| name | kiss-adr-author |
| description | Authors Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) in the Michael Nygard template. One ADR per file, auto-numbered, lives under docs/decisions/. Records the decision the user made — does not make decisions. Use when recording a technical choice, documenting why a technology or design approach was selected, or when a decision needs a permanent, reviewable record. |
| compatibility | Requires kiss project structure with .kiss/ directory |
| metadata | {"author":"github-kiss","source":"agent-skills/kiss-adr-author/kiss-adr-author.md"} |
| user-invocable | true |
| disable-model-invocation | false |
User Input
$ARGUMENTS
Audience and tone (interactive mode)
When KISS_AGENT_MODE=interactive (the default), assume the user
has limited technical background and limited domain knowledge
— they may know basics but lack deep expertise in this skill's
area. Run this skill as a guided questionnaire:
- One question at a time. No walls of questions.
- Yes / no first. Phrase so
yes, no, not sure, or skip
is a valid answer.
- Translate jargon, don't strip it. Use the technical term but
always pair it with a plain-English gloss the first time it
appears.
- Choices, not blank fields. When yes/no isn't enough, offer
2-4 lettered options (A/B/C/D) with one-line plain-language
descriptions of the trade-off. Always include "Not sure — pick
a sensible default".
- Always recommend. State the option you would pick and why in
one sentence so the user can reply "yes" / "ok" to accept. Pull
defaults from upstream artefacts (spec, architecture, ADRs,
standards) before asking blank.
- Show, don't ask. When upstream artefacts already imply an
answer, propose it as a pre-filled finding and ask for a
yes / no confirmation rather than asking the user to fill in a
blank.
not sure / skip triggers a sensible default, marked
"(default applied — confirm later)" in the artefact, and a debt
entry in this skill's debt file.
When KISS_AGENT_MODE=auto (or --auto), skip the questionnaire
entirely: apply sensible defaults from upstream artefacts and log
decisions to the parent agent's decision log.
Inputs
.kiss/context.yml{context.paths.docs}/architecture/intake.md{context.paths.docs}/research/*.md
Outputs
{context.paths.docs}/decisions/ADR-NNN-<slug>.md
Context Update
Does not mutate .kiss/context.yml.
Handoffs
kiss-c4-diagrams cross-links ADRs from container-level
diagrams where the decision manifests in the architecture.kiss-arch-extraction (technical-analyst) references existing
ADRs when reverse-engineering a codebase.
AI authoring scope
Does: scaffold the ADR with the template, pre-fill
context/consequences from linked research, record Status =
"Proposed" until the user updates it to "Accepted".
Does not: accept or supersede an ADR on the user's behalf;
declare something "the decision" unless the user stated it.
Usage
<SKILL_DIR> = the integration's skills root (e.g. .claude/skills/
for Claude Code, .agents/skills/ for Antigravity / Codex,
.cursor/skills/ for Cursor, .windsurf/workflows/ for Windsurf).
Scripts live at <SKILL_DIR>/<skill-name>/scripts/….
ADR_TITLE="Choose PostgreSQL as primary store" \
ADR_DECIDER="tech-lead" \
ADR_CONTEXT="Need ACID + relational joins" \
ADR_DECISION="Use PostgreSQL 16 on managed RDS" \
ADR_CONSEQUENCES="Vendor lock-in to AWS RDS; HA story via Multi-AZ" \
ADR_STATUS="Proposed" \
bash <SKILL_DIR>/kiss-adr-author/scripts/bash/add-adr.sh --auto
Answer keys
| Key | Meaning | Default |
|---|
ADR_TITLE | decision title | (required) |
ADR_DECIDER | person / role making the call | (required) |
ADR_CONTEXT | situation + forces | (required → log debt if empty) |
ADR_DECISION | what was decided | (required → log debt if empty) |
ADR_CONSEQUENCES | trade-offs accepted | empty |
ADR_STATUS | Proposed / Accepted / Deprecated / Superseded | Proposed |
ADR_SUPERSEDES | ADR id this replaces | empty |
