documentation-and-adrs

An architecture decision record (ADR) captures architectural choices, trade-offs, and constraints to preserve context for future engineers. You need one when making major design choices, API design decisions, or feature rollouts that require documented rationale.

To document software architecture decisions, create an ADR document using templates and store it under docs/decisions/ with sequential numbering. This tracks rationale and alternatives, preventing knowledge loss when teams change or features evolve.

Yes, this approach works for API design choices and feature rollouts by using ADR templates and lifecycle guidance. It captures major design decisions and inline documentation conventions to maintain consistent context across the codebase.

The best way to organize ADRs is to store them under docs/decisions/ with sequential ADR numbering. This structure tracks decision rationale and alternatives, accelerating onboarding and maintaining consistent context across the codebase.

ADRs prevent knowledge loss when engineering teams change by recording decisions and rationale that preserve context for future engineers and AI agents. They capture architecture choices, trade-offs, and constraints that would otherwise be lost when features evolve.

Lifecycle guidance for managing decision records includes templates and workflows that help teams document API changes, major design choices, and feature rollouts. This maintains consistent context and accelerates onboarding across the codebase.