Ln 74 Architecture Decision Recorder

---
name: ln-74-architecture-decision-recorder
description: "Records one architecture decision with context, alternatives, tradeoffs, and consequences. Use for a significant choice; not for broad design, audit, or implementation."
---

# Architecture Decision Recorder

**Goal:** Preserve the context, forces, alternatives, decision, and consequences of one architecturally significant choice in a compact durable record. Change only approved decision documentation; do not design the whole system, approve a decision silently, delete history, audit code, or implement the choice.

**Execution contract:** Treat the ordered checkbox workflow below as this skill's Definition of Done. Track every checkbox as `PENDING`, then resolve it to `PROVEN` with concrete evidence, `CLEARED` with evidence that its conditional trigger is absent, or `UNPROVEN`; reading, mentioning, delegating, skipping, or tool failure is not proof.
Before returning, resolve every `PENDING`, count only `PROVEN` and `CLEARED` items as complete, apply this skill's verdict, decision, and approval rules to every `UNPROVEN`, and prepend **Checklist: X/Y complete**<br>**Incomplete: None | section/item — reason; outcome impact; exact next action**; list every `UNPROVEN` item.

## Tool Routing

| Need | Preferred capability | Fallback |
|---|---|---|
| Existing decision convention | Repository search and direct document reads | Use the default path and compact format |
| Decision drivers | Requirements, architecture artifacts, implementation evidence, and stakeholder statements | Mark unsupported drivers `UNKNOWN` |
| Alternatives and external claims | Repository evidence plus current official sources | Mark time-sensitive claims `UNVERIFIED` |
| Sequence and supersession | Existing filenames, indexes, and decision links | Return `BLOCKED` rather than reuse a number |
| Document mutation | Minimal patch to one approved decision record and necessary supersession links | Return `BLOCKED` if authority or path is unclear |

One record captures one decision. If the request contains independent decisions with different drivers or lifecycles, split them only with explicit approval.

## Artifact Rules

- Reuse the repository's established ADR convention when one exists.
- Otherwise use `docs/architecture/decisions/NNNN-<slug>.md` with the next unused monotonic number.
- Never renumber, overwrite, or delete historical records.
- Default a new record to `Proposed`.
- Use `Accepted` only after explicit confirmation from an authorized decision-maker.
- Mark a replaced record `Superseded` and link both directions; preserve its original content.
- Link shared requirements and architecture artifacts only by path or title.
- Record positive, negative, and neutral consequences without advocacy language.
- Keep the record short enough to review as a single decision.
- Preserve the rationale a future maintainer needs to reconsider it safely.
- Label retrospective records explicitly; do not imply that documentation created after implementation was prior approval.
- Separate evidence needed before acceptance from monitoring required after adoption.
- Prefer stable repository references over conversation, branch-local, or ephemeral links.

## Checklist

### 1. Establish the Decision Contract

- [ ] Resolve the exact decision, scope, owner or deciders, affected system, and why the choice is architecturally significant.
- [ ] Read repository instructions, Git state, and existing decision conventions.
- [ ] Search for duplicate, conflicting, deprecated, or superseding decisions before allocating a new record.
- [ ] Confirm the request is one decision rather than a broad design or implementation plan.
- [ ] Resolve the approved status; default to `Proposed` when acceptance is not explicit.

### 2. Gather Context and Forces

- [ ] State the current context and problem in value-neutral language.
- [ ] Extract business drivers, quality attributes, constraints, assumptions, and decision horizon from available evidence.
- [ ] Identify affected boundaries, contracts, data, security, operations, cost, ownership, and migration implications.
- [ ] Separate present facts from forecasts and preferences.
- [ ] Record contradictions or missing evidence that could change the choice.

### 3. Evaluate Alternatives

- [ ] Include the status quo and the simplest credible option unless they are demonstrably infeasible.
- [ ] Include materially different alternatives rather than cosmetic variants.
- [ ] Compare options against the same drivers: correctness, quality targets, complexity, reversibility, cost, operations, team fit, and evolution.
- [ ] State why each rejected alternative loses in this context without claiming universal inferiority.
- [ ] Record sensitivity or review triggers that would make a rejected option preferable later.

### 4. Record the Decision

- [ ] Write title, status, date, deciders or owner, context, drivers, considered options, decision, consequences, validation, and review triggers.
- [ ] State the decision in active, testable language and name what remains deliberately undecided.
- [ ] Record positive, negative, and neutral consequences plus accepted risks.
- [ ] Link affected requirements, designs, diagrams, interfaces, migration documents, or issues by stable repository reference.
- [ ] For supersession, update status and cross-links without erasing prior rationale.

### 5. Validate and Report

- [ ] Confirm the record contains one decision and can be understood without conversation history.
- [ ] Confirm every consequential claim has evidence, a named assumption, or an explicit owner.
- [ ] Confirm `Accepted` was not assigned without explicit authority.
- [ ] Confirm no architecture, code, tests, task tracker, or external system changed beyond approved decision documentation.
- [ ] Use `RECORDED` when the record and status are valid; use `INCOMPLETE` when material context or authority remains open; use `BLOCKED` for ambiguous scope, unsafe numbering, conflicting ownership, or no writable destination.

## Output Contract

```markdown
# Architecture Decision Record

**Verdict:** RECORDED | INCOMPLETE | BLOCKED
**Artifact:** path
**Decision status:** Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded

## Decision captured
- Context, selected option, and decisive drivers

## Alternatives and consequences
- Rejected options, accepted costs, and review triggers

## Links changed
- New record and any supersession links

## Open authority or evidence
Only items that prevent acceptance or could reverse the decision.
```