A/B Testing & Link Variants Guide

Split traffic across multiple destinations to optimize conversion rates

Overview

PVTLNK’s A/B testing feature allows you to:

Test different destinations - Compare performance of different URLs
Optimize conversions - Identify which destination drives more actions
Make data-driven decisions - Use actual click data to guide choices

Requirements

Plan	Availability
Starter	❌ Not available
Pro	✅ Available
Enterprise	✅ Available

How It Works

Traffic Distribution

When you create variants, PVTLNK distributes traffic:

Equal split (50/50) by default
Weighted splits available (e.g., 70/30 for gradual rollouts)
Random assignment ensures unbiased results

Tracking & Analytics

Each variant tracks:

Total clicks per variant
Conversion rate (when goals are configured)
Device/browser/country breakdowns

Creating a Test

Method 1: Create New Link with Variants

Go to Create New Link
Scroll to A/B Testing Variants section
Click + Add Variant
Enter destination URLs (one per variant)
Optionally add a name for each variant
Create the link

Method 2: Add Variants to Existing Link

Go to All Links
Click Edit on the link
Scroll to A/B Testing Variants
Click + Add Variant
Save changes

Variant Types

Simple Variants

Test different destination URLs:

Variant	Destination
A	https://landing-page-a.com
B	https://landing-page-b.com

Redirect Rules

Use time-based redirects for gradual rollouts:

Rule	Destination	Traffic %
Rule 1	https://new-site.com	10%
Rule 2	https://old-site.com	90%

Analyzing Results

Analytics Dashboard

Click Analytics on the link
Scroll to A/B Testing Variant Performance
View comparison metrics

Key Metrics

Metric	Description
Clicks	Total clicks per variant
Share	Percentage of total traffic
Conversion Rate	Conversions / Clicks × 100
Winner	Highest performing variant (auto-identified)

Export Data

Export A/B test results via API:

GET /api/v1/links/{id}/variants

Returns click counts and percentages per variant. For full click-level data, use the link export endpoint: GET /api/v1/links/export

Best Practices

1. Test One Variable at a Time

Good: Test different landing pages with same ad copy
Bad: Test different URLs AND different ad copy simultaneously

2. Run Tests Long Enough

Minimum: 1,000 clicks per variant
Recommended: 7 days minimum
Consider day-of-week variations

3. Use Statistical Significance

Clicks per Variant	Confidence
< 100	Low - not actionable
100-500	Medium -初步 insights
500-1000	High - reliable data
1000+	Very high - conclusive

4. Document Your Hypothesis

Before starting:

# A/B Test Document

**Test Name:** Homepage CTA Button Color
**Hypothesis:** Orange button will convert better than blue
**Control (A):** Blue button
**Variant (B):** Orange button
**Success Metric:** Button clicks
**Duration:** 7 days

Common Use Cases

1. Landing Page Testing

Test different landing pages for the same campaign:

Primary Link → [A/B Test] → Variant A: Sales Page
                         → Variant B: Webinar Registration

2. URL Shortener Migration

Gradually migrate from old short links:

Old Link → [A/B Test] → 10% New shortener
                         → 90% Old shortener

3. Campaign Attribution

Test which source performs better:

Campaign Link → [A/B Test] → Variant A: facebook.com/utm_source
                           → Variant B: google/utm_source

API Integration

Create and manage A/B tests via API:

# Create a link first
POST /api/v1/links
{
  "link": {
    "destination_url": "https://variant-a.com",
    "title": "A/B Test Campaign"
  }
}

# Add a second variant to the link
POST /api/v1/links/{id}/variants
{
  "variant": {
    "name": "Variant B",
    "destination_url": "https://variant-b.com",
    "weight": 50
  }
}

# List variants and their performance
GET /api/v1/links/{id}/variants

# Update variant weight
PATCH /api/v1/links/{id}/variants/{variant_id}
{
  "variant": {
    "weight": 70
  }
}

# Deactivate a variant
PATCH /api/v1/links/{id}/variants/{variant_id}
{
  "variant": {
    "active": false
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Traffic not distributing	Check variant weights sum to 100%
No winner identified	Need more clicks for statistical significance
Variant not tracking	Verify destination URL is accessible
Wrong variant showing	Clear browser cache and test again

FAQ

Q: Can I have more than 2 variants?
A: Yes, up to 5 variants per link.

Q: Can I change variants after creating?
A: Yes, but changes only affect new clicks.

Q: What happens if a variant destination is down?
A: That variant will show errors, other variants continue working.

Q: Can I use A/B testing with password protection?
A: Yes, password protection works with A/B testing.

Conversion Tracking - Set up goals for A/B tests
Analytics Overview - Understand your data
API Documentation - Programmatic A/B testing

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