diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 936cc16819873f..d268dcdde19bb0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -288,6 +288,24 @@ This will still allow people to not use vcpkg,
 by passing the `CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE` directly,
 but it will make the configure-build step slightly easier.
 
+### Specifying Triplets
+
+Vcpkg uses triplets to capture the desired target platform, and link type, as well as the host platform and link type.
+If the default triplets are not used, then they must be specified both when building packages and when using them.
+See the documenation on [integrating](docs/users/integration.md) and [host dependencies](docs/users/host-dependencies.md) for more information.
+
+When installing packages, the triplets can be specified with command line flags.
+`--triplet [triplet]` for target packages and `--host-triplet [triplet]` for host dependencies.
+
+For projects cmake projects using the vcpkg toolchain, the triplets can be specified using the `VCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET` and `VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET` respectivley.
+For example
+```
+-DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=[target-triplet]
+-DVCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET=[host-triplet]
+```
+
+For both installation and use, `VCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET` and `VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET` environment variables can also be used.
+
 [getting-started:using-a-package]: docs/examples/installing-and-using-packages.md
 [getting-started:integration]: docs/users/integration.md
 [getting-started:git]: https://git-scm.com/downloads
diff --git a/docs/examples/installing-and-using-packages.md b/docs/examples/installing-and-using-packages.md
index 011df93a4cc9f9..ddf64c62d09a22 100644
--- a/docs/examples/installing-and-using-packages.md
+++ b/docs/examples/installing-and-using-packages.md
@@ -92,6 +92,16 @@ To remove the integration for your user, you can use `.\vcpkg integrate remove`.
 The best way to use installed libraries with cmake is via the toolchain file `scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake`. To use this file, you simply need to add it onto your CMake command line as:  
 `-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=D:\src\vcpkg\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake`.
 
+When using non-default triplets, they need to specified for cmake.
+They can be specified using the `VCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET` and `VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET` respectivley.
+For example
+```
+-DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=[target-triplet]
+-DVCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET=[host-triplet]
+```
+
+Alternativley, `VCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET` and `VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET` environment variables can also be used.
+
 If you are using CMake through Open Folder with Visual Studio you can define `CMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE` by adding a "variables" section to each of your `CMakeSettings.json` configurations:
 
 ```json