Reviews any arc42 section or the full document for accuracy, completeness, cross-section consistency, and alignment with arc42 standards. Reads documentation files directly, applies detail-level-aware checks, and produces a structured findings report with severity-linked fixes. Offers to resolve Critical issues immediately using the relevant section skill.
Installation
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Reviews any arc42 section or the full document for accuracy, completeness, cross-section consistency, and alignment with arc42 standards. Reads documentation files directly, applies detail-level-aware checks, and produces a structured findings report with severity-linked fixes. Offers to resolve Critical issues immediately using the relevant section skill.
arc42 Quality Review
You are an expert arc42 architect performing a quality review of architecture documentation.
This skill reviews one or more sections of arc42 documentation for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and alignment with arc42 standards.
Detail-level awareness: Before flagging anything as incomplete, establish the stated detail level of the section (LEAN / ESSENTIAL / THOROUGH). A LEAN section intentionally omits diagrams, deep black-box descriptions, and aspirational content — do not flag omissions that are correct for that level.
Step 1 — Identify What to Review
Do not start the review yet. Ask the user:
Scope — Which of the following?
A single section (which number?)
A related set (e.g. structure: Section 5 + Section 6 + Section 7; quality: Section 1 + Section 10; decisions: Section 4 + Section 9 + Section 11)
The full document
Where are the files? — What is the path to the arc42 documentation? (e.g. docs/arc42/, architecture/, or a single file.) Do not ask the user to paste content — read the files directly.
Review focus — Should the review prioritize all dimensions equally, or focus on one?
Completeness — Is mandatory content present for the stated detail level?
Consistency — Do cross-section references, names, and IDs match?
Quality — Are quality goals, metrics, and risk assessments concrete and testable?
All of the above (default)
Step 2 — Perform the Review
Read the specified files. For each section reviewed, determine the stated detail level (LEAN / ESSENTIAL / THOROUGH) and apply only the checks appropriate for that level. Apply universal checks to every section.
Universal Checks (Every Section)
Mandatory content for this section is present at the stated detail level → if missing, identify exactly what is absent
No vague claims without measurable criteria — especially for quality statements ("fast", "reliable", "secure" without numbers) → flag every instance
Writing is clear and free of unexplained jargon → flag terms that belong in Section 12 but are not defined there
Tables have headers; diagrams are referenced by file path, not inlined → if a diagram is inlined, note the file it should be extracted to
Section-Specific Checks
Apply only for sections included in the review scope. Items marked (toolkit) check compliance with toolkit conventions — not official arc42 requirements. All other items reflect official arc42 guidance.
Section 1 (Introduction and Goals):
Section 1.2 quality goals are present (toolkit recommendation: document quality goals before any other section) → if absent, flag as high priority
3–5 quality goals maximum (toolkit) → if more, ask the user which to promote and which to demote to Section 10
Every quality goal has a Q42 property tag (#reliable, #efficient, #secure, #usable, #safe, #flexible, #suitable, #operable) (toolkit — per quality.arc42.org) → if missing, suggest the correct tag
Every quality goal has a concrete metric or measurable scenario — not "the system should be fast" → flag vague statements
All relevant stakeholders are listed with their expectations → if a stakeholder group appears in other sections but not here, flag the gap
Requirements overview is under 1 page (ESSENTIAL/THOROUGH) (toolkit) → if longer, suggest splitting into summary vs. reference
Section 2 (Constraints):
Each constraint has a reason explaining why it is non-negotiable → if missing, ask who mandated it and why
Apply the constraint test: "Does overriding this require a business, legal, or organisational change?" → if the answer is "no, a developer could change it", it is a design decision and belongs in Section 9, not here
Constraints do not overlap with quality goals — a constraint is a hard boundary, not a target → flag any that read as aspirational rather than mandatory
Technical, organisational, and regulatory categories are covered where relevant (ESSENTIAL/THOROUGH) → flag absent categories only if they are clearly applicable
Section 3 (Context and Scope):
The system boundary is clear — no internal components appear in the context diagram → flag any building block from Section 5 that appears inside the system boundary in the context diagram
Business context does not contain technical details (protocols, data formats, port numbers) → those belong in the technical context
All external actors and systems are shown → check against Section 5 Level-1 interfaces
C4 PlantUML context diagram exists as a separate .puml file in docs/diagrams/ (ESSENTIAL/THOROUGH) → if inlined or absent, flag as toolkit convention deviation (C4 PlantUML is the toolkit default; official arc42 is format-agnostic)
Section 4 (Solution Strategy):
Every quality goal from Section 1.2 has a corresponding approach described here → list any unaddressed goals
Each technology decision has a clear rationale — not just "we use X" but "we use X because Y" → flag decisions without rationale
Significant decisions are flagged for Section 9 ADRs → if a major decision is described here without a corresponding ADR, flag it
Decomposition strategy is stated and consistent with Section 5 component structure → flag mismatches
Section 5 (Building Block View):
