Create flag variations

A flag variation is a reusable group of flag variable values (also called remote feature configuration or remote variables) that let you avoid hard-coding values in your code. Instead of waiting for a deployment, you can group them in a flag variation and then update them remotely in the Optimizely Experimentation application.

Optimizely Feature Experimentation dynamically assigns those variable values to your flag based on your flag rules. For information, see Flag variations.

You can create flag variations using the Feature Experimentation UI or the Feature Experimentation REST API.

You must create variables in the flag before assigning them to a variation.

In Feature Experimentation, the Off variation is a unique state where you explicitly disable the feature for users. Unlike other variations (such as a, b, c, d) that typically return enabled: true, the Off variation always returns enabled: false.

However, this does not exclude users from tracking. Users assigned to the Off variation are still tracked, which you can verify through the ruleKey in the decision response.

Off variation

Baseline (non-Off) variation

The decision.enabled flag does not indicate whether a variation is a baseline. Baselines are not included in the datafile but are accessible through the REST API.

If you do not use the Off variation, feature.enabled always returns true. Conversely, if you assign the Off variation, it returns false.

The Off variation affects tracking and decision responses. Although Off is excluded from the datafile, it remains part of the experiment logic and is accessible through API calls.

You can use the Optimizely Feature Experimentation REST API Variation endpoints to manage your variations. See the Create a new Variation endpoint for information.

You can brainstorm with Agent Platform to automatically create variations in Feature Experimentation. But, before doing so, Configure Feature Experimentation for Optimizely Agent Platform.

To brainstorm with Mark, complete the following steps in Feature Experimentation:

You can attach a screenshot or mockup to a variation so reviewers see what users experience in each variation. Each variation holds one optional image. Every rule that serves the variation displays the image.

Variation images accept the following files:

Complete the following steps to add an image from the Variations page:

To add the image while you create or edit a variation, use the Screenshot field in the Configure Variation panel.

After you save, a preview of the image displays in the Screenshot column. Open the variation and click Preview screenshot to open the full-size image.

To change or remove the image, click Replace screenshot or Remove screenshot.

To view the image from a rule, select the environment and click the rule. Then click View image for the variation.

Changes display in the Change History.

To delete a variation, go to Flags > select a flag > Variations. For the variation you want to remove, click Delete variation. Click Save.

You can also delete a variation by clicking Delete variation on the Configure Variation page. Click Save.

Click Undo on each variation before clicking Save to undo the deletion. You can click Revert to undo all changes.

You deliver flag variations through flag rules to control the end-user's experiences. Flag rules can be a targeted delivery, an A/B test, or a Multi-armed bandit optimization.

In the Optimizely Experimentation application, you see flag variations, which let you group and reuse variable values.

In your code implementation, you can use the returned OptimizelyDecision variation key to execute code conditionally. But, to take full advantage of variables, you must get the values of the variation's variables directly.

See the Implement flag variation in the developer documentation for code samples.