A toggle is a switch or button that can be used to select between two states or options. It is commonly used in technology, computing, programming, and user interfaces to enable people to control the state of a feature or setting.

For example, a toggle may be used on a website to allow a person to turn cookies on or off. The toggle is activated by clicking on it, and the default behavior is for the toggle to be active (i.e., on). The toggle can also be reset to the off state by clicking on it again.

Often, toggles are colored to help users distinguish which side it is on. While this is fine for some situations, a toggle is best used to manage the state of something that already has a consistent, obvious UI, such as a checkbox or radio button. Toggle buttons are also not as cognitively OK as other types of buttons, such as sliders, which do not rely on proximity or opacity to convey meaning. Toggles are typically also not as cognitively accessible for users who use assistive technologies, which can make it difficult for them to understand what they mean and how to activate them.

In addition, using toggles to implement features that depend on the state of other features can be challenging for teams. For example, if a team creates a toggle for an upcoming release that depends on the state of another feature that isn’t yet ready to be released, it can cause bugs when the toggle gets changed or when a new version of the toggle is released. It’s best to avoid this type of risk by making sure all features that depend on the state of other features are implemented via separate toggles and not directly on each other.

A toggle can be very useful in software development for supporting dev teams as they write and test new features. Instead of creating a branch where the team will implement the new feature, they can generate a release toggle that leaves their code inactive in production, and can then incrementally test it with users in different geographic locations or with a specific set of user attributes. This can save time and effort, and allows teams to deliver features faster.

Using toggles can be a great way to add customization for your site, or to enable more advanced features. However, be careful not to overuse them as a shortcut for other components of your application, and be sure to design your toggles with accessibility in mind so that they are available to all users. For more information on designing for accessibility, read our Accessibility guide.