An Introduction to ADRs (Architecture Decision Records) — The Minimal Way to Record 'Why We Designed It This Way' on a Small Team (archived 2026-08-27)

Abstract

Code never explains why it was written that way. We cover how to use an ADR (Architecture Decision Record) — one decision, one Markdown file — to preserve the reasoning behind a design choice, complete with a template, a decision table for what to write up and what not to, and worked examples. Archived version of https://comcomponent.com/en/blog/adr-architecture-decision-record-small-teams/, as published on 2026-08-27. The live article is maintained and may change after this date. First published 2026-07-17.