diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/QueryByExampleExecutor.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/QueryByExampleExecutor.java
index 71a8831742..f86ed65720 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/QueryByExampleExecutor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/repository/query/QueryByExampleExecutor.java
@@ -29,12 +29,13 @@
  * @param <T>
  * @author Mark Paluch
  * @author Christoph Strobl
+ * @author Ali Kilickaya
  * @since 1.12
  */
 public interface QueryByExampleExecutor<T> {
 
 	/**
-	 * Returns a single entity matching the given {@link Example} or {@literal null} if none was found.
+	 * Returns a single entity matching the given {@link Example} or {@link Optional#empty()} if none was found.
 	 *
 	 * @param example must not be {@literal null}.
 	 * @return a single entity matching the given {@link Example} or {@link Optional#empty()} if none was found.