Feature toggles are a powerful tool that enables businesses to control which features or functionalities are active for specific users or groups of users at any given time, without needing to deploy new code. This flexibility is extremely valuable, allowing businesses to test new features, roll out updates, or restrict access based on segments. While feature toggles are effective in both B2B and B2C commerce, their impact can vary depending on specific needs.
What are the Different Types of Feature Toggles?
Feature toggles can be categorized based on their function and business impact. Here are the most common types of toggles we deal with at Smith:
- Release toggles are focused on continuous delivery. If a new feature isn’t fully ready or is still in progress, you won’t need to postpone your deployment. This approach allows developers to commit their work more frequently and lets you schedule feature activation based on commercial purposes or readiness.
Consider a client implementing wallet functionality on their B2B site while two teams work on the same codebase. A release toggle enables them to develop the feature in parallel and activate it only when it’s ready.
- Business toggles are driven by broader business or regulatory requirements. They are often implemented to meet specific commercial needs– such as activating or deactivating features based on legal deadlines, region-specific promotions, or strategic business decisions.
Building on the wallet functionality example, a business toggle could ensure that the feature is only activated for the US market while remaining disabled in other countries.
- Experiment Toggles are used for A/B testing to measure metrics and user responses. They have the flexibility to disable a feature if test results don’t meet expectations, allowing for iterative improvements without committing to a full rollout.
A marketing team testing a new home banner on a B2C site, for instance, might use an experiment toggle to track interactions. If the banner fails to generate meaningful traffic, they can hide it without disrupting the site.
- Permission Toggles help control access by enabling features for specific user groups based on subscription levels or client status. This ensures that only targeted users receive exclusive access to new functionalities.
On a B2B site, pricing could be displayed in different currencies depending on an organization’s settings. A permission toggle allows this to happen dynamically, tailoring the experience without affecting other users.
- Technical Toggles are crucial for managing infrastructure changes, upgrades, migrations, or refactors. They provide a controlled way to shift between systems while maintaining stability.
For example, when migrating an ecommerce search engine, a technical toggle can be used to gradually enable the new engine, activating it page by page as they become ready.
How Do Toggles Differ in B2B and B2C Commerce?
While feature toggles are a critical tool in both B2B and B2C environments, their implementation and management vary due to the distinct nature of each business model.
Complexity
In B2B commerce, toggles are often more complex because they cater to highly customized needs. For example, custom pricing rules or features might only be applicable to specific organizations or even distinct roles within an organization. This results in a variety of differentiations and a higher level of complexity. In contrast, B2C toggles are generally designed to be straightforward– features are either available to all users or none at all.
Testing Strategy
For B2B systems, a more careful testing approach is necessary. Since these platforms handle complex business processes and significant financial transactions, it’s important to collaborate closely with business partners to ensure everything runs smoothly. B2C environments typically lean on standard quality assurance (QA) practices, allowing for broader, more streamlined rollouts with less intricate validation.
Rollback Risks
Rolling back a toggle in a B2B environment carries a higher risk. Even a minor misconfiguration can disrupt essential business processes or impact critical financial transactions, potentially impacting an entire organization. B2C toggles are generally simpler and serve a broader, less segmented audience. Since they are often more UI oriented, adjustments tend to be less disruptive and are unlikely to interfere with site transactions.
Pros and Cons of Feature Toggles
Feature toggles offer significant benefits that can enhance your release process and overall system stability. Hiding substantial changes or risky functionality behind flags allows you to deploy continuously without waiting for every feature to be fully ready. This means that if a newly activated feature causes issues or friction with customers, it can be quickly turned off without needing a full redeployment or database restore. Toggles can also facilitate A/B testing by allowing you to experiment with different variations of a feature and measure user response, while also providing a safety net during major technical changes.
On the other hand, incorporating feature toggles does come with its own set of challenges. The additional layer of control can extend testing cycles since you need to validate that both active and inactive states meet your acceptance criteria. The codebase can also become cluttered with conditional logic, making it harder to maintain. If toggles are not removed after they have served their purpose, they can accumulate as technical debt. There’s also the risk of unforeseen interactions between multiple toggles, which could lead to unexpected behavior. Balancing these benefits and trade-offs is key to effectively leveraging feature toggles in your development process.
Best Practices for Feature Toggles
Managing feature toggles effectively involves a well-rounded strategy that covers everything from initial setup to eventual removal. A good starting point is to categorize your toggles—organizing them by site, country, or specific customer segments helps prevent mix-ups and ensures that each toggle serves a clear purpose. Keeping detailed documentation of every toggle and its objectives is essential for clarity.
Leveraging a robust configuration management tool can further streamline your process. For example, SAP Commerce’s backoffice provides a centralized location where you can view and manage toggles across multiple sites. It allows you to search for toggles on a per-site basis, giving you a clear picture of what’s active, and ensures that only the right people have the necessary permissions to make changes. This control is critical when many team members access the backoffice, as proper permission settings help avoid accidental or unauthorized modifications.
Equally important is the process of removing toggles once they’ve served their purpose. This organized approach makes it easier to monitor usage through logs, set expiration dates, and conduct regular code audits—ensuring that toggles don’t slip through the cracks. For instance, implementing a sunset process that removes toggles permanently enabled for over a month helps keep your codebase lean and efficient.
Beyond solid categorization and removal practices, it is equally important to incorporate some hands-on strategies to safeguard your deployment process. For instance, testing toggles in a staging environment before going live helps catch issues early, while robust fallback mechanisms ensure that any misconfigurations or deletions don’t disrupt your system.