Glossary term
Decision log
A written record of important decisions, including what was decided, why it was decided and the context available at the time.
Also known as: decision register, decision record, decision history
A decision log records important decisions so the reasoning does not disappear once the meeting ends.
A useful entry usually captures the decision, who made it, the reasoning behind it, the evidence or assumptions involved and when the decision was made.
The point is not to document every small choice. It is to preserve enough context that someone can later understand why the team chose one option over another.
Decision logs are especially useful when priorities change, people leave or an old decision gets questioned months later. They make it easier to revisit a choice based on what has changed rather than arguing from memory.
