---
title: OptimizelyConfig for the Ruby SDK
slug: feature-experimentation/docs/optimizelyconfig-ruby
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-05T20:39:59.000Z
---

Optimizely Feature Experimentation SDKs open a well-defined set of public APIs, hiding implementation details. However, you may need access to project configuration data within the [datafile](docId:3LmHm4b3kTxKBuoR93KN8). The following section extends the public APIs to define data models and access methods, which you can use to access project configuration data.

A public configuration data model (OptimizelyConfig) is defined as a structured format of static Optimizely Project data.

### Get `OptimizelyConfig`

You can access `OptimizelyConfig` through the `OptimizelyClient` (top-level) using this public API call.

```ruby
def get_optimizely_config
```

`get_optimizely_config` returns an `OptimizelyConfig` instance, which includes the following:

- Environment key
- SDK key
- Datafile revision number
- Experiments mapped by key values
- All attributes
- All audiences
- All events
- Feature flags mapped by key values
- Function to retrieve the project configuration (the datafile)

:::hint{type="info"}
When the system updates the datafile, you can add a [OptimizelyConfigUpdate notification listener](#)  to get notified. After receiving the notification, call the method to get the updated `OptimizelyConfig` data.
:::

### Get datafile

To share the same datafile between multiple SDK instances, such as in a client and server scenario, pass a JSON string representation of the config (the datafile) between instances. To get the datafile, use the `OptimizelyConfig` object's `get_datafile` method. For information, see [Sharing the datafile with multiple SDK implementations](docId\:eH-UMm_rOn_GdGDGLV6__).

### Object model

The following sample shows the object model for `OptimizelyConfig`:

```ruby
# [OptimizelyConfig] is a hash describing the current project configuration data
# being used by this SDK instance. The hash consists of:

revision - string
sdkKey - string
environmentKey - string

# This experimentsMap is for experiments of legacy projects only.
# For flag projects, experiment keys are not guaranteed to be unique 
# across multiple flags, so this map may not include all experiments 
# when keys conflict.

experimentsMap - hash of experiment key to OptimizelyExperiment 
featuresMap - hash of feature flag key to OptimizelyFeature
attributes - list of attributes
audiences - list of all audiences
events - list of events

# [OptimizelyFeature] is a hash describing a feature flag. The hash consists of:

id - string
key - string
experimentRules - list of optimizely feature experiments
deliveryRules - list of optimizely rollout experiments

# Deprecated. Use experimentRules and deliveryRules instead.

experimentsMap - hash of experiment key to OptimizelyExperiment 
variablesMap - hash of variable key to OptimizelyVariable 


# [OptimizelyExperiment] is a hash describing an experiment. The hash consists of:

id - string
key - string
audiences - list of serialized audiences
variationMap - hash of variation key to OptimizelyVariation 


# [OptimizelyVariation] is a hash describing a variation in an experiment. The hash consists of:

id - string
key - string
featureEnabled - bool
variablesMap - hash of variable key to OptimizelyVariable 


# [OptimizelyVariable] is a hash describing a feature flag variable. The hash consists of:

id - string
key - string
type - string
value - string


# [OptimizelyAttribute] is a hash describing an attribute. The hash consists of:

id - string
key - string


# [OptimizelyAudience] is a hash describing an audience. The hash consists of:

id - string
name - string
conditions - string


# [OptimizelyEvent] is a hash describing an event. The hash consists of:

id - string
key - string
experimentIds - list of experiment ids
```

## Examples

You can access `OptimizelyConfig` from the `OptimizelyClient` (top-level) using the following code example:

```ruby
config = optimizely_instance.get_optimizely_config

revision = config['revision']
sdk_key = config['sdkKey']
environment_key = config['environmentKey']

#all audiences
audiences = config['audiences']

#all attributes
attributes = config['attributes']

#all events
events = config['events']

# all feature flags

features_map = config['featuresMap']
features = features_map.values
feature_keys = features_map.keys

feature_keys.each do |flag_key|
  flag = features_map[flag_key]
  delivery_rules = flag['deliveryRules']
  experiment_rules = flag['experimentRules']
  
  # use experiment rules and delivery rules and other flag data here...

  experiment_rules.each do |experiment|
    experiment_key = experiment['key']
    audiences = experiment['audiences']
    variations_map = experiment['variationsMap']
    variations_keys = variations_map.keys

    variations_keys.each do |variation_key|
      variation = variations_map[variation_key]
      variables_map = variation['variablesMap']
      variables_map.each do |variable_key|
        variable = variables_map[variable_key]
      end
    end
  end

  delivery_rules.each do |delivery|
    delivery_key = delivery['key']
    audiences = delivery['audiences']
    # use delivery rule data here...
  end
end

# listen to OPTIMIZELY_CONFIG_UPDATE to get updated data
optimizely_instance.notification_center.add_notification_listener( Optimizely::NotificationCenter::NOTIFICATION_TYPES[:OPTIMIZELY_CONFIG_UPDATE]
) do |*args|
  config = optimizely_instance.get_optimizely_config
end
```