Datadog Feature Flags server-side SDKs evaluate flags locally from flag configuration. The configuration source determines how the SDK receives that configuration; it does not change OpenFeature evaluation semantics.

Choose a configuration source

These configuration source options are available for supported server SDKs:

agentless

The SDK periodically fetches flag configuration from the Datadog-managed CDN over HTTPS.

• Polling begins when application code initializes or accesses the Datadog OpenFeature provider.
• No Datadog Agent is required for flag configuration.

remote_config

The Datadog Agent receives flag configuration through Remote Configuration and delivers it to the SDK.

• Selecting remote_config enables the Feature Flags Remote Configuration subscription.
• Requires a Datadog Agent with Remote Configuration enabled.

Agentless delivery is the default in supported SDK versions. Other server SDKs use Agent Remote Configuration for flag delivery.

Set DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE only when you want to select a source explicitly:

DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE=agentless

The SDK resolves the source once during initialization. Restart the application to change sources.

Use agentless delivery

To get started with agentless delivery, use one of these minimum versions:

Java CDN delivery requires dd-openfeature and dd-java-agent. It does not require a Datadog Agent for flag configuration.

Configure the API key, Datadog site, and environment in the application process:

DD_API_KEY=<DATADOG_API_KEY>
DD_SITE=<code class="js-region-param region-param" data-region-param="dd_site"></code>
DD_ENV=<YOUR_ENVIRONMENT>

Then initialize or access the Datadog OpenFeature provider in application code. See the Java or Node.js setup instructions.

No configuration-source or provider-enable setting is required. Polling begins only when application code initializes or accesses the provider; installing or initializing the tracer alone does not create Feature Flags CDN traffic.

Configure agentless delivery

Set DD_SITE to your organization’s Datadog site. For the site selected on this documentation page, use . The agentless source also supports these operational settings:

The SDK fetches configuration in the background and evaluates flags locally. Individual flag evaluations do not make network requests. The agentless source does the following:

• Polls every 30 seconds by default
• Uses a 5-second request timeout by default
• Uses ETags to avoid downloading unchanged configuration
• Preserves the last accepted configuration during temporary network or payload errors
• Prevents overlapping polls

The Datadog-managed CDN uses globally distributed points of presence, network peering, and redundant routing. Serving locations are therefore likely to be geographically close to most application workloads.

Keep DD_API_KEY in a secret manager and expose it only to the application process that loads flag configuration. Agentless configuration delivery sends the API key directly from the application to Datadog over HTTPS.

Use a custom agentless endpoint

The Datadog-managed endpoint is recommended for standard deployments. For advanced testing, local development, or an operator-managed proxy, override it with DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE_AGENTLESS_BASE_URL:

DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE_AGENTLESS_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8080

The custom URL must use HTTP or HTTPS. If it contains only an origin or a root path, the SDK appends the standard flag configuration path. If it contains a non-root path, the SDK uses that path as the complete endpoint.

The SDK sends DD_API_KEY only over HTTPS to the default Datadog-managed endpoint. It never forwards the Datadog API key to a custom endpoint. Custom endpoints can use HTTP for controlled local development; use HTTPS for any endpoint outside the local development environment.

If the custom endpoint setting is invalid, the SDK keeps the provider disabled, logs the configuration error, and evaluations return caller-provided default values.

Datadog-managed agentless delivery is not available for Datadog for Government in the supported SDK versions. Applications on that site continue to use caller-provided default values unless they use Agent Remote Configuration.

Migrate an existing Remote Configuration setup

Existing customers who set DD_EXPERIMENTAL_FLAGGING_PROVIDER_ENABLED=true remain on Remote Configuration during a migration window. This deprecated setting is a compatibility bridge, not the long-term configuration.

When you are ready to use agentless delivery:

1. Set DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE=agentless.
2. For the Datadog-managed endpoint, configure DD_API_KEY, DD_SITE, and DD_ENV in the application.
3. Initialize the provider and verify that it receives flag updates.
4. Remove DD_EXPERIMENTAL_FLAGGING_PROVIDER_ENABLED. Do not leave the deprecated setting enabled after the migration is complete.

To remain on Agent Remote Configuration temporarily, set DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE=remote_config, then remove DD_EXPERIMENTAL_FLAGGING_PROVIDER_ENABLED. Your API key remains on the Agent.

If you set DD_EXPERIMENTAL_FLAGGING_PROVIDER_ENABLED=false, replace it with DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_ENABLED=false.

Explicit DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE values take precedence over the legacy setting. After the legacy setting is removed, applications without an explicit source use agentless delivery. Set remote_config explicitly before the deprecated legacy setting is removed if you want to remain on Agent delivery.

Use Agent Remote Configuration

Set the source to remote_config to use Agent-managed delivery:

DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_CONFIGURATION_SOURCE=remote_config

For Java, Remote Configuration requires compatible dd-openfeature and dd-java-agent versions. Use version 1.65.0 or later for both components.

Configure the API key on the Agent, not in the application process. If Remote Configuration has been disabled on the Agent, re-enable it. See Remote Configuration for Agent setup and network requirements.

Advanced configuration

Enable or disable feature flags

DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_ENABLED defaults to true, so new setups do not need to set it. Set it to false to disable the provider and both configuration delivery paths:

DD_FEATURE_FLAGS_ENABLED=false

Activation and billing

Server Feature Flags billing is based on configuration requests made through Remote Configuration or the CDN. Installing the tracer does not activate either delivery path by itself.

• With the default agentless source, CDN polling starts only when application code initializes or accesses the Datadog OpenFeature provider.
• Explicitly selecting remote_config starts the Agent Feature Flags subscription. It does not require application code to initialize the provider.

Configuration precedence

Further reading

Additional helpful documentation, links, and articles:

Set up Server-Side Feature FlagsDOCUMENTATION Use Feature Flags in serverless environmentsDOCUMENTATION Learn about Remote ConfigurationDOCUMENTATION