diff --git a/doc/devel/contributing.rst b/doc/devel/contributing.rst
index 287d04fa2fe0..225219cc5837 100644
--- a/doc/devel/contributing.rst
+++ b/doc/devel/contributing.rst
@@ -316,6 +316,8 @@ Introducing
    All these helpers take a first parameter *since*, which should be set to
    the next point release, e.g. "3.x".
 
+   You can use standard rst cross references in *alternative*.
+
 Expiring
 ~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/_api/deprecation.py b/lib/matplotlib/_api/deprecation.py
index f8dfa4b8e5d5..0eacc3730cdc 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/_api/deprecation.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/_api/deprecation.py
@@ -207,10 +207,13 @@ def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
         old_doc = inspect.cleandoc(old_doc or '').strip('\n')
 
         notes_header = '\nNotes\n-----'
+        second_arg = ' '.join([t.strip() for t in
+                               (message, f"Use {alternative} instead."
+                                if alternative else "", addendum) if t])
         new_doc = (f"[*Deprecated*] {old_doc}\n"
                    f"{notes_header if notes_header not in old_doc else ''}\n"
                    f".. deprecated:: {since}\n"
-                   f"   {message.strip()}")
+                   f"   {second_arg}")
 
         if not old_doc:
             # This is to prevent a spurious 'unexpected unindent' warning from
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
index ae15dd799940..74d3054864be 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axis.py
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ def _apply_tickdir(self, tickdir):
         self._tickdir = tickdir
         self._pad = self._base_pad + self.get_tick_padding()
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="axis.set_tick_params")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`.Axis.set_tick_params`")
     def apply_tickdir(self, tickdir):
         self._apply_tickdir(tickdir)
         self.stale = True
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ def clear(self):
         self.set_units(None)
         self.stale = True
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="Axis.clear()")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.Axis.clear`")
     def cla(self):
         """Clear this axis."""
         return self.clear()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index 8241e1c0a444..7a34a02bcb29 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -2341,8 +2341,8 @@ def get_default_filetype(cls):
         """
         return rcParams['savefig.format']
 
-    @_api.deprecated(
-        "3.4", alternative="manager.get_window_title or GUI-specific methods")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.FigureManagerBase.get_window_title`"
+                     " or GUI-specific methods")
     def get_window_title(self):
         """
         Return the title text of the window containing the figure, or None
@@ -2351,8 +2351,8 @@ def get_window_title(self):
         if self.manager is not None:
             return self.manager.get_window_title()
 
-    @_api.deprecated(
-        "3.4", alternative="manager.set_window_title or GUI-specific methods")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.FigureManagerBase.set_window_title`"
+                     " or GUI-specific methods")
     def set_window_title(self, title):
         """
         Set the title text of the window containing the figure.  Note that
@@ -3284,7 +3284,7 @@ def save_figure(self, *args):
         """Save the current figure."""
         raise NotImplementedError
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="canvas.set_cursor")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`.FigureCanvasBase.set_cursor`")
     def set_cursor(self, cursor):
         """
         Set the current cursor to one of the :class:`Cursors` enums values.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_tools.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_tools.py
index 390b90134aed..04ba8f665f1f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_tools.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_tools.py
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ def _set_cursor_cbk(self, event):
             self.canvas.set_cursor(self._default_cursor)
             self._last_cursor = self._default_cursor
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="figure.canvas.set_cursor")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`.FigureCanvasBase.set_cursor`")
     def set_cursor(self, cursor):
         """
         Set the cursor.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
index e45d8527a83c..c31c52c7b476 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/collections.py
@@ -2091,7 +2091,8 @@ def get_coordinates(self):
         return self._coordinates
 
     @staticmethod
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="QuadMesh(coordinates).get_paths()")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`QuadMesh(coordinates).get_paths()"
+                     "<.QuadMesh.get_paths>`")
     def convert_mesh_to_paths(meshWidth, meshHeight, coordinates):
         return QuadMesh._convert_mesh_to_paths(coordinates)
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
index 3d5e2a74d665..225f47907fb3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
@@ -1681,12 +1681,12 @@ def set_axis(self, axis):
         self._wrapped_locator.set_axis(axis)
         return super().set_axis(axis)
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative=".axis.set_view_interval")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`.Axis.set_view_interval`")
     def set_view_interval(self, vmin, vmax):
         self._wrapped_locator.set_view_interval(vmin, vmax)
         return super().set_view_interval(vmin, vmax)
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative=".axis.set_data_interval")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`.Axis.set_data_interval`")
     def set_data_interval(self, vmin, vmax):
         self._wrapped_locator.set_data_interval(vmin, vmax)
         return super().set_data_interval(vmin, vmax)
@@ -1722,8 +1722,9 @@ def _get_interval(self):
         return self._interval
 
 
-@_api.deprecated("3.5",
-                 alternative="mdates.date2num(datetime.utcfromtimestamp(e))")
+@_api.deprecated(
+    "3.5",
+    alternative="`date2num(datetime.utcfromtimestamp(e))<.date2num>`")
 def epoch2num(e):
     """
     Convert UNIX time to days since Matplotlib epoch.
@@ -1745,7 +1746,7 @@ def epoch2num(e):
     return (dt + np.asarray(e)) / SEC_PER_DAY
 
