version: "1.0.0" name: record-the-why description: Capture the reasoning behind a decision permanently, not just the decision itself. Use when making an architectural choice, changing a public API or data format, choosing between libraries, or reversing an earlier decision. Also use when a comment would just restate the code instead of explaining a non-obvious constraint. Skip for self-explanatory code or decisions that are trivially reversible.

Record the Why (router)

This skill is tuned per model. Pick the file that matches the model actually running, and apply it in full — the ADR structure and the never-delete-the-record rule are the same everywhere, but how much narration to expect and how eagerly to delegate differs by tier.

Read the file matching the model actually running before applying this skill.

Running a model not listed above (an older generation, a different model family entirely)? sonnet-5.md carries the fullest general-purpose version of the underlying procedure — read that one rather than skipping this skill.