Feature Flag
A runtime switch that controls whether selected users receive a behavior or feature.
Plain English
Turn a feature on or off without a new deployment.
In context
Feature flags separate code deployment from product release and support staged rollout testing and emergency disablement.
Example
“Ship the new checkout behind a feature flag.”
When you'll hear this
- rollout
- experimentation
- incident mitigation
Common misunderstanding
Flags require cleanup and access controls; they are not free permanent configuration.
Also known as
feature toggle
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
