diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index de722baac..1b41adaad 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ coverage_ignore_pyobjects = [
     r"^scrapy\.linkextractors\.lxmlhtml\.LxmlParserLinkExtractor",
 ]
 
+# -- Options for the autodoc extension ----------------------------------------
+autodoc_member_order = "bysource"
 
 # -- Options for the InterSphinx extension -----------------------------------
 # https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/extensions/intersphinx.html#configuration
diff --git a/docs/topics/download-handlers.rst b/docs/topics/download-handlers.rst
index 34ab4f105..e0501c169 100644
--- a/docs/topics/download-handlers.rst
+++ b/docs/topics/download-handlers.rst
@@ -78,33 +78,15 @@ Writing your own download handler
 A download handler is a :ref:`component <topics-components>` that defines
 the following API:
 
-.. class:: SampleDownloadHandler
-
-    .. attribute:: lazy
-        :type: bool
-
-        If ``False``, the handler will be instantiated when Scrapy is
-        initialized.
-
-        If ``True``, the handler will only be instantiated when the first
-        request handled by it needs to be downloaded.
-
-    .. method:: download_request(request: Request) -> Response
-        :async:
-
-        Download the given request and return a response.
-
-    .. method:: close() -> None
-        :async:
-
-        Clean up any resources used by the handler.
+.. autoclass:: scrapy.core.downloader.handlers.DownloadHandlerProtocol
+    :members:
 
 An optional base class for custom handlers is provided:
 
 .. autoclass:: scrapy.core.downloader.handlers.base.BaseDownloadHandler
     :members:
     :undoc-members:
-    :member-order: bysource
+    :exclude-members: close, download_request, lazy
 
 .. _download-handlers-exceptions:
 
diff --git a/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/__init__.py b/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/__init__.py
index fb27cdb8b..84dc6216b 100644
--- a/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/__init__.py
+++ b/scrapy/core/downloader/handlers/__init__.py
@@ -39,11 +39,23 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class DownloadHandlerProtocol(Protocol):
+    """Interface that :ref:`download handlers <topics-download-handlers>` must
+    implement.
+
+    Besides implementing this protocol, the contract of a download handler
+    includes **never** calling :meth:`crawler.engine.download_async()
+    <scrapy.core.engine.ExecutionEngine.download_async>`.
+    """
+
     lazy: bool
+    """Whether to delay instantiation of the handler; see :ref:`lazy
+    <lazy-download-handlers>`."""
 
-    async def download_request(self, request: Request) -> Response: ...
+    async def download_request(self, request: Request) -> Response:
+        """Download *request* and return a response."""
 
-    async def close(self) -> None: ...
+    async def close(self) -> None:
+        """Clean up any resources used by the handler."""
 
 
 class DownloadHandlers: