architecture-decision-records
Write and maintain Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) following best practices for technical decision documentation. Use when documenting significant technical decisions, reviewing past architectural choices, or establishing decision processes.
Profile →npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill architecture-decision-records --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Architecture Decision Records Comprehensive patterns for creating, maintaining, and managing Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) that capture the context and rationale behind significant technical decisions. ## When to Use This Skill - Making significant architectural decisions - Documenting technology choices - Recording design trade-offs - Onboarding new team members - Reviewing historical decisions - Establishing decision-making processes ## Core Concepts ### 1. What is an ADR? An Architecture Decision Record captures: - **Context**: Why we needed to make a decision - **Decision**: What we decided - **Consequences**: What happens as a result ### 2. When to Write an ADR | Write ADR | Skip ADR | | -------------------------- | ---------------------- | | New framework adoption | Minor version upgrades | | Database technology choice | Bug fixes | | API design patterns | Implementation details | | Security architecture | Routine maintenance | | Integration patterns | Configuration changes | ### 3. ADR Lifecycle ``` Proposed → Accepted → Deprecated → Superseded ↓ Rejected ``` ## Templates ### Template 1: Standard ADR (MADR Format) ```markdown # ADR-0001: Use PostgreSQL as Primary Da
- When to Use This Skill
- Core Concepts
- 1. What is an ADR?
- 2. When to Write an ADR
- 3. ADR Lifecycle
- Templates
- Template 1: Standard ADR (MADR Format)
- Template 2: Lightweight ADR
- Template 3: Y-Statement Format
- Template 4: ADR for Deprecation
- Template 5: Request for Comments (RFC) Style
- ADR Management
- Directory Structure
- ADR Index (README.md)
Install adr-tools brew install adr-tools Initialize ADR directory adr init docs/adr Create new ADR adr new "Use PostgreSQL as Primary Database" Supersede an ADR adr new -s 3 "Deprecate MongoDB in Favor of PostgreSQL" Generate table of contents adr generate toc > docs/adr/README.md
What does the architecture-decision-records skill do?
Write and maintain Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) following best practices for technical decision documentation. Use when documenting significant technical decisions, reviewing past architectural choices, or establishing decision processes.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill architecture-decision-records --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From wshobson/agents, a repository with 38,479 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.