A/B Test Email Sends

Use A/B Testing through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement to test differences in emails and determine which version of an email performs best. Access A/B test options through the Marketing Cloud tab in the Sales or Service Cloud. Select a test type: subject lines, emails, content areas, from names, or send dates and times. Then set up a test of two versions for the type selected. For example, a test two unique subject lines for one send. The A/B test sends each version to a random segment of the message recipients. Then it measures the open and click performance, selects the best performer, and sends the winning option to the remaining recipients.

Important List building and splitting occur when you save the A/B send definition. If you use a date time split, there’s a time gap between list building and the actual email send. Subscribers who unsubscribe during this gap still receive the email. To avoid this scenario, schedule the sends as close as possible to the time you save the A/B send definition.

When setting up an A/B test, you can send the winning version to the remaining recipients automatically when the system determines the winner. Or, you can manually select a winner and send the remainder. If you select the system to determine the winner automatically and the test ends in a tie, option A is automatically declared as the winner.

You can enter an email address to receive email notifications during the test to monitor the progress. Enter an email address to receive notifications and select which to receive:

• When an email is sent to the conditions you defined
• When a winner is declared
• When an email is sent to the remainder
• If an error occurs

Note A/B test notification emails come from the Marketing Cloud Global notification account.

• A/B Test Content Area
  Follow these steps to A/B test two email content areas for a send through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• A/B Test Emails
  Follow these steps to use an A/B Test on two email messages for a send through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• A/B Test From Name
  Follow these steps to A/B test two From Names for a send through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• A/B Test Send Date and Time
  Follow these steps to A/B test two send dates or times for a send through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• A/B Test Subject Lines
  Follow these steps to A/B test two subject line options for an email send through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• Cancel an A/B Test
  Cancel a previously scheduled A/B test through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• Modify A/B Test Send
  Modify a scheduled send of the winning email from automatically to a scheduled time through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• Select an A/B Test Winner
  Manually select the winner of an A/B test through Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement.
• Track A/B Test Results
  Access tracking for a Marketing Cloud Connect for Marketing Cloud Engagement A/B test send in Sales or Service Cloud. View tracking information for test condition A, test condition B, and the remainder sent. Tracking information includes opens, unique click-through rates, delivery rates, and unsubscribes.