Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described that provide for hop-count indication in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network. An IAB-node may adopt and indicate multiple values for hop-count. The hop-count may be conveyed by a number of different reference signals and channels. A resource pattern and/or a slot pattern may also be associated with the hop-count to simply signaling. By associating the patterns with the hop-count, an IAB-node may be able to infer the resource pattern used by another IAB-node.