PR Cycle Time Threshold Filter
Last updated: October 27, 2026
The PR Cycle Time threshold filter narrows the PR Lifecycle report to merged pull requests (PRs) whose total cycle time, from first commit to merge, is above or below a value you set.
Why it matters
Averages hide what long PRs have in common. Use the filter to focus on the outliers that slow your team down, or to set them aside and study the typical bulk of your work.
Focus on slow PRs with
>: find which teams, authors, or repositories own the longest-running PRs, see what distinguishes a PR that took 10 or more days, and spot stages (such as waiting for review) that go with long cycle times.Exclude outliers with
<: remove large infrastructure PRs or seasonal anomalies, see a team's steady-state flow, and compare before and after a process change without long-running legacy PRs in the way.
How it works
The filter works on total PR cycle time: the time from the PR's first commit to its merge, using the same definition as the Time from First Commit to Merge metric. When it's active, every chart, metric, and table on the report keeps only the PRs that meet the condition.
Control | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
Operator |
| Keep PRs above or below your threshold |
Value | Any positive number | The numeric threshold |
Unit |
| The time unit for your value |
When the filter is active, it shows as a removable chip in the filter row with the condition in plain language, for example > 5 days, < 24 hours, or > 1 day.
How to use it
Open Insights → Productivity → Velocity → PR lifecycle.
In the filter row at the top, choose PR Cycle Time.
Pick an operator, enter a value, and choose hours or days. The filter opens at
> 5 days.Press Apply, or press Enter in the value field. Press Cancel to discard your changes.
To remove the filter, click the × on its chip.
Like the other filters on the page, your selection is saved and restored when you return to the report.
Things to know
Worked example: a team merged 20 PRs this month. Fifteen took under 3 days and five took 8 to 20 days. With
> 7 days, every chart on the page shows only those five PRs, so the stage tiles show where the slow PRs waited. With< 3 days, the page shows the other fifteen.Positive values only: zero and negative values are ignored.
One threshold at a time: you can't combine a lower and an upper bound.
Off by default: the filter doesn't change the report until you apply a value.
Total cycle time only: the filter doesn't filter on individual stages such as Awaiting First Review or Reworking.
Merged PRs only, consistent with the PR Lifecycle report.
To reduce outlier pull without filtering, switch the aggregation to Median in Page settings instead.
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Need help?
Contact your Span account team or reach out to support@span.app.