How do you retire or remove feature toggles that are no longer needed or relevant?

1 Identify obsolete toggles

The first step to retire or remove feature toggles is to identify which ones are obsolete, meaning they are either always on, always off, or no longer serving their original purpose. You can use various tools and methods to track and monitor your feature toggles, such as code analysis, feature toggle management platforms, or metrics and analytics. You should also document your feature toggles, their status, and their expected lifespan, and review them regularly to see if they are still relevant and aligned with your business goals.

2 Plan the removal strategy

The next step is to plan how and when you will remove the obsolete feature toggles from your codebase. Depending on the type and scope of the feature toggle, you may need to consider different factors, such as the impact on the users, the dependencies on other features or services, the testing and deployment requirements, and the rollback options. You should also communicate your removal plan to your stakeholders, such as product owners, developers, testers, and customers, and get their feedback and approval.

3 Execute the removal process

The final step is to execute the removal process according to your plan. You should follow the best practices of continuous delivery, such as using version control, automated testing, code review, and continuous integration and deployment. You should also verify that the removal of the feature toggle does not introduce any bugs, errors, or regressions, and that the expected behavior and functionality are preserved. If you encounter any issues or feedback, you should be able to revert or adjust your changes quickly and safely.

4 Avoid premature removal

One of the common mistakes that you should avoid when retiring or removing feature toggles is to do it too soon, before you have enough data or feedback to validate your assumptions and decisions. Premature removal can lead to missed opportunities, wasted efforts, or customer dissatisfaction. You should make sure that you have a clear and measurable criteria for evaluating the success or failure of your feature toggle, and that you have enough time and resources to collect and analyze the data and feedback.

5 Avoid long-lived toggles

Another common mistake that you should avoid is to keep feature toggles for too long, beyond their intended lifespan or scope. Long-lived toggles can cause code rot, configuration complexity, technical debt, and performance or security risks. You should aim to keep your feature toggles short-lived, meaning they are only used for temporary experiments, releases, or migrations, and that they are removed as soon as possible after they have served their purpose.

6 Adopt a toggle policy

One of the best ways to prevent or reduce the problems associated with feature toggles is to adopt a toggle policy, which is a set of guidelines and standards for creating, managing, and removing feature toggles in your organization. A toggle policy can help you define the types, categories, and naming conventions of your feature toggles, the roles and responsibilities of the toggle owners and users, the documentation and communication requirements, the monitoring and auditing mechanisms, and the removal criteria and process. A toggle policy can also help you foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and collaboration among your teams and stakeholders.