Toggle is a button or switch that can be used to change between two states or options. Toggle buttons are often found in everyday technology, like computers, laptops, mobile devices, and tablets, to allow users to toggle between different settings or modes.
When designing an effective toggle switch, consider the surrounding context. Ensure that the current state of the toggle is obvious to users through clear labels and visual cues. When using a toggle switch, avoid ambiguous or neutral labels—they can confuse users and lead to inconsistent behaviors.
Toggles are a great way to implement new features in your product. However, it’s important to keep your inventory of feature toggles low so that you can make sure that each toggle only affects a small swath of the interface. Leaving too many toggles open will cause confusion for users and can also increase the maintenance workload for your team.
Using Toggles to Perform Multivariate Testing
Adding toggles to your product allows you to run A/B tests by sending the same user down one codepath or another. By analyzing the behavior of different cohorts of users you can make data-driven optimizations to your site or app.
Unlike Canary Releases which can be long-lived, Feature Toggles should be short-lived and pruned as soon as they reach the end of their lifecycle. This helps your team keep code clean and free of unused or stale features. It’s a good idea to build this process into your product management platform, so that it is easier to track and manage your toggle inventory.
