c4-model

You produce a canonical-C4 LikeC4 model. LikeC4's DSL is flexible by design — custom element kinds, free-form specifications, dynamic views, arbitrary styles. That flexibility makes it easy to drift from the Simon Brown C4 Model style (Person / Software System / Container / Component with fixed semantics). Structurizr enforces this by being opinionated; LikeC4 does not. This skill enforces it by construction.

Scope — deliberately narrower than general-purpose LikeC4

• Yes: Context views, Container views, optional Deployment views.
• No: Component views, dynamic views, custom element kinds, custom styles, nested systems, multiple system-in-focus.

If the architect wants the full LikeC4 palette, they should use LikeC4 directly — not this skill.

Terms used in this skill

When this skill says:

• Actor — a person, role, or operator who uses the system (the C4 Person). Drawn at the top of Context views.
• External system — software outside the boundary that the system-in-focus interacts with. Third-party APIs, vendor platforms, other teams' services.
• System — the bounded software product being modelled. Exactly ONE per file.
• Container — a runnable or deployable unit inside the system: service, web app, database, queue, scheduled job. NOT a code class. NOT a Docker container specifically — the C4 term predates Docker.
• Relationship — a directed interaction between two elements. MUST carry a one-line description explaining what flows; the how (HTTPS, gRPC, Kafka, etc.) goes in the technology attribute.
• ADL — Architecture Definition Language: compact, declarative "what must hold" assertions embedded in an ADR when a decision creates enforceable architectural facts. This skill reflects ADL blocks into LikeC4 where the assertions describe systems, services, relationships, or deployment topology.
• Architecture Contract — the ADR section that contains ADL assertions with inline check metadata only. This skill reflects the ADL into LikeC4 and adds LikeC4 links back to the ADR; ADRs do not include a Model subsection.

State definitions inline the first time you use a term with the architect.

Hard rules

- This skill produces Context and Container views. Optionally Deployment.
- This skill REFUSES to produce Component views. If the architect asks for one,
  say: "Component views belong at a deeper level than ADRs work at. ADRs reason
  about containers, not internal structure. If you need a Component view, use
  LikeC4 directly outside this skill."
- Every relationship MUST have a one-line description. No description → refuse
  to add it; ask the architect for one.
- Element names in the DSL MUST match what the architect confirmed in discovery.
  Do not invent or rename.
- Do not generate styling, themes, or layout hints unless the architect asks.
  Semantic correctness first; aesthetics second.

Canonical-C4 locked specification (use verbatim, do not extend)

specification {
  element actor {
    notation "Person"
    style { shape person }
  }
  element externalSystem {
    notation "External System"
    style { shape rectangle; color gray }
  }
  element system {
    notation "System"
    style { shape rectangle }
  }
  element container {
    notation "Container"
    style { shape rectangle }
  }

  relationship uses       { line solid }
  relationship reads      { line solid }
  relationship writes     { line solid }
  relationship publishes  { color amber; line dotted; head diamond }
  relationship consumes   { color amber; line dotted; tail vee }

  // Tag for elements/relationships with unresolved open questions.
  // Renders red + dashed via the style rule in views (see views block).
  tag open-question {
    color red
  }

  deploymentNode environment { notation "Environment" }
  deploymentNode node        { notation "Node" }
}

Open-question tagging convention: when an element or relationship has an unresolved open question recorded in docs/architecture/open-questions.md, tag it with #open-question and prefix the description with OPEN Q<N>: (where <N> matches the question number in open-questions.md). When the question is resolved, remove the tag and replace the description with the confirmed text. Example:

payment = container "Payment" {
  #open-question
  description "OPEN Q3: responsibility unclear — see open-questions.md"
}

order -[uses]-> payment "OPEN Q4: kind unclear (sync REST or async event?)" {
  #open-question
}

Do not add custom element kinds. If the architect asks for element gateway, element lambda, element queue, etc., say:

"C4 represents runnable/deployable units as container. Distinguishing 'gateway' from 'service' is a technology detail — put it in technology "AWS API Gateway" on the container instead. This keeps the diagram canonically C4."

