Architecture Document Template (Free Download)

TL;DR: Copy this template, customize for your project, and add to your /docs folder. AI tools will follow your architecture.

The Template

Copy this entire template:

# [Project Name] — Architecture Document

## 1. Overview

[Brief description of the system and its purpose]

## 2. System Diagram

```mermaid
graph TB
    A[Client] --> B[API Layer]
    B --> C[(Database)]
    B --> D[External Services]
```

3. Tech Stack

Category	Technology	Version
Frontend	[Framework]	[Version]
Backend	[Framework]	[Version]
Database	[Database]	[Version]
Auth	[Provider]	-

4. Component Inventory

Frontend Components

Component	Purpose
[Name]	[Description]

Backend Services

Service	Purpose
[Name]	[Description]

5. API Patterns

• Method: REST / GraphQL / tRPC
• Format: JSON
• Auth: Bearer token

6. Data Flow

[Describe key data flows]

7. Security

• Authentication: [Method]
• Authorization: [Method]
• Encryption: [Standard]

8. Deployment

Environment	URL
Development	localhost:3000
Production	[domain]

9. NOT Using (Exclusions)

• ❌ [Technology we're NOT using]
• ❌ [Another exclusion]

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## Related

- [Architecture Doc Guide](/blog/software-architecture-doc-template-ai)
- [API Spec Template](/templates/api-spec-template-openapi-ai)
- [Full SDD Pack](/templates/spec-driven-development-template)

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*Last updated: January 2026*