diff --git a/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowStateAddForm.php b/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowStateAddForm.php
index 9fe2b05672..13a99ee65e 100644
--- a/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowStateAddForm.php
+++ b/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowStateAddForm.php
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ public function form(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
 
     $form['id'] = [
       '#type' => 'machine_name',
+      '#description' => $this->t('A unique machine-readable name. Can only contain lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores, but not solely numbers.'),
       '#machine_name' => [
         'exists' => [$this, 'exists'],
         'replace_pattern' => '[^a-z0-9_]+|^[0-9]+$',
diff --git a/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowTransitionAddForm.php b/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowTransitionAddForm.php
index f93d103b18..469daa1cd3 100644
--- a/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowTransitionAddForm.php
+++ b/core/modules/workflows/src/Form/WorkflowTransitionAddForm.php
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ public function form(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
 
     $form['id'] = [
       '#type' => 'machine_name',
+      '#description' => $this->t('A unique machine-readable name. Can only contain lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores, but not solely numbers.'),
       '#machine_name' => [
         'exists' => [$this, 'exists'],
         'replace_pattern' => '[^a-z0-9_]+|^[0-9]+$',