# Time Travel tutorial

This guide demonstrates how you could use Time Travel to address a common development scenario: debugging issues following a CI/CD deployment to production.

In this scenario, your team has recently introduced a streamlined checkout process, managed by a `new_checkout_process` feature flag. Soon after this flag was enabled, customer support started receiving complaints related to the new feature. As a developer, you're tasked with investigating the issues to confirm whether they are directly linked to the feature's activation.

## Before You Start

To follow this tutorial, you'll need:

- A Neon account. [Sign up here](/guides/neon-docs-get-started-signing-up).
- A [history window](/guides/postgres-backup-restore-history-window) that covers the timeframe of interest, allowing for effective use of Time Travel.

:::::steps
:::step{title="Preparing Your Database"}
To simulate this scenario, create a `feature_flags` table used for controlling new feature availability.

1. **Create `project_db` Database:**

   In the **Neon Console**, create a new database named `project_db`.

2. **Initialize `feature_flags` Table:**

   Execute the following in the **SQL Editor**, with `product_db` selected as the database:

   ```sql
   CREATE TABLE feature_flags (
       feature_name TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
       enabled BOOLEAN NOT NULL
   );
   ```

3. **Insert Sample Data:**

   Populate the table with an initial feature flag:

   ```sql
   INSERT INTO feature_flags (feature_name, enabled)
   VALUES ('new_checkout_process', FALSE);
   ```

This setup reflects a typical development stage: the feature is integrated and deployment-ready but remains inactive, awaiting activation.
:::

:::step{title="Simulating Feature Flag Activation"}
Now, we'll simulate the process of enabling this feature flag to release the feature.

### Enable the Feature Flag

Execute the following SQL command in the **SQL Editor** to simulate activating the feature by changing the feature flag's status to `TRUE`.

```sql
UPDATE feature_flags SET enabled = TRUE WHERE feature_name = 'new_checkout_process';
```

This action mirrors enabling a new feature in your production environment, typically managed as part of your CI/CD pipeline.
:::

::::step{title="Determine exactly when the feature was enabled"}
Since user complaints started coming in right after the feature was enabled, our first debug step is to confirm the exact moment the `new_checkout_process` feature flag was activated. Assume we've checked the deployment logs or CI/CD pipeline history and found the activation timestamp to be `2025-08-06 at 10:52 PM IST`.

For this tutorial, locate the timestamp of the `UPDATE` operation in the **History** tab of the **SQL Editor**:

<img src="../img/site-assets/neon.com/docs/guides/time_travel_tutorial_activation-wmtmo7.png" alt="select timestamp">

:::callout{intent="note"}
Timestamps in the Neon Console are shown in your local timezone. The time in this screenshot converts from `2025-08-06 at 10:52:00:00 PM IST` to `2025-08-06 at 5:22:00 PM UTC`.
:::
::::

:::step{title="Verifying Feature Flag Pre-Activation Status"}
Let's confirm that the feature was indeed disabled just before the feature flag's activation.

1. Enable the Time Travel toggle in the **SQL Editor**.

2. Enter a time period just before the identified activation timestamp.

   For our purposes, we'll select `2025-08-06 at 10:51:00:00 PM IST`, which is one minute before our activation time.

   ```sql
   SELECT * FROM feature_flags WHERE feature_name = 'new_checkout_process';
   ```

   We'll see the feature flag shows as `f` for false, as expected.

   <img src="../img/site-assets/neon.com/docs/guides/time_travel_tutorial_before-wmtmo7.png" alt="check pre-activation">
:::

:::step{title="Analyzing Post-Activation State"}
With the pre-activation state confirmed, now check the feature flag's status immediately after activation.

### Adjust Time Selector to Post-Activation:

Move to a time just after the feature's activation. For example, one minute after the timestamp copied from Step 2, so `2025-08-06 at 10:53:00:00 PM IST`. Re-execute the query.

```sql
SELECT * FROM feature_flags WHERE feature_name = 'new_checkout_process';
```

<img src="../img/site-assets/neon.com/docs/guides/time_travel_tutorial_after-wmtmo7.png" alt="check post-activation">

Now, we see the `new_checkout_process` feature flag is `t` for true, confirming that enabling the feature caused the reported issues. With this confirmation we can move on to our follow-up actions: fix the problem, turn off the feature flag, update stakeholders, or engage in a feedback loop with users to refine the feature based on real-world usage.
:::
:::::

## Need help?

Join our [Discord Server](https://neon.com/discord) to ask questions or see what others are doing with Neon. For paid plan support options, see [Support](/guides/postgres-introduction-support).

## Related pages

- [AI tools for Agents](./ai-agents-on-neon-index.md)
- [APIs & SDKs](./apis-sdks-index.md)
- [Changelog](../changelog.md)
- [Integrating with Neon](./building-on-neon-index.md)
- [Lakebase Postgres](./postgres-index.md)
- [Managed Better Auth](./auth-index.md)
- [More](./more-index.md)
- [Neon AI Gateway](./ai-gateway-index.md)
- [Neon community](./community-index.md)
- [Neon documentation](./neon-docs-index.md)

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