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Toggle button
A smooth toggle switch — checkbox under the hood, custom UI on top.
Quick implementation
/* Hide the native checkbox */
.toggle-input {
position: absolute;
opacity: 0;
width: 0;
height: 0;
}
/* The visible track */
.toggle-track {
display: inline-block;
width: 3rem;
height: 1.625rem;
background: oklch(0.35 0.03 260);
border-radius: 1rem;
position: relative;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background 0.25s ease;
}
/* The sliding knob */
.toggle-track::after {
content: '';
position: absolute;
top: 0.1875rem;
left: 0.1875rem;
width: 1.25rem;
height: 1.25rem;
background: oklch(0.95 0 0);
border-radius: 50%;
transition: transform 0.25s ease;
}
/* Checked state */
.toggle-input:checked + .toggle-track {
background: oklch(0.52 0.22 265);
}
.toggle-input:checked + .toggle-track::after {
transform: translateX(1.375rem);
}
/* Focus ring for keyboard users */
.toggle-input:focus-visible + .toggle-track {
outline: 2px solid oklch(0.72 0.19 265);
outline-offset: 2px;
}Prompt this to your LLM
Includes role, constraints, and edge cases to handle.
You are a senior frontend engineer building a settings UI.
Goal: A toggle switch component using a visually hidden checkbox and a styled label — no JavaScript for the toggle logic.
Technical constraints:
- Visually hide the checkbox with position: absolute and opacity: 0.
- Use the adjacent sibling selector (+) to style the label based on :checked state.
- The knob slides via transform: translateX() with a CSS transition.
- Include :focus-visible styling for keyboard accessibility.
- Use oklch() for colors. The track should change color when toggled on.
Accessibility:
- The checkbox must have an associated label or aria-label.
- Do NOT use display: none on the checkbox — it must remain in the tab order.
- Screen readers should announce the toggle as a checkbox with its checked state.Why this matters in 2026
Toggle switches appear in every settings page, cookie banner, and preference panel. Using a real <input type="checkbox"> under the hood gives you free accessibility: screen readers announce it as a checkbox, keyboard users can toggle it with Space, and form submission works without JavaScript. The CSS layer is purely visual — a styled label with a sliding pseudo-element knob.
The logic
The checkbox is visually hidden but remains in the DOM and tab order. The <label> is styled as the track, and its ::after pseudo-element is the knob. When the checkbox is :checked, the adjacent sibling selector + targets the label, changing the track color and translating the knob to the right. The transition property smooths the movement. :focus-visible adds a focus ring only for keyboard navigation, not mouse clicks.
Accessibility & performance
Because the underlying element is a real checkbox, screen readers announce it correctly: "Dark mode, checkbox, checked." Keyboard users can toggle it with Space. The :focus-visible outline appears only during keyboard navigation — mouse users don't see it. Transition performance is excellent since we're only animating transform and background, both of which are GPU-composited.