Checkbox

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cognite.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Checkbox

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When to use

• Users need to select multiple options independently (e.g., hiding or showing columns in a Data Table display or selecting items from a list).
• Users need to enable/disable a setting.
• A selection doesn’t require immediate action (e.g., form submission required to apply changes).
• User needs to confirm or agree to something (e.g., a delete confirmation).

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When to use something else

• The user should only select one option. Use Radio buttons instead.
• The options are part of a form and don’t need to be presented all at once—consider Select.
• The action is immediate and toggles a setting on/off. Use Switch instead. Checkboxes indicate selection rather than an instant toggle, so they can feel ambiguous for immediate on/off settings.

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Dos and don’ts

• Do provide a label to help the user understand what they are selecting.
• Don’t preselect Checkboxes for the user as this can be overlooked.
• Do use an indeterminate state when some of the children items are selected.
• Don’t use only one checkbox unless it’s being used to verify or agree to something.
• Do automatically select children when a parent item is selected.
• Do always indent children items to show the parent-child relationship.

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Behavior

• Space toggles the focused checkbox; click/tap toggles the hit target.
• Indeterminate state reflects partial selection in a group and is set by the app, not by direct user choice.
• Parent–child groups: selecting a parent updates children per your rules (often all or none).

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Checkbox vs Checkbox + card

• Use a plain checkbox when the options are straightforward and self-explanatory — enabling a feature, agreeing to terms, selecting items from a list.
• Use the card container when:
  • Each option benefits from a description to make the choice clear.
  • The options represent distinct configurations or feature sets the user needs to evaluate.
  • You want to visually separate and give equal weight to each choice.

• The card works well here when users are making considered selections — like choosing data with context about what each one does — rather than quickly ticking off a list.
• Don’t use the card variant for long lists of options. Cards imply each item deserves attention; if there are more than ~4-5 options, the layout becomes unwieldy and plain checkboxes with good labels will serve better.

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Often used with

• Label per control or group legend; Helper text for the group; Card variant when options need descriptions.