Many software teams struggle with architecture documentation that is either too long, missing key information, or, more often, nonexistent.

The arc42 template, created by practicing architects, offers a balanced set of twelve sections that cover context, goals, runtime behavior, building blocks, quality scenarios, and more. Years of use have shown that the template captures the reasons behind design decisions and keeps the material clear for both the team and its stakeholders.

This session explains the purpose of every section, suggesting methods to gather the right facts without slowing project work, and demonstrates practical tools for well‑structured documentation that sit comfortably in version control.

And as a bonus, AI agents can use your architecture design when they do the work.