diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
index 476c70bb9a1..ba955d4da8f 100644
--- a/examples/README.md
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -40,6 +40,24 @@ real applications with Kubernetes.
Demonstrations of how to use specific Kubernetes features can be found in our [documents](../docs/).
+### Maintained Examples
+
+Maintained Examples are expected to be updated with every Kubernetes
+release, to use the latest and greatest features, current guidelines
+and best practices, and to refresh command syntax, output, changed
+prerequisites, as needed.
+
+Name | Description | Notable Features Used | Complexity Level
+------------- | ------------- | ------------ | ------------ | ------------
+[Guestbook](guestbook/) | PHP app with Redis | Replication Controller, Service | Beginner
+[WordPress](mysql-wordpress-pd/) | WordPress with MySQL | Deployment, Persistent Volume with Claim | Beginner
+[Cassandra](cassandra/) | Cloud Native Cassandra | Daemon Set | Intermediate
+
+Note: Please add examples to the list above that are maintained.
+
+See [Example Guidelines](guidelines.md) for a description of what goes
+in this directory, and what examples should contain.
+
[]()
diff --git a/examples/guidelines.md b/examples/guidelines.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8d31eddc294
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/guidelines.md
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+PLEASE NOTE: This document applies to the HEAD of the source tree
+
+If you are using a released version of Kubernetes, you should
+refer to the docs that go with that version.
+
+Documentation for other releases can be found at
+[releases.k8s.io](http://releases.k8s.io).
+
+--
+
+
+
+
+
+# Example Guidelines
+
+## An Example Is
+
+An example demonstrates running an application/framework/workload on
+Kubernetes in a meaningful way. It is educational and informative.
+
+Examples are not:
+
+* Full app deployments, ready to use, with no explanation. These
+ belong either
+ [here](https://github.com/kubernetes/application-dm-templates) or in
+ something like [Helm](https://github.com/helm/charts).
+* Simple toys to show how to use a Kubernetes feature. These belong in
+ the [user guide](../docs/user-guide/).
+* Demos that follow a script to show a Kubernetes feature in
+ action. Example: killing a node to demonstrate controller
+ self-healing.
+* A tutorial which guides the user through multiple progressively more
+ complex deployments to arrive at the final solution. An example
+ should just demonstrate how to setup the correct deployment
+
+## An Example Includes
+
+### Up front
+
+* Has a "this is what you'll learn" section.
+* Has a Table of Contents.
+* Has a section that brings up the app in the fewest number of
+ commands (TL;DR / quickstart), without cloning the repo (kubectl
+ apply -f http://...).
+* Points to documentation of prerequisites.
+ * [Create a cluster](../docs/getting-started-guides/) (e.g., single-node docker).
+ * [Setup kubectl](../docs/user-guide/prereqs.md).
+ * etc.
+* Should specify which release of Kubernetes is required and any other
+ prerequisites, such as DNS, a cloudprovider with PV provisioning, a
+ cloudprovider with external load balancers, etc.
+ * Point to general documentation about alternatives for those
+ mechanisms rather than present the alternatives in each example.
+ * Tries to balance between using using new features, and being
+ compatible across environments.
+
+### Throughout
+
+* Should point to documentation on first mention:
+ [kubectl](../docs/user-guide/kubectl-overview.md),
+ [pods](../docs/user-guide/pods.md),
+ [services](../docs/user-guide/services.md),
+ [deployments](../docs/user-guide/deployments.md),
+ [replication controllers](../docs/user-guide/replication-controller.md),
+ [jobs](../docs/user-guide/jobs.md),
+ [labels](../docs/user-guide/labels.md),
+ [persistent volumes](../docs/user-guide/persistent-volumes.md),
+ etc.
+* Most examples should be cloudprovider-independent (e.g., using PVCs, not PDs).
+ * Other examples with cloudprovider-specific bits could be somewhere else.
+* Actually show the app working -- console output, and or screenshots.
+ * Ascii animations and screencasts are recommended.
+* Follows [config best practices](../docs/user-guide/config-best-practices.md).
+* Shouldn't duplicate the [thorough walk-through](../docs/user-guide/#thorough-walkthrough).
+* Docker images are pre-built, and source is contained in a subfolder.
+ * Source is the Dockerfile and any custom files needed beyond the
+ upstream app being packaged.
+ * Images are pushed to `gcr.io/google-samples`. Contact @jeffmendoza
+ to have an image pushed
+ * Images are tagged with a version (not latest) that is referenced
+ in the example config.
+* Only use the code highlighting types
+ [supported by Rouge](https://github.com/jneen/rouge/wiki/list-of-supported-languages-and-lexers),
+ as this is what Github Pages uses.
+* Commands to be copied use the `shell` syntax highlighting type, and
+ do not include any kind of prompt.
+* Example output is in a separate block quote to distinguish it from
+ the command (which doesn't have a prompt).
+* When providing an example command or config for which the user is
+ expected to substitute text with something specific to them, use
+ angle brackets: `` for the text to be substituted.
+
+
+### At the end
+
+* Should have a section suggesting what to look at next, both in terms
+ of "additional resources" and "what example to look at next".
+
+
+
+[]()
+