Feature flag: a runtime conditional that gates code paths. Flags let teams deploy dark features, run A/B tests, do canary releases, and perform instant rollbacks by flipping a switch rather than redeploying.
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What is a kill switch in the context of feature flags?
Kill switch: a feature flag whose sole purpose is disabling functionality rapidly. Instead of rolling back a deployment (which takes minutes), flipping the kill switch turns off the problematic feature in seconds.
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What is the risk of flag debt?
Flag debt: features that "graduated" or were abandoned leave behind conditional branches. Old flag checks make code harder to read and test. Hygiene processes should regularly remove flags that are fully rolled out or retired.
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What is targeted rollout with feature flags?
Targeted rollout: flags can be conditionally evaluated per user segment (beta users, specific companies, geographic regions). This enables safe progressive exposure before committing a feature to 100% of traffic.
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How do feature flags enable continuous delivery even for incomplete features?
Flags and CD: teams can integrate incomplete features into main and deploy them behind a flag that is off. This eliminates feature branches, reduces merge conflicts, and allows testing in production with real infrastructure before launching.