architecture-decision-records

An architecture decision record (ADR) captures context, rationale, alternatives, and outcomes for architectural decisions. You need ADRs to prevent decisions from being made in silos and to maintain an auditable history for team alignment.

To document architecture decisions, apply standardized ADR templates like MADR, Lightweight ADR, or Y-Statement. Enforce structured context, decision drivers, alternatives, and consequences by copying a template into your docs/adr directory.

Yes, you can apply these ADR templates to technology choices, architecture evolution, and cross-team proposals. They enforce structured context and decision drivers to ensure high-quality decision documentation across projects.

The best way to govern an architecture decision lifecycle is to use provided guidance on lifecycle and governance. This maintains an auditable history, promotes team alignment, and manages outcomes like deprecation using structured records.

Yes, this approach supports RFCs and deprecation records alongside standard ADRs. It provides specific templates for MADR, Lightweight ADR, Y-Statement, Deprecation, and RFC formats to handle various documentation needs.

You should use standardized ADR formats because unstructured documentation lacks a consistent record and often happens in silos. Standardized templates enforce structured context and alternatives, accelerating high-quality architectural documentation.