ADR-0014: Save Approved Specs as Reusable Templates
Accepted
Date: 2026-06-10
Context
Enterprises generating multiple internal tools, microservices, or similar applications often want to apply the same configuration repeatedly. Re-filling the form every time wastes effort and risks inconsistency.
A reusable template — a saved approved Spec that can serve as the basis for new generations — addresses this without complicating the core architecture.
Decision
Users can save an approved Spec as a reusable template. The template captures:
- The Archetype reference (version-locked)
- The Variation Point answers
- The Slot selections
A new generation can start from a saved template, presenting the user with the prior selections pre-filled. The user can adjust before approving.
Templates are stored in the customer’s space (not the global platform registry) and are versioned.
Rationale
- High value for enterprise customers; cheap to add now, costly to retrofit later.
- Reduces cognitive load on repeat users.
- Preserves consistency across an organization’s generated apps.
- Templates are useful product analytics: which configurations are reused tells the platform team what’s popular.
Consequences
- Customer-scoped storage of templates (database, S3, or similar) becomes a platform requirement.
- Templates referencing archived Adapters or Modules need to prompt the user to upgrade.
- Template export/import for sharing across organizations is a possible v1 feature.
- Templates do not capture the output of a generation — only the inputs.