diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index d35544684c4..d53184ff406 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ Features added
 * #2076: autodoc: Allow overriding of exclude-members in skip-member function
 * #2024: autosummary: Add :confval:`autosummary_filename_map` to avoid conflict
   of filenames between two object with different case
+* #8011: autosummary: Support instance attributes as a target of autosummary
+  directive
 * #7849: html: Add :confval:`html_codeblock_linenos_style` to change the style
   of line numbers for code-blocks
 * #7853: C and C++, support parameterized GNU style attributes.
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/autosummary/__init__.py b/sphinx/ext/autosummary/__init__.py
index 350604387b0..855affa9550 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/autosummary/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/autosummary/__init__.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
 from sphinx.deprecation import RemovedInSphinx40Warning, RemovedInSphinx50Warning
 from sphinx.environment import BuildEnvironment
 from sphinx.environment.adapters.toctree import TocTree
-from sphinx.ext.autodoc import Documenter
+from sphinx.ext.autodoc import Documenter, INSTANCEATTR
 from sphinx.ext.autodoc.directive import DocumenterBridge, Options
 from sphinx.ext.autodoc.importer import import_module
 from sphinx.ext.autodoc.mock import mock
@@ -285,6 +285,19 @@ def run(self) -> List[Node]:
 
         return nodes
 
+    def import_by_name(self, name: str, prefixes: List[str]) -> Tuple[str, Any, Any, str]:
+        with mock(self.config.autosummary_mock_imports):
+            try:
+                return import_by_name(name, prefixes)
+            except ImportError as exc:
+                # check existence of instance attribute
+                try:
+                    return import_ivar_by_name(name, prefixes)
+                except ImportError:
+                    pass
+
+                raise exc  # re-raise ImportError if instance attribute not found
+
     def get_items(self, names: List[str]) -> List[Tuple[str, str, str, str]]:
         """Try to import the given names, and return a list of
         ``[(name, signature, summary_string, real_name), ...]``.
@@ -302,8 +315,7 @@ def get_items(self, names: List[str]) -> List[Tuple[str, str, str, str]]:
                 display_name = name.split('.')[-1]
 
             try:
-                with mock(self.config.autosummary_mock_imports):
-                    real_name, obj, parent, modname = import_by_name(name, prefixes=prefixes)
+                real_name, obj, parent, modname = self.import_by_name(name, prefixes=prefixes)
             except ImportError:
                 logger.warning(__('autosummary: failed to import %s'), name,
                                location=self.get_source_info())
@@ -659,6 +671,23 @@ def _import_by_name(name: str) -> Tuple[Any, Any, str]:
         raise ImportError(*e.args) from e
 
 
+def import_ivar_by_name(name: str, prefixes: List[str] = [None]) -> Tuple[str, Any, Any, str]:
+    """Import an instance variable that has the given *name*, under one of the
+    *prefixes*.  The first name that succeeds is used.
+    """
+    try:
+        name, attr = name.rsplit(".", 1)
+        real_name, obj, parent, modname = import_by_name(name, prefixes)
+        qualname = real_name.replace(modname + ".", "")
+        analyzer = ModuleAnalyzer.for_module(modname)
+        if (qualname, attr) in analyzer.find_attr_docs():
+            return real_name + "." + attr, INSTANCEATTR, obj, modname
+    except (ImportError, ValueError):
+        pass
+
+    raise ImportError
+
+
 # -- :autolink: (smart default role) -------------------------------------------
 
