Implementing Feature Flags Checklist

Evaluate and choose a flag service

Compare LaunchDarkly, PostHog, and custom solutions on SDK support, pricing, and compliance.

Define flag ownership and lifecycle policy

Assign owners, define TTL, and set deletion responsibilities.

Add metadata to each flag (owner, created date, expiry)

Store owner, start date, and automatic expiry date in flag metadata.

Establish a clear naming convention for flags

Use concise, hierarchical names like service.feature.action.environment.

Create code and doc templates for flag usage

Provide example SDK calls, unit tests, and PR notes for new flags.

Default new feature flags to off

Ship code with flags disabled to avoid unintended exposure.

Implement user targeting and rule-based checks

Define clear attribute-based rules for beta users, tenants, or roles.

Plan percentage rollout strategies

Decide incremental steps, burn-in periods, and rollback thresholds.

Add a production kill switch and emergency rollback process

Ensure one-click disable and a runbook for rapid rollback.

Test kill switch behavior in staging and production

Simulate incidents to confirm immediate disable and safe rollback.

Enable logging for flag evaluations and user exposures

Capture which users saw which flag variations for debugging.

Build monitoring and alerts for flag-driven anomalies

Alert on traffic shifts, error spikes, or metric regressions after rollouts.

Create an automated stale-flag detection and cleanup policy

Mark flags unused for X days and queue for removal or review.

Schedule periodic audits to remove or document flags

Run quarterly reviews to delete or confirm active flags.

Integrate flag checks into CI/CD and code reviews

Block merges that add flags without owner/expiry or tests.

Train the team and publish a flag runbook

Share tutorials, policies, and emergency procedures with stakeholders.