make-decision-doc

Create numbered architectural decision documents under a decisions directory.

33.3k|2.8k|Updated Oct 26, 2020
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/remix-run/remix --skill make-decision-doc
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: make-decision-doc
Source: https://github.com/remix-run/remix/tree/main/.agents/skills/make-decision-doc
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/remix-run/remix --skill make-decision-doc

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Engineering teams make non-obvious architectural choices whose rationale gets lost over time, leaving future contributors guessing why one approach was chosen over alternatives. This Skill captures that reasoning in a consistent, numbered decision document format.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Numbered Decision Docs: Generates decisions/NNN-kebab-slug.md files with zero-padded sequential numbering derived from existing files.
  • Style Matching: Reads existing decision docs to match tone, structure, and conventions before drafting.
  • Grounded Content Rules: Enforces citing real alternatives, concrete evidence (benchmarks, code references), and optional "when to revisit" conditions.
  • Use Case: After choosing a single route matcher over a plural matcher in a framework, ask the AI to record the decision; it produces decisions/004-single-matcher.md with the tradeoffs, alternatives considered, and revisit conditions.

Quick Start

Write a decision doc explaining why we chose a single matcher over supporting multiple matchers.

Frequently Asked Questions about make-decision-doc

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I write an architectural decision record for my repo?

Create a markdown file under a decisions directory with a sequential number and kebab-case slug, such as decisions/004-single-matcher.md. Include the choice made, the alternatives actually considered, the tradeoffs, and conditions that would revisit the decision.

When should I write a decision doc versus a code comment?

Write a decision doc when a non-obvious architectural choice has tradeoffs future contributors would second-guess, or when you diverged from an industry default. Skip it when the choice is obvious or the rationale already lives in code comments or PR descriptions.

What filename format should decision documents use?

Use NNN-kebab-slug.md with a three-digit zero-padded prefix, where the number is the count of existing decision files plus one. The slug should name the thing being decided, not the verb, such as single-matcher rather than pick-single-matcher.

What should an ADR include to stay credible?

Ground every claim in cited evidence such as benchmarks, blog posts, or code references, and list only alternatives that were genuinely deliberated. Include a when-to-revisit section with numbered conditions that would flip the decision.

When is a decision doc not worth writing?

Skip it when the choice is obvious, the alternatives were never seriously considered, or the reasoning already exists in code comments, change files, or PR descriptions. Inventing weak alternatives to knock down undermines the document.