A toggle is a switch that has two positions: on and off. In programming, toggles are used to enable and disable features or to change settings. In everyday technology, toggle switches are found on keyboards and in phones to turn on and off functions such as the Caps Lock or Num Lock keys. Toggles are also commonly used in software to turn options and features on or off, as well as to switch between different display modes.
A common use of toggles is in content, such as collapsible and expandable lists. The Content Toggle Item is a flexible element that can help to create this functionality without requiring any additional markup beyond the standard
Toggles are often used in A/B tests to evaluate user behavior and improve product experience. For example, an e-commerce company may add an experiment toggle to their new configurator that uses two different suggestion algorithms. This toggle allows the company to test the effectiveness of each algorithm on their users and then remove the experiment once they have conclusive data that shows one algorithm has better results.
Toggle configuration should be stored in a centralized location to make it easy to modify. Many teams use an existing application database as a repository for feature flags, and build out some form of admin UI that enables developers, testers and product managers to view and modify the toggle configuration. Savvy teams view the inventory of toggles as an asset with a carrying cost, and they strive to keep that cost low by proactively removing flags when they’re no longer needed.