Do not add custom relationship kinds beyond uses / reads / writes / publishes / consumes. If the architect argues for one, say:

"C4 relationships describe WHAT flows. Use the kind for what flows (read/write/async/sync), and the description + technology for how."

Canonical-C4 refusals (scripted)

Refuse these even when the architect asks:

• A component kind or any Component view — redirect to LikeC4 outside this skill.
• Custom element kinds beyond actor / externalSystem / system / container — suggest container with a technology attribute.
• Dynamic views — out of C4 canonical scope for ADR work.
• Multiple system elements in one file — there is exactly ONE system-in-focus per model. Other systems are externalSystem.
• Nesting system inside system, or container inside container — hierarchy is strictly (actor | externalSystem) → system → container. Full stop.
• Global styles blocks with custom palettes — a minimal default is allowed only if the architect explicitly asks, and only with standard C4 conventions (Person=blue-grey, System=blue, External=grey, Container=darker blue).

If the architect pushes back:

"These refusals keep your diagrams recognizable as canonical C4. If you want the full LikeC4 palette, use LikeC4 directly — this skill is scoped to ADR-grounding diagrams."

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Phases

1. Intake

Accept one of three inputs:

• (a) A CONFIRMED context brief from /adr-discovery (preferred) — read docs/architecture/discovery-brief.md directly. Elements (under ## Components, ## External actors / systems), relationships (under ## Relationships), and human-written descriptions are all there. Use the brief as-is — do not re-ask what's already confirmed.
• (b) Embedded ADL blocks from ADR Architecture Contract sections. Treat them as confirmed only for objective assertions explicitly present in the ADR; do not infer missing relationships, responsibilities, or technologies from them. Reflect ADL assertions into LikeC4 when they name systems, services, relationships, or deployment topology; keep inline check metadata as ADR/fitness metadata, not diagram structure.
• (c) A fresh back-and-forth walkthrough if no brief exists. Same zero-hallucination rule as /adr-discovery:
  1. Ask for the system-in-focus name.
  2. Walk external actors one at a time, confirm each.
  3. Walk external systems one at a time, confirm each.
  4. Walk containers one at a time, confirm each (name + one-sentence responsibility + technology).
  5. Walk relationships one at a time, confirm each (source, target, kind, description).

Do NOT proceed to generation until every element and every relationship has a human-confirmed description.

2. Locate or scaffold

Glob **/*.c4, likec4.config.*, model/**/*.c4.

• Existing model found → read it. Identify where new elements fit. If the existing model uses non-canonical kinds (e.g., element gateway), flag the drift and ask whether to migrate to canonical kinds or leave as-is. If leave-as-is, the skill stops — it won't mix canonical and non-canonical.
• No model → scaffold:
  • likec4/model.c4 — the canonical-C4 specification (use the locked block above, verbatim).
  • likec4/<system-name>.c4 — the model block with the system-in-focus and its containers.
  • likec4/views.c4 — the views block (Context + Container; Deployment only if confirmed).
  • Minimal likec4.config.js:

    /** @type {import('likec4').LikeC4Config} */
    export default { name: '<system-name>' }
    

3. Generate DSL

Produce LikeC4 DSL using the locked canonical-C4 specification. Output three blocks:

specification — the locked block above, verbatim. Do not extend.

model — structure:

model {
  // External actors at the top level
  customer = actor "Customer" {
    description "End user placing orders"
  }

  // External systems at the top level
  paymentGateway = externalSystem "Payment Gateway" {
    description "Third-party card processor"
  }

  // The single system-in-focus, with containers nested inside
  shop = system "Online Shop" {
    description "E-commerce platform"

    ui = container "Web UI" {
      description "Customer-facing storefront"
      technology "React SPA"
    }
    api = container "API" {
      description "Orchestrates orders, inventory, payments"
      technology "Node.js REST"
      link ../docs/adr/0007-checkout-architecture-contract.md "ADR-0007"
    }
    db = container "Database" {
      description "Orders, products, customers"
      technology "PostgreSQL"
    }

    // Intra-system relationships
    ui -[uses]-> api "fetches product + order data"
    api -[reads]-> db "queries orders and inventory"
    api -[writes]-> db "persists new orders"
  }

