diff --git a/plugin/client.go b/plugin/client.go
index 6e19016..28ccbf1 100644
--- a/plugin/client.go
+++ b/plugin/client.go
@@ -52,6 +52,15 @@ func (r *Recipient) Name() string {
 	return r.name
 }
 
+// String returns the recipient encoding string ("age1name1...") or
+// "<identity-based recipient>" if r was created by [Identity.Recipient].
+func (r *Recipient) String() string {
+	if r.identity {
+		return "<identity-based recipient>"
+	}
+	return r.encoding
+}
+
 func (r *Recipient) Wrap(fileKey []byte) (stanzas []*age.Stanza, err error) {
 	stanzas, _, err = r.WrapWithLabels(fileKey)
 	return
@@ -193,6 +202,11 @@ func (i *Identity) Name() string {
 	return i.name
 }
 
+// String returns the identity encoding string ("AGE-PLUGIN-NAME-1...").
+func (i *Identity) String() string {
+	return i.encoding
+}
+
 // Recipient returns a Recipient wrapping this identity. When that Recipient is
 // used to encrypt a file key, the identity encoding is provided as-is to the
 // plugin, which is expected to support encrypting to identities.