diff --git a/docs/source/plugins.rst b/docs/source/plugins.rst
index 4b9a86922..0badbf4f6 100644
--- a/docs/source/plugins.rst
+++ b/docs/source/plugins.rst
@@ -306,11 +306,11 @@ The below template provides a minimal example (let's call the file ``mycooledrda
 
            self.covjson = {...}
 
-       def get_instances(self):
+       def instances(self):
            return ['foo', 'bar']
 
-       def get_instance(self, instance):
-           return instance in get_instances()
+       def instance(self, instance):
+           return instance in instances()
 
        def position(self, **kwargs):
            return self.covjson
@@ -320,8 +320,8 @@ The below template provides a minimal example (let's call the file ``mycooledrda
 
 
 For brevity, the ``position`` function returns ``self.covjson`` which is a
-dictionary of a CoverageJSON representation.  ``get_instances`` returns a list
-of instances associated with the collection/plugin, and ``get_instance`` returns
+dictionary of a CoverageJSON representation.  ``instances`` returns a list
+of instances associated with the collection/plugin, and ``instance`` returns
 a boolean of whether a given instance exists/is valid.  EDR query types are subject
 to the query functions defined in the plugin.  In the example above, the plugin
 implements ``position`` and ``trajectory`` queries, which will be advertised as
diff --git a/pygeoapi/api/environmental_data_retrieval.py b/pygeoapi/api/environmental_data_retrieval.py
index 6f2ed36bb..98a77cc2a 100644
--- a/pygeoapi/api/environmental_data_retrieval.py
+++ b/pygeoapi/api/environmental_data_retrieval.py
@@ -113,14 +113,14 @@ def get_collection_edr_instances(api: API, request: APIRequest,
 
     if instance_id is not None:
         try:
-            if p.get_instance(instance_id):
+            if p.instance(instance_id):
                 instances = [instance_id]
         except ProviderItemNotFoundError:
             msg = 'Instance not found'
             return api.get_exception(
                 HTTPStatus.NOT_FOUND, headers, request.format, 'NotFound', msg)
     else:
-        instances = p.get_instances()
+        instances = p.instances()
 
     for instance in instances:
         instance_dict = {
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ def get_collection_edr_query(api: API, request: APIRequest,
             err.http_status_code, headers, request.format,
             err.ogc_exception_code, err.message)
 
-    if instance is not None and not p.get_instance(instance):
+    if instance is not None and not p.instance(instance):
         msg = 'Invalid instance identifier'
         return api.get_exception(
             HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST, headers,
diff --git a/pygeoapi/provider/base_edr.py b/pygeoapi/provider/base_edr.py
index 01b1602b6..08c30df9b 100644
--- a/pygeoapi/provider/base_edr.py
+++ b/pygeoapi/provider/base_edr.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def __init_subclass__(cls, **kwargs):
                 'but requests will be routed to a feature provider'
             )
 
-    def get_instances(self):
+    def instances(self):
         """
         Get a list of instance identifiers
 
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def get_instances(self):
 
         return NotImplementedError()
 
-    def get_instance(self, instance):
+    def instance(self, instance):
         """
         Validate instance identifier