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Previewing Variation for Your Split URL Test in VWO

Vaibhav Singh
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Previewing a variation before actually starting a test allows you to verify if your variations are redirected to the correct URLs. Additionally, you can also verify if the query parameters are being passed successfully to the redirected URL or not.

The PREVIEW option offers a convenient way to quickly check and validate your variations without digging through the test settings. It typically ensures no broken links or sections in your variation and are working as expected for your website visitors.

For example, say you have created a test that targets users from a specific geographic location. In such a scenario, the Previews option allows you to load the test pages in the same way as they load for the targeted visitor segment. This helps stimulate the experience, allowing you to ensure that the test is implemented correctly for targeted visitors.

To preview the variations of your Split URL test, perform this:

Procedure

  1. Login to your VWO account.
  2. Go to TESTING > Split URL.
  3. From the Split URL test dashboard, select the test you want to preview.
  4. Go to the PREVIEW tab.
  5. From the Variation dropdown, select the variation you want to preview.
  6. In the Preview URL field, enter the URL on which you want to preview the changes.
    NOTE: If your test is running on multiple pages, you can preview them individually.
  7. If you have configured targeting conditions in your campaign and variations, the options to Ignore campaign targeting conditions in previews and Ignore variation targeting conditions in previews appear right below the variations dropdown. These options allow you to preview your variations irrespective of the targeting conditions that your campaign or variation targets.
    NOTE: By default, these options are enabled. If you wish to preview the variations complying with the targeting conditions, disable them.
  8. To preview your variation, click Preview in a new tab.
  9. In the preview, a Preview Mode pop-up appears in the lower right corner, which displays the information about your test. To view this information, click on the Campaign name in the pop-up.previewMode.jpg
NOTE: In the preview mode, the variation changes, goals, and other variation-specific modifications will be displayed even if the VWO Smartcode times out. Whenever the time-out happens, a warning message is displayed in the preview pop-up. To know more, refer to Why Does VWO Smartcode Time-out and How to Resolve It?

Previewing Screenshots of Your Variation

Using the Screenshot Previews section present in the PREVIEW tab, you can view the screenshots that VWO generated for your test variations. Here, the screenshots of all your variations appear as thumbnails.

To preview the screenshots of your Split URL test, perform this:

Procedure

  1. Go to the PREVIEW tab, and from the panel on the right, click Screenshot Previews.
    NOTE: By default, the Live Previews section is selected.
  2. To view a screenshot, hover on the screenshot thumbnail and click VIEW SCREENSHOT.
  3. On the screenshot that appears, you have the option to view the screenshot of your variations in specific browsers. To do this, select the variation and browser from the respective dropdowns and click Go.
    Alternatively, you can also use the SELECT BROWSERS dropdown present in the top right corner of the Screenshot Previews section to preview your variations in different browsers.
    NOTE: While viewing a screenshot for the first time, it may take a few seconds to generate depending on the server load.

Additionally, you can also group your variations based on the Browsers and Variations using the GROUP BY screenshot settings present in the panel on the right.

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