Mastering Gradual Rollouts: Deploy with Confidence

Deploying a feature to all users at once is risky. One bug and everyone suffers. Gradual rollouts let you minimize risk while gathering real-world feedback.

What Is a Gradual Rollout?

A gradual rollout means releasing a feature to a small percentage of users first, then slowly increasing that percentage as you gain confidence.

Think of it like testing the water temperature before diving in. Start with your toe, not a cannonball.

The Gradual Rollout Strategy

Stage 1: Internal Testing (1-5 users)

Enable for your team first. Developers, QA, and product managers use the feature in production with real data. Catch obvious bugs before any customers see them.

// Target specific users
const enabled = useFlag('new-feature', {
  userId: currentUser.id,
  email: currentUser.email
})

// In FlagSwift dashboard:
// Enable for: team@yourcompany.com

Stage 2: Beta Users (1-10%)

Your most engaged users who signed up for beta access. They expect occasional issues and provide valuable feedback.

Stage 3: Early Adopters (10-25%)

Expand to a broader group. Monitor metrics closely. This is where you catch performance issues that only appear at scale.

Stage 4: Majority (25-75%)

If everything looks good, roll out to most users. Keep monitoring. You're not done yet.

Stage 5: Everyone (100%)

Full rollout. Keep the flag around for a few weeks in case you need to rollback.

What to Monitor During Rollouts

Error Rates

Watch for spikes in exceptions or failed requests. A small increase might be acceptable, but a 5x spike means stop and investigate.

Performance Metrics

Is the new feature slower? Monitor page load times, API response times, and database query durations.

User Behavior

Are users completing the flow? If your new checkout has a 10% completion rate vs 60% for the old one, something's wrong.

Business Metrics

The ultimate test. Is revenue up or down? Are conversions improving? Let data guide your decisions.

When to Pause a Rollout

Don't be afraid to hit pause or rollback:

• Error rate spikes: If errors double, stop and investigate
• Performance degradation: Page loads taking 2x longer? Pause.
• Negative user feedback: Support tickets flooding in? Listen to users.
• Business metrics drop: Conversions down 20%? Rollback immediately.

Pausing a rollout isn't failure, it's smart risk management.

FlagSwift User Targeting

FlagSwift makes gradual rollouts simple with built-in user targeting:

// Client-side
const enabled = useFlag('premium-features', {
  userId: user.id,
  email: user.email,
  plan: user.subscription.plan
})

// Target by any identifier:
// - Email addresses
// - User IDs  
// - Custom attributes
// - Percentage of users

Dashboard Controls

From the FlagSwift dashboard, you can:

• Enable for specific email addresses
• Target users by any custom attribute
• Set percentage-based rollouts
• View who has the feature enabled
• Instantly rollback if needed

Rollout Timeline Example

Here's a real rollout timeline from a FlagSwift customer rebuilding their checkout flow:

Monday - Day 1

Enable for 5 internal users. Found 2 bugs immediately. Fixed same day.

Tuesday - Day 2

Enable for 50 beta users (1%). Monitoring closely. Everything stable.

Thursday - Day 4

Increased to 10%. Minor CSS bug reported. Fixed.

Monday - Day 8

Jumped to 25%. Noticed slight slowdown in one API call. Optimized database query.

Wednesday - Day 10

Rolled out to 50%. Conversion rate 5% higher than old checkout. Confidence high.

Friday - Day 12

100% rollout. Monitoring for weekend traffic. No issues.

Monday - Day 15

Removed old checkout code. Flag cleanup scheduled for next sprint.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rolling Out Too Fast

Jumping from 1% to 100% defeats the purpose. Give each stage time to collect data.

Ignoring Metrics

Don't just enable the feature and walk away. Watch dashboards. Read error logs. Talk to users.

Not Having a Rollback Plan

Always know how to disable the feature quickly. With FlagSwift, it's one click, but make sure your team knows where that button is.

Forgetting to Clean Up

After a successful rollout, remove the old code and the flag. Technical debt accumulates fast.

Gradual Rollouts for Different Features

UI Changes

Roll out slowly. Users hate sudden UI changes. Give them time to adjust.

Backend Changes

Can often roll out faster if properly tested. Monitor database performance and API latency.

Algorithm Changes

Recommendations, search, pricing—these need careful A/B testing. Roll out to 50% and compare metrics.

Conclusion

Gradual rollouts transform risky deployments into controlled experiments. Start small, monitor carefully, and scale with confidence.

With FlagSwift's user targeting, you can implement sophisticated rollout strategies in minutes. No complex infrastructure needed.

Ready to deploy smarter? Start your gradual rollout strategy with FlagSwift today.