diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketHandler.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketHandler.java
index 75ed51c4569..32ae15599fe 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketHandler.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketHandler.java
@@ -25,12 +25,18 @@ import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
 /**
  * Handler for a WebSocket session.
  *
- * <p>Use {@link WebSocketSession#receive()} to compose on the stream of
- * inbound messages and {@link WebSocketSession#send(Publisher)} to write the
- * stream of outbound messages.
+ * <p>A server {@code WebSocketHandler} is mapped to requests with
+ * {@link org.springframework.web.reactive.handler.SimpleUrlHandlerMapping
+ * SimpleUrlHandlerMapping} and
+ * {@link org.springframework.web.reactive.socket.server.support.WebSocketHandlerAdapter
+ * WebSocketHandlerAdapter}. A client {@code WebSocketHandler} is passed to the
+ * {@link org.springframework.web.reactive.socket.client.WebSocketClient
+ * WebSocketClient} execute method.
  *
- * <p>You can handle inbound and outbound messages as independent streams, and
- * then join them:
+ * <p>Use {@link WebSocketSession#receive() session.receive()} to compose on
+ * the inbound message stream, and {@link WebSocketSession#send(Publisher)
+ * session.send(publisher)} for the outbound message stream. Below is an
+ * example, combined flow to process inbound and to send outbound messages:
  *
  * <pre class="code">
  * class ExampleHandler implements WebSocketHandler {
@@ -38,49 +44,52 @@ import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
  * 	&#064;Override
  * 	public Mono&lt;Void&gt; handle(WebSocketSession session) {
  *
- * 		Mono&lt;Void&gt; input = session.receive()
+ * 		Flux&lt;WebSocketMessage&gt; input = session.receive()
  *			.doOnNext(message -> {
  * 				// ...
  * 			})
  * 			.concatMap(message -> {
  * 				// ...
  * 			})
- * 			.then();
- *
- *		Flux&lt;String&gt; source = ... ;
- * 		Mono&lt;Void&gt; output = session.send(source.map(session::textMessage));
+ * 			.map(value -> session.textMessage("Echo " + value));
  *
- * 		return Mono.zip(input, output).then();
+ * 		return session.send(output);
  * 	}
  * }
  * </pre>
  *
- * <p>You can also create a single flow including inbound and outbound messages:
+ * <p>If processing inbound and sending outbound messages are independent
+ * streams, they can be joined together with the "zip" operator:
+ *
  * <pre class="code">
  * class ExampleHandler implements WebSocketHandler {
 
  * 	&#064;Override
  * 	public Mono&lt;Void&gt; handle(WebSocketSession session) {
  *
- * 		Flux&lt;WebSocketMessage&gt; input = session.receive()
+ * 		Mono&lt;Void&gt; input = session.receive()
  *			.doOnNext(message -> {
  * 				// ...
  * 			})
  * 			.concatMap(message -> {
  * 				// ...
  * 			})
- * 			.map(value -> session.textMessage("Echo " + value));
+ * 			.then();
  *
- * 		return session.send(output);
+ *		Flux&lt;String&gt; source = ... ;
+ * 		Mono&lt;Void&gt; output = session.send(source.map(session::textMessage));
+ *
+ * 		return Mono.zip(input, output).then();
  * 	}
  * }
  * </pre>
  *
- * <p>When the connection is closed, the inbound stream will receive a
- * completion/error signal, while the outbound stream will get a cancellation
- * signal. The above flows are composed in such a way that the
- * {@code Mono<Void>} returned from the {@code WebSocketHandler} won't complete
- * until the connection is closed.
+ * <p>A {@code WebSocketHandler} must compose the inbound and outbound streams
+ * into a unified flow and return a {@code Mono<Void>} that reflects the
+ * completion of that flow. That means there is no need to check if the
+ * connection is open, since Reactive Streams signals will terminate activity.
+ * The inbound stream receives a completion/error signal, and the outbound
+ * stream receives receives a cancellation signal.
  *
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
  * @since 5.0
@@ -96,13 +105,17 @@ public interface WebSocketHandler {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Handle the WebSocket session.
-	 *
+	 * Invoked when a new WebSocket connection is established, and allows
+	 * handling of the session.
 	 *
+	 * <p>See the class-level doc and the reference for more details and
+	 * examples of how to handle the session.
 	 *
 	 * @param session the session to handle
-	 * @return completion {@code Mono<Void>} to indicate the outcome of the
-	 * WebSocket session handling.
+	 * @return indicates when appilcation handling of the session is complete,
+	 * which should reflect the completion of the inbound message stream
+	 * (i.e. connection closing) and possibly the completion of the outbound
+	 * message stream and the writing of messages.
 	 */
 	Mono<Void> handle(WebSocketSession session);
 
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketSession.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketSession.java
index bca6047a2fc..10fa28176d9 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketSession.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/socket/WebSocketSession.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -25,15 +25,11 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBuffer;
 import org.springframework.core.io.buffer.DataBufferFactory;
 
 /**
- * Represents a WebSocket session with Reactive Streams input and output.
+ * Represents a WebSocket session.
  *
- * <p>On the server side a WebSocket session can be handled by mapping
- * requests to a {@link WebSocketHandler} and ensuring there is a
- * {@link org.springframework.web.reactive.socket.server.support.WebSocketHandlerAdapter
- * WebSocketHandlerAdapter} strategy registered in Spring configuration.
- * On the client side a {@link WebSocketHandler} can be provided to a
- * {@link org.springframework.web.reactive.socket.client.WebSocketClient
- * WebSocketClient}.
+ * <p>Use {@link WebSocketSession#receive() session.receive()} to compose on
+ * the inbound message stream, and {@link WebSocketSession#send(Publisher)
+ * session.send(publisher)} to provide the outbound message stream.
  *
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
  * @since 5.0
@@ -57,13 +53,24 @@ public interface WebSocketSession {
 	DataBufferFactory bufferFactory();
 
 	/**
-	 * Get access to the stream of incoming messages.
+	 * Provides access to the stream of inbound messages.
+	 * <p>This stream receives a completion or error signal when the connection
+	 * is closed. In a typical {@link WebSocketHandler} implementation this
+	 * stream is composed into the overall processing flow, so that when the
+	 * connection is closed, handling will end.
+	 *
+	 * <p>See the class-level doc of {@link WebSocketHandler} and the reference
+	 * for more details and examples of how to handle the session.
 	 */
 	Flux<WebSocketMessage> receive();
 
 	/**
-	 * Write the given messages to the WebSocket connection.
-	 * @param messages the messages to write
+	 * Give a source of outgoing messages, write the messages and return a
+	 * {@code Mono<Void>} that completes when the source completes and writing
+	 * is done.
+	 *
+	 * <p>See the class-level doc of {@link WebSocketHandler} and the reference
+	 * for more details and examples of how to handle the session.
 	 */
 	Mono<Void> send(Publisher<WebSocketMessage> messages);
 
diff --git a/src/docs/asciidoc/web/webflux-websocket.adoc b/src/docs/asciidoc/web/webflux-websocket.adoc
index cdd9e432b54..17a36d9b487 100644
--- a/src/docs/asciidoc/web/webflux-websocket.adoc
+++ b/src/docs/asciidoc/web/webflux-websocket.adoc
@@ -71,7 +71,37 @@ Then map it to a URL and add a `WebSocketHandlerAdapter`:
 [[webflux-websockethandler]]
 === WebSocketHandler
 
-The most basic implementation of a handler is one that handles inbound messages:
+The `handle` method of `WebSocketHandler` takes `WebSocketSession` and returns `Mono<Void>`
+to indicate when application handling of the session is complete. The session is handled
+through two streams, one for inbound and one for outbound messages:
+
+[options="header"]
+|===
+| WebSocketSession method | Description
+
+| `Flux<WebSocketMessage> receive()`
+| Provides access to the inbound message stream, and completes when the connection is closed.
+
+| `Mono<Void> send(Publisher<WebSocketMessage>)`
+| Takes a source for outgoing messages, writes the messages, and returns a `Mono<Void>` that
+  completes when the source completes and writing is done.
+
+|===
+
+A `WebSocketHandler` must compose the inbound and outbound streams into a unified flow, and
+return a `Mono<Void>` that reflects the completion of that flow. Depending on application
+requirements, the unified flow completes when:
+
+* Either inbound or outbound message streams complete.
+* Inbound stream completes (i.e. connection closed), while outbound is infinite.
+* At a chosen point through the `close` method of `WebSocketSession`.
+
+When inbound and outbound message streams are composed together, there is no need to
+check if the connection is open, since Reactive Streams signals will terminate activity.
+The inbound stream receives a completion/error signal, and the outbound stream receives
+receives a cancellation signal.
+
+The most basic implementation of a handler is one that handles the inbound stream:
 
