Feature flags are conditional switches that turn features on or off at runtime without redeploying, decoupling deployment from release and enabling gradual rollouts, A/B tests, and instant kill switches.

Detailed Answer

By shipping code dark and toggling it per user/segment, teams deploy continuously while controlling exposure, test in production safely, and disable a bad feature in seconds instead of rolling back a deploy. Manage flags deliberately (naming, ownership, and cleanup) or they accumulate as tech debt.

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Interview Tip

Lead with deploy != release and mention flag hygiene (cleanup) — dead flags become tech debt.

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What are feature flags?

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