Install the Optimizely Experimentation desktop app
- Optimizely Web Experimentation
- Optimizely Performance Edge
- Optimizely Feature Experimentation
- Optimizely Full Stack (Legacy)
Important
Optimizely plans to deprecate this app in the second half of 2026, with the date to be announced soon. Use the new Visual Editornew Visual Editor instead.
You can download the Optimizely Experimentation app onto your desktop, instead of relying on Optimizely Experimentation on the web. The Optimizely Experimentation desktop app runs natively on your computer (Windows, macOS) and lets you use Optimizely outside your browser. The Optimizely Experimentation desktop app makes editing experiments and campaigns faster and more consistent.
Use it to solve issues such as:
- Loading your site in the Visual Editor.
- Loading dynamic elements like AJAX content or single-page applications.
- Logging-in or experiences requiring cookies, such as a shopping cart.
The Optimizely Experimentation app delivers the same content as the Optimizely web application in a simple wrapper that loads on your desktop.
Download the app here:
- For a macOS (.dmg file, preferred over the Windows app)
- For a Windows machine (.exe file)
Install the Optimizely Experimentation app
- Download the file for macOS or for Windows.
- Find the file on your machine and double-click to install.
- Enter your Optimizely Experimentation email and password to log in.
The app opens your Optimizely Experimentation dashboard.
When to use the Optimizely Experimentation app
The Optimizely Experimentation desktop app improves overall speed and responsiveness. Use it to load your website in the Visual Editor quickly and reliably.
You should use the Optimizely Experimentation web application when you are using a computer that you do not want to install software on, or if you want to use multiple web browser tabs.
Use the desktop app in the following situations:
- Your website does not load or loads slowly in the Visual Editor. For example, the HTML loads but not the CSS or images.
- Your website has dynamic elements that update after the page loads, like AJAX content or single-page applications.
- Code on your website prevents iFrame loading and popups or automatically navigates away from Optimizely.
- You want to build tests on staging sites which fail to load in the web application.
- You use logged-in or cookied experiences and need to edit a session-specific page, like a shopping cart.
- Your website strips out query parameters required to run the Visual Editor.
Troubleshoot
The Optimizely Experimentation desktop app does not automatically refresh when others change your Optimizely Experimentation projects and experiments. You must reload the app to work with the latest updates. Press Ctrl+R on a PC or Command+Ron a Mac to reload the Optimizely Experimentation Desktop App.
Contact Optimizely Support if you have questions.