A useful ADR states the context, the decision, the alternatives, and the consequences. A durable ADR also states the condition that would reopen it: a volume threshold, a regulatory change, a cost envelope, a dependency that was supposed to be temporary.
Without that, teams treat the record as scripture. Reviewers argue with the original authors instead of with the current constraint. The cheapest correction—revisiting a time-boxed pattern—becomes a political event.
What to record besides the choice
- The constraint that made the choice rational.
- The residual risk someone accepted.
- The metric or event that should trigger review.
- The owner who is obliged to notice that event.
Expiration conditions keep architecture honest. Permanent decisions should be rare, and explicit.