ADR
Architecture Decision Record
A concise record of an important architecture decision and the reasons behind it.
Plain English
A durable note explaining what the team decided and why.
In context
An ADR preserves decision context alternatives and consequences for future maintainers.
Example
“Please link the ADR that explains our database choice.”
When you'll hear this
- architecture review
- onboarding
- maintenance
Common misunderstanding
An ADR records a decision; it is not necessarily a long design specification.
Also known as
architecture decision record
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
