architecture-decision-records

Architecture decision records capture the context, rationale, and consequences of significant technical decisions. You should use ADRs to preserve knowledge across teams for major architectural choices, governance, and audits.

To start documenting architecture decisions, initialize your ADR directory and create your first entry using standard templates. This establishes a repository for authoring decisions and linking related records through an index.

Yes, ADR governance practices support onboarding by providing a repository of historical decisions. New team members can review past architectural choices, their context, and consequences to understand project rationale quickly.

The best way to manage ADR lifecycle and maintenance is to follow established guidelines for reviewing and updating records. This ensures your architecture documentation remains accurate and linked through a central index over time.

Yes, this approach works for established teams reviewing past decisions. It provides a structured repository to audit historical technical decisions, ensuring the original context and consequences remain accessible for governance.