adr

name	adr
description	Synthesize Architecture Decision Records from session transcripts. Extracts decisions via multi-agent pipeline and writes MADR files to a specified directory. Use after completing a /define or /do session to capture architectural decisions as durable records.
argument-hint	<manifest-path> <output-dir> <transcript-path>
user-invocable	true

/adr - Architecture Decision Record Synthesis

Goal

Extract ADR-worthy decisions from a completed manifest workflow session and write individual MADR files. Operates as post-processing — runs AFTER the manifest workflow completes, not during it.

Input

$ARGUMENTS = <manifest-path> <output-dir> <transcript-path>

All three are required positional arguments:

• manifest-path: Path to the manifest file (primary structured input)
• output-dir: Directory where ADR files will be written (created if needed)
• transcript-path: Path to the session transcript JSONL file (primary raw input — /define outputs this path at completion)

If any required argument is missing: error and halt with usage:

Usage: /adr <manifest-path> <output-dir> <transcript-path>

Example: /adr ~/.manifest-dev/manifests/manifest-1234.md docs/adr/ ~/.claude/projects/.../session.jsonl

Pipeline

Phase 1: Parallel Extraction

Spawn three extraction agents in parallel, each analyzing the session transcript through a different decision lens:

1. Architecture Lens — Identify technology choices, component structure decisions, integration approaches, and pattern selections. Look for: "we should use X", "the architecture is Y", structural decisions with alternatives discussed.

2. Trade-off Lens — Identify tensions where competing concerns were weighed. Look for: "A vs B", preference statements with reasoning, rejected approaches with "because", T-* items from the manifest's Approach section that trace back to transcript deliberation.

3. Scope & Constraints Lens — Identify deliberate inclusions/exclusions that shape system boundaries, key constraint decisions where alternatives existed. Look for: "out of scope", "we need to include", "the constraint is", INV-G* items from the manifest that arose from deliberation (not just mechanical quality gates).

Each extraction agent receives:

• The full session transcript (primary source)
• The manifest file (structured reference)

Each agent outputs a list of candidate decisions with:

• Title: Short decision name
• Context: Why the decision was needed (from transcript)
• Decision: What was chosen
• Alternatives: What else was considered and why not
• Consequences: Positive and negative impacts
• Evidence: Quotes or references from the transcript

Phase 2: Synthesis & Gatekeeper

A synthesis agent receives all candidates from Phase 1 and:

1. Deduplicates — Merge candidates that describe the same decision from different lenses. Prefer the version with richer context and alternatives.

2. Applies ADR-worthiness criteria — Read references/ADR_FORMAT.md in this skill's directory. Apply the decision test to each candidate: "Would a new team member joining in 6 months benefit from knowing WHY this was decided this way?" Remove candidates that fail.

3. Writes ADR files — For each surviving candidate, generate a MADR file at <output-dir>/YYYYMMDD-kebab-title.md using the template from references/ADR_FORMAT.md. Create the output directory if it doesn't exist. Use today's date for the YYYYMMDD prefix.

Graceful Degradation

If the session transcript at <transcript-path> is unreadable or missing:

• Warn the user: "Session transcript not found at . Proceeding with manifest only — ADRs will be less detailed (no deliberation context)."
• Proceed with manifest: Skip Phase 1 parallel extraction. Instead, extract decisions directly from the manifest's Approach section (Architecture, Trade-offs, Risk Areas). Apply the same worthiness criteria.
• Note in each ADR: Add to the Source section: "Note: Synthesized from manifest only. Session transcript was unavailable — deliberation context may be incomplete."

If no ADR-worthy decisions are found after synthesis:

• Output: "No ADR-worthy decisions identified. The session may not have involved architectural decisions, or all decisions were mechanical/obvious."

Error Handling

• Missing manifest: Error and halt — the manifest is required.
• Empty/very short transcript (< 10 messages): Warn "Session transcript is very short — ADR extraction may produce limited results." Proceed normally.
• Output directory not writable: Error and halt with clear message.

Output

On completion, output:

ADRs written to: <output-dir>/

| # | Title | File |
|---|-------|------|
| 1 | [title] | YYYYMMDD-kebab-title.md |
| 2 | [title] | YYYYMMDD-kebab-title.md |

Total: N ADR(s) from M candidate decisions.

Known Limitations

• Multi-define sessions: If the session transcript contains multiple /define runs, /adr processes the full transcript. ADRs may reflect decisions from any run in the session. Review output for relevance to your specific task.
• Session transcript format: Assumes the Claude Code session transcript JSONL format (~/.claude/projects/<dir>/<id>.jsonl) is stable. If the format changes, extraction agents may need updating.