A toggle, in computer technology, is an on-off switch. It’s most often found in options menus and is essentially a simple way for users to change their preferences.
Togles are used to switch between two options or state changes, and they can make a big difference in how your users interact with your application. This simple user-interface component is a great way to update settings and preferences, and it should be implemented consistently across your product.
Use a high-contrast color to signal state change. Low-contrast colors can be counterintuitive for some users and may lead to confusion. Similarly, state descriptors such as On and Off next to a toggle can be a helpful visual signifier for those who may associate these words with things like stop signs or stop lights.
Experiment Toggles are a great way to perform multivariate and A/B testing within your app. By exposing a toggle configuration endpoint that allows for dynamic in-memory re-configuration of toggles at runtime, you can override which codepath your app sends each user down by their cohort.
Release Toggles are transitionary by nature and should typically not stick around much longer than a week or so, although product-centric toggles may need to remain in place for a longer period. This makes it important to remove toggles that no longer serve a purpose in your release.
Togle Configuration can be a very large asset in an enterprise application and many teams move their toggle configuration into some type of centralized store that allows system operators, testers and product managers to view and modify toggle configuration at any time. This can be done in an existing application database or in a standalone UI built into the application itself.
