Provides the official arc42 template and guidance for documenting software architecture.
Install
mkdir -p .claude/skills/arc42-documentation && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/15805" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/arc42-documentation && rm skill.zipInstalls to .claude/skills/arc42-documentation
Activation
This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.
arc42 architecture documentation template and guidanceKey capabilities
- →Create new architecture documentation
- →Structure system scope and context
- →Document solution strategies and building blocks
- →Detail runtime and deployment views
- →Record architecture decisions and quality requirements
- →Identify risks and technical debt
How it works
The skill guides the creation of architecture documentation by following the 12-section arc42 template, ensuring all key aspects of a system's architecture are covered.
Inputs & outputs
When to use arc42-documentation
- →Create new architecture documentation
- →Structure system scope and context
- →Document solution strategies
- →Clarify architecture constraints
About this skill
arc42 Documentation Skill
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
- Arc42 Documentation tasks - Working on arc42 architecture documentation template and guidance
- Planning or design - Need guidance on Arc42 Documentation approaches
- Best practices - Want to follow established patterns and standards
Overview
Create comprehensive architecture documentation using the arc42 template.
MANDATORY: Documentation-First Approach
Before creating arc42 documentation:
- Invoke
docs-managementskill for architecture documentation patterns - Verify arc42 current version via MCP servers (perplexity)
- Base guidance on official arc42 template
arc42 Template Structure
arc42 Template (12 Sections):
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Introduction and Goals │
│ Requirements overview, quality goals, stakeholders │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2. Architecture Constraints │
│ Technical, organizational, and convention constraints │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. System Scope and Context │
│ Business context, technical context │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 4. Solution Strategy │
│ Technology decisions, top-level decomposition, quality approaches │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 5. Building Block View │
│ Static decomposition: whitebox/blackbox at multiple levels │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 6. Runtime View │
│ Important scenarios, interactions, behaviors │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 7. Deployment View │
│ Technical infrastructure, mapping of building blocks │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 8. Cross-cutting Concepts │
│ Recurring patterns, approaches, principles │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 9. Architecture Decisions │
│ Important decisions with rationale (may link to ADRs) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 10. Quality Requirements │
│ Quality tree, quality scenarios │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 11. Risks and Technical Debt │
│ Known risks, technical debt items │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 12. Glossary │
│ Important domain and technical terms │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Complete arc42 Template
# Architecture Documentation: [System Name]
**Version:** 1.0
**Date:** [Date]
**Status:** Draft | Review | Final
---
## 1. Introduction and Goals
### 1.1 Requirements Overview
[Brief description...]
### 1.2 Quality Goals
| Priority | Quality Goal | Description |
|----------|--------------|-------------|
| 1 | [Goal] | [Description] |
### 1.3 Stakeholders
| Role | Name/Team | Expectations |
|------|-----------|--------------|
---
## 2. Architecture Constraints
[Technical, Organizational, Conventions...]
---
## 3. System Scope and Context
### 3.1 Business Context
```mermaid
C4Context
title System Context Diagram
...
4. Solution Strategy
[Technology Decisions, Decomposition, Quality Approaches...]
5. Building Block View
5.1 Level 1: Whitebox Overall System
C4Container
title Container Diagram
...
6. Runtime View
[Scenarios and Sequence Diagrams...]
7. Deployment View
[Infrastructure and Deployment Diagrams...]
8. Cross-cutting Concepts
[Domain Model, Security, Error Handling, Testability...]
9. Architecture Decisions
[Link to ADRs...]
10. Quality Requirements
[Quality Tree and Scenarios...]
11. Risks and Technical Debt
[Known risks, technical debt items...]
12. Glossary
[Important domain and technical terms...]
## Workflow
1. Start with context (Sections 1-3)
2. Document decisions (Section 4)
3. Detail structure (Section 5)
4. Show behavior (Section 6)
5. Map to infrastructure (Section 7)
6. Capture patterns (Section 8)
7. Record decisions (Section 9)
8. Define quality (Section 10)
9. Acknowledge risks (Section 11)
10. Define terms (Section 12)
---
**Last Updated:** 2025-12-26
When not to use it
- →When not working on arc42 architecture documentation
- →When not needing guidance on Arc42 Documentation approaches
- →When not wanting to follow established patterns and standards for architecture docs
Limitations
- →It requires invoking the docs-management skill first
- →It requires verifying the arc42 current version via MCP servers
- →It bases guidance on the official arc42 template
How it compares
This skill provides a structured, template-driven approach to architecture documentation, ensuring consistency and completeness, unlike ad-hoc documentation methods.
Compared to similar skills
arc42-documentation side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.
| Skill | Installs | Updated | Safety | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| arc42-documentation (this skill) | 0 | 3mo | No flags | Intermediate |
| business-knowledge-workflow | 1 | 3mo | No flags | Intermediate |
| c4-architecture-documentation | 0 | 5mo | No flags | Intermediate |
| adr | 0 | 4mo | No flags | Beginner |
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