diff --git a/source/includes/extracts-fact-copydb-behavior-base.yaml b/source/includes/extracts-fact-copydb-behavior-base.yaml
index 7fd6381d251..8c2d6598c59 100644
--- a/source/includes/extracts-fact-copydb-behavior-base.yaml
+++ b/source/includes/extracts-fact-copydb-behavior-base.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ content: |
 
   - {{copydb}} creates the target database if it does not exist.
 
+  - If the target database exists and no collection from the source database
+    exists in the target database,  {{copydb}} copies the collections from
+    the source database to the target database.  If any collection from the
+    source database exists in the target database, {{copydb}} errors out and
+    does not copy any remaining collections from the source database.
+
   - {{copydb}} requires enough free disk space on the host
     instance for the copied database. Use the :method:`db.stats()`
     operation to check the size of the database on the source