 [source,java,indent=0]
 [subs="verbatim,quotes"]
@@ -94,17 +124,17 @@ class ExampleHandler implements WebSocketHandler {
 <1> Access stream of inbound messages.
 <2> Do something with each message.
 <3> Perform nested async operation using message content.
-<4> Return `Mono<Void>` that doesn't complete while we continue to receive.
+<4> Return `Mono<Void>` that completes when receiving completes.
 
-[NOTE]
+[TIP]
 ====
-If performing a nested, asynchronous operation, you'll need to call
-`message.retain()` if the underlying server uses pooled data buffers (e.g. Netty), or
-otherwise the data buffer may be released before you've had a chance to read the data.
-For more on this see <<core.adoc#databuffers,Data Buffers and Codecs>>.
+For nested, asynchronous operations, you may need to call `message.retain()` on underlying
+servers that use pooled data buffers (e.g. Netty), or otherwise the data buffer may be
+released before you've had a chance to read the data. For more background see
+<<core.adoc#databuffers,Data Buffers and Codecs>>.
 ====
 
-A handler can work with inbound and outbound messages as independent streams:
+The below implementation combines the inbound with the outbound streams:
 
 [source,java,indent=0]
 [subs="verbatim,quotes"]
@@ -114,28 +144,25 @@ class ExampleHandler implements WebSocketHandler {
 	@Override
 	public Mono<Void> handle(WebSocketSession session) {
 
-		Mono<Void> input = session.receive()								<1>
+		Flux<WebSocketMessage> output = session.receive()				<1>
 				.doOnNext(message -> {
 					// ...
 				})
 				.concatMap(message -> {
 					// ...
 				})
-				.then();
-
-		Flux<String> source = ... ;
-		Mono<Void> output = session.send(source.map(session::textMessage));	<2>
+				.map(value -> session.textMessage("Echo " + value));	<2>
 
-		return Mono.zip(input, output).then();								<3>
+		return session.send(output);									<3>
 	}
 }
 ----
 <1> Handle inbound message stream.
-<2> Send outgoing messages.
-<3> Join the streams and return `Mono<Void>` that completes when _either_ stream ends.
+<2> Create outbound message, producing a combined flow.
+<3> Return `Mono<Void>` that doesn't complete while we continue to receive.
+
+Inbound and outbound streams can be independent, and joined only for completion:
 
-A handler can compose a connected flow of inbound and outbound messages:
-4
 [source,java,indent=0]
 [subs="verbatim,quotes"]
 ----
@@ -144,22 +171,25 @@ class ExampleHandler implements WebSocketHandler {
 	@Override
 	public Mono<Void> handle(WebSocketSession session) {
 
-		Flux<WebSocketMessage> output = session.receive()				<1>
+		Mono<Void> input = session.receive()								<1>
 				.doOnNext(message -> {
 					// ...
 				})
 				.concatMap(message -> {
 					// ...
 				})
-				.map(value -> session.textMessage("Echo " + value));	<2>
+				.then();
 
-		return session.send(output);									<3>
+		Flux<String> source = ... ;
+		Mono<Void> output = session.send(source.map(session::textMessage));	<2>
+
+		return Mono.zip(input, output).then();								<3>
 	}
 }
 ----
 <1> Handle inbound message stream.
-<2> Create outbound message, producing a combined flow.
-<3> Return `Mono<Void>` that doesn't complete while we continue to receive.
+<2> Send outgoing messages.
+<3> Join the streams and return `Mono<Void>` that completes when _either_ stream ends.
 
 
 
@@ -172,6 +202,8 @@ of `HandshakeWebSocketService`, which performs basic checks on the WebSocket req
 then uses `RequestUpgradeStrategy` for the server in use. Currently there is built-in
 support for Reactor Netty, Tomcat, Jetty, and Undertow.
 
+The above are just 3 examples to serve as a starting point.
+
 
 
 [[webflux-websocket-server-config]]