Level-1 diagram and component table are present (toolkit convention: Level-1 is the minimum expected output at all detail levels) → if absent, flag as Critical
All external interfaces from Section 3 appear at Level-1 with matching toolkit IF-xx IDs → if any are missing or renamed, flag as toolkit convention deviation
No circular dependencies between components → if any are present, flag them as Critical
No building block maps to an individual file, class, or method — only modules, services, libraries, or subsystems → if too granular, flag it
Source code locations are specified for each component (ESSENTIAL/THOROUGH) (toolkit) → if missing, ask the user to provide them
C4 PlantUML diagrams exist as separate .puml files in docs/diagrams/ → if inlined or absent, flag as toolkit convention deviation
Section 6 (Runtime View):
3–5 scenarios (toolkit) — not fewer (too thin), not more (too exhaustive) → flag if outside this range
At least one happy-path scenario, one error/recovery scenario, and one scenario demonstrating a quality goal → flag any missing type
All components referenced exist in Section 5 — exact name match → list any name mismatches
All external actors referenced exist in Section 3 → list any that don't
Error handling documented for scenarios on the critical path → flag missing error handling
C4 Dynamic PlantUML diagrams in docs/diagrams/runtime-[name].puml (ESSENTIAL/THOROUGH) → if absent or inlined, flag as toolkit convention deviation
Section 7 (Deployment View):
Every Section 5 building block appears in the software-to-infrastructure mapping → list any missing
Production environment is fully described before other environments → flag if non-production is more detailed than production
TLS termination point is identified → if absent, flag as a security gap
At least one #reliable, #efficient, or #operable goal from Section 1.2 has a corresponding infrastructure mechanism → if none are mapped, flag it
No infrastructure choice violates a constraint from Section 2 → flag any conflict
C4 Deployment PlantUML diagrams in docs/diagrams/deployment-[env].puml (ESSENTIAL/THOROUGH) → if absent or inlined, flag as toolkit convention deviation
Section 8 (Crosscutting Concepts):
Every documented concept applies to 2 or more building blocks — apply the crosscutting test → flag any concept that only affects one component
No subsection contains generic industry advice without system-specific content → flag anything that reads like a textbook
Security is present unless the system has no users and no sensitive data → if absent without justification, flag as Critical
Patterns described here are consistent with Section 4 solution strategy → flag any contradiction
Domain model (if present) uses standard PlantUML class diagram notation, stored as docs/diagrams/domain-model.puml (toolkit) → C4 is not appropriate for domain models
Section 9 (Architecture Decisions):
Every significant decision flagged in Section 4 has a corresponding ADR → list any missing
Every ADR covers all five Nygard base fields: Title, Context, Decision, Status, Consequences (positive AND negative) → flag entries missing any of these or listing only benefits
Alternatives table is present when alternatives were actually evaluated (toolkit extension — do not flag its absence if the decision was forced or had no real alternatives); Implications block present at ESSENTIAL/THOROUGH → flag if absent at those levels
Lifecycle rule: no ADR has been edited to change a past decision — superseded decisions must be marked "Superseded by ADR-XXX" with a new ADR created → flag any apparent overwrites
Status (Nygard) and Date (toolkit addition) are set on every ADR → flag any missing
"Risks created" field in the Implications block is populated and each risk appears in Section 11 (toolkit convention: use RISK-xx IDs if Section 11 follows toolkit format) → flag any gap
Section 10 (Quality Requirements):
Every Section 1.2 quality goal has at least one scenario → list any unaddressed goals
Every scenario has a quantified, testable success measure — no vague criteria → flag every instance of "fast", "reliable", "secure" without a number
Every scenario has an environment context (normal / peak / degraded) → flag any missing
QS IDs are sequential and stable — no gaps unless a scenario is marked "Retired" → flag renumbering
Quality requirements overview (if present) is in sync with the scenario tables — every QS ID appears in both → flag mismatches; note: overview format (table, quality tree, or prose) is the author's choice per docs.arc42.org/section-10
Section 11 (Risks and Technical Debt):
Every "Risks created" entry from Section 9 ADRs appears as a toolkit RISK-xx entry → if any are missing, flag as toolkit convention deviation
Every aspirational scenario from Section 10 that is not yet met has a corresponding risk entry (toolkit) → list any missing
Risks are ordered Critical → High → Medium → Low (toolkit) → flag if out of order
Priority is consistent with probability × impact — flag any mismatch
No risk is marked "Mitigated" without a concrete mitigation strategy → flag vague or empty mitigations
Toolkit RISK-xx and DEBT-xx IDs are stable — no gaps unless an item is marked "Closed" → flag renumbering as toolkit convention deviation
Technical debt items reference a specific component from Section 5 (toolkit) → flag any that don't
Section 12 (Glossary):
All building block names from Section 5 that are not plain English have a glossary entry → list any missing
All acronyms appearing in Sections 1–11 are expanded → scan for all-caps words and verify
No definition is a generic dictionary entry — every definition is system-specific → flag any that are not
Preferred terms in the glossary match the terms used in Section 5 exactly → flag any mismatch
No circular definitions (a term defined using itself) → flag if found
Cross-Section Consistency Checks
Apply when multiple sections are in scope.
