Architecture Decision Records, ready to copy into your repo

Start in 3 minutes

1. Open the generator.
2. Choose Nygard or another format.
3. Download your Markdown ADR or copy it to the clipboard.

Why adr.zone exists

Many teams want to try ADRs without installing a CLI, choosing a process, or committing to a platform. adr.zone gives you a browser-based starting point: pick a format, write the decision, copy Markdown, and commit it to your repository.

Supported ADR formats

• Nygard ADR: classic title, status, context, decision, and consequences.
• MADR: structured Markdown ADR with per-option pros/cons (full or minimal template).
• Y-Statement: compact single-sentence decision rationale.

Also available

• Outcome-First: decision and tradeoff first, reasoning after.
• ISO 42010 Companion: stakeholder concerns, views, and architecture-description context.

Compare formats

Use with existing ADR workflows

adr.zone creates plain Markdown. You can paste the result into docs/adr, use it with adr-tools, render it with Backstage or Log4brains, or adapt it to your own decision-log process.

Working with LLMs or AI? Have them generate ADRs with our free API: HTTP API.

Why write an ADR?

• Institutional memory: future readers see why the choice was made, not only that it exists.
• A file in your repo: decisions travel with the code, get reviewed in PRs, and survive tool changes.
• A thinking step: writing forces you to weigh alternatives before you commit.

Not another process

An ADR is a few sentences in a .md file, not a governance program. You do not need an architecture review board to benefit. Start with what we decided, why, and what it costs, then expand if your team needs more structure.

Default (Nygard) template

Drop this in docs/adr/ and adjust. MADR, Y-Statement, Outcome-First, and ISO 42010 Companion skeletons live in templates. Use the generator for live preview, copy, and download.

# ADR-0001: <short title in Title Case>

## Status
Proposed

## Context
Describe the situation: constraints, options considered briefly, and why a decision is needed.

## Decision
State the decision in plain language. Link to ADRs that this supersedes or extends.

## Consequences
- Positive: …
- Negative: …
- Neutral / follow-ups: …

Realistic examples

Two end-to-end ADRs you can use as a tone and structure reference.

• PostgreSQL as default relational store
• Decomposing the monolith (incremental)

All examples