In both software and hardware a toggle switch is a key feature that turns something on or off. For example, on a keyboard the Caps Lock and Num Lock buttons are toggles for their specific functions. These are both flipped on by pressing the button once and then turned off when the button is released. This same concept is also evident in most options menus where a user can switch features on and off.
A toggle can be a useful tool for product development teams. By enabling teams to turn features on and off as they build and test them, feature toggles can allow them to iterate at speed without having to wait for a full release cycle to see whether a new feature performs as intended. This is especially important when dealing with high-impact or sensitive features that need to be carefully tested with real users.
Toggle is a word that seems simple enough, but with just a little digging you can find that there are a lot of different things to learn about this concept. In this article, we’ll explore what a toggle is, how to use it, and why you might want to consider implementing one in your own organization.
The Meaning of Toggle
Toggles can be a great way to iterate on features at scale, but they’re not without their challenges. Toggle configuration often lives in files and modifying these manually can be cumbersome at a certain scale. Many teams opt for a solution such as a feature flag platform or service to help manage the configuration of their toggles in a centralized location which can be accessed by both testers and developers alike. Additionally, exposing an endpoint which allows the dynamic re-configuration of specific services can be useful for testing and debugging purposes.
For release toggles it is generally best to test a release with all of the expected production toggles flipped on and with the fallback or “default” toggles flipped off. This ensures that any changes made in a future release don’t negatively impact the experience for existing or new users of your system. With Experiment Toggles this approach can be even more effective as a team can test an experiment with different cohorts of users and see how their system responds to each codepath.
Once a team has adopted the use of toggles in their release process it’s important to manage them well. This starts with good naming conventions and continues with a regular schedule for reviewing, refactoring, and eliminating flag debt. It’s common for organizations to use a feature flag management tool which provides analytics that can help with this process and many teams have found it beneficial to set aside a day, monthly, or quarterly, to focus on flag cleanup. With these steps in place, the power of toggles can be leveraged to iterate at speed and deliver a better experience for your customers.
