Toggle is a simple, powerful UX component that lets users manage the state of settings or content. Toggles should only be used when a user needs to select between two opposing values that affect the state of something. For all other cases, use a different UX element such as a checkbox or radio button.

When using toggles, always clearly identify the setting, view or content the toggle controls. This helps people understand what is currently active or inactive, and can eliminate confusion that might occur if there are multiple options in one state. Also be sure to use a high-contrast color and state descriptors (such as On or Off) to communicate toggle status to users, and avoid relying solely on the proximity principle or color alone to convey this information.

As the use of toggles grows, it’s important to consider how they will be managed and updated. Traditionally, feature toggles were implemented on separate code branches and required a lengthy process to roll them back into trunk code. This workflow has been disrupted by newer agile development models where features can be developed, tested and rolled out as toggles while still remaining in the same release version of your application.

Toggle switches are powerful tools, but if not used wisely, they can lead to technical debt. It is important to carefully categorize your toggles, decouple decision points from logic and regularly audit and remove unnecessary toggles. Doing this will ensure that your toggle inventory stays small and manageable, and prevents your team from accumulating technical debt that may impact other teams’ work.

For example, if a toggle switch is being used to implement an algorithm that requires a lot of resource, it’s possible that the system could run out of memory. In that case, the developer may decide to move that algorithm into its own process and toggle it on only when needed. This prevents the entire system from running out of resources and affecting the performance of other processes.

When building out a toggle configuration, many organizations choose to move the decision point into some type of centralized store that is accessible to all users and developers. Managing this store is typically more efficient than modifying static files, and it can be easier to enforce consistency across large fleets of servers.

This is usually accompanied by the build-out of some form of admin UI that allows systems operators, testers and product managers to view and modify Toggle Configuration and its associated Features Flags. This allows the team to keep a closer eye on their toggle inventory, and more easily resolve problems when they do occur. This approach can be particularly effective if the team uses an agile methodology, and has a continuous integration/continuous delivery pipeline to deliver their changes to production. This is the best way to ensure that your toggles are kept in sync with your codebase at all times.