Toggle is a user-interface element that allows people to manage the state of content or a view. It lets users decide whether to display or hide information, and it can also be used to enable/disable features. The toggle is a simple yet powerful user-interface component that can be easily implemented in a wide variety of applications. It is important to use toggles sparingly and thoughtfully, as they can lead to confusion when overused. Using toggles wisely requires clear labeling and careful UI design. The labels should be descriptive and direct, avoiding any ambiguity. Toggle switches should be visually distinct from other controls, such as checkboxes and radio buttons, and they should not rely on color alone to convey meaning.
A toggle is also a useful tool for performing multivariate or A/B testing on your website or application. It buckets your users into two groups, allowing you to test new features without the risk of impacting everyone. Feature toggles enable engineering teams to experiment with new code and features in real-world environments without risking the overall experience of all users.
It’s important to make sure that the toggle configuration that you expect to be released into production is tested thoroughly. Savvy teams have a rule of adding a task to remove the toggle when it’s no longer needed, and some even put expiration dates on their feature flags so that they will be automatically removed from production after a certain amount of time.
