diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c4557b33a1c..d0e8dc54ba1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ coverage.xml
 .vscode
 __pycache__/
 .python-version
+.claude/settings.local.json
 
 # generated by pip
 pip-wheel-metadata/
diff --git a/changelog/14088.doc.rst b/changelog/14088.doc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3f3a0963516
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/14088.doc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Clarified that the default :hook:`pytest_collection` hook sets ``session.items`` before it calls :hook:`pytest_collection_finish`, not after.
diff --git a/doc/en/reference/reference.rst b/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
index 8b3ae9fec1b..b4c8feef479 100644
--- a/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
+++ b/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
@@ -757,6 +757,7 @@ items, delete or otherwise amend the test items:
     If this hook is implemented in ``conftest.py`` files, it always receives all collected items, not only those
     under the ``conftest.py`` where it is implemented.
 
+.. hook:: pytest_collection_finish
 .. autofunction:: pytest_collection_finish
 
 Test running (runtest) hooks
diff --git a/src/_pytest/hookspec.py b/src/_pytest/hookspec.py
index 8c4333810e7..4688c056141 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/hookspec.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/hookspec.py
@@ -248,8 +248,8 @@ def pytest_collection(session: Session) -> object | None:
 
       1. ``pytest_deselected(items)`` for any deselected items (may be called multiple times)
 
-    3. ``pytest_collection_finish(session)``
-    4. Set ``session.items`` to the list of collected items
+    3. Set ``session.items`` to the list of collected items
+    4. ``pytest_collection_finish(session)``
     5. Set ``session.testscollected`` to the number of collected items
 
     You can implement this hook to only perform some action before collection,