diff --git a/ticdc/ticdc-overview.md b/ticdc/ticdc-overview.md
index da926141a9341..2ead1b20abdea 100644
--- a/ticdc/ticdc-overview.md
+++ b/ticdc/ticdc-overview.md
@@ -129,3 +129,13 @@ For details, refer to [Troubleshoot TiCDC](/ticdc/troubleshoot-ticdc.md).
## TiCDC Open Protocol
TiCDC Open Protocol is a row-level data change notification protocol that provides data sources for monitoring, caching, full-text indexing, analysis engines, and primary-secondary replication between different databases. TiCDC complies with TiCDC Open Protocol and replicates data changes of TiDB to third-party data medium such as MQ (Message Queue). For more information, see [TiCDC Open Protocol](/ticdc/ticdc-open-protocol.md).
+
+## Compatibility notes for `sort-dir` and `data-dir`
+
+The `sort-dir` configuration is used to specify the temporary file directory for the TiCDC sorter. Its functionalities might vary in different versions. The following table lists `sort-dir`'s compatibility changes across versions.
+
+| Version | `sort-engine` functionality | Note | Recommendation |
+| :--- | :--- | :-- | :-- |
+| v4.0.11 or an earlier v4.0 version, v5.0.0-rc | It is a changefeed configuration item and specifies temporary file directory for the `file` sorter and `unified` sorter. | In these versions, `file` sorter and `unified` sorter are **experimental features** and **NOT** recommended for the production environment.
If multiple changefeeds use the `unified` sorter as its `sort-engine`, the actual temporary file directory might be the `sort-dir` configuration of any changefeed, and the directory used for each TiCDC node might be different. | It is not recommended to use `unified` sorter in the production environment. |
+| v4.0.12, v4.0.13, v5.0.0, and v5.0.1 | It is a configuration item of changefeed or of `cdc server`. | By default, the `sort-dir` configuration of a changefeed does not take effect, and the `sort-dir` configuration of `cdc server` defaults to `/tmp/cdc_sort`. It is recommended to only configure `cdc server` in the production environment.
If you use TiUP to deploy TiCDC, it is recommended to use the latest TiUP version and set `sorter.sort-dir` in the TiCDC server configuration.
The `unified` sorter is enabled by default in v4.0.13, v5.0.0, and v5.0.1. If you want to upgrade your cluster to these versions, make sure that you have correctly configured `sorter.sort-dir` in the TiCDC server configuration. | You need to configure `sort-dir` using the `cdc server` command-line parameter (or TiUP). |
+| v4.0.14 and later v4.0 versions, v5.0.2 and later v5.0 versions, later TiDB versions | `sort-dir` is deprecated. It is recommended to configure `data-dir`. | You can configure `data-dir` using the latest version of TiUP. In these TiDB versions, `unified` sorter is enabled by default. Make sure that `data-dir` has been configured correctly when you upgrade your cluster. Otherwise, `/tmp/cdc_data` will be used by default as the temporary file directory.
If the storage capacity of the device where the directory is located is insufficient, the problem of insufficient hard disk space might occur. In this situation, the previous `sort-dir` configuration of changefeed will become invalid.| You need to configure `data-dir` using the `cdc server` command-line parameter (or TiUP). |