diff --git a/aio/content/guide/bootstrapping.md b/aio/content/guide/bootstrapping.md
index d4b24442ae..3b3974fc41 100644
--- a/aio/content/guide/bootstrapping.md
+++ b/aio/content/guide/bootstrapping.md
@@ -165,7 +165,10 @@ most applications have only one component tree and bootstrap a single root compo
 This one root component is usually called `AppComponent` and is in the
 root module's `bootstrap` array.
 
-
+In a situation where you want to bootstrap a component based on an API response,
+or you want to mount the `AppComponent` in a different DOM node that doesn't match
+the component selector, please refer to `ApplicationRef.bootstrap()`
+documentation.
 
 ## More about Angular Modules
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts b/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts
index 40d6bf6591..c08827237f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/application_ref.ts
@@ -682,20 +682,41 @@ export class ApplicationRef {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Bootstrap a new component at the root level of the application.
+   * Bootstrap a component onto the element identified by its selector or, optionally, to a
+   * specified element.
    *
    * @usageNotes
    * ### Bootstrap process
    *
-   * When bootstrapping a new root component into an application, Angular mounts the
-   * specified application component onto DOM elements identified by the componentType's
-   * selector and kicks off automatic change detection to finish initializing the component.
+   * When bootstrapping a component, Angular mounts it onto a target DOM element
+   * and kicks off automatic change detection. The target DOM element can be
+   * provided using the `rootSelectorOrNode` argument.
    *
-   * Optionally, a component can be mounted onto a DOM element that does not match the
-   * componentType's selector.
+   * If the target DOM element is not provided, Angular tries to find one on a page
+   * using the `selector` of the component that is being bootstrapped
+   * (first matched element is used).
    *
    * ### Example
-   * {@example core/ts/platform/platform.ts region='longform'}
+   *
+   * Generally, we define the component to bootstrap in the `bootstrap` array of `NgModule`,
+   * but it requires us to know the component while writing the application code.
+   *
+   * Imagine a situation where we have to wait for an API call to decide about the component to
+   * bootstrap. We can use the `ngDoBootstrap` hook of the `NgModule` and call this method to
+   * dynamically bootstrap a component.
+   *
+   * {@example core/ts/platform/platform.ts region='componentSelector'}
+   *
+   * Optionally, a component can be mounted onto a DOM element that does not match the
+   * selector of the bootstrapped component.
+   *
+   * In the following example, we are providing a CSS selector to match the target element.
+   *
+   * {@example core/ts/platform/platform.ts region='cssSelector'}
+   *
+   * While in this example, we are providing reference to a DOM node.
+   *
+   * {@example core/ts/platform/platform.ts region='domNode'}
    */
   bootstrap<C>(componentOrFactory: ComponentFactory<C>|Type<C>, rootSelectorOrNode?: string|any):
       ComponentRef<C> {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/metadata/do_boostrap.ts b/packages/core/src/metadata/do_boostrap.ts
index 09c1614afb..39921b3c34 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/metadata/do_boostrap.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/metadata/do_boostrap.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ import {ApplicationRef} from '../application_ref';
  * See ["Bootstrapping"](guide/bootstrapping) and ["Entry components"](guide/entry-components).
  *
  * @usageNotes
+ * The example below uses `ApplicationRef.bootstrap()` to render the
+ * `AppComponent` on the page.
+ *
  * ```typescript
  * class AppModule implements DoBootstrap {
  *   ngDoBootstrap(appRef: ApplicationRef) {
diff --git a/packages/examples/core/ts/platform/platform.ts b/packages/examples/core/ts/platform/platform.ts
index 38d7a13c95..3b3a01e8a0 100644
--- a/packages/examples/core/ts/platform/platform.ts
+++ b/packages/examples/core/ts/platform/platform.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,75 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-import {Component, createPlatformFactory} from '@angular/core';
-import {platformBrowserDynamic} from '@angular/platform-browser-dynamic';
+import {ApplicationRef, Component, DoBootstrap, NgModule, Type} from '@angular/core';
+import {BrowserModule} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 
-// #docregion longform
-@Component({selector: 'app-root', template: 'Hello World'})
-class MyApp {
+@Component({
+  selector: 'app-root',
+  template: ` <h1>Component One</h1> `,
+})
+export class ComponentOne {
 }
 
-const myPlatformFactory = createPlatformFactory(platformBrowserDynamic, 'myPlatform');
-myPlatformFactory().bootstrapModule(MyApp);
-// #enddocregion
+@Component({
+  selector: 'app-root',
+  template: ` <h1>Component Two</h1> `,
+})
+export class ComponentTwo {
+}
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'app-root',
+  template: ` <h1>Component Three</h1> `,
+})
+export class ComponentThree {
+}
+
+@Component({
+  selector: 'app-root',
+  template: ` <h1>Component Four</h1> `,
+})
+export class ComponentFour {
+}
+
+@NgModule({imports: [BrowserModule], declarations: [ComponentOne, ComponentTwo]})
+export class AppModule implements DoBootstrap {
+  // #docregion componentSelector
+  ngDoBootstrap(appRef: ApplicationRef) {
+    this.fetchDataFromApi().then((componentName: string) => {
+      if (componentName === 'ComponentOne') {
+        appRef.bootstrap(ComponentOne);
+      } else {
+        appRef.bootstrap(ComponentTwo);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+  // #enddocregion
+
+  fetchDataFromApi(): Promise<string> {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        resolve('ComponentTwo');
+      }, 2000);
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+@NgModule({imports: [BrowserModule], declarations: [ComponentThree]})
+export class AppModuleTwo implements DoBootstrap {
+  // #docregion cssSelector
+  ngDoBootstrap(appRef: ApplicationRef) {
+    appRef.bootstrap(ComponentThree, '#root-element');
+  }
+  // #enddocregion cssSelector
+}
+
+@NgModule({imports: [BrowserModule], declarations: [ComponentFour]})
+export class AppModuleThree implements DoBootstrap {
+  // #docregion domNode
+  ngDoBootstrap(appRef: ApplicationRef) {
+    const element = document.querySelector('#root-element');
+    appRef.bootstrap(ComponentFour, element);
+  }
+  // #enddocregion domNode
+}