In 30 seconds
- Counts deployments to production per day, week or month.
- A DORA metric for delivery speed.
- Higher frequency usually means smaller, safer changes.
What it measures
How often working code reaches production. It's one of the four original DORA metrics, alongside lead time for changes, change failure rate and time to restore service.
Why more often is safer
Frequent deploys mean each change is small. Small changes are easier to test, review and roll back, and a problem is easier to trace. Big, infrequent releases bundle risk together.
How to improve it
- Continuous integration and trunk-based development
- Automated deployment pipelines
- Feature flags to deploy unfinished work safely
- Remove manual approval steps that add little value
Myth vs reality
Myth · Deploy frequency is about speed only.
Reality · It's also about lowering risk per change.
Myth · Some products can't deploy often.
Reality · Many can more than they think, using flags and automation.
Myth · Counting deploys is enough.
Reality · Pair with change failure rate to keep it honest.
FAQ
What do elite teams achieve?
DORA has reported top performers deploying on demand, often multiple times a day.
Does deploying mean releasing?
Not necessarily; flags can separate them.
What if we deploy weekly?
Track the trend and remove one bottleneck at a time.