  // Cross-boundary relationships
  customer -[uses]-> shop.ui "browses products and places orders"
  shop.api -[uses]-> paymentGateway "authorizes charges" {
    technology "HTTPS"
  }
}

views — exactly one Context view, one Container view, optionally one Deployment view. Both views must include the #open-question style rule so tagged elements/relationships render red + dashed:

views {
  view index {
    title "System Context"
    include *
    style element.tag = #open-question {
      color red
      border dashed
    }
  }

  view containers of shop {
    title "Containers"
    include *
    autoLayout LeftRight
    style element.tag = #open-question {
      color red
      border dashed
    }
  }
}

If deployment is in scope, add a deployment block and a deployment view:

deployment {
  environment prod "Production" {
    node web "Web tier" {
      instanceOf shop.ui
      instanceOf shop.api
    }
    node data "Data tier" {
      instanceOf shop.db
    }
    web -[uses]-> data "internal network"
  }
}

// ...inside views block:
  deployment view prod-deploy {
    title "Production Deployment"
    include prod.**
  }

4. Canonical-C4 lint (run BEFORE likec4 validate)

Scan your own generated DSL and verify each check:

CANONICAL-C4 LINT
[ ] exactly one `element system` (or `system <Name>`) containing the containers
[ ] zero `element component` declarations
[ ] zero custom `element <kind>` declarations beyond actor/externalSystem/system/container
[ ] zero `dynamic view` blocks
[ ] zero top-level `styles` blocks (unless architect explicitly authorized)
[ ] every `->` or `-[kind]->` has a description string
[ ] every container lives inside the system-in-focus (not at the top level)
[ ] zero custom relationship kinds beyond uses/reads/writes/publishes/consumes
[ ] specification declares `tag open-question { color red }`
[ ] every view includes `style element.tag = #open-question { color red; border dashed }`
[ ] external systems use `color gray` (not `secondary` or other)

Print the result explicitly: canonical-C4 lint: PASS or canonical-C4 lint: FAIL (N violations) with each violation listed.

If any check fails, fix it (ask the architect for ambiguous cases) BEFORE calling likec4 validate. Lint errors are C4-style issues; validate errors are syntax. Both must pass.

5. Show diff, not apply

Present the DSL additions/edits as a diff. Wait for architect approval per hunk. Only then write to disk.

6. Validate syntax

Run:

npx likec4 validate

If validation fails, show the error. Fix it (ask the architect if the fix is ambiguous). Re-validate. Do NOT declare success on an invalid model.

7. Render guidance

When the generated or updated model is grounded in an ADR, add LikeC4 link metadata from affected elements or views back to the ADR file. For existing elements in another file, use extend:

extend shop.api {
  link ../docs/adr/0007-checkout-architecture-contract.md "ADR-0007"
}

After validation passes, print exactly:

Render with: npx likec4 start (live preview) or npx likec4 serve (static serve). Open the printed URL. The diagram links back to the ADR via LikeC4 link metadata.

8. Drift check back to ADRs

Glob docs/adr/, docs/decisions/, docs/architecture/decisions/, adr/.

If any confirmed component names don't appear in existing ADRs (or vice versa), flag it:

"The LikeC4 model names components [X, Y, Z]. These don't appear in any existing ADR. Either run /adr-critique on the affected ADRs to reconcile naming, or the ADRs may have drifted from the actual architecture."

If a LikeC4 element/view reflects an ADR's ADL assertions but has no link back to that ADR, flag it:

"This model reflects ADR-NNNN but has no LikeC4 link back to the ADR. Add link <adr-path> \"ADR-NNNN\" to the affected element or view."

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Implementation note

LikeC4 DSL syntax drifts across versions. When fixing non-trivial syntax errors, consult the likec4-dsl skill if available in the session, or fetch /likec4/likec4 docs via ctx7. Do not hand-write DSL from memory for complex constructs (view predicates, relationship style extensions, deployment patterns).

Pinned reference: /likec4/likec4 on context7 (High reputation). As of authoring, this skill targets LikeC4 v1.47+.

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If you're using the ADR VS Code extension, the Distill and Insights commands run complementary analyses from inside the editor.