DEVOPS

Retire feature flags with zero evaluation traffic

Checks Datadog flag-evaluation metrics on a schedule and, for any flag that has logged zero evaluations over the observation window.

CategoryDevOps
Enginesim
Difficultyintermediate
Triggerschedule
Steps5
Setup~15 min

How it runs

The automated pipeline, trigger to output.

  • TriggerDaily schedule fires
  • ActionQuery flag evaluation countsDatadogDatadog
  • LogicIsolate flags with zero evaluations all window
  • ActionCreate Linear cleanup issue with evidenceLinearLinear
  • OutputOpen linked draft removal PRGitHubGitHub

What it does

Uses real production telemetry to decide which flags are dead. Instead of guessing from code age, it reads Datadog flag-evaluation counters: any flag that has not been evaluated a single time across the lookback window is treated as truly abandoned and queued for retirement.

When to use it

When your flags emit evaluation metrics and you want removal decisions backed by usage data, not assumptions. Best for mature platforms where a flag with zero traffic is a strong, defensible signal that it is safe to delete.

How it works

  1. 1A daily schedule starts the check.
  2. 2A Datadog query pulls evaluation counts per flag over the lookback window.
  3. 3A logic step isolates flags with exactly zero evaluations for the full window.
  4. 4For each dead flag, a Linear issue is created in the platform-hygiene project with the metric evidence attached.
  5. 5A GitHub action opens a draft removal PR linked to that Linear issue so the owner can finish and merge it.

Set it up

What you configure once, before turning it on.

  1. 1
    Connect DatadogMetrics, traces, log search.
  2. 2
    Connect LinearIssues, projects, cycles, triage.
  3. 3
    Connect GitHubRepos, issues, pull requests, actions.
  4. 4
    Set each agent's modelWe leave models unset so you pick the tier — fast + cheap, or top-quality.
  5. 5
    Tune it to your dataEdit the prompts, filters, and field mappings so it matches how your team works.
  6. 6
    Test, then turn it onRun once against a sample, confirm the output, then enable the trigger.

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