---
title: Configure self-service A/B testing
slug: product-recommendations/docs/configure-self-service-a-b-testing
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-30T20:41:30.384Z
---

You can conduct A/B testing for your product recommendation [widgets](docId\:Oelgq9EycADCNJ2Oj5Yut) in Optimizely Product Recommendations using the self-service A/B testing feature. This feature lets you independently create, configure, and launch experiments without relying on developer support. You can define variants (for example, different recommendation algorithms), assign traffic splits, and measure performance based on key metrics such as sessions, number of unique visitors, conversion rate, orders, or revenue.

By using self-service testing, you gain faster experimentation cycles, better control over your test configuration, and data-driven insights into which recommendation strategies perform best for your audience.

## Create an A/B test

To create an A/B test, complete the following:

1. Go to **Configuration > A/B Tests**.
2. Click **Create New Test**.

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/l07Ch4dI6HTNPr3W3lP_V-20260720-150229.png)
3. Enter a **Name **for your A/B test and add a hypothesis or a test description in the **Description **field.
4. Click **Create Test**. The **Variations **page displays.

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/KhC4PVZ09kbpmw7U7L0rt-20260720-150229.png)

## Add and edit variations

By default, you have **Variation A** and **Variation B **as two test groups of widgets you can use to conduct your A/B test. You can add up to five variations. These are the widgets you previously added to pages to enable and start generating product recommendations. See [Activate a widget](docId\:Oelgq9EycADCNJ2Oj5Yut). 

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/nnZr_GwO-0mrxFuAWvyqU-20260720-150229.png)

To edit a variation, complete the following:

1. Click the name of your variation (like **Variation A**) or click **Edit**. The edit page displays.
2. Search for and select widgets for each page where you want product recommendations. You can also create a widget by clicking **+ Create new widget **or delete a widget by clicking **More (...) >** **Delete**.

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/U2zwe2AG9XlTEcHJjxULM-20260720-150229.png)
3. Click a widget to [configure it](docId\:Oelgq9EycADCNJ2Oj5Yut).
4. Click **Save **to save your changes. 
5. Go back to the **Variations **page to control the **Total Traffic **for each variation. Click **More (...)** to **Rename**, **Duplicate**, or **Delete **any variation. 
6. Click **Save **to start your A/B test.

## Start and schedule your test 

After adding your variations, you can immediately start your A/B test or schedule a date to start your test. To start your A/B test, click **Start Test**.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

You can only conduct one live test at a time. If you want to start a new one, go to your existing live test and click **End Test**. 
:::

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/-l3CB1Kit0ny8Ce1gQTga-20260720-150229.png)

To schedule a test, complete the following:

1. Click **Schedule**.
2. Select your **Start Date**, **Start Time**, **End Date**, and **End Time**. Select your **Time zone **from the drop-down list. 
3. Click **Save**. Your test starts and ends at the scheduled times. 

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/11KOk0Di8IZgYR0JuXP_X-20260720-150229.png)

## View test results

You can view your test results when the test completes. To view your results, complete the following:

1. Go to **Reports > A/B tests** or select a test from your list of completed tests (with the status **Done**). 
2. Click **Results**. 
3. Select your **Control group** (the variation whose data you want to see), **Currency** (the currency you want to examine), and **Start Date** and **End Date**.

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/qgP41mcRBEmWNke5EEPDi-20260720-150229.png)
4. Click **Numbers **to view the comparison between your variations for key metrics, such as **Sessions**, **Unique visitors**, **Revenue**, **Orders**, and so on. 

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Rom2FSb0pJsNl-nEu3s3H-20260720-150229.png)
5. Click **Daily charts **to view the data in a chart format. You can view the data for **Revenue**, **Visitor-to-order conversion**, **Average order value**, **Average selling price**, **Unit per order**, and **Sessions**. 

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/LH1dzPuAFbXftC_JFI8XV-20260720-150229.png)
6. Click **Uplift charts **to view the individual and cumulative uplift for each variation.  

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/afEmHOTPHx20FgFXnG-00-20260720-150230.png)
7. Click **Widget Breakdown** to view total revenue by variation. Expand a widget under a variation, for example, **Variation D > ab\_AWidget91**, to view key metrics including **Product refCode**, **Brand**, **Impressions**, **Clicks**, **Items Bought**, and **Revenue**.

   ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/xpYhInuuYrChCTax-HWlY-20260720-150230.png)