adr

name	adr
description	Use when the user says /adr, "create an ADR", "new decision record", "document this decision", or "supersede ADR". Also triggers when a technical decision needs formal documentation with status tracking and lifecycle management.

Architectural Decision Record Management

Creates and manages ADRs following the format established in ~/repos/system-design-records/.

Arguments

• new <title> — Create a new ADR
• list — List all existing ADRs
• supersede <number> <new-title> — Create a new ADR that supersedes an existing one
• (no args) — Interactive: ask what the user wants to do

Workflow

Locate ADR Directory

Search for ADRs in this order:

1. adrs/ (matches system-design-records global convention)
2. domains/{Domain}/{System}/ (domain-scoped convention)
3. docs/adr/ or docs/adrs/
4. adr/ or adrs/
5. Any directory containing files matching NNNN-*.md ADR naming pattern

If no ADR directory exists, ask the user:

• Global decision? → create in adrs/
• Domain-scoped? → ask for domain and system name, create in domains/{Domain}/{System}/

Creating a New ADR (new)

1. Determine the next number: Scan existing ADRs, find the highest number, increment by 1. Pad to 4 digits (e.g., 0001, 0012). Support sub-numbers like 0008.1 when creating a related decision — ask if this is a sub-decision of an existing ADR.

2. Generate the filename: NNNN-<kebab-case-title>.md

3. Gather metadata from the user:

   • Responsible Architect (who owns this decision?)
   • Author (default: the user)
   • Contributors (optional)
   • Lifecycle stage: POC, Pilot, Beta, GA, or Sunset

4. Create the ADR using this template:

# ADR #NNNN: <Title, a short present tense phrase>

Date: <today's date, YYYY-MM-DD>

## Responsible Architect
<name>

## Author
<name>

## Contributors

* <names>

## Lifecycle
<POC | Pilot | Beta | GA | Sunset>

## Status
Proposed

## Context

<!-- Describe the forces at play — technological, political, social, project-local. -->
<!-- These forces are probably in tension. Language should be value-neutral — just facts. -->

## Decision

<!-- Our response to these forces. Stated in full sentences, active voice. "We will ..." -->

## Consequences

<!-- What becomes easier or more difficult because of this decision. -->
<!-- List all consequences — positive, negative, and neutral. -->

5. Open the file for the user and tell them to fill in Context, Decision, and Consequences.

6. Glossary hooks (end-of-skill). After the ADR body is filled (Context / Decision / Consequences), fire two hooks against ./CONTEXT.md. Both fire once at end-of-skill (not per-section) per the 2026-05-22 decision and the contract in references/CALLER-HOOKS.md § adr. Read hook runs first so its findings can inform what the write-offer surfaces as new terms.

   a. Read hook (advisory). If ./CONTEXT.md exists and parses cleanly, parse the ## Language section, build the _Avoid_: alias set, scan the Context / Decision / Consequences sections (plus any Alternatives subsection if the project's ADR template adds one), and surface one advisory line per match — only when an ADR term hits an _Avoid_ alias (only-on-conflict). NEVER substitute silently in either direction — CONTEXT.md is a candidate, not authority. Surface candidates for user judgment per rules/memory-discipline.md (verify before assert). Silent no-op if ./CONTEXT.md is absent or malformed. b. Write-offer hook. Scan Context / Decision / Consequences (and Alternatives if present) for project-specific nouns that recurred ≥2× and lack a ./CONTEXT.md entry (option names, system names, decision-context vocabulary). Invoke /glossary --offer-from-caller=adr --candidate-terms=<...> — offer never auto-write. Skip if every candidate is already canonical.

   Both hooks are advisory, not blocking. Promotion to blocking is gated by Phase B eval signal per the decision doc rollback trigger.

Superseding an ADR (supersede)

1. Create the new ADR as above.
2. Add to the new ADR's Context: Supersedes [ADR #NNNN](./NNNN-<old-title>.md).
3. Update the old ADR's Status to: Superseded by [ADR #MMMM](./MMMM-<new-title>.md)

Listing ADRs (list)

Display a markdown table:

| # | Title | Status | Lifecycle | Responsible Architect | Date |
|---|-------|--------|-----------|----------------------|------|

Parse the number from the filename, the title from the H1, and extract Status, Lifecycle, and Responsible Architect from the document body.

When NOT to Use

• Trivial decisions that don't warrant formal tracking (naming conventions, small refactors, one-off code style choices)
• Decisions that require a fuller System Design Record — see Related Templates below for system-level, service-creation, or tool-adoption decisions
• Tenet deviations — use /tenet-exception instead
• Technology adoption with lifecycle tracking (Assess/Trial/Adopt/Hold) — use /tech-radar instead

Common Mistakes

• Writing Context as solution justification — Context describes forces in tension in value-neutral language. Save the "why we chose X" for Decision and Consequences.
• Skipping Consequences, or only listing positives — every decision has trade-offs. Enumerate negative and neutral consequences too.
• Creating ADRs for decisions that are already made and deployed — ADRs are decision records; if the decision is fait accompli, mark Status accordingly rather than backfilling as "Proposed".
• Forgetting to update the superseded ADR — when superseding, always update the old ADR's Status field; otherwise future readers can't follow the chain.
• Stuffing system-level designs into an ADR — if the scope is a whole system or service, suggest the appropriate larger template instead.

Related Templates

The system-design-records repo has additional templates for larger decisions:

• System Overview — for designing complete systems or large architectural changes
• Service/Component Creation — for implementing new services
• Data Design — for schema or data model changes
• Tool/Framework Adoption — for evaluating new technologies
• Blueprint — for reference architectures

If the user's decision seems larger than an ADR (e.g., "design a new system", "evaluate a new tool"), suggest the appropriate template instead and point them to ~/repos/system-design-records/templates/.