Toggle is a user interface control that allows users to update settings, preferences, and other types of information. Toggles should be used when it’s important for people to change the state of a view or content and it’s not possible to do that with other controls such as checkboxes or radio buttons. When using toggles, always use clear labels and make it clear to the user what state the toggle is in (either on or off). Ensure that the toggle looks like a switch, utilizing visual cues such as movement and color, so users know what it will do when clicked.
Toggles should not be used for downloading files or displaying images or videos. If you need to support these types of actions, use a pop-up instead of a toggle.
Savvy teams also use Feature Toggles as inventory, which comes with a carrying cost. They try to keep this inventory low by removing toggles once they have been used for their intended purpose and not using them again. This is particularly important when dealing with Experiment Toggles which are used for running A/B tests.
For example, an ecommerce company might add an experiment toggle in their configurator that runs two different suggestions algorithms to see which one is more effective. Once they have the data, they can remove the toggle and roll out that algorithm to all users. However, if they don’t do this and leave the toggle in place, it can confuse users as to which path is being used by the system.
