Stop guessing what works best in your marketing automations. The A/B Split node is a key feature that lets you test different strategies side-by-side using real data.
It works by creating two branches in your workflow: Path A and Path B. You can send different emails, offer different delays, or try any other variation to see which path drives more opens, clicks, or sales. This guide will show you exactly how to set it up.
Part 1: How to Set Up an A/B Test
Add the A/B Split: From the right-hand menu in your automation, drag the A/B Split node into your workflow. This will create two empty paths: Path A and Path B.
Add Your Content: Drag your actions into each path. For example, you could put an email with one subject line in Path A, and another email with a different subject line in Path B.
Split Your Audience: Click the A/B Split node to open its settings. You’ll see a slider that controls how many people go down each path. By default, it’s a 50/50 split.
Part 2: How to Choose a Winner
You have two ways to decide which path is better.
Option 1: Pick the Winner Manually
This is the default and simplest option. You watch the performance of each path and decide the winner yourself.
How to do it: When you've seen enough data, open the A/B Split settings and simply click on the path (Path A or Path B) you want to declare the winner.
What happens next: After you click Save, a trophy icon will appear next to the winning path, confirming your choice. From then on, 100% of all new contacts entering the split will be sent down the winning path, and the test is now over.
Option 2: Let BayEngage Pick the Winner Automatically
For a more data-driven approach, you can have the system automatically pick the winner for you.
How to set it up:
Check the "Automatic Winner Selection" box.
Choose your Goal: Select the metric that matters most to you (e.g., Open Rate, Click Rate, or Conversions).
Set a Deadline: Choose how many days the test should run.
Let the System Take Over: After the test deadline passes, a winner will be chosen automatically based on your winner metrics. From now on, users will follow the winning path.
Important Rules for Automatic winner selection:
Keep these key rules in mind, especially when using the automatic winner feature, to ensure your tests run smoothly.
Email or SMS Must Be First: For the "Automatic Winner Selection" option to be available, the very first step in both Path A and Path B must be an Email or SMS node.
Other Splits Disable Automatic Mode: If you place other types of splits (like a User Split or even another A/B Split) inside your test paths, the automatic winner option will be turned off. You will only be able to pick the winner manually.
Why? Automatic winner selection needs to compare the same metric (like "Click Rate" or “Order placed) for both paths. If a path starts with a different type of split, it doesn't have any comparison metrics to measure, so the system can't declare a winner automatically.
SMS Tests Use Click Rate: If you use an SMS node in either path, the system will always use Click Rate to decide the winner, since SMS node don't have an open rate.
What if it's a tie? If at the end of the test there is no clear winner, the system will automatically choose Path A as the winner.
Part 3: How to Reset or Cancel a Test
Made a mistake or want to start over? No problem.
To Cancel a Manual Winner: Simply click the winning path again to de-select it. This will reset the split back to 50/50.
To Cancel an Automatic Test: Click the "Reset" button next to the "Automatic Winner Selection" checkbox. This will cancel the test and switch you back to manual mode.