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Glossary
Product concepts

What is Feature Flag?

A Feature Flag is a software development tool that allows teams to enable or disable specific functionality remotely without deploying new code. By wrapping code in a conditional switch, developers can merge incomplete features into production while keeping them hidden from the end user until they are ready for release.

When to use it

Teams should use feature flags to decouple technical deployments from functional releases, allowing for 'dark launches' and gradual rollouts to specific user groups. They are essential for managing beta programs, performing A/B tests, and providing an immediate 'kill switch' to disable broken features in production without requiring an emergency rollback.

Example

A SaaS team preparing to launch a new 'Advanced Analytics' dashboard for Q3 wraps the new code in a feature flag so they can deploy updates daily without affecting the live user experience. Once the dashboard is stable, they toggle the flag for a cohort of 50 beta testers to gather initial feedback. After resolving UI bugs, they enable the flag for 100% of their Pro plan subscribers to coincide with their official marketing announcement.

How Planet Roadmap helps with Feature Flag

Planet Roadmap’s changelog feature allows you to announce features as they are toggled for specific cohorts, ensuring your public communication stays in sync with your gradual rollout phases.

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FAQ

How is a feature flag different from an A/B test?
A feature flag is the technical mechanism used to toggle functionality on or off, whereas an A/B test is a research methodology that uses feature flags to show different versions of a feature to users to measure which performs better.
Do feature flags create technical debt?
Yes, if flags are not removed after a feature is fully launched, they can lead to 'stale' code paths and increased system complexity; teams should establish a process to delete the flag logic once a release is 100% stable and permanent.

Related terms

Beta ProgramA/B TestRelease NotesChangelogMinimum Viable Product (MVP)

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