A toggle is a small piece of hardware or software that allows you to switch between two different states. These switches can be used to update preferences, settings, and more on a site or app. Toggles are a simple user interface component that can make a huge impact on the way users experience your website or app. When creating your own toggles it is important to keep in mind that these simple switches must communicate clear messages and deliver immediate results to your users. Toggles should always have a direct label, utilize standard visual design, and be easily distinguishable from other elements on the page.
The term toggle is also a verb that means to switch between different settings or programs, like when you toggle between screens during a video chat with two friends at once. It can also refer to the process of switching back and forth between two options in a software program, such as using Alt+Tab to switch between your email account and Google Docs.
Toggles can be used in conjunction with feature flags to enable a dynamic re-configuration of an application at runtime. This can help reduce the impact on your production environment that a new feature might have and allow you to rapidly experiment with different configurations without having to re-deploy an entire release. Toggle configuration can be managed with a number of approaches ranging from simple commenting through to sophisticated and secure preprocessor features like #ifdef.
A toggle can be used to perform multivariate or A/B testing by consistently sending users down one codepath or the other, depending on what cohort they are in. This can be useful in a variety of ways, from testing the wording on a call to action button or altering a purchase flow on an ecommerce site to optimizing the order confirmation message for a specific demographic.
It is common to see toggles used as a way for users to upgrade or disable functionality on a web application. This can include features such as social media integrations, autoplay videos, or popup ads. By providing a toggle, you can allow users to opt-in or out of these features in a controlled manner.
When a toggle is enabled it can be easy for users to forget that the feature is active, and as a result, they might not use it or even remember why they turned it off in the first place. This can be problematic, especially if the toggle is in a prominent position on the page and not clearly labeled. To avoid this problem, it is recommended that designers use high contrast color palettes and clear, descriptive text for toggle switches.
Generally speaking, release toggles are short-lived and should only remain in the code for a week or two at most, although product-centric toggles may need to be in place longer. This helps to ensure that any problems with a release can be quickly identified and rectified before the toggle is disabled permanently, which would cause confusion for users.
