#4SOURCEDEVELOP
Feature Flags
Toggle features without deploy
Medium
Overview
Runtime feature toggles that enable/disable functionality without deploying code. Supports gradual rollouts and quick rollbacks.
Why It Matters
Ship code dark, enable gradually. Roll back features without rolling back code.
The Risk
Without feature flags, every deploy is high-risk. You can't test in production safely, can't do gradual rollouts, and rolling back means redeploying old code. Problems affect all users simultaneously.
Implementation Components
A complete implementation of this capability includes:
- Runtime feature toggle system
- Support for percentage-based rollouts
- User/group targeting capabilities
- Admin interface for non-developers to manage flags
- Flag cleanup process to prevent accumulation
- Integration with analytics to measure feature impact
Implementation Pattern
- 1Choose feature flag system
- 2Wrap new features in flags
- 3Define rollout strategy
- 4Clean up old flags
Tool Examples
These are examples, not endorsements. Choose what fits your context.
Dependencies
Enhanced by (more effective with)
Enables (unlocks)
Same Phase
Other capabilities in this pipeline phase