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Validation rule

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AP-ADR-002Documentation

ADR file missing title

Checks that ADR files include a top-level title.

warningsetup-gapNo auto-fix

How to fix

  1. Add a top-level ADR title.
  2. Keep the title specific to the decision.
  3. Run validation again to confirm the ADR can be indexed.

What the rule validates

An ADR file exists but does not include the expected title heading.

Why it matters

Titles make decisions scannable in reports, reviews, and generated architecture summaries.

Common causes

  • An ADR was drafted from a blank file.
  • The title uses a lower-level heading.
  • Generated ADR content was pasted without the template heading.

Typical violation example

A markdown ADR starts with plain text and no # heading.

Typical compliant example

# ADR 004: Dependency governance and module boundary enforcement

Related rules

AP-ADR-001 - ADR directory missingAP-ADR-003 - ADR status missing or invalidAP-ADR-004 - Required ADR missing for architecture contextAP-DOC-001 - Tenant model ADR exists for different-schema model

Adjacent categories

Documentation Rules

Related files/config

  • docs/adrs
  • docs/architecture/overview.md

Related CLI commands

  • archpilot validate
  • archpilot validate --ci

Related docs

Rule CatalogPolicy & ADR Workflows
AP-ADR-002 - ADR file missing title | ArchPilot Docs