DORA Metrics

What they are

DORA metrics measure software delivery performance across throughput and stability. They help teams inspect the delivery system rather than reward individual output.

Core metrics

• Deployment Frequency: how often changes reach production or an equivalent customer-facing environment.
• Lead Time for Changes: elapsed time from a code change to successful production delivery.
• Change Failure Rate: the proportion of deployments that cause degraded service and require remediation.
• Mean Time to Restore: how quickly service is restored after a deployment-related failure or production incident.

Responsible use

Definitions must be consistent across repositories and services. Segment results by system type and delivery model, use trends rather than isolated rankings, and combine the metrics with quality, reliability, customer, and business outcomes. They should diagnose workflow constraints, not become individual performance targets.