 def autolink_role(typ: str, rawtext: str, etext: str, lineno: int, inliner: Inliner,
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/autosummary/generate.py b/sphinx/ext/autosummary/generate.py
index c1b50de577a..7580285aa69 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/autosummary/generate.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/autosummary/generate.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 from sphinx.config import Config
 from sphinx.deprecation import RemovedInSphinx40Warning, RemovedInSphinx50Warning
 from sphinx.ext.autodoc import Documenter
-from sphinx.ext.autosummary import import_by_name, get_documenter
+from sphinx.ext.autosummary import import_by_name, import_ivar_by_name, get_documenter
 from sphinx.locale import __
 from sphinx.pycode import ModuleAnalyzer, PycodeError
 from sphinx.registry import SphinxComponentRegistry
@@ -413,8 +413,13 @@ def generate_autosummary_docs(sources: List[str], output_dir: str = None,
             name, obj, parent, modname = import_by_name(entry.name)
             qualname = name.replace(modname + ".", "")
         except ImportError as e:
-            _warn(__('[autosummary] failed to import %r: %s') % (entry.name, e))
-            continue
+            try:
+                # try to importl as an instance attribute
+                name, obj, parent, modname = import_ivar_by_name(entry.name)
+                qualname = name.replace(modname + ".", "")
+            except ImportError:
+                _warn(__('[autosummary] failed to import %r: %s') % (entry.name, e))
+                continue
 
         context = {}
         if app:
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/autosummary_dummy_module.py b/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/autosummary_dummy_module.py
index 76158b6b92f..77eee8b5cdb 100644
--- a/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/autosummary_dummy_module.py
+++ b/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/autosummary_dummy_module.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ class Bar:
         pass
 
     def __init__(self):
-        pass
+        #: docstring
+        self.value = 1
 
     def bar(self):
         pass
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/index.rst b/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/index.rst
index 9f657bb736d..904c5fdcbd2 100644
--- a/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/index.rst
+++ b/tests/roots/test-ext-autosummary/index.rst
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
    autosummary_dummy_module
    autosummary_dummy_module.Foo
    autosummary_dummy_module.Foo.Bar
+   autosummary_dummy_module.Foo.value
    autosummary_dummy_module.bar
    autosummary_dummy_module.qux
    autosummary_importfail
diff --git a/tests/test_ext_autosummary.py b/tests/test_ext_autosummary.py
index 567a8caeaa5..96b39ce0ea0 100644
--- a/tests/test_ext_autosummary.py
+++ b/tests/test_ext_autosummary.py
@@ -293,15 +293,17 @@ def test_autosummary_generate(app, status, warning):
                                                                                nodes.row,
                                                                                nodes.row,
                                                                                nodes.row,
+                                                                               nodes.row,
                                                                                nodes.row)])])
     assert_node(doctree[4][0], addnodes.toctree, caption="An autosummary")
 
-    assert len(doctree[3][0][0][2]) == 5
+    assert len(doctree[3][0][0][2]) == 6
     assert doctree[3][0][0][2][0].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module\n\n'
     assert doctree[3][0][0][2][1].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module.Foo()\n\n'
     assert doctree[3][0][0][2][2].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module.Foo.Bar()\n\n'
-    assert doctree[3][0][0][2][3].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module.bar(x[, y])\n\n'
-    assert doctree[3][0][0][2][4].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module.qux\n\na module-level attribute'
+    assert doctree[3][0][0][2][3].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module.Foo.value\n\ndocstring'
+    assert doctree[3][0][0][2][4].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module.bar(x[, y])\n\n'
+    assert doctree[3][0][0][2][5].astext() == 'autosummary_dummy_module.qux\n\na module-level attribute'
 
     module = (app.srcdir / 'generated' / 'autosummary_dummy_module.rst').read_text()
     assert ('   .. autosummary::\n'
@@ -333,6 +335,11 @@ def test_autosummary_generate(app, status, warning):
             '\n'
             '.. autoclass:: Foo.Bar\n' in FooBar)
 
+    Foo_value = (app.srcdir / 'generated' / 'autosummary_dummy_module.Foo.value.rst').read_text()
+    assert ('.. currentmodule:: autosummary_dummy_module\n'
+            '\n'
+            '.. autoattribute:: Foo.value' in Foo_value)
+
     qux = (app.srcdir / 'generated' / 'autosummary_dummy_module.qux.rst').read_text()
     assert ('.. currentmodule:: autosummary_dummy_module\n'
             '\n'