ADRs: Best Practices for Documenting Architectural Decisions
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 7:00 am
Whether choosing between using CQRS or Event Sourcing , adopting GitFlow , or deciding how to structure the layers of an API , these decisions directly influence the evolution, maintainability, and scalability of the product.
That's where ADRs (Architecture Decision Records) come in: a lightweight yet powerful mechanism for documenting, justifying, and communicating key technical decisions.
What is an ADR?
An ADR is a document that records a major decision related to a system's architecture. It describes what was decided, why it was made, what alternatives were considered, and what implications it entails .
This approach promotes transparency, c level contact list avoids repeated debates, and acts as a shared source of truth for the entire team.
Why use ADRs?
During a project, it's common to face critical decisions that require time, analysis, and consensus. Without good documentation of these decisions:
The historical context of why an option was chosen is lost.
Discussions that have already been closed are repeated.
New team members lack key information.
Furthermore, without a proper structure, three common anti-patterns appear :
No decision is made , for fear of making a mistake.
It is decided without justification , which leads to confusion.
The decision is not documented , causing knowledge to be lost.
That's where ADRs (Architecture Decision Records) come in: a lightweight yet powerful mechanism for documenting, justifying, and communicating key technical decisions.
What is an ADR?
An ADR is a document that records a major decision related to a system's architecture. It describes what was decided, why it was made, what alternatives were considered, and what implications it entails .
This approach promotes transparency, c level contact list avoids repeated debates, and acts as a shared source of truth for the entire team.
Why use ADRs?
During a project, it's common to face critical decisions that require time, analysis, and consensus. Without good documentation of these decisions:
The historical context of why an option was chosen is lost.
Discussions that have already been closed are repeated.
New team members lack key information.
Furthermore, without a proper structure, three common anti-patterns appear :
No decision is made , for fear of making a mistake.
It is decided without justification , which leads to confusion.
The decision is not documented , causing knowledge to be lost.