diff --git a/core/build.gradle.kts b/core/build.gradle.kts
index e629fa011..593399c69 100644
--- a/core/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/core/build.gradle.kts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ java {
 }
 
 dependencies {
+    implementation("com.google.auto.value:auto-value-annotations:1.7.2")
+    annotationProcessor("com.google.auto.value:auto-value:1.7.2")
     api("com.google.guava:guava:${Versions.GUAVA}")
     "guiceSupportImplementation"("com.google.inject:guice:4.2.3")
     api("org.checkerframework:checker-qual:3.3.0")
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java
index 4d1d8283f..86dacecf9 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/AbstractConfigurationNode.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
@@ -77,6 +78,11 @@ abstract class AbstractConfigurationNode<N extends ScopedConfigurationNode<N>, A
     @NonNull
     volatile ConfigValue<N, A> value;
 
+    /**
+     * Storage for representation hints.
+     */
+    private final Map<RepresentationHint<?>, Object> hints = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+
     protected AbstractConfigurationNode(final @Nullable Object key, final @Nullable A parent, final @NonNull ConfigurationOptions options) {
         requireNonNull(options, "options");
         this.key = key;
@@ -652,6 +658,27 @@ private <S, T, E extends Exception> T visitInternal(final ConfigurationVisitor<?
         return visitor.endVisit(state);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public <V> N setHint(final RepresentationHint<V> hint, @Nullable final V value) {
+        this.hints.put(hint, value);
+        return self();
+    }
+
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    @Override
+    public <V> @Nullable V getHint(final RepresentationHint<V> hint) {
+        final Object value = this.hints.get(hint);
+        if (value != null) {
+            return (V) value;
+        }
+        final @Nullable A parent = this.parent;
+        if (parent != null) {
+            return parent.getHint(hint);
+        } else {
+            return hint.getDefaultValue();
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public boolean equals(final Object o) {
         if (this == o) {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ConfigurationNode.java b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ConfigurationNode.java
index 27f2e00d0..a94b71948 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ConfigurationNode.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ConfigurationNode.java
@@ -676,4 +676,14 @@ default boolean getBoolean(boolean def) {
     @NonNull
     ConfigurationNode copy();
 
+    <V> ConfigurationNode setHint(RepresentationHint<V> hint, @Nullable V value);
+
+    /**
+     * Query a representation hint from this node.
+     * @param hint The hint to get
+     * @param <V> value type
+     * @return value of the hint, or {@link RepresentationHint#getDefaultValue()}
+     */
+    <V> @Nullable V getHint(RepresentationHint<V> hint);
+
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/RepresentationHint.java b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/RepresentationHint.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..661d01b38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/RepresentationHint.java
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*
+ * Configurate
+ * Copyright (C) zml and Configurate contributors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.spongepowered.configurate;
+
+import com.google.auto.value.AutoValue;
+import com.google.common.reflect.TypeToken;
+import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.Nullable;
+
+/**
+ * A flag for configuration loaders describing how a node should be serialized.
+ *
+ * <p>A loader may not accept every representation hint available, but any
+ * understood hints should be exposed as constant fields on the loader class.
+ * Any unknown hints will be ignored.
+ *
+ * @param <V> The value type
+ */
+@AutoValue
+public abstract class RepresentationHint<V> {
+
+    public static final RepresentationHint<Integer> INDENT = of("indent", Integer.class);
+
+    public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final Class<V> valueType) {
+        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, TypeToken.of(valueType), null);
+    }
+
+    public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final TypeToken<V> valueType) {
+        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, valueType, null);
+    }
+
+    public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final Class<V> valueType, final V defaultValue) {
+        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, TypeToken.of(valueType), defaultValue);
+    }
+
+    public static <V> RepresentationHint<V> of(final String identifier, final TypeToken<V> valueType, final V defaultValue) {
+        return new AutoValue_RepresentationHint<>(identifier, valueType, defaultValue);
+    }
+
+    RepresentationHint() { }
+
+    /**
+     * An identifier used to represent this hint in error messages.
+     *
+     * @return the identifier
+     */
+    public abstract String getIdentifier();
+
+    /**
+     * The type that values of this type have to have.
+     *
+     * @return value type
+     */
+    public abstract TypeToken<V> getValueType();
+
+    /**
+     * If a value for a representation hint cannot be found by quering a node
+     * or any of this parents, the default value will be returned.
+     *
+     * @return default type
+     */
+    @AutoValue.CopyAnnotations
+    public abstract @Nullable V getDefaultValue();
+
+}
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ScopedConfigurationNode.java b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ScopedConfigurationNode.java
index ec5b96aa8..a5fc866f2 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ScopedConfigurationNode.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/spongepowered/configurate/ScopedConfigurationNode.java
@@ -178,4 +178,7 @@ default <S, T> T visit(ConfigurationVisitor.Safe<N, S, T> visitor) {
      */
     <S, T> T visit(ConfigurationVisitor.Safe<? super N, S, T> visitor, S state);
 
+    @Override
+    <V> N setHint(RepresentationHint<V> hint, @Nullable V value);
+
 }