What is Architecture Decision Record (ADR)?
An ADR makes a decision legible to future teammates. It typically records the context (what forces were at play), the decision, the alternatives considered, and the consequences (trade-offs you are now living with). ADRs are versioned alongside the code and are superseded rather than edited — the history of thinking is as valuable as the current answer.
Also known as: adr.
Related terms
- Architecture Drift — The widening gap between documented architecture and the system that actually runs in production.
- Living Documentation — Documentation that is generated or validated from the running system, so it stays accurate as the system evolves.