diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4921c3137ad..336669d767e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ release.
 
 ### SDK Configuration
 
+- Lay initial groundwork for file configuration
+  ([#3360](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-specification/pull/3360))
+
 ### Telemetry Schemas
 
 ### Common
diff --git a/specification/configuration/file-configuration.md b/specification/configuration/file-configuration.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dbe949b2c7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/specification/configuration/file-configuration.md
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# File Configuration
+
+**Status**: [Experimental](../document-status.md)
+
+<!-- toc -->
+
+- [Overview](#overview)
+- [Configuration Model](#configuration-model)
+  * [Stability Definition](#stability-definition)
+- [Configuration file](#configuration-file)
+- [SDK Configuration](#sdk-configuration)
+  * [In-Memory Configuration Model](#in-memory-configuration-model)
+  * [Operations](#operations)
+- [References](#references)
+
+<!-- tocstop -->
+
+## Overview
+
+File configuration provides a mechanism for configuring OpenTelemetry which is
+more expressive and full-featured than
+the [environment variable](../sdk-environment-variables.md) based scheme, and
+language agnostic in a way not possible
+with [programmatic configuration](../sdk-configuration.md#programmatic).
+
+File configuration defines a [Configuration Model](#configuration-model),
+which can be expressed in a [configuration file](#configuration-file).
+Configuration files can be validated against the Configuration Schema, and
+interpreted to produce configured OpenTelemetry components.
+
+## Configuration Model
+
+The configuration model is defined
+in [./schema/](./schema/opentelemetry_configuration.json) using
+the [JSON Schema](https://json-schema.org/).
+
+### Stability Definition
+
+TODO: define stability guarantees and backwards compatibility
+
+## Configuration file
+
+A configuration file is a file representation of
+the [Configuration Model](#configuration-model).
+
+TODO: define acceptable file formats
+
+TODO: define environment variable substitution
+
+## SDK Configuration
+
+SDK configuration defines the interfaces and operations that SDKs are expected
+to expose to enable file based configuration.
+
+### In-Memory Configuration Model
+
+SDKs SHOULD provide an in-memory representation of
+the [Configuration Model](#configuration-model). In general, SDKs are encouraged
+to provide this in-memory representation in a manner that is idiomatic for their
+language. If an SDK needs to expose a class or interface, the
+name `Configuration` is RECOMMENDED.
+
+### Operations
+
+TODO: define how to parse configuration file to configuration model
+
+TODO: define how to apply configuration model to produce configured sdk
+components
+
+## References
+
+* Configuration
+  proposal ([OTEP #225](https://github.com/open-telemetry/oteps/pull/225))
diff --git a/specification/configuration/schema/opentelemetry_configuration.json b/specification/configuration/schema/opentelemetry_configuration.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2dc9cb04f8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/specification/configuration/schema/opentelemetry_configuration.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+    "$id": "https://opentelemetry.io/otelconfig/OpenTelemetryConfiguration",
+    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+    "title": "OpenTelemetryConfiguration",
+    "type": "object",
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+        "file_format": {
+            "type": "number"
+        }
+    },
+    "required": [
+        "file_format"
+    ]
+}