SummaryIn this study, a direct static design method for structures with metal yielding dampers is proposed based on a new design target called the seismic capacity redundancy indicator (SCRI). The proposed method is applicable to the design of elastic‐plastic damped structures by considering the influence of damper on different structural performance indicators separately without the need for iteration or nonlinear dynamic analysis. The SCRI—a quantitative measure of the seismic capacity redundancy—is defined as the ratio of the seismic demand required by the target performance limit to the design seismic demand. Changes in the structural SCRI are correlated with the parameters of the supplemental dampers so that the dampers can be directly designed according to a given target SCRI. The proposed method is illustrated through application to a 12‐story reinforced‐concrete frame, and increment dynamic analysis is performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The seismic intensity corresponding to the target structural performance limit is regarded as a measure of the structural seismic capacity. The required seismic intensity increases after the structure is equipped with the designed metal yielding dampers according to the expected SCRI. It is concluded that the proposed method is easy to implement and feasible for performance‐based design of metal yielding dampers.