Generally, toggles are used to provide users with options on whether to activate or deactivate settings, views, content, or functionality. They often appear as simple buttons with icons that communicate their current state. It’s important that these toggle switches are clear to users and that they work well, especially for people with disabilities. This is why it’s important to use accessible toggle switches that clearly identify their purpose and update their appearance based on their state.

Toggle switches are an incredibly powerful tool. They can make it possible to introduce features to a large group of users without needing to commit to changes in trunk code. They can also be a great way to support agile development processes by enabling teams to deploy new features in the same release cycle they would usually test and stabilize them.

However, a feature toggle system can also be problematic if the team doesn’t manage it effectively. Savvy teams view the inventory of Feature Toggles as code that comes with a carrying cost and strive to keep this quantity low. They ensure that their Feature Toggle inventory is not unnecessarily complex and that they are proactive in pruning old toggles from their codebase as soon as they become redundant. They do this by adding a toggle removal task to their backlog and building it into their management platform.

It’s also crucial that teams test their releases with the expected toggle configuration in production flipped On. Many teams also perform additional testing with the toggle configuration they expect to deploy flipped Off so that there are no surprises in future releases.