Adr Compliance

Critical rules

• ALWAYS check existing ADRs before proposing architectural changes
• NEVER contradict an ADR without either updating it or writing a superseding ADR
• ALWAYS document architectural decisions that impact structure, boundaries or dependencies
• ALWAYS keep ADRs concise, factual and written in British English
• NEVER edit historical ADR content; add a new ADR to supersede it

Scope

ADRs are required when:

• Introducing a new architectural pattern or framework
• Changing boundaries between domain, application, and adapters
• Adding or replacing infrastructure dependencies
• Making decisions that affect runtime characteristics (performance, security, resilience)
• Establishing cross-cutting concerns (logging, observability, error handling)

ADRs are not required for:

• Pure refactoring with no architectural impact
• Test-only changes
• Cosmetic or formatting changes

Workflow

1. Locate ADRs by checking .adr-dir file if it exists, otherwise use docs/adr by default
2. Review relevant decisions from the ADR directory
3. Assess impact of the proposed change against existing ADRs
4. Choose action:
   • Follow existing ADR (no new ADR)
   • Supersede with a new ADR if the decision changes
   • Suggest the creation of a new ADR if no decision exists
5. Draft ADR using the standard format
6. Reference the ADR in the change description or PR summary

ADR Format

Use a simple, consistent structure:

# Title

## Status
Accepted | Proposed | Superseded | Deprecated

## Context
What problem are we solving and why now?

## Decision
What is the decision?

## Consequences
What are the trade-offs and impacts?

Decision Tree

Does the change affect architecture or system boundaries?
├─ YES → Is there an ADR covering this?
│         ├─ YES → Follow it
│         └─ NO → Create a new ADR
└─ NO → No ADR needed

Common Pitfalls

• Silent divergence — Changing architecture without updating ADRs
• Overwriting history — Editing old ADRs instead of superseding them
• Vague consequences — Not stating trade-offs or impacts clearly
• Mixed scope — Combining multiple unrelated decisions in one ADR

Checklist

Before submitting changes, verify:

• Relevant ADRs were reviewed
• New architectural decisions are captured in a new ADR
• Superseded decisions have a new ADR referencing the prior decision
• ADR is concise and written in British English
• ADR status is appropriate and consistent

Related Skills

• hexagonal-architecture — For architectural boundaries and ports/adapters
• code-quality — For Clean Code, SOLID and Object Calisthenics