diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index b8bdefb68..7bdf90595 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ Unreleased
 - A `KeyboardInterrupt` arriving while `Command.main()` reports an abort or an error,
   or while it exits, no longer escapes as an unhandled traceback. The command still
   exits with the intended code; only the message may be lost. {issue}`3802`
+- Add {meth}`Option.get_help_spec`, which returns the option's left help
+  column even when the option is hidden. {meth}`Option.get_help_record` still
+  returns `None` for hidden options, so help screens are unchanged. {pr}`3821`
 - Document which types are inferred from `default`, and what an unrecognized
   `type` callable does to a command-line value. {issue}`3036` {pr}`3808`
 
diff --git a/src/click/core.py b/src/click/core.py
index c3e68b111..18a43ac5f 100644
--- a/src/click/core.py
+++ b/src/click/core.py
@@ -3363,10 +3363,15 @@ def add_to_parser(self, parser: _OptionParser, ctx: Context) -> None:
                 nargs=self.nargs,
             )
 
-    def get_help_record(self, ctx: Context) -> tuple[str, str] | None:
-        if self.hidden:
-            return None
+    def get_help_spec(self, ctx: Context) -> str:
+        """Returns the left column of the option's help record: its spellings
+        and metavar, like ``-v, --verbose`` or ``-c, --config TEXT``.
 
+        Unlike :meth:`get_help_record`, the spec is produced even when the
+        option is :attr:`hidden`.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 8.5.1
+        """
         any_prefix_is_slash = False
 
         def _write_opts(opts: cabc.Sequence[str]) -> str:
@@ -3387,6 +3392,12 @@ def _write_opts(opts: cabc.Sequence[str]) -> str:
         if self.secondary_opts:
             rv.append(_write_opts(self.secondary_opts))
 
+        return ("; " if any_prefix_is_slash else " / ").join(rv)
+
+    def get_help_record(self, ctx: Context) -> tuple[str, str] | None:
+        if self.hidden:
+            return None
+
         help = self.help or ""
 
         extra = self.get_help_extra(ctx)
@@ -3406,7 +3417,7 @@ def _write_opts(opts: cabc.Sequence[str]) -> str:
             extra_str = "; ".join(extra_items)
             help = f"{help}  [{extra_str}]" if help else f"[{extra_str}]"
 
-        return ("; " if any_prefix_is_slash else " / ").join(rv), help
+        return self.get_help_spec(ctx), help
 
     def get_help_extra(self, ctx: Context) -> types.OptionHelpExtra:
         extra: types.OptionHelpExtra = {}
diff --git a/tests/test_options.py b/tests/test_options.py
index 5438a8c5c..0656a0b54 100644
--- a/tests/test_options.py
+++ b/tests/test_options.py
@@ -72,6 +72,30 @@ def test_deprecated_empty_help_no_leading_space(help_text, deprecated, expected)
     assert opt.get_help_record(ctx)[1] == expected
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("param_decls", "kwargs", "expected"),
+    [
+        (["-v", "--verbose"], {"is_flag": True}, "-v, --verbose"),
+        (["--config"], {}, "--config TEXT"),
+        (["--color/--no-color"], {}, "--color / --no-color"),
+        (["/debug;/no-debug"], {}, "/debug; /no-debug"),
+    ],
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("hidden", [False, True])
+def test_help_spec(param_decls, kwargs, hidden, expected):
+    """A hidden option still produces its spec via ``get_help_spec()``, unlike
+    ``get_help_record()``.
+    """
+    opt = click.Option(param_decls, hidden=hidden, **kwargs)
+    ctx = click.Context(click.Command("cli"))
+    assert opt.get_help_spec(ctx) == expected
+
+    if hidden:
+        assert opt.get_help_record(ctx) is None
+    else:
+        assert opt.get_help_record(ctx)[0] == expected
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("deprecated", [True, "USE B INSTEAD"])
 def test_deprecated_warning(runner, deprecated):
     @click.command()