 
-@_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="mdates.num2date(e).timestamp()")
+@_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`num2date(e).timestamp()<.num2date>`")
 def num2epoch(d):
     """
     Convert days since Matplotlib epoch to UNIX time.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py b/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py
index ce6de4cdee56..0a683fefcf77 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mathtext.py
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ def get_hinting_type(self):
         return backend_agg.get_hinting_flag()
 
 
-@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="mathtext.math_to_image")
+@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.mathtext.math_to_image`")
 class MathtextBackendBitmap(MathtextBackendAgg):
     def get_results(self, box, used_characters):
         ox, oy, width, height, depth, image, characters = \
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def get_results(self, box, used_characters):
         return image, depth
 
 
-@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="MathtextBackendPath")
+@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.MathtextBackendPath`")
 class MathtextBackendPs(MathtextBackend):
     """
     Store information to write a mathtext rendering to the PostScript backend.
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def get_results(self, box, used_characters):
                               used_characters)
 
 
-@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="MathtextBackendPath")
+@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.MathtextBackendPath`")
 class MathtextBackendPdf(MathtextBackend):
     """Store information to write a mathtext rendering to the PDF backend."""
 
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ def get_results(self, box, used_characters):
                                used_characters)
 
 
-@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="MathtextBackendPath")
+@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.MathtextBackendPath`")
 class MathtextBackendSvg(MathtextBackend):
     """
     Store information to write a mathtext rendering to the SVG
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ def get_results(self, box, used_characters):
                             self.rects)
 
 
-@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="MathtextBackendPath")
+@_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.MathtextBackendPath`")
 class MathtextBackendCairo(MathtextBackend):
     """
     Store information to write a mathtext rendering to the Cairo
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ def _parse_cached(self, s, dpi, prop, force_standard_ps_fonts):
         font_output.set_canvas_size(box.width, box.height, box.depth)
         return font_output.get_results(box)
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="mathtext.math_to_image")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.mathtext.math_to_image`")
     def to_mask(self, texstr, dpi=120, fontsize=14):
         r"""
         Convert a mathtext string to a grayscale array and depth.
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ def to_mask(self, texstr, dpi=120, fontsize=14):
         ftimage, depth = self.parse(texstr, dpi=dpi, prop=prop)
         return np.asarray(ftimage), depth
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="mathtext.math_to_image")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.mathtext.math_to_image`")
     def to_rgba(self, texstr, color='black', dpi=120, fontsize=14):
         r"""
         Convert a mathtext string to an RGBA array and depth.
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ def to_rgba(self, texstr, color='black', dpi=120, fontsize=14):
         RGBA[:, :, 3] = x
         return RGBA, depth
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="mathtext.math_to_image")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.mathtext.math_to_image`")
     def to_png(self, filename, texstr, color='black', dpi=120, fontsize=14):
         r"""
         Render a tex expression to a PNG file.
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ def to_png(self, filename, texstr, color='black', dpi=120, fontsize=14):
         Image.fromarray(rgba).save(filename, format="png")
         return depth
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="mathtext.math_to_image")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.mathtext.math_to_image`")
     def get_depth(self, texstr, dpi=120, fontsize=14):
         r"""
         Get the depth of a mathtext string.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/spines.py b/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
index 7e7a423c787b..deb0a65d21f6 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/spines.py
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ def clear(self):
         if self.axis is not None:
             self.axis.clear()
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="Spine.clear()")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.4", alternative="`.Spine.clear`")
     def cla(self):
         self.clear()
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_api.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_api.py
index 91c51e8702d2..42e7e72c88b1 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_api.py
@@ -85,3 +85,11 @@ def func(pre, arg, post=None):
         func(1, 2)
     with pytest.warns(_api.MatplotlibDeprecationWarning):
         func(1, 2, 3)
+
+
+def test_deprecation_alternative():
+    alternative = "`.f1`, `f2`, `f3(x) <.f3>` or `f4(x)<f4>`"
+    @_api.deprecated("1", alternative=alternative)
+    def f():
+        pass
+    assert alternative in f.__doc__
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
index dfbe5549b9d4..7dc538a91a2b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/ticker.py
@@ -187,17 +187,17 @@ def create_dummy_axis(self, **kwargs):
         if self.axis is None:
             self.axis = _DummyAxis(**kwargs)
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative=".axis.set_view_interval")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`.Axis.set_view_interval`")
     def set_view_interval(self, vmin, vmax):
         self.axis.set_view_interval(vmin, vmax)
 
-    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative=".axis.set_data_interval")
+    @_api.deprecated("3.5", alternative="`.Axis.set_data_interval`")
     def set_data_interval(self, vmin, vmax):
         self.axis.set_data_interval(vmin, vmax)
 
     @_api.deprecated(
         "3.5",
-        alternative=".axis.set_view_interval and .axis.set_data_interval")
+        alternative="`.Axis.set_view_interval` and `.Axis.set_data_interval`")
     def set_bounds(self, vmin, vmax):
         self.set_view_interval(vmin, vmax)
         self.set_data_interval(vmin, vmax)