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What is PR Cycle Time

PR Cycle Time measures the total time from when a developer first commits code until that code is successfully merged into the default branch. This metric represents the end-to-end delivery speed of your development process.

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How We Calculate It

We automatically track the time between your first commit and when that code gets merged into the default branch (main/master). Since merges to main typically represent when code is ready for production, this gives us a good measure of your development cycle time. What We Track:
  • Time from first commit to PR merge
  • The complete development cycle
  • How long code takes to be integrated
What We Don’t Count:
  • Time spent planning or designing (before first commit)
  • Time after merge (deployment, user adoption, etc.)
  • Failed or abandoned changes
How It’s Calculated: 
PR Cycle Time = (PR Merge Time) - (First Commit Time)
We use the 75th percentile (P75) to show you the typical cycle time, filtering out unusually long outliers that could skew your understanding of normal performance.

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Why It Matters

PR Cycle Time is a critical metric that measures your team’s ability to complete development work efficiently. High cycle times may indicate large batch sizes, lengthy review processes, or bottlenecks in the development workflow.

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How to Improve

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Reduce Development Time

  • Smaller PRs: Break large changes into focused, manageable pieces
  • Clear Requirements: Ensure developers understand what needs to be built
  • Pair Programming: Collaborate to solve complex problems faster

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Streamline Review Process

  • Review Guidelines: Set clear expectations for reviewers
  • Automated Checks: Use tools to catch common issues before review
  • Review Rotation: Distribute review workload across the team

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Optimize Development Workflow

  • Clear Branching Strategy: Use consistent branch naming and workflow
  • Regular Commits: Make smaller, more frequent commits
  • Early Feedback: Get input on changes before they’re complete

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Common Bottlenecks

  • Large PRs: Changes that are too big to review quickly
  • Review Delays: Waiting for code reviews to complete
  • Complex Changes: Features that are difficult to implement incrementally
  • Unclear Requirements: Changes that are hard to understand
  • Review Backlog: Too many PRs waiting for review