architecture-decision-records

An Architecture Decision Record (ADR) is a lightweight, versioned log capturing context, options, decisions, and consequences for significant technical choices. You should use one to ensure traceability and governance across teams during technology migrations, design trade-offs, and audits.

You document architectural decisions by creating an ADR from a standardized template that captures context, options, decisions, and consequences. Link the new ADR to related records in an index to establish a navigable decision graph for lifecycle management.

Yes, architecture decisions can be managed through lifecycle statuses including Proposed, Accepted, Deprecated, and Superseded. Cross-linking related ADRs tracks these lifecycle changes, enforcing governance and maintaining traceability across teams over time.

The best way to standardize architecture documentation is using ADR templates that enforce consistent logging of technical choices. This formalizes governance, builds a versioned decision graph, and accelerates engineer onboarding by providing clear historical context.

Yes, ADRs are explicitly designed for use cases including technology migrations and design trade-offs. By capturing the context and consequences of critical architecture choices, they provide a versioned log that supports audits and ensures long-term traceability.