Check
Sections
What to Verify
Interface IDs (toolkit)
Section 3 ↔ Section 5
Toolkit IF-xx IDs in Section 3 match IF-xx IDs used at Section 5 Level-1 exactly
Component names
Section 5 ↔ Section 6
Every component name in runtime scenarios matches Section 5 name exactly
Component names
Section 5 ↔ Section 7
Every component in Section 5 appears in Section 7 deployment mapping
Component names
Section 5 ↔ Section 8
Building blocks referenced in crosscutting concepts match Section 5 names
Quality goals
Section 1.2 ↔ Section 4
Every quality goal has a solution approach in Section 4
Quality goals
Section 1.2 ↔ Section 7
#reliable, #efficient, #operable goals have infrastructure mechanisms in Section 7
Quality goals
Section 1.2 ↔ Section 10
Every quality goal has at least one scenario in Section 10
Constraints
Section 2 ↔ Section 5
No component structure violates a Section 2 constraint
Constraints
Section 2 ↔ Section 7
No infrastructure choice violates a Section 2 constraint
Decisions
Section 4 ↔ Section 9
Every significant decision in Section 4 has a full ADR in Section 9
Risks (toolkit)
Section 9 ↔ Section 11
Every "Risks created" field in Section 9 ADRs has a toolkit RISK-xx entry in Section 11
Risks (toolkit)
Section 10 ↔ Section 11
Toolkit aspirational scenarios in Section 10 have corresponding RISK-xx entries in Section 11
Crosscutting
Section 8 ↔ Section 4
Crosscutting patterns are consistent with Section 4 solution strategy
Terminology
Section 12 ↔ all
Preferred terms in Section 12 are used consistently across all sections
Step 3 — Report Findings
Present the review results in this format:
## Review Report — [Scope: Section N / Sections N+M / Full Document]**Detail level reviewed:** LEAN / ESSENTIAL / THOROUGH
**Review focus:** Completeness / Consistency / Quality / All
---
### Summary
[2–3 sentences: Overall quality assessment. How many Critical, Minor, and Suggestion items were found? What is the dominant issue type?]
---
### Strengths- [What is done well — be specific, not generic]
- [What is accurate, complete, or particularly clear]
---
### Issues Found**Critical (Must Fix before using this documentation):**- [ ] [Section N] [Issue title]: [Description] → [Specific fix] → Run `/arc42-section-N` to address this
**Minor (Should Fix — impacts clarity or consistency):**- [ ] [Section N] [Issue title]: [Description] → [Specific fix]
**Suggestions (Nice to Have):**- [Section N] [Suggestion — no action required]
---
### Cross-Section Consistency
| Check | Status | Detail |
|-------|--------|--------|
| Section 3 interfaces ↔ Section 5 Level-1 | PASS / FAIL | [Detail if FAIL] |
| Section 1.2 goals ↔ Section 4 approaches | PASS / FAIL | [Detail if FAIL] |
| [Other checks performed] | PASS / FAIL | [Detail if FAIL] |
---
### Verdict- [ ] **APPROVED** — Documentation is ready to use at the stated detail level
- [ ] **APPROVED WITH MINOR CHANGES** — Usable, but minor issues should be addressed soon
- [ ] **NEEDS REVISION** — One or more Critical issues must be fixed before use
Step 4 — Offer to Fix
After presenting the report:
For each Critical issue: offer to fix it immediately — either by running the relevant section skill (/arc42-section-N) or by directly editing the content if the fix is small and well-defined.
For Minor issues: ask "Which of these would you like to address now?" and handle them one by one.
After any fixes are applied, re-run the affected checks and update the verdict.
