diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go
index 0a5ffe36bc2..8d2ccf0081b 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/providers/openstack/openstack.go
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ type OpenStack struct {
 }
 
 // Config is used to read and store information from the cloud configuration file
+// NOTE: Cloud config files should follow the same Kubernetes deprecation policy as
+// flags or CLIs. Config fields should not change behavior in incompatible ways and
+// should be deprecated for at least 2 release prior to removing.
+// See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/deprecation-policy/#deprecating-a-flag-or-cli
+// for more details.
 type Config struct {
 	Global struct {
 		AuthURL         string `gcfg:"auth-url"`
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/aws/aws.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/aws/aws.go
index 3fa3aef5139..513d9c2d47c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/aws/aws.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/aws/aws.go
@@ -535,6 +535,11 @@ type Cloud struct {
 var _ Volumes = &Cloud{}
 
 // CloudConfig wraps the settings for the AWS cloud provider.
+// NOTE: Cloud config files should follow the same Kubernetes deprecation policy as
+// flags or CLIs. Config fields should not change behavior in incompatible ways and
+// should be deprecated for at least 2 release prior to removing.
+// See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/deprecation-policy/#deprecating-a-flag-or-cli
+// for more details.
 type CloudConfig struct {
 	Global struct {
 		// TODO: Is there any use for this?  We can get it from the instance metadata service
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go
index 0297dfc8309..932b501c20a 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/azure/azure.go
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ var (
 
 // Config holds the configuration parsed from the --cloud-config flag
 // All fields are required unless otherwise specified
+// NOTE: Cloud config files should follow the same Kubernetes deprecation policy as
+// flags or CLIs. Config fields should not change behavior in incompatible ways and
+// should be deprecated for at least 2 release prior to removing.
+// See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/deprecation-policy/#deprecating-a-flag-or-cli
+// for more details.
 type Config struct {
 	auth.AzureAuthConfig
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/gce/gce.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/gce/gce.go
index 0a22a6a59b6..e98f785f9c1 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/gce/gce.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/gce/gce.go
@@ -186,6 +186,11 @@ type ConfigGlobal struct {
 }
 
 // ConfigFile is the struct used to parse the /etc/gce.conf configuration file.
+// NOTE: Cloud config files should follow the same Kubernetes deprecation policy as
+// flags or CLIs. Config fields should not change behavior in incompatible ways and
+// should be deprecated for at least 2 release prior to removing.
+// See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/deprecation-policy/#deprecating-a-flag-or-cli
+// for more details.
 type ConfigFile struct {
 	Global ConfigGlobal `gcfg:"global"`
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/vsphere/vsphere.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/vsphere/vsphere.go
index 2fc437a468a..bb68ccc7905 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/vsphere/vsphere.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/vsphere/vsphere.go
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@ type VirtualCenterConfig struct {
 // Structure that represents the content of vsphere.conf file.
 // Users specify the configuration of one or more Virtual Centers in vsphere.conf where
 // the Kubernetes master and worker nodes are running.
+// NOTE: Cloud config files should follow the same Kubernetes deprecation policy as
+// flags or CLIs. Config fields should not change behavior in incompatible ways and
+// should be deprecated for at least 2 release prior to removing.
+// See https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/using-api/deprecation-policy/#deprecating-a-flag-or-cli
+// for more details.
 type VSphereConfig struct {
 	Global struct {
 		// vCenter username.