemplate#execute
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/ResponseExtractor.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/ResponseExtractor.java
index e77e6c91b1c..02a27812ef2 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/ResponseExtractor.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/ResponseExtractor.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.web.client;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Type;
 
 import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
@@ -27,7 +28,9 @@ import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
  * from a {@link ClientHttpResponse}, but don't need to worry about exception
  * handling or closing resources.
  *
- * <p>Used internally by the {@link RestTemplate}, but also useful for application code.
+ * <p>Used internally by the {@link RestTemplate}, but also useful for
+ * application code. There is one available factory method, see
+ * {@link RestTemplate#responseEntityExtractor(Type)}.
  *
  * @author Arjen Poutsma
  * @since 3.0
diff --git a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestTemplate.java b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestTemplate.java
index 485db649b65..2aaa67fd158 100644
--- a/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestTemplate.java
+++ b/spring-web/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/client/RestTemplate.java
@@ -673,6 +673,17 @@ public class RestTemplate extends InterceptingHttpAccessor implements RestOperat
 
 	// general execution
 
+	/**
+	 * {@inheritDoc}
+	 * <p>To provide a {@code RequestCallback} or {@code ResponseExtractor} only,
+	 * but not both, consider using:
+	 * <ul>
+	 * <li>{@link #acceptHeaderRequestCallback(Class)}
+	 * <li>{@link #httpEntityCallback(Object)}
+	 * <li>{@link #httpEntityCallback(Object, Type)}
+	 * <li>{@link #responseEntityExtractor(Type)}
+	 * </ul>
+	 */
 	@Override
 	@Nullable
 	public <T> T execute(String url, HttpMethod method, @Nullable RequestCallback requestCallback,
@@ -682,6 +693,17 @@ public class RestTemplate extends InterceptingHttpAccessor implements RestOperat
 		return doExecute(expanded, method, requestCallback, responseExtractor);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * {@inheritDoc}
+	 * <p>To provide a {@code RequestCallback} or {@code ResponseExtractor} only,
+	 * but not both, consider using:
+	 * <ul>
+	 * <li>{@link #acceptHeaderRequestCallback(Class)}
+	 * <li>{@link #httpEntityCallback(Object)}
+	 * <li>{@link #httpEntityCallback(Object, Type)}
+	 * <li>{@link #responseEntityExtractor(Type)}
+	 * </ul>
+	 */
 	@Override
 	@Nullable
 	public <T> T execute(String url, HttpMethod method, @Nullable RequestCallback requestCallback,
@@ -692,6 +714,17 @@ public class RestTemplate extends InterceptingHttpAccessor implements RestOperat
 		return doExecute(expanded, method, requestCallback, responseExtractor);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * {@inheritDoc}
+	 * <p>To provide a {@code RequestCallback} or {@code ResponseExtractor} only,
+	 * but not both, consider using:
+	 * <ul>
+	 * <li>{@link #acceptHeaderRequestCallback(Class)}
+	 * <li>{@link #httpEntityCallback(Object)}
+	 * <li>{@link #httpEntityCallback(Object, Type)}
+	 * <li>{@link #responseEntityExtractor(Type)}
+	 * </ul>
+	 */
 	@Override
 	@Nullable
 	public <T> T execute(URI url, HttpMethod method, @Nullable RequestCallback requestCallback,
@@ -770,34 +803,38 @@ public class RestTemplate extends InterceptingHttpAccessor implements RestOperat
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns a request callback implementation that prepares the request {@code Accept}
-	 * headers based on the given response type and configured
-	 * {@linkplain #getMessageConverters() message converters}.
+	 * Return a {@code RequestCallback} that sets the request {@code Accept}
+	 * header based on the given response type, cross-checked against the
+	 * configured message converters.
 	 */
-	protected <T> RequestCallback acceptHeaderRequestCallback(Class<T> responseType) {
+	public <T> RequestCallback acceptHeaderRequestCallback(Class<T> responseType) {
 		return new AcceptHeaderRequestCallback(responseType);
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns a request callback implementation that writes the given object to the
-	 * request stream.
+	 * Return a {@code RequestCallback} implementation that writes the given
+	 * object to the request stream.
 	 */
-	protected <T> RequestCallback httpEntityCallback(@Nullable Object requestBody) {
+	public <T> RequestCallback httpEntityCallback(@Nullable Object requestBody) {
 		return new HttpEntityRequestCallback(requestBody);
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns a request callback implementation that writes the given object to the
-	 * request stream.
+	 * Return a {@code RequestCallback} implementation that:
+	 * <ol>
+	 * <li>Sets the request {@code Accept} header based on the given response
+	 * type, cross-checked against the configured message converters.
+	 * <li>Writes the given object to the request stream.
+	 * </ol>
 	 */
-	protected <T> RequestCallback httpEntityCallback(@Nullable Object requestBody, Type responseType) {
+	public <T> RequestCallback httpEntityCallback(@Nullable Object requestBody, Type responseType) {
 		return new HttpEntityRequestCallback(requestBody, responseType);
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns a response extractor for {@link ResponseEntity}.
+	 * Return a {@code ResponseExtractor} that prepares a {@link ResponseEntity}.
 	 */
-	protected <T> ResponseExtractor<ResponseEntity<T>> responseEntityExtractor(Type responseType) {
+	public <T> ResponseExtractor<ResponseEntity<T>> responseEntityExtractor(Type responseType) {
 		return new ResponseEntityResponseExtractor<>(responseType);
 	}