# adrs
[](https://crates.io/crates/adrs)
[](https://crates.io/crates/adrs)
[](https://github.com/joshrotenberg/adrs/actions?query=workflow%3ACI)
[](https://deps.rs/repo/github/joshrotenberg/adrs)
A command-line tool for creating and managing [Architecture Decision Records](https://adr.github.io) (ADRs).
## Features
- **adr-tools compatible** - works with existing ADR repositories
- **Multiple formats** - supports Nygard (classic) and [MADR 4.0.0](https://adr.github.io/madr/) formats
- **Template variants** - full, minimal, and bare templates
- **Tags support** - categorize ADRs with tags (NextGen mode)
- **Full-text search** - search ADR titles and content
- **Repository health checks** - `doctor` command finds issues
- **Config discovery** - automatically finds ADR directory from subdirectories
- **Import/Export** - JSON-ADR format with federation support
- **MCP server** - AI agent integration via Model Context Protocol
- **Cross-platform** - macOS, Linux, and Windows binaries
## Installation
### Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
```sh
brew install joshrotenberg/brew/adrs
```
### Cargo
```sh
cargo install adrs
```
### Docker
```sh
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/work ghcr.io/joshrotenberg/adrs init
```
### Binary releases
Download from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/joshrotenberg/adrs/releases).
## Quick Start
```sh
# Initialize a new ADR repository
adrs init
# Create your first decision
adrs new "Use PostgreSQL for persistence"
# List all ADRs
adrs list
# Check repository health
adrs doctor
```
## Usage
```
adrs [OPTIONS] <COMMAND>
Commands:
init Initialize a new ADR repository
new Create a new ADR
edit Edit an existing ADR
list List all ADRs
search Search ADRs for matching content
link Link two ADRs together
status Change an ADR's status
config Show configuration
doctor Check repository health
generate Generate documentation (toc, graph, book)
export Export ADRs to different formats
import Import ADRs from different formats
template Manage ADR templates
completions Generate shell completions
cheatsheet Show quick reference for common workflows
Options:
--ng Enable NextGen mode with YAML frontmatter
-C, --cwd <DIR> Run from a different directory
-h, --help Print help
-V, --version Print version
```
## Examples
### Create ADRs with different formats
```sh
# Classic Nygard format (default)
adrs new "Use REST API"
# MADR 4.0.0 format
adrs new --format madr "Use GraphQL"
# Minimal template
adrs new --variant minimal "Quick decision"
# With tags (NextGen mode)
adrs --ng new --tags security,api "Use JWT for authentication"
```
### Search and filter
```sh
# Full-text search
adrs search postgres
# Filter by status
adrs list --status accepted
# Filter by tag (NextGen mode)
adrs --ng list --tag security
```
### Supersede and link decisions
```sh
# Supersede an existing ADR
adrs new --supersedes 2 "Use MySQL instead"
# Link related ADRs (auto-derives reverse link)
adrs link 3 Amends 1
```
### Generate documentation
```sh
# Table of contents
adrs generate toc > doc/adr/README.md
# Graphviz dependency graph
# mdbook
adrs generate book && cd book && mdbook serve
```
### Import/Export
```sh
# Export to JSON-ADR format
adrs export json > decisions.json
# Import from another repository
adrs import decisions.json --renumber
```
## MCP Server (AI Integration)
`adrs` includes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for AI agent integration. Build with:
```sh
cargo install adrs --features mcp
```
Add to Claude Desktop config (`claude_desktop_config.json`):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"adrs": {
"command": "adrs",
"args": ["mcp", "serve"],
"cwd": "/path/to/your/project"
}
}
}
```
The MCP server provides 15 tools for reading, creating, and managing ADRs.
## Library
`adrs` is built on the `adrs-core` library, which can be used independently:
```toml
[dependencies]
adrs-core = "0.6"
```
```rust
use adrs_core::Repository;
let repo = Repository::open(".")?;
for adr in repo.list()? {
println!("{}: {}", adr.number, adr.title);
}
```
See [library documentation](https://docs.rs/adrs-core) for more details.
## Documentation
Full documentation: [joshrotenberg.github.io/adrs-book](https://joshrotenberg.github.io/adrs-book/)
## Contributing
Contributions welcome! See [issues](https://github.com/joshrotenberg/adrs/issues) or open a new one.
## License
MIT or Apache-2.0