Managing Devcycle

---
name: managing-devcycle
description: |
  Use when working with Devcycle — devCycle feature flag management, targeting
  rules, environments, variable management, and usage metrics. Covers feature
  creation, variation configuration, targeting rules, audience segments, and API
  usage tracking. Use when managing feature flags, configuring targeting rules,
  reviewing variable usage, or analyzing feature adoption in DevCycle.
connection_type: devcycle
preload: false
---

# DevCycle Management Skill

Manage and analyze features, variables, environments, and targeting rules in DevCycle.

## API Conventions

### Authentication
All API calls use the `Authorization: Bearer $DEVCYCLE_API_KEY` header (Management API token). Never hardcode tokens.

### Base URL
`https://api.devcycle.com/v1`

### Core Helper Function

```bash
#!/bin/bash

dvc_api() {
    local method="$1"
    local endpoint="$2"
    local data="${3:-}"

    if [ -n "$data" ]; then
        curl -s -X "$method" \
            -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEVCYCLE_API_KEY" \
            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
            "https://api.devcycle.com/v1${endpoint}" \
            -d "$data"
    else
        curl -s -X "$method" \
            -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEVCYCLE_API_KEY" \
            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
            "https://api.devcycle.com/v1${endpoint}"
    fi
}
```

## Output Rules
- **TOKEN EFFICIENCY**: Extract only needed fields with `jq`
- Target <=50 lines per script output
- Never dump full API responses

## Discovery Phase

### List Projects and Environments

```bash
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Projects ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.key)\t\(.name)\t\(.settings.sdkTypeVisibility // "all")"' | column -t

echo ""
PROJECT_KEY="${1:?Project key required}"
echo "=== Environments ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects/${PROJECT_KEY}/environments" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.key)\t\(.name)\t\(.type)"' | column -t
```

### List Features

```bash
#!/bin/bash
PROJECT_KEY="${1:?Project key required}"

echo "=== Features ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects/${PROJECT_KEY}/features?perPage=25" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.type)\t\(.key)\t\(.name[0:40])\t\(.status)"' | column -t

echo ""
echo "=== Variables ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects/${PROJECT_KEY}/variables?perPage=25" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.type)\t\(.key)\t\(.feature.name[0:30] // "none")"' | column -t
```

## Analysis Phase

### Feature Detail

```bash
#!/bin/bash
PROJECT_KEY="${1:?Project key required}"
FEATURE_KEY="${2:?Feature key required}"

echo "=== Feature Details ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects/${PROJECT_KEY}/features/${FEATURE_KEY}" \
    | jq '{key, name, type, status, variations: [.variations[].key], variables: [.variables[].key]}'

echo ""
echo "=== Targeting Rules ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects/${PROJECT_KEY}/features/${FEATURE_KEY}/configurations" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.environment.key)\t\(.status)\t\(.targets | length) targets"' | column -t
```

### Feature Overview

```bash
#!/bin/bash
PROJECT_KEY="${1:?Project key required}"

echo "=== Feature Status Summary ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects/${PROJECT_KEY}/features?perPage=100" \
    | jq '{
        total: length,
        by_status: (group_by(.status) | map({(.[0].status): length}) | add),
        by_type: (group_by(.type) | map({(.[0].type): length}) | add)
    }'

echo ""
echo "=== Recently Modified ==="
dvc_api GET "/projects/${PROJECT_KEY}/features?perPage=10&sortBy=updatedAt&sortOrder=desc" \
    | jq -r '.[] | "\(.updatedAt[0:16])\t\(.key)\t\(.status)"' | column -t
```

## Output Format
- Use tab-separated columns with `column -t`
- Limit lists to 15-25 items
- Show summaries before details

## Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. **NEVER assume resource names** — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. **NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions** — verify against the service documentation or `--help` output.
3. **NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions** — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. **ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain** — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. **ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully** — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

## Counter-Rationalizations

| Shortcut | Counter | Why |
|----------|---------|-----|
| "I'll skip discovery and check known resources" | Always run Phase 1 discovery first | Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors |
| "The user only asked for a quick check" | Follow the full discovery → analysis flow | Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures |
| "Default configuration is probably fine" | Audit configuration explicitly | Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled |
| "Metrics aren't needed for this" | Always check relevant metrics when available | API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues |
| "I don't have access to that" | Try the command and report the actual error | Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative |

## Common Pitfalls
- **Management vs SDK API**: Management API for flag configuration; SDK API for flag evaluation
- **Feature types**: `release`, `experiment`, `permission`, `ops`
- **Feature statuses**: `active`, `inactive`, `archived`
- **Variables vs features**: Features contain variables -- variables are the actual values evaluated by SDKs
- **Targeting**: Targets use audience filters with AND/OR logic and custom properties
- **Pagination**: Use `perPage` and `page` query parameters